Name: 3D Forever Lip Gloss in Geisha
Brand: Mirenesse
Size: 14g
Price: $29.95/AUS$39.95

From Mirenesse’s website:
A Brilliant transparent mineral gloss with long lasting wear. A Super juicy emollient texture and flavour full taste. New Curved applicator makes it super easy to apply!

What I liked:
- highly pigmented
- hydrating, not-sticky texture
- easy to apply, glides on smoothly
- no burning or stinging feeling
- good staying power, fades evenly into a stain
- delicious citrus scent
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- doesn’t plump my lips much
- the price

I had never heard of Mirenesse until my blogging friend Tine, the lovely lady behind Beautyholics Anonymous, sent me one of their lipglosses to try (thanks hun!). I do love discovering new brands and I was very impressed with this gloss. Mirenesse 3D Forever Lipgloss comes in a black and golden bag with the picture of a fan on it. I find this really cute. The gloss itself is packaged in a sleek and huge tube (it contains 14gr!) that will last forever!

There are 10 shades available, ranging from wearable nudes to feminine pinks to daring reds. The one I received is Geisha, a bright and shimmery red with a very shiny finish. The shade is very pigmented and a little bit goes a looong way, so if you only want a hint of color you’ll have to be careful when you apply it. I do love its brightness, though, and one swipe is enough to achieve an intense but surprisingly wearable coverage. Application, thanks to the slanted wand, is really easy.

The texture is on the thick side but not sticky at all. And it’s quite hydrating too. In fact, not only it doesn’t dry my lips, I also don’t need to put on lip balm before applying it. It also glides on smoothly on the lips and stays put for about 3 hours. After that, it starts to fade evenly into a stain and slowly, completely disappears. And did I mention that it has a yummy citrus lemony scent? It doesn’t smell fake at all and doesn’t hang around long.

Miranesse 3D Forever Lip Gloss also promises to make your lips look plumper, but it didn’t do much for my lips. They look slightly bigger when I wear it, but the difference is barely noticeable. I think it’s just an illusion created by the hydration and shininess of the texture, but this gloss looks so pretty on the lips that I don’t mind that it doesn’t plump my lips much. And I was glad to discover that, unlike a lot of plumping glosses, this doesn’t make my lips burn nor string.

Available at: mirenesse.com

Summary
Mirenesse 3D Forever Lip Gloss in Geisha is a beautiful bright and shimmery red shade. Very pigmented, it has a quite hydrating, non-sticky texture that glides smoothly on the lips. It lasts 3 hours before starting to fade into a stain and doesn’t sting nor burn lips. However, it makes them only slightly plumper and is expensive.

Rating: 4/5

Name: Light Me Up Lipgloss in Illuminate
Brand: MeMeMe
Size: 6ml
Price: £6.99

From MeMeMe’s website:
High shine lip colour complete with a mirror on the side and ingenious ‘light-up’ lip applicatior for easy on-the-go application. With plumping agents for a natural looking pout, this non-sticky ultra glossy light-reflecting formula is perfect for lips that love the spotlight!

What I liked:
- nice color payoff and shiny finish
- non-sticky texture that doesn’t dry lips
- pretty and cool packaging complete with mirror and light-up applicator
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- uncomfortable tingling sensation when you first apply it
- doesn’t last long

MeMeMe Light Me Up Lipgloss is a little gimmicky: it has a small and narrow mirror on one side and an actual light in the want applicator that lights up when you unscrew it. This is a very handy and clever idea as it allows you to easily apply and retouch your gloss on a night out. I admit I don’t really use it as I never go clubbing or at parties where the lights are low, but it’s really good to have it anyway as you never know when may need to reapply your gloss in the dark.

MeMeMe Light Me Up Lipgloss is available in 9 shades. The one I have is called Illuminate and it is a shimmering pinkish nude that looks very natural on the lips and would complement any look, whether it’s smokey, natural or colorful. Color payoff is ok. It’s not very pigmented, but not too sheer either, it’s just soft and provides a nice wash of color with a shiny finish that illuminates the lips.

The gloss has a non sticky texture that doesn’t dry lips but doesn’t moisturize them either so I suggest you apply a thin veil of lip balm underneath. However, when you first apply it, it gives your lips a tingling sensation that feels uncomfortable on the lips, but that doesn’t last long so it doesn’t bother me. It also has a mint scent that’s quite pleasant and fresh.

However, the gloss doesn’t last long on the lips. I get about only an hour of wear before it has disappeared and it’s time to apply again. But at least the mirror and lights included in the packaging means that you can easily retouch it wherever you are.

Available at: mememecosmetics.co.uk and Superdrug

Summary
MeMeMe Light Me Up Lipgloss in Illuminate is a soft pinkish nude with a shiny finish and a non-sticky texture that’s not hydrating but neither drying. Once the initial unpleasant tingling sensation is over, it feels comfortable on the lips. It only lasts an hour on the lips but the packaging has an inbuilt mirror and lights that make application easy wherever you are.

Rating: 3.5/5

Name: Stay With Me Lipgloss in Trendsetter
Brand: Essence
Size: 4ml
Price: €2,49

From Essence’s website:
The color-intensive texture is so wonderfully creamy and durable – without leaving a sticky feeling behind. The special shape of the precision applicator allows an effortless application.

What I liked:
- pigmented
- lovely shiny finish
- doesn’t dry lips
- the scent
- the packaging
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- the wand
- texture is a bit sticky
- not moisturizing
- doesn’t last long

Essence has just released a new range of lipglosses, available in 7 shiny shades, which promise a creamy and longlasting texture at only €2,49. Now, who can resist a bargain like that? Of course I had to try one and my choice fell upon n.04 Trendsetter, a bright but wearable hot pink with a shiny finish. Will it really stay with me for hours as claimed?

Let’s start with the wand, which is quite peculiar. It is shaped like an hour-glass which is supposed to make application easier but I didn’t like it. I actually find it makes the color end up outside the contour of your lips. This is mainly a problem if you have thin lips though.

The texture is not too thick nor too thin but definitely not creamy. It doesn’t dry lips but it’s not moisturizing either so I would suggest applying a layer of lip balm underneath. The consistency is also a bit sticky but not that much to really bother me. It has a nice, sweet fruity scent which isn’t too strong and tastes quite yummy too.

Color payoff is incredible for a lipgloss. It’s one of the most pigmented glosses I’ve ever tried and all you need for almost opaque color payoff is just one swipe. Unfortunately it doesn’t last that long on the lips. After a couple of hours the color and shine have almost completely disappeared from my lips forcing me to reapply the gloss several times during the day.

Available at: Ulta.com

Summary
If you are looking for a pigmented lipgloss at a cheap price, Essence Stay With Me Lipglosses may just be what you need. As long as you don’t expect too much. It smells and tastes yummy and doesn’t dry lips, but it doesn’t moisturize them either and the color fades after only a couple of hours. In addition, the wand is not very practical.

Rating: 3.5/5

Name: Diva Gloss
Brand: Big Girl Cosmetics
Size: 4g
Price: $15.00

From Big Girl Cosmetics:
This is the ultra-brilliant formula that delivers transparent shine, sensuous shimmer, and sumptuous shades. Super-easy to apply in its very own applicator tube. All colors provide a hint of color with long-lasting, non-stick shine!

What I liked:
- nice sheer and shimmery shades
- not sticky
- quite moisturizing
- delicious flavour
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- doesn’t last longer
- the price

Have you ever heard of Big Girl Cosmetics? It’s a nice little company that promises state of the art products at affordable prices. So far, I have only had the chance to try their Diva Gloss, which I won in a blog contest, and while, I really wouldn’t call a $15.00 lipgloss affordable or cheap, I’m very impressed with its quality.

Diva Gloss is available in only 5 shades but unfortunately I don’t know which one I have as I didn’t buy it myself and the name is not printed on the packaging. Judging by the swatches on their website though, I’m pretty sure I have Berry Diva. It looks like a rich brownish pink in the tube, but on the lips, it provides the slightest hint of color with lots of gold shimmers that make your pout shine.

This is definitely a lip gloss for those that want shine instead than color from a gloss. The shimmers aren’t over the top at all and the shade is just understated and very wearable, suitable for both school and work. The texture is wonderful too: it glides on easily, isn’t sticky at all and quite moisturizing too. Unless you have dry lips, you won’t need to use a lip balm underneath it.

The scent and taste are delicious too! I can’t really quite describe the flavour. It’s sweet without being too sweet nor overpowering but it makes me wanna eat it when I apply it lol. But I know I shouldn’t do that. Like most lightweight glosses, though, this too doesn’t last long and touch ups are necessary about every two hours.

Available at: biggirlcosmetics.com

Summary
Big Girl Cosmetics Diva Gloss is a not-sticky, lightweight, moisturizing gloss that provides just a hint of color and lots of shimmers to make your lips shine. However, it doesn’t last long and some may find the price expensive.

Rating: 4/5

Name: Mega Plump Lipgloss in Cairo-Mel
Brand: Wet n Wild
Size: 3ml
Price: €2.99

From Wet n Wild’s website:
Plumping lipgloss. It gives lips a pleasant plumping effect, minimize small wrinkles. It contains Vitamins A, E Aloe Vera to make lips soft, while an effervescent and refreshing formula create extraordinary shine.

What I liked:
- shiny
- not sticky
- lovely cinnamon scent
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- doesn’t plump lips
- not very pigmented
- formula feels a bit drying on the lips
- not longlasting
- packaging looks cheap and tacky

The problem with having too many lipglosses is that you end up using a few favourites all the time and forgetting all about the rest. At least that what happens to me. And while sometimes I realize that I had neglected a truly beautiful and amazing lipgloss, other times I remember that if a product has been forgotten, there was a reason: poor performance. That’s exactly the case with this lip gloss.

Wet n Wild Mega Plump Lipgloss in Cairo-Mel (there are other 5 shades available) looks like a soft, slightly icy pink in the tube but that doesn’t translate on the lips. Once applied, it leaves the slightest tint of pink with lots of shine, which looks beautiful for about 5 minutes. After that, all the color has completely gone and only the shine remains.

The formula is not very moisturizing, but for €3.00 I didn’t expect it to be. Just wear a lip balm underneath and you’ll be fine. I also like that it isn’t sticky and has a lovely cinnamon smell. Maybe a bit too sweet, but still pleasant. However, the lipgloss lasts about a hour on me, less if I eat, and so needs to be reapplied frequently throughout the day.

But the main reason why I don’t like this lipgloss is that it doesn’t plump lips. At all. Now, I don’t really want bigger lips and the only reason why I bought this was because I liked the color, but still, a plumping gloss that doesn’t plump lips is kinda… useless. It does give lips that tingling feeling typical of volumising products, so I was expecting my lips to become slightly bigger, but no. This just doesn’t work.

I also dislike the packaging. Some may find it cute, but to me it only looks cheap and tacky. Overall, Wet n Wild Mega Plump Lipgloss in Cairo-Mel is a very basic lipgloss and considering that, the price is just right. But its lack of pigmentation and its complete inability to plump lips were big disappointments for me.

Available at: drugstores

Summary
Overall, as a basic lipgloss, Wet n Wild Mega Plump Lipgloss in Cairo-Mel is ok. If you like clear, not-sticky, shiny glosses and don’t mind reapplying often, this is a nice and inexpensive option. But I gave it a low rating because it is a plumping lipgloss that just doesn’t plump at all. In other words, a complete failure.

Rating: 2/5

Name: Glitter in Gloss in n.1 and n.6
Brand: Layla
Size: 4,5ml
Price: €13,49

From Layla’s website:
Glitter is embraced by an extraordinary light and lays down delicately on your lips brightening them. A delicate formulation, 6 shades, a precious packaging for a successful product.

What I liked:
- very sparkling
- good color payoff
- longlasting
- not sticky
- nice scent
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- if you don’t like glittery lip products, this is not for you
- not very moisturizing
- I like the scent, but some may find it too sweet
- the price

If you don’t like glittery lip products, you can stop reading now. But if you’re like me and love sparkling lips, then I think you’re gonna love Layla Glitter in Gloss. Available in six shades, from silver to gold, from pinks to reds, these babies will definitely get your pout noticed. I’ve been playing with two of the shades, n.1 and n.6, for a while now and it’s finally time to tell you all about them.

N.1 is a clear white gloss infused with multi-colored glitter. It is my favourite of the two as it is very versatile. It can be used on its own like you can see in the swatch above for a simple, icy and shimmery look or on top of any lipstick you want to add a sparkling touch to your lips. And it’s so easy to apply too.

N.6 is a harder shade to wear but still beautiful. It is a deep bourdeaux red chock full of tiny red glitters. This is harder to apply because, as the color is darker, you need to be very precise with application (as you can see in the swatch, I wasn’t so sorry for that). However, I think this is true for all dark lip products so it’s not really a flaw of this gloss. It has a good color payoff when used on its own or you can pair with a red lipstick to make it sparkle and shine.

The glitters in these glosses are tiny and fine so you don’t have to worry about having huge chunks of glitters on your lips. As for the texture, sadly that’s not very moisturizing, so prep your lips with a lip balm beforehand. It is also barely, barely sticky so it feels comfortable on but still allows the gloss to last for more than 4 hours on me! That’s a great achievement for a gloss in my opinion.

The gloss is packaged in a long, sleek and see-through tube so you can see how much is still left in it. In addition, it comes with a handy applicator. Instead than a sponge-tip, it has a little brush with synthetic bristles that allows an easy and smooth application. And what about the scent? Personally, I like it although not everyone will be a fan of it as it is very sweet. It disappears from the lips pretty soon though.

Available at: Layla counters

Summary
If you love glittery lipglosses, you’re gonna love Layla Glitter in Gloss. Chock-full of tiny glitters, these glosses will make your lips shine, sparkle and get noticed. They have a good color payoff, are just slightly sticky and last for hours. The brush applicator is also very handy. However, they aren’t moisturizing, the price is not that cheap for a gloss and some may find the scent too sweet.

Rating: 4/5

Name: London Lips in Portobello
Brand: Eyeko
Size: 13.5g
Price: £6.50

From Eyeko’s website:
Make way for Eyeko London Lips Lip Gloss poured into pretty tubes stamped with iconic London images. Long-lasting colour and non-stick shine make for smooth application in a choice of 3 sheer and 3 cream blends.

What I liked:
- beautiful sheer and shiny color
- easy to apply
- lasts 3 hours on me
- the packaging
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- if you like pigmented lipglosses, this is not for you
- if you have dry lips, you need to wear a lip balm underneath

Eyeko has just released a new lipgloss line called London Lips. They are packaged in a simple see-through tube with symbols of London – such as the Big Ben, the UK flag, the double-decker bus and of course, the Eyeko logo, stamped all over it. I really liked how they managed to spice up and make pretty such an ordinary plastic tube! But what about the lipgloss itself?

Available in six shades, I had the chance to try Portobello, a sheer pink infused with gold shimmers that has a very shiny finish. It is a beautiful, no-fuss color that can be paired with everything and always looks good. You just swipe it on and you’re good to go.

It has a thick texture that is easy to apply and spread on the lips and it’s just a tiny little bit sticky. I think even girls who can’t stand sticky glosses would like this, as really, the stickiness is just barely noticeable. It feels quite comfortable on and although it’s not the most moisturizing gloss I’ve tried, that can be fixed by applying a layer of lip balm underneath.

On me, it lasts about 3 hours if I don’t eat which I think it’s quite impressive for a gloss. Most usually barely last 2 hours before completely disappearing! I also like the scent: it’s fruity and sweet but not overly so. It’s not strong and you can’t smell it once on the lips.

Available at: www.eyeko.com and asos.com

Summary
Eyeko London Lips in Portobello is a sheer pink gloss with golden flecks that make your lips shine. The texture is thick  and just barely, barely sticky but not that moisturizing so using a lip balm with this is necessary. It lasts 3 hours on me, smells wonderful and the packaging is cute.

Rating: 3.5/5

Name: Miracle Gloss in n.2 & n.5
Brand: Layla
Size: 4ml
Price: €15,10

From Layla’s website:
A longlasting texture, a product that gives volume to lips. You’ll feel your lips hydrated and see them turning into an ocean of light.

What I liked:
- 8 beautiful shades to choose from
- very pigmented
- quite moisturizing
- very shiny finish
- not sticky
- longlasting for a lip product
- lovely scent

What I didn’t like:
- if you have dry lip lips, wearing a lip balm underneath is necessary
- bulky packaging
- the price

Layla Cosmetics has recently released a new line of lipglosses called Miracle Gloss. With a name like that, these glosses have a lot to live up to, and after trying two of the eight shades available, I have to say they don’t disappoint at all.

N.2, my favourite shade of the two, is a bright and intense fuchsia with tiny little shimmers that make lips sparkle. It is very pigmented and one swipe is enough to achieve opaque coverage that will last for a few hours.

N.5 is a very wearable and much easier shade to pull off than n.2. It is a coral-nude shade that is also very pigmented and only requires one coat for great color payoff. Unlike n.2, this shade doesn’t contain shimmers nor glitters, but it is still very shiny.

Both glosses are very pigmented and have a lovely texture. The consistency is not-sticky and quite creamy so, unless you have dry lips, you can easily skip a lip balm with these as they are quite hydrating on their own. And because they are very shiny, they make your lips appear bigger and plumper. In addition, both glosses are quite longlasting. Unless I eat or drink, they stay put for about 4/5 hours before I need to retouch them!

Instead, I’m not too keen on the packaging. The gold cap is supposed to represent a gold nugget, but overall I find the whole tube too big and bulky and not that practical to carry around in your purse. But at least, considering how longlasting they are, you won’t really need to bring them along with you unless you’re out for the entire day.

As for the price, I do think that €15.00 is not that cheap for a lipgloss. Still, that won’t put me off buying one or more shades because it’s not often you come across such pigmented and longlasting glosses that feel comfortable on the lips. I think that, overall, they are worth the price and if you find a shade you like, I highly recommend them.

Available at: Layla counters

Summary
Layla Miracle Gloss in n.2 & n.5 are very pigmented and shiny glosses that offer opaque coverage in just one swipe while giving the illusion of plumper lips. Creamy and not-sticky, they last about 4 or 5 hours on the lips if you don’t eat nor drink. However, the packaging is bulky and the price not that cheap.

Rating: 4/5