It was a big deal when Sephora launched their massive Lip Stories collection of lipstick, not only for the amount of shades (40) or finishes (3), but also the price ($8). And, they live up to the hype.
Spending a lot of money on a lipstick bullet never really appealed to me. If you end up loving it and using it constantly, the amount of reapplication and upkeep that goes into non-longwear lipstick just isn’t worth it, in my opinion. But something about the Lip Stories formula keeps it from being overly drying or feathering, and it really does last, through coffee mugs and water glasses from the fancy wine bars I wore it to.
I chose the shade Labyrinth City, which is a really nice taupe-y rose shade. The colors range from nudes, reds, and roses to metallic blues and greens. There’s even a matte black shade called Woof with a pug on the package.
Speaking of the packaging, each color has imagery that is evocative of the shade inside. Brunch Date has wicker chairs in a café. Malt Shake is the interior of an old-school diner. While the packaging of Lip Stories is cute, the material is less than ideal, with cardboard tubes that feel more like a cheap tampon applicator than something you’d put on your face. But, I’ll give it a pass at this price point, and the corresponding photos are a nice touch.
The payoff really is the formula. I swatched a bunch while in-store the other day and I was very impressed by the feel. It doesn’t shellac to your lips like a traditional matte lipstick does. It’s creamy without being slippery, and deposits a ton of pigment with one swipe. It also smells amazing, like a fancy popsicle.
Once they restock Matineé, I’ll be buying that. And Wanderlust and Popsicle Lips and, well, you get the idea.