Thought #2: Milk Makeup Lip Marker Review.

I was intrigued to try the new Milk Makeup line of cosmetics. Marketed in minimalistic packaging as eco-conscious, cruelty-free, and without paragons, sulfates, or phthalates (not that I even know what those are), I was sold on them right away. I decided to pick up the lip marker in the color boss when I was in NYC last week, because I swatched it on the back of my hand in Sephora and was impressed by the color payoff, the smoothness of the application, and how long it lasted.

Spoiler alert: it did not work as expected on my lips. Sephora's website describes it as a “felt tip that softens and saturates your lips with bold color. Its long-lasting formula moisturizes and provides a full-coverage lip stain that stays put all day.” This description led me to treat it like a matte liquid lipstick: I exfoliated my lips, then lightly moisturizing them, waiting for them to be completely dry before applying the product so that it would stay put. Let me tell you…the struggle of applying this product was real! It applied like a magic marker—if you went over the same spot twice, it became a darker shade. After I finally achieved a somewhat even coat, it dried quickly, shriveling my lips up with the product. It was definitely not a flattering look.

The next day I decided to try a different approach. The key to this product is to apply it to extremely moisturized lips. I coated mine in Glossier’s balm-dot-com (a holy grail item of mine) and immediately drew over it with the lip marker. The product applied much more evenly than my last attempt (still not perfectly though) and created a more natural stained lips look, as opposed to a matte lipstick.

I love the color, so I am glad I found a way to make this product work, however, ultimately when I apply makeup I am looking for a stress-relieving outlet, not a greater cause for frustration. It’s a shame though, because the packaging was so damn cute.

x Gem.

#makeup #lips #review