e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks {Review}

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Overview

Rating: 4/5 stars ★★★★☆
Price: $3 USD
Weight: 0.13 oz
Shades Available: 10 shades
Where to Buy: eyeslipsface.com

I originally posted a review about the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in the shade Cheeky shortly after its release last year. You can find that review here.

Packaging

It was only a few months after the product was initially released before the metal packaging was traded in for a smaller plastic version. Since the switch coincides with Target starting to carry the lipsticks, I can only assume the move was made because the newer packaging was less expensive and/or easier to produce.

Original vs newer packaging of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Red Carpet

Personally I prefer the original metal packaging. It’s better quality than the plastic and more durable. Plus, I haven’t seen a while lot of lipsticks use metal tubes. The resulting aesthetic was more unique than the current design.

Original vs newer packaging of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Red Carpet

The newer packaging is still ten times better than the Essential Lipstick packaging and is aesthetically more similar to that of the Mineral Lipstick (my review here).

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Wink Pink, Ravishing Rose, Velvet Rope,
Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet

The shade indicating color band has been moved from the middle of the packaging to the bottom. I feel that the newer color band is slightly more accurate than the old. Overall the new tube is far shorter than the original, though they contain similar amounts of product (0.13 oz for the newer version vs. 0.11 oz for the original).

Detached lipstick bases revealing a lip color pot

Update 10/23/2015
I recently discovered that the bases of the newer tubes detach to reveal a lip color pot. This explains why the colored bases are so accurate since they are filled with the lipstick color, not dyed plastic. To learn more about the detachable bases, as well as tips to remove them, see my post here.

Formulation

The product definitely lives up to its name. The formula is very moisturizing, a little more so than the Mineral Lipstick—and a lot more than the Essential Lipstick.

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Velvet Rope, Ravishing Rose, Wink Pink,
Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet

I detect a cocoa butter scent, though I don’t see it on the ingredients list. It could be due to the shea butter, or simply the added fragrance.

The downside to the Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks is that they contain mineral oil, paraffin, and propylparaben.

Shades

The shades are very bright, as opposed to the Mineral Lipsticks that are very neutral. For many, the shades may be more suited for a slightly younger demographic, say thirties and under, depending on how one feels on the matter.

Almost all shades have a creme finish, with only one I own currently being a shimmer.

There are ten shades available. Unless e.l.f. decides to release more shades, I doubt I will buy anymore lipsticks since the ones I don’t own are all have cool undertones and are just not flattering to my skin tone.

Swatches of the e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Pink Minx, Wink Pink, Ravishing Rose,
Cheeky, Red Carpet, Velvet Rope, and Coral Cutie

Wink Pink

If you are looking for a more neutral pink, especially if you are like me and lean towards a yellowish complexion, this is a better option than Pink Minx.

Coral Cutie

True to the name, this is a very bright coral shade. Not as as deep as Velvet Rope.

Pink Minx

A bright, true pink.

Cheeky [shimmer]

Still my favorite. A shimmery, neutral pink. The picture on the e.l.f. site does not do it justice.

 

Swatches of Pink Minx, Cheeky, Coral Cutie, and Red Carpet

Ravishing Rose

True to the name, a dark rose shade. More neutral and not as bright as the other shades.

Velvet Rope

I expected this to be an orange-y red, but it’s really more of a darker coral and more wearable than I expected. A darker version of Coral Cutie.

Red Carpet

A bright red with blue undertones. A fair vegan red, although Fearless from the Essential Lipstick is hands down the best vegan red lipstick out there. Overall the shade leans more hot pink than true red.

Images

Final Thoughts

Pros: Moisturizing, pigmented, saturated shades, widely available, pleasant scent
Cons: Bright colors, contains petroleum products and fragrance, almost all have creme finish, limited shade selection

Though there could be more shades, the Studio Moisturizing Lipsticks are one of the best vegan lipsticks out there. And at $3, they’re a total steal. It’s also very convenient that Target carries them in stores, albeit a reduced selection.

I much prefer the Moisturizing Lipsticks to similar products, like the MegaLast Lipsticks by Wet n Wild or the similar L.A. Girl Creme Lip Colors.

If you are concerned by the hyper saturation and color payoff, try starting with Cheeky, Ravishing Rose, or Wink Pink, three colors that are more neutral than the other shades and not as bright.