L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencil [Dollar Tree ver.] {Review}

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Overview

Rating: 4.5/5 stars ★★★★☆
Price Tag: $1 USD
Shades Available: 4 options
Weight: 0.11 oz / 3.2 g
Where to Buy: At Dollar Tree stores

I was so excited to find these during a recent trip to one of my local Dollar Tree stores. I grabbed each of the three shades that were in stock.

While these share the same name of the product that L.A. Colors has been promoting since the end of last year, the main versions from Family Dollar and elsewhere are not vegan, as well as twice the price at $2. Last holiday season there were sets of the Chunky Lip Pencils that were also not vegan. The official version has both lanolin and beeswax in listed in the ingredients.

The ones at Dollar Tree, while not officially confirmed, appear to be vegan-friendly. This is the first time I’ve seen them at my Dollar Tree stores, but it looks like they’ve been floating around since 2014. There are a whopping eighteen shades of the original, non-vegan, Chunky Lip Pencils, but four Dollar Tree versions, if this image on Pinterest is accurate.

This is not the first time L.A. Colors has put out multiple versions of their products with different ingredient combinations. They also did this for their 6-Color Expressions Eyeshadow Palettes. While the Dollar Tree versions are not vegan due to carmine, the LE 2014 holiday versions for Walgreens were carmine-free.

L.A. Colors is a cruelty-free company with some vegan options.

Packaging

The lip colors are packaged in a large, white satin plastic tube with clear lid. The product is pushed up by twisting the base. There is no sticker or label for the shade name on the tube, so you’ll have to remember it from the hanging packaging. Fortunately there are only four shades so it won’t be that difficult to recall.

Hanging packaging for the Dollar Tree versions of the Chunky Lip Gloss Pencils

The tube is durable enough, although I expect the lid to crack in the future, something that happens frequently with these types of budget products. I accidentally dropped one color and the lip product survived just fine, albeit a little nicked on one side. I had expected it to either break in half or detach from the base.

Comparison of the e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star
and L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencil in Deep Red

The packaging is identical to those used by the e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks (my review here).

I’ve noticed from my e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks that the white tubes are easily scratched and will be stained by the lip colors over time.

One complaint I have with the tubes is that while the product is nice and pointy when first purchased, over time the tips dulls to a rounded shape. Since you don’t use a sharpener on the lip product, you lose the advantage of having a pointed tip that’s good for getting a nice line around the outer edge of the lips. This largely happens because the tube is so large, since this isn’t as much of a concern with eyeliner products in similar, but far smaller, retractable tubes.

Formulation

The colors I have are all creme finishes with super pigmentation and bright shades. While not exactly moisturizing, they’re not drying like a lipstick either. Due to the intensity of the shades, I recommend using a lip liner or reverse lip liner to control feathering.

L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencils

The darker shades have excellent wear time. I got a couple of hours out of them before I needed to touch up the inner parts of my lips.

They are similar to the e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks, but the Chunky Lip Pencils have far more pigmentation, brighter colors, and aren’t as moisturizing. This makes then more of a lipstick in a pencil form, rather than a gloss like the e.l.f. version.

Swatch comparison of the e.l.f. Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star
and L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencil in Deep Red.
Note that Movie Star is glossier and more sheer than Deep Red.

Like many budget products, the lip colors have petroleum by-products and contain parabens.

I’m certain that the Dollar Tree versions have altogether different ingredients, rather than being a clerical error, so they are indeed vegan friendly.

Ingredients listings for the Dollar Tree versions of the Chunky Lip Gloss Pencils

Here are the Dollar Tree version’s ingredients:

Polybutene, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, microcrystalline wax, synthetic wax, paraffin, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben. May contain: Iron oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), titanium dioxide (CI 77891), FD&C Yellow 5 (CI 19140), FD&C Blue 1 (CI 42090), D&C Red 7 (CI 15850), D&C Red 6 (CI 15850), D&C Red 28 (CI 45410), mica (CI 77019).

Compare to the original version:

Mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum), ethylhexyl palmitate, paraffin, ceresin, beeswax (cera alba), lanolin, polyethylene, fragrance (parfum), propylparaben. May contain/peut contenir: Iron oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), D&C Red 7 (CI 15850), D&C Red 30 (CI 73360), D&C Red 6 (CI 15850), D&C Red 27 (CI 45410), titanium dioxide (CI 77891).

The ingredients are definitely in a different arrangement between the two. The Dollar Tree version even uses different reds.

Shades

I could only find three shades at my Dollar Tree. Judging by the product numbers, and what I discovered from the Internet, there appear to be four shades in total. The color I don’t have is BCP516 Feels Nude.

Swatches of the L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencils in Pretty Pink, Coral Fun and Deep Red

BCP514 Daring Red [Creme]

A bluish red. It’s a common shade of red when a product doesn’t utilize carmine in the ingredients. It’s super bold, but not too dark. I usually stay away from deep reds, but I felt comfortable enough wearing it for the Fourth of July.

This shade has lasted a couple of hours when I’ve worn it, but I noticed the lip color first faded on the inner part of my lips, especially after eating and drinking.

More swatches of the L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencils in Pretty Pink, Coral Fun and Deep Red

BCP515 Pretty Pink [Creme]

A bright, baby pink with lots of pigmentation. This shade tends to emphasize the lines in the lips.

The blue undertones make this shade ideal for those with cool undertones and lighter skin tones. Unfortunately, this shade clashes with my warm skin tone so it’s my least favorite of the three.

BCP517 Coral Fun [Creme]

A bright coral that’s more of an orange red. It definitely makes a statement!

Images

Final Thoughts

Pros: Budget-friendly, super pigmented, good shades
Cons: Shade selection, petroleum by-products, limited availability

This is a great product to try and track down from your local Dollar Tree store. They have great pigmentation, they’re long lasting and only a dollar.

Just remember that these are not the same product found at Family Dollar, Dollar General and elsewhere. Double check the ingredients to ensure that they do not contain beeswax and lanolin.