Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipsticks

Makeup Revolution has hit the global makeup arena with a loud bang. I drool over their latest releases - which are more frequent than you'd imagine.  I have had the pleasure of trying several Makeup Revolution products in 2014 with their launch in Pakistan - blushes (powder, baked, cream, lacquer), highlighters, and lip products. The variety & affordability have been their strong points. They're expanding their product range internationally and I am excited to see what they bring to the table.

Let me unleash a detailed review of Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipsticks that I have tried so far. It's a picture-heavy post, so I hope you enjoy looking at the swatches:

Makeup Revolution London Amazing Lipstick retail for PKR 225 at Reforma.PK and recently launched at Daraz.PK. For now, the stock is available exclusively through these two sites, while we're hoping Makeup Revolution Pakistan launches them in-store soon. Swatching before buying is an experience in itself :-) Although Makeup Revolution has marketed this range of 20 lipsticks as the budget-friendly,  you can have your pick in an array of finishes - cream, frost, matte, satin. The color range is diverse too. Internationally, they have Scandalous and Vamp collections as an extension of the Amazing Lipstick range. The more, the merrier!

Now, Makeup Revolution claims it to be a "must-have" lipstick range with value-for-money. Furthermore, the formulation is promoted as "creamy, longlasting with high color payoff". I have had different experience with each shade, so I'll be providing an individual rating with a brief evaluation on these brand claims.

The Amazing Lipstick is packaged in a light-weight black plastic packaging with a clear twist-up bullet that shows you actual shade. You can always open it and use the bullet with a brush if your lipstick were to end. I have not tried doing it myself, yet :-) Each lipstick has a plastic sticker with a barcode and shade name, which I find helpful. The new lipsticks come in a plastic seal, so you can ensure if yours has been tampered with. It has been my pet peeve - buying "fresh pieces" from stores only to find finger marks on the side. It makes me go through Alcohol Swab step and a fit of rage -_-

There is no specific lipstick scent to it, which is good. I'm not a fan of fruity/vanilla/plastic fragrances. The formulation varied overall and the lipsticks with drier & frosty finishes highlighted my lip-lines very much. The ones with creamier finish did okay in winters, but those with a of slip will be a problem for those who sweat crazy like me in Summers.

The biggest letdown for me in terms of these lipsticks was - out of 17 lipsticks that I own, only 9 had "reliable" caps. Others would not stay put. The cap would come off easy and two of my lipsticks got ruined this way when I traveled with them in my makeup bag. This is a quality control issue which MUST be addressed. So, when you get them, make sure your cap snaps shut tightly. If not, handle with care and don't travel with it. If you want a life-hack, I used to put on a rubber band or paper tape on the lipsticks in cases of longer travel :-)

BLISS - A very creamy pale coral. It will flatter fair-medium skin tones the most. Against my skin, it looks fine if I pair it with full face of makeup. Pigmentation is top-notch and it glides smoothly on your lips. However, I feel it is too soft for warmer weather. This was one of the lipsticks that got damaged and left a coral mess in my makeup bag. Thankfully, the bullet wasn't too damaged and I cleaned it up for this swatch. The color stayed on me for about 3 hours in full intensity, but was transferable and bled on my lips a little. I wouldn't recommend it for sweaty windy days or when you're dining out. Overall, a B- grade.

CHEER - It's frost & glitter pale pink which lacks pigmentation and staying power. After I had worn it, the fine shimmer would not leave me alone. I find it best as a lip-topper to some pink lipstick. For younger girls who wear gloss regularly, this can be a sheer base, may be. The swatch is multiple swipes for the color to show up. It's a C- for me.

ENCORE, DUSKY, MYSTIFY - Rose-brown neutrals with undertones ranging from brown to orange. There are only subtle differences in these three shades and a comparable performance in terms of color payoff and lasting power. Encore has hint of frosty finish, but not overly so. Dusky is semi-matte. Mystify is creamier out of three. These are good My-Lips-But-Better (MLBB) shades that you can wear every day. My Mom has taken a liking to Encore (because she can rock frosty finishes like it's nobody's business) and wears it on her trips to the supermarket. Mystify is used the most by me out of these three. They last approximately 4 hours without eating/drinking. These are no miracle products, but neutrals I would recommend, yes. All in all, a decent B+ for each of these.

LADY - A bright red with neutral undertones. I find the undertone to be neutral because it leans bluish in certain lights and orangey in others. In the natural light swatch above and on my lips, it is a gorgeous true red that brightens my face <3 It's creamy and glides on easily. Love the pigmentation that is almost opaque in the first swipe and doesn't bleed on me. To be on the safer side, I do pair it with a lip liner and/or MAC prep & Prime Lip primer :) Stays on for about 4+ hours and leaves a stain behind. It does transfer during eating, so I skip it for fine-dining experiences. Nobody wants to look like a hungry corpse bride of Dracula among family or in a professional setting :-) I'd rate it as a good A-.

PASSION - A plummy deeper red is exactly what you need to fall in love for its sophistication. This would flatter all skin tones and it is not too dark so it will not add years to your face. When wearing an all-white ensemble for a grown-ups get-togethers, I usually opt for this one. It is less pigmentated than LADY, but you can build up the desired coverage. For pigmented lips, I would recommend that you neutralize your lips with a concealer/foundation and line with a pencil for more kick out of this one. It is less creamier than LADY - almost-satin. Wears for around 4-5 hours. This one has bagged a decent A- from me.

DARE - A pink-based red which remind an awful lot of MAC Relentlessly Red. I don't have the shade for comparable swatches right now, but it does look pretty much the same on lips. It has soft matte finish which makes the wear time longer (5+ hours without food) and the transferability less of an issue. The pigmentation is semi-opaque in first swipe, so follow the same recommendation as for the PASSION. It's a lovely color to wear in Summers, if you are not into true-reds. Overall, a solid A for me.

RECKLESS - This deep plum-maroon red is what my Winter dreams are made of. Paired with the beige Pashmina, I am good to go :-) After the girly fit subsides, I'd say this is an amazing color with creamiest finish out of the 4. It has more slip than what I'd like. Although I don't mind it in the drier months, but summer will have me reconsider its feasibility. The swatch shows uneven pigmentation - I feel that is because it has thinner consistency than other creamy lipsticks in this range. For this, I do find this one lightly hydrating, albeit sheerer. It stains my lips and lasts about 3-4 hours. For me, it's another A-. So far, these reds are my favorites in this collection <3

ENCHANT - A lilac pink with blue undertones, this is one of the less pigmented picks in this collection. It doesn't flatter my warm skin tone - makes me look sallow for some reason. For cool-toned complexion and less pigmented lips, it would be a good pick. Pigmentation and lasting power is average. As per its semi-matte consistency, it does not transfer too much. However, I find multiple finds are required for an even application. An overall B+ for me.

SWEETHEART - Is it even a LIPSTICK? A colored chapstick has more pigmentation than this one -_- I believe this was sheer lip balm-like product veiled as an "amazing" lipstick. If it were advertised separately, I would have understood and managed my expectations. But for a collection that claims to be "pigmented", this definitely is a dull dud. It took multiple swipes for hint of a color to show up on my arm. It just looks like a waxy emolient balm on my lips. No tint. It's an F, overall.

CHIC - It's pale pink packed with dense silver glitter. This is pigmented, but the bullet feels....ummm... "crumbly". May be due to the presence of immense glitter. You can see that the swatch is taken without flash and still the glitter is pretty obvious. Although it's like a heavier sister to Cheer, I do like it. It will not be your daily or most-used lipstick, but if you like doing makeup looks, you can have this for your looks. I didn't get to wear it more than 2-3 hours and the glitter was a pain to remove from my face. Overall, a C+

DAZZLE - A lovely medium pink with blue undertones, I see myself wearing it often with my Summer dresses as it's a bright color, yet not over-the-top. Those who wish to venture into louder pinks can make this one a stepping stone. The formulation was creamy, but somewhat waxy and felt heavier since I swiped multiple times. It highlighted uneven texture of lips, so I recommend exfoliation before wearing it. Even a single swipe is enough for an almost-opaque color payoff that stays on me for around 4 hours. After that, I felt it started balling up from the middle. This is above average and bags an overall grade of B.

THE ONE - It's a rosy nude color that would flatter fair-medium skin tones. It has drier finish that takes a bit of work for an even application. To top it off, I don't find it very pigmented. The first time I wore it, it was not good at all. The next time I wore lip balm for about 15-20 minutes before and blotted its shine away. Outlined my lips with a shade or two darker than this and applied it in thin layers. It looked more luscious and stayed for quite some time. It is one of those lipsticks that require your patience. It stays about 3-4 hours and then starts getting uneven. I'd rate this to be a B.

LUSCIOUS - The shade screams summer! A bright coral-orange, this one is definitely one of my top picks from this collection. It is super pigmented and lets me standout with just a bold lip color - minimal makeup otherwise. If you line the lips and do apply concealer to cover your flaws, this would look better. It will suit all skin tones, so don't let the bold color scare you. There was perfect balance of slip and lasting power. It stays 4-5 hours and fades evenly as well. An overall A for me.

VICE - A deep yellow-orange shade. Definitely a first in my stash, While I appreciate the addition, there are very limited usage options for this. I have tried it in creating an ombre and as a lipstick topper. It is sheer and less emolient than others. It feels waxy and not translate as its bullet onto pigmented lips. I'd say have this for creative purposes, if you wish. I didn't wear it for an extended time, so can't comment on that. Overall, a C+, perhaps.

TWIST - A bright orange-pink that turns up the heat! I can't tell how lovely this looks on the lips <3 It isn't for the faint-hearted though. Don't wear it, if you wish to blend within the crowd ;-) With a semi-matte finish, I love its rich color payoff and staying power that is beyond 5 hours. A must-have in the summer stash! A definite A grade for me <3

Overall, the Amazing Lipsticks by Makeup Revolution have hits and misses. There are few shades that I didn't try myself, but look promising in the online swatches that I have seen - for example, Rebel With A Cause and Atomic Red. I'll try those and update! Makeup Revolution needs to bring its formulation and packaging to a consistent quality.

Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipsticks range is available exclusively via Reforma.PK and Daraz.PK. Stay updated with the upcoming Makeup Revolution collections in Pakistan through their Facebook.

Check out my Facebook and Instagram for quicker updates! Let me know what shade(s) have you tried and which ones you're eyeing <3

Cheers,

Bia

Disclaimer: This post may contain PR samples given for review. The opinions expressed are unbiased & honest depending upon my experience.