CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Review + Swatches

Did any of you indulge in the promo that CoverGirl sent out regarding their new line of lipsticks? I did!

I only picked up two shades as I have a load of lipstick already but was curious to try these out. I hadn't heard much about them, haven't even seen the load of television ads that are sure to come. However, the promo was free shipping and could be done through Walgreens, which was doing buy one, get one 50% off on them. I figured I'd give it a go and test out a potentially new lipstick favourite.

Was it love at first sight?

Well, let's see...

CoverGirl states that this product is "A new kind of lip transformation; lipstick that transforms your lips instantly with gorgeous color and transforms dry lips to noticeably smoother/more gorgeous lips in just 7 days. Contains a silk therapy complex - beautiful rich lip color infused with silk protein to help sustain moisture levels so the more you wear it, the more gorgeous your lips become. Lip Perfection is CoverGirl's iconic, prestige-inspired lip bullet."

Right now for the pre-sale, there are only 8 shades available. They did a good thing by dividing the shades into 4 categories and making 2 available from each category... those categories being Browns, Nudes/Corals/Red, Pinks/Roses, Lilac/Mauves/Burgundies. When the full line release on December 6, 2010 (that's the date as far as I can tell, can't find anything official) it will have a whopping 44 shades. Oh yes, you read that right. 44! That is impressive for a drugstore line. The test will be whether there is a variety of finishes... we will have to see.

I got my package yesterday and eagerly ripped it open to check out the new goodies:











































The packaging seems quite nice albeit a bit cheap feeling in terms of weight. I'm not that picky but merely just noting what I saw. I also like that they have the colour on the bottom of the lipstick, that is something that really irks me about certain brands. The tube itself is a nice shade of gunmetal gray, with a slight purple cast, but the metal itself attracts fingerprints and scratches. The square shape is nice.

The packaging reminds me of Maybelline Color Sensational and I have to say that overall, I think that is what CoverGirl was going for. They claim that this lipstick will have your lips feeling softer in 7 days so that could be something that sets it apart from the Maybelline line. It's hard to say right now with such a limited colour palette and finish selection available.

I picked out Kiss and Sweetheart. Kiss is a beautiful soft coral with shimmer and Sweetheart is sort of a standard shimmering baby pink. Both are quite lovely:



















Here they are on the lips:
























The formula is similar to a lustre from Mac. They are very creamy and apply smooth and semi sheer. As these do have shimmer, they will settle into fine lines but I didn't find either shade particularly unflattering... just a little bit frosty. Older ladies may want to steer clear of these types of shades and go for the mattes or satins, if they release any in the full line.

The lipsticks glide on easily; I did two swipes on both the upper and lower lip to achieve the colour seen in the lip swatches. They do not feel drying and instead have a consistency like a tinted lip balm almost... there is definitely balm in the lipstick. Removal was easy with only slight staining from Kiss but I think my lips were chapped so that didn't help the situation. My lips felt nice afterwards, not dry or flakey.

I am concerned about a few things, one being the lipsticks' scent. I can't describe it other than to say it is very similar to "old lady perfume"... mixed with a slight hint of fig. The smell dissipated quickly but there was also a slightly unpleasant clay taste that went along with it... again, that disappeared quickly as well. Second is the colour selection. Right now I have two frosty shades so I am very heavily hoping that there is a variety of finishes or else this line will be very limited as to who can pull off the shades. I am happy with both colours, especially Kiss as I've finally found a coral that flatters me.

The base price of these lipsticks will range from $5.94 (Walmart) to $7.99 (Walgreens). I think that is a reasonable price for the quality of the lipstick... I just wish they didn't have that gross scent/taste! I can deal with it and am definitely looking forward to the full release as I've heard there are going to be some beautiful purples in the range!

That pretty much sums up my review... I think the range is definitely worth a look if you're in the market for a moisturizing lipstick.

Will you be trying these lipsticks when they come out? Let me know!