High Shine Lip Gloss from Elizabeth Arden is helping me overcome one phobia!
Written: Mar 06 '03 (Updated Mar 06 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Intense color, nice shine
Cons: Still too 'early 80s' for me
The Bottom Line: If you're on a gloss kick and love the wet look this is a fantastic product to try! If you're a fuddy-duddy like me, stick with your lipstick.
elainehn's Full Review: High Shine Lip Gloss by Elizabeth Arden for Women
As those who’ve read my Cover Girl Lipslicks Lipgloss review know … I’m a self-confessed gloss-o-phobe. I don’t mind it on other people, but I’ve just never been comfortable with slick, shiny, wet-looking, gooey lips (well not since junior high school anyway.) Those who know me, know that I love deep dark bold or brooding lip color ... reds, burgundies, browns, even plums ... if it's dark and dense chances are I'm gonna like it. In addition to deep rich color, I also want dense creamy full coverage such as Avon’s Beyond Color Nutralush Plumping Lipstick or an Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick … but certainly nothing sheer or wet and glossy.
But when I saw Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss in Plum Wine, I couldn’t help but give it a try. The color is there … it’s a beautifully deep burgundy-ish purplish plumb shade. In the tube it looks dense and rich … and even when applied it has much more color and coverage than many more sheer lip glosses. It makes me think more of a liquid lip color than a lip gloss. Oh but it’s glossy! (Duh!)
DrugStore.com provides tells us that Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss … is a ”High Shine Lip Gloss ~ For glamorous glossy lips.” Hmmm … not a lot of description or helpful information there, now is there? But I suppose that’s because this is a pretty straight forward basic makeup product that most any woman who is familiar with lip gloss would understand without a lot of extra fluff and filler. But for those who aren’t familiar with the product I’ll try to provide a bit more detailed information.
The tube is a sophisticatedly designed with a squarish shape … which is a functional plus in that it prevents it from rolling around on your desk, make up table, vanity or wherever you apply it … with a clear body which allows the true product color to show through, elegant gold-tone lettering and a wide band of gold near the cap, and a sleek black plastic cap which screws on firmly. Once unscrewed the cap can be pulled off to reveal the attached applicator wand which is a basic white plastic rod with an angled sponge tip applicator. The applicator itself is a bit fuzzy helping it to hold the gloss for application and is neither so soft that it squishes around on your lips, nor so firm that it feels scratch. As baby bear would say … it’s jusssst right!
The color selection varies from season to season and perhaps even from retailer to retailer as they sell off discontinued stock and replace it with the new colors. The Plumb Wine color that I purchased is a winter color that is being phased out as the new lighter spring shades are brought in. But if you can find it, and you like deep rich dark colors, I’d recommend it for wear during any season. Some of the other colors available include: sparkling ruby, enchanting bronze, radiant mauve, and shimmering pink, mandarin shine, pink champagne, frosted camillia, and clear. Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss contains mica, but for the most part these are not metallicy shades. The mica may had to the shine and give a bit of shimmer, but it doesn’t create the disco queen glitter dust affect that some lip products do.
You may wish to visit your local Elizabeth Arden counter to see the colors for yourself or enlist the help of a representative in choosing as shade that’s right for you. Or if you’re comfortable ordering on-line you can find many of the shades at Drugstore.com or other retailers for about $13.50 or on Ebay for less.
Is the look super sexy? I dunno ... I guess if you (or your guy) are into the whole wet glossy lip look then yeah, it's sexy. My hubby hasn't actually noticed, or at least hasn't commented if he has noticed, the addition of gloss to my makeup routine. I have a feeling that if he has an opinion it's that lip gloss is sort of silly and icky and should be left for the teeny-bopper set. I'm not sure why I think he thinks that ... must be something he's said in the past ... maybe I'll have to ask him. My son who isn't quite at that girl-crazy stage yet, has however made sarcastic comments about the girls at his school 'living' for lip gloss and mirrors. I don't think he holds lip gloss in very high esteem either. Perhaps if my circle included party boys and early 20-something trendy type guys they'd be more appreciative?
Unlike Cover Girl Lipslicks Lipgloss which I prefer to wear alone on my bare lips or with just a bit of neutral toned lip liner, I actually prefer to wear Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss over a very neutral, very matte lipstick. I found that when I applied it over without lipstick, it made the lips look more greasy and it wore unevenly and collect along my lip line. When wearing it over a lipstick however, the gloss doesn't seem to move around as much and the color appears more even. The lipstick needs to be a fairly dry one though … such as some of the longwearing types … and I prefer that it be a very very neutral color … almost like nude lips, or a plumb shade that closely matches the gloss would probably work well too.
I've found that the product stays on my lips for a few hours if I don't eat or drink during that time … however the moment I eat or if I drink from a cup rather than with a straw, the gloss begins to disappear. It may survive my morning cup of coffee fairly intact, but it definitely won’t survive a meal. I’m also just not used to the feeling of wearing a liquid lip gloss. I am aware of it on my lips at all times, and I feel as though I must sit with my lips slightly parted through out the day. I also feel a need to check to be sure the stuff hasn’t collected along my lip line, or in the corners of my mouth, or ran over the edge of my lips … so I check my lips in the mirror much more often than I do when I’m wearing regular lipstick. As I get more used to wearing the gloss I may overcome these personal idiosyncrasies, but for now, I’m fairly certain those around me think I’m a bit strange.
Even considering the feel of the gloss, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the actual texture of Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss. Admittedly, I do still feel it on my lips, but it isn’t as terribly sticky or incredibly oily or greasy as some lip glosses I’ve tried in the past. I haven’t been much of a gloss wearer in recent years so I can’t really compare it directly with other similar products currently on the market from other cosmetic lines, but I just know that I don’t feel as though my lips stick together when I talk, nor that they are sliding around uncontrollably on one another due to a slippery slick drenching.
I don't notice a smell at all when wearing Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss … this isn’t a fruity smelling or tasting flavored gloss aimed at the YM set. But when I hold the tube up to my nose and inhale deeply, I do notice a very slight waxy make-up smell, but as noted the scent is not very noticeable to me at all and I wouldn't think it would be unpleasant if you do notice it. Part of the scent might come from the lanolin which is one of the ingredients in the product … and accordingly, this would probably not be a good product for those allergic to wool.
Ingredients: Bis-Digylceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polybutene, Petrolatum, Lanolin, Mica, Microscrystalline Wax (cera microcristallina), Isopropyl Palmitate, Beeswax (cera alba), Propylene Carbonate, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Fragrance (parfum), Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), May Contain: Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985)
My recommendation:
If you want a gloss with nice color intensity and a fuller coverage than a sheer gloss, then Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss is undeniably worth a try. If you want a very subtle, barely there kind of gloss then you may want to go with a different product. The lip gloss is probably a bit expensive for the average middle American teen to purchase for herself, but if you have a clue what type colors she likes, I’m sure it would make an appreciated gift for any teen who enjoys makeup and perhaps is usually limited to drugstore brands.
I've given the product a 4-star rating because even though I’m still not a complete convert and may never be 100% comfortable wearing lip gloss instead of lip stick … I do feel that Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss is a quality product and offers good wear and a nice texture on the lips for those who like a liquid lip color and gloss.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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