On a recent trip to The Body Shop, I purchased several skin care products… but I had really been lured in by an advertisement I received in the mail.  It invited me to come check out their newest lipstick, The Body Shop Colourglide Lipstick.  It was lipstick: I couldn't possibly resist.

Description

The packaging for this lipstick is very simple and attractive; it's a shiny silver lipstick tube that is flattened on both ends.  One end features the "The Body Shop" logo imprinted lightly in white, while the other end has a pigmented sticker and a number on it, indicating the number of the shade and the approximate color of what's in the tube.

The lipstick itself looks like a lipstick in a tube usually does.  This one does have a light scent, but it's so light that it's almost not there.  It just smells vaguely pleasant rather than like the "lipstick" smell that unscented products tend to have.

There are 37 colors available in this new formula, all of which have numbers which, for some inexplicable reason, are not 1 through 37, but rather begin at "04" and move up through 73, skipping many numbers along the way.  The numbers do have corresponding shade names, which you can see online at www.thebodyshop.com if nowhere else.  I selected #62, Velvet Wine.  It looks like a deep wine berry color in the tube, but on the lips it is rather different.

Use and Experience

I think that is my main complaint with this lipstick, actually; the differential between what it looks like in the tube and what it looks like once applied.  In practice, Velvet Wine looks a lot like it should be labeled "dark shocking pink" or similar.  It actually looks decent on me, but it's a brighter shade than I would normally have chosen.  This is less of a problem for people shopping in person than online (at least in theory; I did try this on, but I was in a hurry and I tried it over my regular lipstick… not the best plan), but it's still deceptive and confusing for people in the store. 

The application of this lipstick is fine; it goes on neatly and smoothly.  I do find that it takes more than one layer of the lipstick for it to look like it's all on evenly and the color is saturated the right way. 

Once applied, I have to say that this looks pretty good.  Although the Velvet Wine color turns out to be much a brighter shade than I would normally use, it is a vibrant color and it's attractive.  This particular color is one I might consider for a fun party or possibly a time when I needed to be on a stage. 

I've been really pleased with how long this lipstick wears.  Once on, the color stays put for several hours and looks good.  If you drink something, some of it does transfer to your glass, but for the most part the wear of this formula is very good. 

Removing the lipstick is not at all problematic; I simply wipe it off with a wet washcloth.  A bit of cleanser combined with the cloth removes the lipstick traces that are left behind.

Cost and Where to Buy

The retail price for a tube of this lipstick formula is $12.50.  You can purchase it at brick and mortar The Body Shop stores or online at www.thebodyshop.com. 

The Body Shop is a company with a social as well as an economic mission; their products use minimal packaging and most of the packaging that is there is easily recyclable.  They are against animal testing.

Ingredients list (taken from www.thebodyshop.com): Lanolin Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Acetylated Lanolin, Lanolin Cera, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Synthetic Wax, Beeswax, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Lanolin, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Oil, Polyethylene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Fragrance, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosa Moschata (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Silica, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopherol, Benzyl Salicylate, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Limonene, Tin Oxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate.

I like The Body Shop Colourglide Lipstick, but I wish the applied colors were more true to what they look like in the tube.  It's a solid performer, but if you're going to buy, I recommend going to a brick and mortar store and taking the time to try on several shades.  See how they look under variable types of lighting (if it's daytime, you could even go outside and check out what that looks like).  With the variety of colors and some time, you should be able to find a suitable shade.  4 stars.

Thanks to Shantel575 for adding this product to the Epinions database for me!

Recommended: Yes