Lips: CoverGirl Queen Collection Jumbo Gloss Balm in "Juicy Jam"

Hi all! A ton of new drugstore products have been coming out this season, and I managed to find quite a few this week - granted I'm on a lip product kick, so most of the products I looked for and purchased (and will be reviewing) were for the lips. The first that I'll be reviewing is the latest addition to the jumbo lip pencil trend, CoverGirl's Queen Collection Jumbo Gloss Balm in "Juicy Jam."

I think the whole jumbo lip pencil craze was started by Clinique's Chubby Stick (which will be in an upcoming review). I know that on the high end side of the spectrum, Tarte has its own version, which I don't own. On the low end, Revlon came out with their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains - this past spring/summer, I believe. And now CoverGirl has joined the bandwagon with their Jumbo Gloss Balms.

The main claims of this product, according to the packaging itself, are sheer color and soft shine. 





THE BASICS

Name: Juicy Jam (Q845)
Net Wt.: 0.13 oz/3.8 g
Price: ~$7
Finish: Glossy

Okay, so as I'm writing this review I'm realizing that I have a different line of Jumbo Gloss Balms than those I've been reading about: the CoverGirl Queen Collection line. The other line is simply called Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm. Interesting...

LEFT: The name of the product as it appears on the packaging.
RIGHT: The color number. The color name can only be found on the product's plastic wrapping/seal.

Anyway, like the other infamous jumbo lip pencils out there, this product resembles a large crayon/marker. The base of the product can be twisted to push up more product once the default "tip" wears down - much like a retractable eye/lip pencil. The color of the cap seems to have been intended to match the color of the product inside, though the cover color on "Juicy Jam" is not very accurate.

In this picture, the color of the product seems to match really well with its cover. But closer inspection and application to the lips proves otherwise. 

The bulk of the packaging is a warm brown color. I really love how my particular color, Juicy Jam, looks against this packaging.

This product has no particular scent.


COLOR/SWATCHES

"Juicy Jam" (Q845) primarily appears to be a deep plum color with red undertones. However, viewing the product in a different light presents a more magenta/raspberry kind of color.

When swatched, "Juicy Jam" shows up within one swipe, though it is indeed sheer as it claims to be. It also has a dewy shine to it, so I have to say that this product does live up to the few claims listed on its packaging.

"Juicy Jam" comes across as an even pinker/more raspberry shade on my hand. The color can be built up with additional swipes, as you will see in the picture of initial application on the lips.

Capturing the swatch in a different light also reveals that this particular color has glitter in it, though it's so fine that I never realized this detail while wearing the product (I swatched it on my hand hours after applying it).

So, the color is nothing like the product's deep reddish plum cover, but I like it nonetheless and am really happy with the soft pigmentation.


WEAR (WITH LIP SWATCHES)

When I initially applied this product, I got a juicy, deep pink color on my lips with a glossy finish. The product felt creamy - like a nice barrier between my lips and the environment. I love the texture of this product. 

In terms of wear, by the second hour I noticed some fading in the inner portion of my lips, and by the third hour there was a noticeable pink line around my lips. I did have soup and chips/guacamole during these hours, so I think three hours wear-time with eating is pretty good, considering this product doesn't make any claims about lasting forever.

Excuse my severely chapped lips/skin. Hate the NYC winter weather. >=/

It was still creamy-feeling on my lips by the third hour, but not as much as the first. I also noticed that my severely chapped lips were not cured after this product wore off, but they weren't worse either. I honestly had no expectations for this product to condition my lips, though, because I already know that at this point only intense lip balm will make a difference.


OVERALL

I am seriously in love with this product. I love the texture, the color (even though it wasn't what I expected), and am satisfied with the wear-time, too, even though it isn't anything spectacular. The only drawback I found in this product was the disconnect between the cover color and the product color, but that can only be a significant problem if the color you purchase ends up being something you already have, or something that clashes with your undertones.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes their lips to have a soft, healthy shine and sheer, yet buildable, color. I would not recommend this to someone looking for opaque color or intense wear.

This product has given me a new outlook on CoverGirl, a brand I rarely browse through, so I may just stop by their section at the drugstore the next time I'm out. :)

Hope this review was helpful, and thanks for stopping by! ('<>')>

~nikki

Have you spotted the new CoverGirl Jumbo Gloss Balms? And did you come across the Queen Collection line or the regular line (Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balms)?