Lips: CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in "Hibiscus"

The product being reviewed in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated further are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brand featured in this post. 

I took pictures of this product for review weeks after buying it, and the pictures are dated October 15, 2012. Could I be reviewing this any later? Haha.

I do remember purchasing the CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm - it was at my local CVS and I spent about 20 minutes looking through all of the colors before settling on "Hibiscus." I remember it taking so long because none of the colors looked that appealing, and the ones that did weren't very interesting. In fact, "Hibiscus" seemed like the only one that would work for me (under the circumstances of my love for pink lip products).

But really...even on the official CoverGirl website the colors look fairly...dull.

With that aside, I was pleasantly surprised by this product.

It's advertised as having sheer, glossy color with the light feel of a balm, plus the added benefits of SPF15. 



THE BASICS

Name: Hibiscus (215)
Net Wt.: 0.067 oz./ 1.9 g.
Price: ~$7.50
Finish: Glossy cream

CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Gloss Balm comes in a small pastel green tube with a clear cap that reveals the product inside. The product itself, as you may have noticed from the weight of it above, is much slimmer than a regular bullet of lipstick, and the tip is rounded as opposed to being teardrop-shaped as well.

A sticker on the tube can be peeled back to reveal the ingredients. I didn't take a detailed picture of the ingredients this time - sorry - but the SPF ingredient is clear.

The bottom of the tube has a sticker with the product name and number.

From the second I opened this product, I knew the scent was something I encountered before (when I was a lip gloss fanatic years ago) and found it extremely nostalgic, but to this day I can't pinpoint what product it reminds me of. It has a sweet vanilla, dough-y/flour-y scent, with a hint of artificiality to it (though not the bad kind - at least to me). I really like it! It fades pretty quickly after application but is definitely noticeable from the tube.


COLOR/SWATCHES

"Hbisicus" (215) is a dark pink, perhaps even bordering berry. When I look at it, though, all I think of is "natural" because it's exactly my lip color but richer. It's a complete "my lips but better" shade for my lip color.

This product provides sheer color, but not so sheer that it needs to be layered to be noticed. The pigmentation is there but it's toned down enough to make this an easy product to apply on the go. I tend to gravitate to this product on lazy days for that reason exactly.


WEAR (WITH LIP SWATCH)

"Hibiscus" does a beautiful job of enhancing my lips. The pink color amplifies my natural lip color and the shine just makes my lips look fuller and fresh (by the way, the glossy finish is dewy and not glassy).

The formula of this product is very creamy, and it leaves my lips feeling soft even after it has worn off, which occurs after about 2 hours. I find it creamier than some lip balms, but not as slick and lightweight as, for example, the Maybelline Color Whispers. Still, they aren't heavy, so that claim is on point.


OVERALL

As I look at CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in "Hibiscus" on my table right now, the dent on it is enough to show that I really enjoy using this product. The color is great for casual days, the shine is prominent but not over-the-top, the consistency is creamy, and the smell is both yummy and nostalgic. It lives up to its claims, and it has the additional SPF that, even though low, is still better than none. What's there not to like?

Well, one thing. Actually, two, though one isn't as annoying as the other. I'll start with the less annoying negative: the limited, slightly boring color selection. Though maybe the idea of sticking to earthy, more natural colors was the intent of the name "NatureLuxe" (since there really isn't anything incredibly natural about the ingredients versus other lipsticks/glosses). Whatever the case, most of the colors are too dark or too red or too paste-y or too shimmery-looking for my tastes.

Now, the second and more annoying drawback about this product: the PRICE, or rather, the PRICE VS. AMOUNT OF PRODUCT. 

$7.50 for 1.9 g. of product?

I have three other lipstick products on my table, and their weight reads: 3.97 g., 2.9 g., and 3.5 g. Yes, there are lipsticks from higher end brands in the same weight range that cost double and triple the price, but they're department store brands with flashier (usually) packaging and nicer (sometimes) formulas. This is CoverGirl, a drugstore brand, and for a lip product so slim and small in plastic packaging, I don't understand why the price is nearing $10.

With that being said, I already declared that I do like this product a lot, and I think it would be worth purchasing on sale. Otherwise, buy on your own budget.

I recommend this product (*on sale*) to those who like creamy, moisturizing products with sheer, glossy color and don't mind reapplying often. I don't recommend this product to those who prefer more opaque color, more (or no) gloss, or simply dislike scented products.

I hope this review was helpful, and thanks for stopping by! 'Til next time. ('<>')>

~nikki

The product in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brand(s) featured in this post.