I bet most of us have experienced this before: going to a store to get a certain product and walked out with something completely different. Yep, that’s what happened to me not too long ago, for the n-th time.

I was looking to get Make Up Store Microshadow in Masai, thanks to Karima’s stellar reviews. I finally found the time to visit the counter and when I swatched the product, I kind of lost interest. The product is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that I rarely contour. And I was much more interested in getting Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder Medium (which I just got a few days ago). I thought that I could always go back to get it since it’s available locally anyway.

Just as I was walking out the counter, I remembered that I had seen pictures of the Lipstick Pen before and wanted to try them. So, I went for for a quick look, picked up one that caught my eye instantly, swatched it, went gaga over it and once I knew the price tag, I went straight to the cashier.

Make Up Store Lipstick Pen in Bubblegum

I got to say, the moment I swatched it, it reminded me of one and only thing, YSL Rouge Pur Couture 52 Rosy Coral. The color is different once compared (Bubblegum is pinker), but it’s the brightness, that slight neon effect that captivated me and got me gushing over it. The price? It’s IDR 210.000 and it’s cheaper than the Microshadow. How did that happen?!*

The presentation is nothing too fancy. It’s a fat, chubby pencil with a cap and a matching color band at the end to indicate the color inside. It doesn’t twist up, means it needs to be sharpened. I personally would’ve loved it if it’s retractable, but honestly, I’m just too crazy about the color already!

It’s very lightweight, so carrying this around is a breeze and won’t add weight to my already-stuffed purse. If there’s one thing that I didn’t like, that would be the scent. It smells like.. colored pencils. It tastes like one and lingers for quite a bit too. No hard feelings, I love colored pencils and how they smell. But they should just stay there and on a piece of paper, not on my lips. But again, for the sake of the color, I’m willing to suck it up.

Because, hello..

Holy guacamole! It’s the kind of shade that makes me want to buy it right away (which I did), wear it and be content for the rest of the day. Shallow, I know, but I’m sure you can share the sentiment.

It’s incredibly pigmented in just one stroke. It’s soft and creamy with a satin finish. It covers my lips in absolutely no time at all and dare I say, it adheres better than the über popular YSL Rosy Coral, which could apply slightly patchy when my lips aren’t at the best condition. I truly enjoy the process of coloring my lips with this baby. I could really line my lips and have no trouble getting it in there.

In real life, Make Up Store Lipstick Pen Bubblegum is much brighter and more ‘out’ there. The white base really comes out. It pops! Same thing with YSL Rosy Coral, the hardest part is to capture the real color, it shows up differently on different lighting. You can see me wearing this on another occasion here and I think despite the minor difference, you can tell that it’s eye catching.

As far as formula goes, I’d say it’s a pretty good one! It feels emollient but not too slippery that it slides off the lips. Staying power is pretty darn good too. On a heavy meal, it’s just the usual fading on the center area, which can be fixed by smudging the rest of the color around the lips. Reapplying is easy too, just blot the lips beforehand to remove excess grease from the meal. And the coloring session starts again..

Sorry for the flush on my face here. It was freaking hot outside and taking pictures is not the easiest when all I wanted to do is just submerge myself in an ice-cold bath and taking a nap while I’m at it.

I’m glad I spent that extra few seconds peeking through the racks and found this hidden gem. The scent might not be a favorite, but for a head-banging shade like this, I have to make an exception :D

 

*I bought this about 3 months ago and it seems there’s a price increase. According to the Indonesian website it’s now priced at IDR 295.000.