Stila Lip Glaze

**MY FIRST IMPRESSION**
I first came across the iconic Stila Lip Glaze when I was browsing through my favorite beauty mag. The lip glaze's quirky and kitsch packaging certainly caught my eye. Being the lip gloss addict that I am I decided to give it a try but the glaze's ludicrously high price, a whopping RM85 (I'm a Malaysian) made me think twice. So I did the next best thing and bought it online with a 40% discount (Thank you, eBay!).

**THE PACKAGING**
The Stila Lip Glaze comes in a long, clear plastic pen which has its own brush applicator instead of the usual doe's foot applicator.I prefer a brush applicator as it doesn't absorb the glaze, unlike regular sponge applicators. The words "stila lip glaze" are emblazoned across the tube in black girly font. The standard-sized glaze (0.08 fl.oz/ 2.4 ml) is about 5" long whereas the travel-sized glaze (0.03 fl.oz/ 1 ml) is approximately 4.5" long but it is thinner than the regular-sized ones. To dispense the glaze, all you have to do is twist the end of the pen a few times until the glaze reaches the brush applicator. Then slick the glaze on your lips and Voila! Perfect, glossy lips in an instant.

**THE SHADES**
The Stila Lip Glaze comes in an array of beautiful shades that have delicious names with equally tempting scents and flavors. The flavors and scents correspond with the name of the shades. For instance, the strawberry glaze smells and tastes like strawberry. Some of the shades (such as grapefruit, vanilla and brown sugar) have shimmer in them while other shades (such as fruit punch, gumdrop and raspberry) are clear. The 30 gorgeous shades of Stila Lip Glaze can be categorized into:

pinks: (grapefruit, papaya, watermelon, passion fruit, fruit punch, gumdrop, raspberry, sugar plum, and guava)

reds: (cranberry, red apple and strawberry)

purples: (berry, blackberry, black cherry and fig)

corals: (starfruit, orange, peach, lemongrass, tangerine and cinnamon)

browns: (brown sugar and mocha)

nudes: (apricot, banana, honeydew, praline and vanilla)

Be warned, though. The Stila Lip Glaze is really sheer so glazes that look red in the tube may appear as pink on your lips (not that I'm complaining. I love pink lip glosses) and light shades such as grapefruit and apricot may go on clear. My all-time favorite shade is fruit punch, a pinkish red in the tube that goes on as a lush, rosy pink which I adore.

Because of the numerous shades available, it must be overwhelming to pick one that you like. If that's the case for you, I'd suggest for you to get the lip glaze set that contains 6 travel-sized lip glazes in vanilla, brown sugar, grapefruit, apricot, gumdrop and raisin.

**WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS LIP GLAZE**
What I really like about this product is that it comes in a lot of shades, which means that there's one for everyone, no matter what their skin tone is. Besides that, this product is very versatile as it allows you to layer on the lip glaze. A light, single coat is perfect for a day look and a double coat intensifies the color for a more polished evening look.
I also like the texture of the lip glaze. It's a bit sticky but this ensures that the glaze can last at least a couple of hours. The consistency of this glaze is amazingly light, so you wouldn't get that heavy, gloopy sensation on your lips whenever you slick the glaze on.The glaze is also very moisturizing as even after a meal, a layer of moisture will still be there. And have I mentioned how gorgeous these glazes look? Seriously, the Stila Lip Glaze is the most glossy, shiny and shimmery gloss I have ever used. My lips have never looked better.
I also like the fact that the glaze comes with its own nifty built-in brush applicator which allows glaze application on the go.The packaging is also leak proof.

**WHAT I HATE ABOUT THIS LIP GLAZE**
I hate to say this, but the packaging drives me nuts! The glaze takes forever to come out of the tube. So sometimes I'd twist the pen too many times and end up dispensing much more glaze than I need.Which is a pity considering that the glaze is really expensive.
So because of that I think I'll do better with the Lip Glaze Sticks which are not only easier to apply, but they are also cheaper and come in my fave shade ever, fruit punch.
My other gripe is the size of the packaging. I think it's really bulky, considering that it only holds a tiny amount of glaze.

**OVERALL**
Despite its packaging and steep price, I would say that the Stila Lip Glaze is a great buy as it comes in really pretty shades, has a great texture and makes your lips look oh-so-gorgeous!