Stila Lip Polish

...have been a fan of Stila cosmetics for about 2 years. I was initially attracted to the brand by the cute packaging. Presentation comes high on my list of priorities when it comes to choosing cosmetics (I won’t deny I’m completely fickle) but of course the reason I still love Stila is that their products are creative and wearable as well as looking totally kitsch. Being a huge fan of this brand I was thrilled when my friend brought me back a Stila ...
...IS IT?*

Stila Lip Polish is somewhere between a sheer lipstick and a lipgloss. I usually tend to wear lipgloss, in fact I don’t think I even own a lipstick but I find that with some lipglosses the colour wears off quite quickly. Although I’d never seen this particular product before I received it, it seems like an ideal solution; it gives the colour you want from a lipstick without being too ‘big and bold’ without sacrificing any of ... more

I have been a fan of Stila cosmetics for about 2 years. I was initially attracted to the brand by the cute packaging. Presentation comes high on my list of priorities when it comes to choosing cosmetics (I won’t deny I’m completely fickle) but of course the reason I still love Stila is that their products are creative and wearable as well as looking totally kitsch. Being a huge fan of this brand I was thrilled when my friend brought me back a Stila Lip Polish from her holiday in the US and I tried it out straight away I’ve been using it for about a month now so I thought I’d let you know what I think of it.

Stila Lip Polish is somewhere between a sheer lipstick and a lipgloss. I usually tend to wear lipgloss, in fact I don’t think I even own a lipstick but I find that with some lipglosses the colour wears off quite quickly. Although I’d never seen this particular product before I received it, it seems like an ideal solution; it gives the colour you want from a lipstick without being too ‘big and bold’ without sacrificing any of the shine of a lipgloss. It cannot be classified as either a lipstick or a lipgloss because it is truly a combination of both, so it is in a category of its own as a lip polish.

As I mentioned before I think Stila packaging is cute and modern. It looks great in your make-up bag as well being practical; it stands up to being knocked about as my make-up bag so often is. The Lip Polish comes in a pen applicator which is similar to the Lip Glazes but it is not transparent. The stylish silver pen contains the colour and brush applicator, you twist the end until it clicks which pushes the colour up to the brush applicator ready to be applied. It’s so convenient, there’s no messing about with different brushes, colours or glosses this is an all in one convenience. The packaging is also spill proof so if you take it travelling, you won’t arrive at your holiday destination only to find it’s ruined your favourite top. The top clips closed with a satisfying click to reassure you that it won’t come flying off at the slightest knock, so there are no worries about spilling.

The colour of my Lip Polish is ‘Garnish’ a fairly neutral shade of nude pink. It is the perfect lip colour for summer or winter and I should imagine it would suit most skins except perhaps very fair complexions, it looks great against my olive complexion, though I do say so myself! The Lip Polish is pigmented enough to wear it on its own without any lipstick or pencil and leaves a nice glossy shine. It isn’t shimmery or iridescent but it looks more like a gloss once you put it on rather than having the matte appearance of some lipsticks. In the tube it pretty much looks just like a regular lipgloss. The disappointment for me of this product is the fact that it isn’t scented or flavoured at all. I had been using Lancome Juicy Tubes for a while before trying the Stila Lip Polish and love the fruitiness of my strawberry one. Unfortunately the smell of Stila Lip Polish isn’t particularly pleasant unless you like the smell of unscented lipgloss but at the same time it isn’t unpleasant. I found it a bit disappointing that the product wasn’t scented seeing as though all the Stila Lip Glazes are absolutely scrummy. It is a sort of strange manufactured plasticky smell, It isn’t strong and it does fade quickly so I suppose it isn’t a big deal but I’m sure they could add the same scent to these as they do with the Lip Glaze without too much hassle, still I suppose it isn’t a major issue compared to how what it actually looks like on.

This is where the Lip Polish scores highly, the design and ease of use are better than similar substitute products by a long shot. Firstly the product comes as a pen brush applicator so you can apply it directly to your lips accurately without mis-judging and ending up with lips like Leslie Ash’s before they were reduced. Having an all in one product is so convenient and saves space in my already fit to bursting make-up bag. Actually using the product is incredibly easy you simply twist the bottom of the pen until it clicks. This pushes the Lip Polish up through the brush so you can apply it directly onto your lips. They couldn’t really improve the design of this product at all because it is already so easy to use. The fact that the Lip Polish has a substantial texture is a definite advantage, reapplication isn’t required as often as thinner lipglosses because is gloopy enough to stay on your lips for an impressive length of time, however it isn’t as thick as the Lip Glaze which I think had a longer staying power. The design of the actual brush applicator is exceptionally good. It is about the average size of a lip brush with a very clean straight edge. It isn’t too stiff so that it scratches or drags your lips but equally it isn’t one of those annoying soft brushes that make applying anything to your lips annoyingly tricky.

I’m impressed with the result of using the Stila Lip Polish. It gives a hint of colour with a lot of shine and stays on my lips for longer than the average lipgloss. Although is supposed to be halfway between a lipstick and a lipgloss I’d say it’s definitely nearer to being a lipgloss due to its consistency and the appearance it gives when worn. The colour looks great on and the product comes in a good variety of shades so everyone should be able to find something to suit them. One problem I’ve found is that it certainly won’t make it through a meal so you do have to reapply but to be honest that’s the same with every other lip product I’ve ever tried. When not eating or drinking though I’ve found that it stays on well and still looks fresh up to about 4 hours later. The appearance of the product is nice but I think I prefer the Lip Glaze, I prefer a subtle tinted lipgloss rather than anything too bold and although the Lip Polish is quite subtle it doesn’t have the same translucent glossiness of the Lip Glaze. I’m sure that for people who like a glossy lipstick this product would be perfect though. I suppose it totally depends on what sort of appearance you prefer.

Of course in true Stila style the product is far from cheap. I can see from the container that my one set m friend back $24 but I know that they cost £18 in the UK, the same as the Lip Glazes do. For this price you get 0.04oz of Lip Polish, even less than you do in the 0.05oz Lip Glazes. No wonder the pen applicator of the Lip Polish isn’t see-through otherwise the loyal consumers would see just how much they are being ripped off, the Lip Polish itself probably fills about one third of the pen. Although this seems fairly extortionate if you look at similar product such as Lancome Juicy Tubes and Urban Decay XXX Shine they are similarly priced but Stila does seem to top the lot. Obviously spending this amount of money would be impractical for some people but I don’t mind paying more for a product that I like rather than buying cheap alternatives that are never as good.

Stila products are available in larger Boots stores and Sephora but you can probably find them over the Internet more cheaply, be aware though that if you buy online there may be hidden delivery charges that mean you are actually paying more and at least in a shop you can test out different shades to see what suits you. If you find a shade you like then you can often find Stila products on Ebay more cheaply than anywhere else so watch out for bargains!

In conclusion I would recommend Stila Lip Polish but I personally prefer the Lip Glazes. I think it totally depends on the sort of make-up you’re used to wearing. Also for the price I think they could at least make it smell nice after all if they can do it to the Lip Glaze then it can’t be too difficult to do it to the Lip Polish as well. I’d recommend the Lip Polish if you normally wear lipstick but want something more glossy or if you like lipglosses that are heavily tinted. Although it seems like I’m being quite critical of the Lip Polish I do actually like it as a product; it does give a good finish and has lengthy staying power but if I can get a Lip Gaze at the same price then I will. Also the product runs out quickly because the quantity in each pen applicator isn’t exactly generous, annoyingly you can’t see through the Lip Polish packaging but I know from experience of using the Lip Glaze that it doesn’t last long. As a brand Stila is fantastic and I don’t mind paying the high process when I can afford them. I’m glad I got to try this product but I don’t think I will be purchasing it again.

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