After years of neutral matte lip looks, it was refreshing to see lip glosses trending again. As a “gloss girl”, I was thrilled, even though glosses aren’t always the most kissable or long-lasting option. It doesn’t even matter if it’s high-end or drugstore, you can splurge or save on this makeup product, as the results deliver comparable results. Lip glosses give your lips a fresh appearance, make them look fuller and poutier, and add luminosity to your face as they catch the light. Some glosses, like the one I am reviewing today, even contain beneficial ingredients that double as lip care moisturizers.
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When I bought my first Lifter Gloss, the lip gloss trend was just starting to make a comeback. My first shade was “Moon” (003), and it remains my favorite to this day, even tough I have now the complete collection, except for one shade. The “Ruby” shade has been discontinued 2 years ago, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Today, the Maybelline Lifter Gloss range boasts 20 existing shades, varying in opacity, finish and undertone.
You can find all my Lifter Gloss swatches, organized shade by shade, including the most popular ones, on my PINTREST BOARD.
Application
The product comes in a very nice tube that looks high-end; it’s well-designed, simple, and sturdy, with an XL wand applicator that evenly disperses the product. I really like the applicator, as one swipe is enough to achieve the desired opacity. The lips immediately feel smooth and juicy, thanks to the hyaluronic acid . It’s recommended to start applying the gloss from the center of the lip and spread it towards the corners.
Swatches
The Lifter Gloss range offers three types of opacity, allowing you to choose your favorite level of coverage. Additionally, the range includes both shimmery and non-shimmery shades. To illustrate, the shades can be categorized as follows:
SHEER SHADES: Pearl, Sun, Ice, Opal, Brass, Sand, Bubblegum, Gummy bear, Peach Ring, Sweetheart, Taffy
MEDIUM COVERAGE: Topaz, Crystal, Gold, Bronze, Moon, Amber, Copper, Stone, Reef, Silk, Ruby
HIGHER COVERAGE: Petal , Heat , Rust
The swatches will be presented by collection, starting from the classic range and ending with the newest launch available at the time of publication.
Regular/classic collection
This collection comprises permanent shades, most of which were part of the initial launch and are generally available in stock.
001 Pearl- translucent with silver pearl
002 Ice-translucent pink
003 Moon– nude pink with pearl
004 Silk- warm mauve with gold pearl
005 Petal– warm pink with copper pearl
006 Reef-peachy pink cream
007 Amber– yellow nude cream
008 Stone– rosy nude cream
009 Topaz– sheer terracotta with gold pearl
010 Crystal– golden brown with gold pearl
NEW! The honey'd collection
The new scented lip glosses shades come in sheer brown and nudes anddd.. with a sweet-like-honey scent. Wowww..cannot wait to get them and swatch them for you.
Honey
Caramel
Maple
Toast
Toffee
The Quartz collection
012 Opal: Translucent Pink with Pearl
Ruby:
Sand:
011 Brass: Translucent Pink with Gold Pearl
014 Heat: True Sheer Raspberry
The Ruby shade is nowhere to be found. It has been discontinued for more than two years. I wish there would be one left somewhere in this world, to make my collection complete. Maybelline, please help!
The Candy drop collection
21 Gummy bear: Sheer milky pink
22 Peach Ring: Peachy coral
23 Sweetheart: Sheer warm red
24 Bubblegum: Sheer hot pink
25 Taffy: Sheer blackberry
The Bronzed Collection
Bronzed Collection
Some of the shades are no longer available on the official website.
020 Sun: Translucent champagne pearl
019 Gold: Warm gold with pearly reflexes
018 Bronze: Sheer metallic brown with gold pearl
017 Copper: metallic copper with pearl reflexes
016 Rust: Ruby red with gold pearl
Performance
From the onset, it’s essential to note that the Lifter Gloss range offers three types of opacity: sheer, medium and full coverage. Although the highest capacity level is often referred to as full coverage, it’s more accurate to describe it as high opacity, given that we’re dealing with a gloss. The product has received high praise online, which is also evident from the fact the brand’s continuous introduction of new shades. The color payoff is good depending on the chosen opacity level, and the lips appear plumped and feel moisturized for a good couple of hours. And then you need to reapply, but like with any other lip gloss. The formula doesn’t feel sticky; instead, it’s remarkably light.
Pros
The Lifter Gloss range from Maybelline might be the best lip gloss available at a drugstore. Despite its popularity over the years, the brand has not increased its prices, unlike other brands. The gloss is non-sticky, hydrates the lips with hyaluronic acid, and its comfortable to wear.
The price point is impressive, offering a high-end feel at a drugstore price. Both the formula and packaging are of high quality. The tube feels heavy-in a good way- and features transparent tube, allowing you to see the shade inside.
Cons
Some issues are worth mentioning. Firstly, many negative reviews focus on the lip gloss’s scent, which is something very personal. Vanilla is involved . The scent doesn’t linger for long, typically fading within a few minutes.
Secondly, as I purchased most shades online, I found it challenging to determine the exact shade based on the tube or model photos, as each person has a different lip pigment that is not related to the skin shade.
Lastly, some shades are quite similar, making it unnecessary to have distinct shade names. For instance, I found 003 Moon and 011 Brass to be very similar, and these happen to be my favorite shades.
Ingredients
Feel free and also recommended to look for the meaning of the main ingredients on websites like Incidecoder.
G2033552 C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Polybutene, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Diisostearyl Malate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Saccharin, Alumina, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Polybutylene Terephthalate, Trihydroxystearin, Cocos Nucifera Oil / Coconut Oil, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylene/Va Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Tin Oxide, Magnesium Silicate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Glucomannan, Parfum / Fragrance [+/- May Contain / Peut Contenir Ci 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 / Iron Oxides, Mica, Ci 15850 / Red 7, Ci 45410 / Red 28 Lake, Ci 15985 / Yellow 6 Lake, Ci 42090 / Blue 1 Lake, Ci 15850 / Red 6, Ci 17200 / Red 33 Lake, Ci 45380 / Red 22 Lake, Ci 19140 / Yellow 5 Lake] Fil T243599/6