Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gradation Review, Swatches & FOTD

Hey everyone!

If you’ve been watching South Asian beauty trends for a while now, the concept of the ombre lip is no new feat to you. Instagram beauty accounts arrived late to the party but the ombre lip trend caught on majorly there as well. If you’ve been wondering how you can create your own ombre lip, Maybelline promises not to disappoint with its launch of the Color Blur Matte Lip Pencils, launched in India as Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gradation pencils.

Product Description :

• Color sensational lip gradation is for the sexy, bold and adventurous woman who does not shy away from experimentation
• The product is a buttery soft powder stick which comes in beautiful, bright shades exclusively for your lips
• Color sensational lip gradation has highly saturated pigments which give you that gorgeous pop of color and inviting flair

Packaging :

The product comes in a twist-up pencil packaging with the body of the pencil in the same color as the lip color to make it easier to pick out the color you’re looking for, from your stash.

The other end has a smudger that you can use to work the ombre effect on your lips.

Review :

When I first chanced upon this product at the Maybelline counter, I wasn’t really a fan as there was nothing surprising about the color or texture of the product. All the shades are pretty similar to so many other shades that Maybelline offers. The pencils looked super cute and inviting though, so how could I resist ?

I picked up shades – Fuchsia 2, Mauve 1, Red 1 . I think the shade names are about as uninventive and vapid as it gets 😐 Also, no idea why there’s a Mauve 1 when there’s no Mauve 2 in the collection .

Anyway, I quite like all three shades though I’m pretty sure I already have colors similar to these . Fuchsia 2 is a bright, pop pink that is almost neon-ish and has a face-brightening effect. It is closest in hue to All Fired Up by Mac though this is more pinkish. Mauve 1 is a brownish nude that will look extremely flattering on wheatish to medium deep complexions (perfect nude for desi skin). It is quite similar to Mac Taupe but a wee bit darker. Red 1 is a true warm red with coral undertones that most red lovers would like.

The texture is described as almost velvety, which it is. The pencil glides on my lips with absolute ease and delivers so much color payoff in a single swipe. Believe me, the pigmentation of this product is the ultimate bomb!

I tried the ombre effect on my lips, but my lips are super pigmented so it was an epic fail. LOL ! I just did the regular complete fill in though, and I really like the finish.

Yay :

• Pigmentation (10/10)
• Colors (if you’re a fan of fun, bright,bold lip colors go for this)
• Travel-friendly
• Easily available

Nay :

• The smudger (it really doesn’t help, use a blending brush instead if you want an ombre effect)
• Price ( though Rs. 500 seems really affordable, the product contains only about 1/3rd the quantity of a regular lipstick making it almost as expensive as a Mac lipstick in its full size. Smart marketing much ?)
• I don’t see how this product can create an Ombre effect on it’s own, lip stain maybe. Definitely don’t see this working as an Ombre option for pigmented lips. Maybe, two different lip colors could be used together to create something to the effect of an ombre lip. What do you guys think?

Here’s me wearing Fuchsia 2 :

Red 2 :

Mauve 1 :

Price : Rs. 500

Available here

Overall, the product is a fun lip product that you can try if you like experimenting with various looks. I’m not too sure if I’ll repurchase any of these though.

Pigmentation – 10/10

Lasting power – 8/10

Price – 7/10

Quantity – 7/10

Have you tried these pencils ? Share your experience with me in the comments below!