Battle of the Drugstore Lip Crayons

I prefer my lips have a bit of staying color while feeling hydrated, so I decided to test out these lip crayons.  They promise to provide lasting color with moisture, which are different features than those of matte lip colors or glosses.  Matte lip products make me feel like I’ve been trekking through the dessert without water, and glosses provide high shine but very sheer color.  Lip crayons seem to promise the best of both worlds.  But will they all do the trick?

The first  one I tried was Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Nude Pink.  Here’s what I found:

• Glided on effortlessly.
• Highly pigmented.
• Color and staying-power of a matte but without the dryness (Color even lingered after eating.)
• Balmy texture never vanished.
• Slight, pleasant scent of fruit (due to fruit extracts).

Now let’s talk about the next one: CoverGirl Colorlicious Jumbo Gloss Balm Cream in Parfait (and let’s not talk about how confusing the name of it is…).  Here’s what happened:

• It felt like a classic lipstick as I applied it.
• After a few minutes, the texture transformed from blah to balmy and left my lips feeling moisturized.
• Also very pigmented with long-lasting color.
• Moisture lasted throughout wear, although the overall look is not as shiny as the Neutrogrena.
• Scent of old-time lipstick. (Not a deal-breaker.  Just odd.)

So far, so good, right?!  Well, check out this last one, NYX Cosmetics Simply Nude Lip Cream in peaches.  I hate it, and it is going into the trash as soon as I hit the publish button.  Here is why:

• Felt like I was applying an artist’s pastel to my lips- dry and almost chalky.
• Moisturized at first but quickly turned dry. (The package does mention a subtle satin finish but promises moisture.)
• Highly pigmented but very hard to blend.
• Long-lasting (to my disappointment, because I wanted it off!)
• Maybe the color would be nice if the texture was more moisturizing…

The winner here for me is the Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick.  I chose it over the CoverGirl one because it provided a little more gloss, and I am normally a gloss girl.  It also provided way more color than a gloss, which is what I was seeking.  It definitely does have the best of both worlds because the moisture you feel as you apply it is very true and stays for the duration of wear.  I would highly recommend it, and I cannot wait to try other shades!  With winter on the horizon, it’s the perfect nourishing lip color.

That’s what’s up in the lip crayon world.  Have you tried any of these?  Which one do you think looks best?

Here are my most recent shoppable pics:

Thanks for reading!

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