Her makeup majesty Pat McGrath dropped yet another beauty bomb on us mortals. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome LUST: Gloss. In this post I am going give you a detailed and unbiased review on this exciting new launch, as well as share a bunch of unedited swatches. Curious? Then just keep on scrolling.
LUST: Gloss
Claims: LUST: Gloss is a new permanent line of 14 luscious lip glosses, that come in three finishes: Glitter, High Shine and Shimmer. The brand describes these new glosses as "an exquisite blend of lustrous oils, that deliver high-shine glossiness in the non-sticky texture of a lush balm".
Price: 28 USD for .15fl oz / 4.5 ml
Packaging: this is Pat McGrath we are talking about, so the only way one can describe the packaging is - utter luxury. Every gloss comes in a beautiful fuschia-meets-magenta cardboard box, that has this very modern [dare I say] punk vibe to it. As a fashion illustrator myself, I do enjoy the fact that you can always see unique artwork and sketches on pretty much every single product that Pat comes up with.
LUST: Gloss has a nice, "high-end" weight to it. I have no complaints about the packaging as far as practicality goes - these bad boys have been traveling with me everywhere and I have experienced zero leaking (no tea, no shade NARS) or any other issues. Every Pat McGrath product has these one-of-a-kind golden hieroglyphs on them and what I have noticed is that, depending on the makeup item, the fourth sign will be in either a shape of an eye or lips.
You might be familiar with a myriad of different wands by now, but it is the first time I see a doe foot applicator that is both: precise and wide. It has a nice, semi-curved shape and slightly pointier tip, which allows a very easy application.
Colour Selection: now, one thing I know for sure - all of these glosses come in universally-flattering colours. You get your multidimensional glittery top coats, pearlescent nudes, pinks, browns as well as fun pops of colour like opaque coral, red or even magenta with blue pearl (all of them still being quite lush and wearable). The brand did a great job at swatching every single shade on both arm and lips, so that even if you are an avid online shopper, it will be fairly easy for you to navigate in the world of LUST: Gloss.
I have three shades here and each has a different finish. I figured, it would be more helpful for you guys if I tried them all; so that I could tell which one was my absolute favourite. Colours that you see above are (T-B): Dare to Bare ("peach nude with gold pearl" with a shimmer/pearlescent finish), Aliengelic ("prismatic duochrome infused with pink pearl" with a glitter finish) and Flesh Fantasy ("lust pink beige" with a high shine finish).
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Formula: LUST: Gloss is what every gloss should feel like: balmy, smooth, nourishing, comfortable and absolutely delicious (did I mention that they taste amazing too?). These have a faint natural vanilla scent, which I absolutely love (no chemical cherry here). Every negative quality, that is typically associated with your run-of-the-mill lip gloss, can't be applied here. Pat McGrath gloss is not sticky, gloppy, heavy, runny, gritty, smelly or anything like that. Yes, it might somewhat stick to your hair if it is windy out there, but I honestly don't see that as a massive drawback mainly because every makeup product [known to the mankind] does require a certain level of awareness. Personally, I am not neurotic about it in the slightest and so shouldn't be you (makeup is fun, while grumpiness will only cause premature wrinkles).
On my lips: Dare to Bare
Application: these, across-the-board, are incredibly user-friendly to the point where you can apply them on the backseat of a turbulent NYC cab or even with your eyes closed. Doesn't matter what finish or colour you choose to go for, you will love how hassle-free and quick these lip glosses are. For the most part you can wear them sheer or add an extra coat to achieve that uber lustrous, editorial wet look. This formula will sit nicely on top of your favourite lip pencil or lipstick. My only tip would be: don't get carried away; one, maximum two coats is all you need. Believe me, this formula truly packs a punch!
Wear: thankfully, none of these give me that weird white gunk situation, which you would normally expect from a generic lip gloss formula. Once LUST: Gloss is on, I almost feel like my lips get a nice, loving hug - they stay juicy, well-hydrated and yummy-looking all day long. These wear on me for up to 4-5 hours and fade gracefully. You certainly need to carry your gloss with you in order to re-apply or touch up your pout after meals.
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Finish: the name of this product speaks for itself; the most sophisticated form of a lustworthy gloss out there. Feels luxe, looks luxe. They don't have a plumping effect, but somehow make your lips look so juicy and volumized. I must admit that I enjoy all three finishes. Another extra bonus - you won't even need to highlight your cupid's bow, these glosses are thaaat high-shine and light-reflective! P.S. I did not highlight my cupid's bow on any of the pictures above, not even on that photo in the middle; shade Aliengelic is so gorgeous and yet quite tricky to photograph, camera barely does it any justice.
Verdict
Now, this is what "vinyl" lips should look like. No dripping or sliding around; no weird stickiness or chemical smell. Pure magic in a tube. I honestly have no idea how Pat McGrath does it, but she is truly slaying the beauty game over and over again. I thought lip gloss was long forgotten (although it was my gateway drug into the world of makeup back in the day), but the brand just reinvented it and I feel like LUST: Gloss is as hot as a gloss can be. Even though I am still Elson girl at heart (click here to read all about the brand's award-winning matte lipsticks), these new glosses is all I am wearing these days. If you are a daredevil, who loves it when people stare at your luscious pout; or maybe even a lover of all things luxury, you have to experience this formula for yourself. Doesn't matter what shade or finish you go for, these will look hot on girls and boys of every skin colour or age; I have quite a few lines on my lips, but as you can tell - it transforms them into a pure scintillating perfection. Plus, compared to other high-end brands, I think the quality here is worth every single penny. If you love a gloss, you need these bad boys in your life!
PR Samples; this review is not sponsored - full disclaimer here
