After lining your lips, how about applying some lip gloss on
top? Let’s use this, the Haus Laboratories Le Riot Lip Gloss, shade Scream.
As a Lady Gaga fan, imagine my enthusiasm even I heard that
she would be launching a whole makeup brand of her own! I knew it would end up
being expensive, but, damn it, I needed at least a few things! I
reckoned that it would make sense to buy a lip set, a matching lip gloss and
lip liner. Okay, that’s set (no pun intended). But what colour? How about this dramatic burgundy
wine red? I was in a vampy phase back when I ordered this gloss, so it was
right up my alley! Sold! Fingers crossed that my immense hype will be rewarded!
Let’s see what Lady Gaga has cooked up for us!
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Packaging: so edgy and unconventional! It’s sleek, modern
and it looks so expensive! Sleek black colour that is enhanced by the silver
metallic logo. The cap closes super tightly. The tube is thick and rectangular.
But don’t be mistaken, it’s not a boring design, as it hides a few tricks up
its sleeve! Look at the cap: it’s got a pyramidal top that is actually sharp!
Be careful not to poke yourself on it! That makes the whole look edgier and
more dramatic, as befitting Lady Gaga! But that’s not all!
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The base of the tube
is transparent with a crystal that matches the colour of the gloss pretty well
(although it is lighter to a degree). The crystal is absolutely beautiful! So
vibrant and the shimmer in it sparkles gently but noticeably. If you’ll notice,
the top of the cap and the crystal are both pyramidal, which makes it nicely
symmetrical. All in all, top notch design! Perfectly dramatic! I am like
obsessed with it!
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| Source: hauslabs.com |
Ingredients: vitamin E for nourishment. No parabens. I must
say that I expected more emollients or humectants for the price. When Wet n
Wild can put dozens of emollients inside their lip glosses for literally 1/10
of the price, this is just disappointing. The scent is... not the most pleasant
one, let’s just say. Alright, it doesn’t have perfumes, so it had no chance of
smelling particularly nice from the start. But it’s quite bitter, and as time
goes one, it only gets even more bitter and chemical. Even a freshly opened
tube smells like it has expired. At least it isn’t noticeable on the lips. The
expiration date is 12 months after opening.
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Colour: a deep burgundy wine. So, a mix of dark red and
purple pigments, giving a true burgundy tone. The colour is very seductive and
vampy, it’s especially good for autumn. There are a lot of purple pigments, but
it doesn’t overpower the red pigments. It’s a really gorgeous colour,
especially on pale/light skin. Such a sexy colour!
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| Worn with the Haus Laboratories RIP Lip Liner [Slayer] |
The formula is definitely gelly! So, no lies when they say
this is a gel lip gloss. It’s super thick and gelly. Not my favourite type of
formula, as it’s a bit too heavy for me. But it looks so luxurious and
expensive! It’s not at all greasy or oily, but it is somewhat waxy, especially
a few hours later. When it’s freshly applied it’s not at all tacky, but it does
become slightly tacky later. Given how thick the formula is, it shouldn’t come
as a surprise how intensely pigmented it is. It’s so extremely pigmented that
even just one layer is enough to get deep burgundy lips.
This lip gloss is, in fact, quite comfortable to wear! It
feels wet, soft and lightweight at first, like, such a luxurious feeling! It
also definitely feels like a gel lip gloss. I thought it would be heavy when I
saw the thick formula, and how goopy it looks in the tube. But it is so creamy
and rich instead! However, after some time it becomes much waxier and drier,
and more heavy. It doesn’t age as gracefully as I hoped it would. I don’t
really like this new formula after a few hours. It’s way too waxy then. Still,
it’s better than most thick lip glosses. The texture is ridiculously glossy!
It’s got a real 3D effect to its gloss, so much that it actually looks glassy!
There is also a bit of a gelly shine, which makes it so much better! My lips
really do look fuller! I love how reflective it is!
But it was apparently
supposed to have faint shimmer inside; in reality, it doesn’t have any shimmer,
it’s just reflective glossy. At least mine doesn’t!
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| Excellent choice of colours! |
I love how easy this lip gloss it is to apply! Partly due to
the wonderful formula, partly due to the incredibly designed applicator. I will
come back to the applicator so put a pin in it. There is absolutely no tugging
or pulling, the colour just glides across lips evenly, giving you a rich layer
of pigment. Which is really important when it’s so extremely pigmented! You
want it to be perfectly even without trying too hard. And this lip gloss does
exactly that, as it’s immediately perfectly even. I still like to apply more
layers just to make sure it truly is even in all places, especially the cupids
bow. It’s extremely easy to line the lips precisely, without the gloss pooling
on the edges. And best of all, you don’t have to make sure your lips are in
perfect condition, as it looks superb even if your lips are chapped or damaged.
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The applicator is unique, at least among all the various lip
glosses I have. It might seem like a fairly typical doe foot applicator, but
look, it’s much more curved than standard applicators. This curvature ensures
you get a rich and even layer every time as it packs on so much pigment that
it’s insane! It picks up a literal ton of pigment, way more than you need. Not
that that’s a bad thing! It’s got depressed areas on both sides of the
applicator, where most of the pigment collects.
There is a surprisingly large
amount of pigment on the tip, too. This is already amazing, but it gets better!
The applicator is super soft, so it feels incredibly gentle on the lips. The
curved shape allows it to be perfectly precise, being able to line the cupids
bow with ease. It’s also relatively large, which helps it deposit an even layer
of colour. Very innovative shape that is actually better than the standard
shapes. So it’s not different just for the sake of being different.
Longevity is not this lip gloss’ strong suit, unfortunately.
Okay, it is more long-lasting than most other lip glosses, but, in general it
is not anything to write home about. It fades with time, becoming a more subdued mauve colour, kind of like what Maybelline’s Superstay Vinyl Ink, shade Coy,
is. It also tends to collect in the lines of the lips, with the colour seeming
much more intense there than on the rest of the lips. And it doesn’t take so
long for it to start fading, either. Only two hours or so. It gets
progressively worse the longer it’s on the lips, being totally faded after 8
hours. To be honest, it would be a bloody miracle if a lip gloss survived 8
hours without any significant changes.
The fact flat it doesn’t take too long
to start fading goes hand in hand with what I already said about the formula
changing into a much more waxy, tacky one. Apparently, it dries relatively
quickly, and I don’t mean that it sets, as it never does that (it will continue
transferring onto stuff until you remove it). But, good news, it is not at all
drying out for the lips! Despite having next to nothing in it to keep the lips
supple and soft, they don’t feel dried out or chapped or any worse for wear. It’s
some wizardry, I am telling you! In terms of how resistant to food it is, not a
whole lot, tbh. No matter what kind of food you eat, it tends to fade and smudge, especially if it’s greasy/oily food. The same goes for drinking. So
you’ll definitely have to reapply it after a meal. The damage isn’t atrocious,
but it is visible. Quite a bit better than a lot of other highly pigmented lip
glosses, though. I didn’t really expect it to last super long, it is a lip
gloss after all, no matter how much it costs, but I still wish that it had
better longevity. Especially in terms of how it starts to feel waxy and somewhat
uncomfortable. That’s just a shame.
It’s honestly much easier to remove than you might think!
Even if you use only micellar water, it comes off easily, without a lot of
rubbing. If you, like me, use a specialised remover, it’s gone faster than you
can say Haus Labs! It does not leave a greasy residue, despite becoming quite
greasy after a few hours. Oh, and it doesn’t leave stains, either! Burgundy lip
products are more likely to leave stains, so it’s great that this lip gloss
doesn’t!
In conclusion, honestly, a fricking fabulous lip gloss! Lady
Gaga again did not disappoint! There’s so much good in this lip gloss: the
applicator is fantastic and just super fun to use, the pigmentation is hella
intense, and it is glossy beyond belief! It is so pigmented that one layer is
enough to get vividly pigmented, burgundy lips, and it still looks great on its
own, without any lip liners underneath. It’s even, rich and looks spectacular!
The texture is so glossy that it is actually reflective, and that makes the lips
look plumper. Such a 3D effect, too! However, there are some things that are
bot quite so good: the longevity leaves something to be desired, and it doesn’t
deal well with food. But those are things that most lip glosses struggle with. I
am so happy that it is this good, as, boy, was it not cheap! But for the first
Haus Laboratories product, it definitely set the bar really high. It, along
with the matching lip liner, are so good that I actually felt sad letting the lip gloss
go. I would suggest using this lip gloss with the matching lip liner (RIP Lip
Liner/Slayer), but it is more than adequate solo – way more than adequate, in
fact! Just one nit-pick: it should supposedly have some faint shimmer, but I don’t
see it. It’s nothing major, just an observation. Also, the packaging! OMG,
like, the drama! The black colour with the coloured crystal on the bottom of
the tube! And the sharp, pyramidal cap! Breath-taking! I love it so much that
it’s my go-to lip gloss when I want seductively vampy lips. So guess what? I
will give it top recommendations, even with its flaws! Great job, Haus Labs!
Rating: 7.5/10
Would buy again? YES
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