Clear

Essence Yee Haw! Lip Beautifier Key Chain [01 - Boots, Hat, Go!] Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - August 03, 2025

Now, the most ~fancy~ of the Yee Haw! items: the Essence Yee Haw! Lip Beautifier Key Chain, shade 01/Boots, Hat, Go! (only shade, anyways)
 
 
Ah, the most interesting product in this whole LE, for sure! And that’s because it comes with some bits and pieces! Because everyone needs some fun and whimsy in their life! These extra bits are precisely why I opted to buy this lip gloss in the first place; the colour looks alright, and, okay, the ingredients list looks very promising, but I thought that the Plumping Lip Oil would be the skincare product here (read the review here to see what I mean). Anyways, it is such a fun idea to add decorations to a keyring/keychain so that it’s not just a boring ol’ lip gloss. And seeing as this is a cowboy themed limited edition, what better thing to attach to the keyring than a tassel?? Who doesn’t love tassels?! Show of hands! Just kidding, it is okay not to love tassels, as long as you at least like them. Jk! But it really fits the theme and I love the colour, that old dusty light brown is so perfect! There’s also another little extra here, I won’t spoil what it is if you don’t know just yet! I was on the fence about this, but the tassel sealed the deal – I must get that! Even if the lip gloss is rubbish, I must have the tassel! Hopefully it won’t be bad, right? Hopefully, it will be better than the Lip Oil? I am just worried about the size... it looks awfully tiny. Let’s see what it’s like, I am so excited! 
 
 
 
 
 
Reminder that you can see a video of the swatch on my Instagram Reel here! 
 
 
 
 
 
Packaging: this lip gloss did not come in any kind of protective box or anything, which would have been useful, because it arrives with a few accessories that don’t like to be manhandled. You just get the tube and the accessories, all on one handy dandy little keyring! The keyring has a claw opening, so it is very easy to remove the accessories or the lip gloss. It also allows you to clip it easily to wherever you want it, like, say, a backpack or a bag. Or the belt loops of jeans! So you’ll have this lip gloss on-the-go, very handy! The lip gloss itself comes in a plastic tube that is extremely lightweight. The golden text is a bit hard to read on the pink background, but it goes perfectly with the while cowboy theme. 
 
 
Also, look at those cowboy boots and hat in the front, around the Yee Haw! logo! So cute! The cap of the lip gloss closes securely enough; it could be a bit tighter, but it won’t leak, don’t worry, even if it is dangling from your keys all over. The cap is taller than the tube! It’s golden, to match the text. Pretty simple design but it works. 
 
 
You might have noticed from the title that this is called a “Key Chain”; this is because, along with the lip gloss, you get some cool accessories! Not the first time Essence added some extra bits and pieces to their products; this reminds me of how, in the Love, Luck & Dragons LE, there was a lipstick purse that came with a golden dragon keychain accessory (that I lost somewhere after it fell from my backpackkk 😭). And just like with that, the main reason why I bought this lip gloss was for the tassel. I love tassels! There’s something just so effortlessly cool about them! My backpack (that I’ve been using for the past... decade???) has tassels on it and I love them there.
  
 
 
 
But the poor old backpack is on its last legs, so I need some extra accessories for when I replace it eventually (you did good, soldier 🫡). So how useful that this lip gloss comes with a light brown tassel? I love the golden details on it, they go so well with this shade of cooler tone light brown. I don’t even care about the build quality because it is just too awesome! I mean, it’s PU/pleather, aka, plastic, so obviously, it won’t be as durable as a real leather tassel. But who gives a damn? Besides, I prefer faux leather. It seems to be of good enough quality for what it is; I am satisfied with it! 
 
 
 
The other accessory is... a mirror? I thought it was just a piece of plastic, but when I turned it around I noticed that it has a mirror on one side. Very useful, for sure! But, notice, it doesn’t have any lid or cap or anything to protect the mirror’s surface from scratches. Hmm. Once you remove that sticker that it comes with, it likely won’t take long for it to get scratched up – especially if you hang it next to keys. This is an oversight. The mirror itself is, well, it’s a mirror. The optics are normal and it’s 1x magnification. So, good quality, but no protection, sadly. However, turn it around and take a look at that design there! The pink! The brown! What a great combo! And the cowboy boots with a hat resting on top of them... perfect for a Cowboy Like Me. With your boots beneath my bed... 
 
 
I simply must dedicate a section to the size of the lip gloss. Contrary to some, size does matter - at least, here. Because you are paying a higher price and getting the tiniest amount of lip gloss possible. I know, I know, the price is to cover for the accessories, I am not naïve, but it is still outrageous just how little lip gloss there is here. Just 1.5 mL! To compare, the Shiny Lipgloss has 10 mL and costs literally a third. I get it, if it is meant to be a keychain accessory, it has to be small, but come on! What is this size? Who is it meant for? Ants?? I already used up roughly half of it just during this testing – and I wore it only 3 times! So, obviously, it is going to run out very quickly. 
 
 
 
No way that it can last a month – hell, even half a month will be pushing it if you use it everyday. Shrinkflation at its finest. I wouldn’t mind it as much if they made it 5 mL, that’s still small, but more usable than this. This size is barely more than what you get in a tester... but then, if you go and repurchase this lip gloss (because you ran out of it within 10 days – and assuming it is still available), you’ll have extra unnecessary bits alongside it (the mirror and tassel). It would be nice if people donated this excess to others but let’s be real: how many are actually going to do that? 
 
 
 
 
Ingredients: meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) seed oil, vitamin E, jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) seed oil, hyaluronic acid for nourishment. No parabens. Wait a minute... this is miles more nourishing and hydrating than the lip oil. Weird? But fine by me – more hydration for the lips is always a good thing! Note the perfume at the end of the ingredients list; there is a ton of it in the lip gloss. Actually way too much. It smells very intense and perfumey, like a mix of roses and... bubblegum? It tastes exactly like that synthetic bubblegum flavour that is a bit nauseating to me. But it is also quite floral... hmm, what an interesting scent! It’s also quite fresh. However, it really is too intense and smelling it for too long can cause mild nausea; I have to avoid smelling it during luteal phase and period because it triggers my nausea. Even too much of ‘good’ isn’t good in the end. The expiration date is 18 months, but come on. No way that that tiny little tube is going to last more than a month. 
 
 
Huh, this is one odd applicator. It is tiny, flat and seems to be made of silicone? It’s way too tiny to pick up any meaningful amount of lip gloss, but the tube is tiny so, obviously, the applicator couldn’t have been ginormous either. Still, it is far too tiny for me. But, even though it looks like it would be sharp, it is actually not at all sharp or uncomfortable on the lips! Colour me surprised! The sides are pretty uncomfortable, but the main, flat part is honestly surprisingly soft! It seems to be made of a very soft formula of plastic or silicone. Very odd material to see, but it’s not all bad. It applies the lip gloss very evenly and as thickly as possible, given the small amount it picks up. 
 
 
But, since it doesn’t absorb any formula, you get 100% of it onto your lips. See how silicone can be useful? It’s also pretty precise, which shouldn’t be a surprise when it is so tiny. It is able to reach even the tightest of places and apply the lip gloss properly. Even the cupid’s bow isn’t a problem for this tiny applicator! It’s actually remarkably capable! Though I would prefer a doe foot, but this one is pretty good as well. 
 
 
Colour: while this lip gloss is baby pink in the tube, it is colourless on the lips. It’s just pure gloss, which I love! This way, you can layer it on top of anything else and it won’t mess up the colour. And because it is colourless and not light pink, it doesn’t make the lips look anaemic. I might not have much to say in terms of colour, but there is shimmer inside this lip gloss, which isn’t colourless. This is what makes this lip gloss so beautiful! There’s orange and magenta tiny shimmer that sparkles like a million little diamonds when light hits it. And even in dull lighting, it still glistens wonderfully. But it doesn’t look cheap, like there’s a bunch of cheap glitter just thrown on top of the lips. It is mixed so well with the rest of the formula that the shimmer instead looks expensive. Truly, it looks luxurious! And since it is a mix of orange and magenta, it makes the lips look more alive and healthy. Just gorgeous! 
 
 
Ah, this formula is similar to the lip oil’s, but far less occlusive. It is still thick and almost gelly, and feels a bit goopy, which I am not a huge fan of, but it also feels nourishing. Like, this formula definitely feels like it will keep the lips from drying out. Unlike the lip oil, which felt like extremely heavy dry grease, this lip gloss feels noticeably slicker and wetter. It’s still a rather old-school formula, but this one is more comfortable. It’s a bit heavy for me, but it becomes better with time, you’ll see. Also, why is this lip gloss more nourishing than the lip oil?? 
 
 
 
This lip gloss is quite easy to apply, since it glides across lips without tugging at them. It really slides wonderfully across lips, wow! And it doesn’t bunch up in places. Such an easy application process, though the applicator being so tiny does complicate things a liiiitle bit. But mostly, it’s super easy and quick.
 
  
 

Now, this is some proper gloss! It is so glossy! And it’s not a jelly-like gloss, it is pure glassy gloss! I make it sound like this is the glossiest lip gloss to have ever glossed, but truth be told, even though it may not be the glossiest ever, it still is impressively glossy. I love how wet and glossy and so luxurious it looks on the lips! But the texture isn’t just glossy – it is also shimmery! And there is quite a lot of shimmer in this gloss, but it doesn’t look cheap. 
 
 
 
 
It is extremely tiny, so it looks more like diamond dust than chunky pieces of plastic, and ‘diamond-like’ is exactly the vibe I love. The amount of shimmer is perfect; not too much so that it looks like a cheap, low-quality product, but also not too little so that it isn’t even visible (case in point, the Yee Haw! Lip Oil). No, this is the perfect amount of shimmery, so that the lips look 3D and like they are serving KANT (the Maltese 2025 Eurovision song of course, what else could I mean?). Just such a gorgeous and beautiful texture! It truly does beautify lips! Now I get the name! 
 
 

Yeah, so, this is relatively heavy on the lips. There’s no mistaking that it’s there; it feels like there’s a thick layer of gel on my lips, and like it’s just sitting there. Not very comfortable... at first. While it is thick and heavy and goopy at first, it becomes more tolerable after about 30 minutes. It becomes more oily than goopy and like it has fused with the lips better. Or perhaps, the useful ingredients inside it have had enough time to start working. In any case, I vastly prefer that formula than the one you start off with, freshly from the tube.  
 
 
What bothers me more is that it’s somewhat tacky the entire time. It’s probably just too thick for its own good. However, since it is so gelly, it prevents the lips from becoming dry, so they are still in great condition after a day of wearing this lip gloss... oh, is this why it’s called a ‘Lip Beautifier’? Because it makes your lips more beautiful with all this extra care? It for sure doesn’t dehydrated my lips, they still feel soft 6 h later! Huh... so this is actually more caring than the lip oil... interesting. 
 
 
And the best thing? It doesn’t create that godawful crust on my lower lip! It stays smooth and gelly the entire time! So, aside from it being too thick and heavy, it is actually pretty comfy to wear! I can already see that it would be good for the colder months; it is thick enough to prevent the cold air from drying out the lips. Shame that there’s so little of it so I won’t be able to test this. 
 
 
 
Unfortunately, this lip gloss does not last very long but I am not that disappointed with this. I am used to lip glosses lasting only maybe 2-3 hours anyways, especially if they are very glossy like this one is. That’s usually the trade-off to having such a glossy texture. So yeah, it lasts maybe 3-4 hours on its own, if you don’t eat of drink or idk, take a shower. But as soon as you try to eat of drink something, it will start fading quickly. 
 
 
It doesn’t even have to be very greasy food; I had gyoza for lunch when I first tested this, and they are definitely not greasy one bit, not how I make them, yet still, half of the lip gloss was already gone. A few oreos later and it was almost completely gone. So, see, it’s all food that causes it to disappear. So if you wanted to keep this lovely gloss during the day, you’d have to constantly reapply it... which, you’d be hard pressed to actually have enough lip gloss for that, since there’s just 1.5 mL in the tube. But I don’t mind this poor longevity, it’s a typical lip gloss after all. 
 
 
 
And just like so many other lip glosses, it is extremely easy to remove. Just one swipe with micellar water and it’s gone, with no waxy residue left on the lips. Same goes for specialised removers. However, don’t try to just wipe it off with a cloth, as that will cause that waxy residue to stay behind on the lips, which is annoying. Best to just swipe it off with micellar water, it takes literally just 2 seconds to do.  
 
 
 
 
 
All in all, I really love this lip gloss! Yes, it’s got some issues, mostly with the absurdly small size of the tube, but it’s really good. The formula is a bit... dated? Like, it reminds me of old-school lip glosses; however, it is not nearly as thick and obnoxiously occlusive as the lip oil from this LE. When first applied, it is thick and slippery, feeling distinctly gelly, not like dry grease. This helps immensely with how comfortable it is to wear. Don’t get me wrong – it is not that extremely comfortable to wear, precisely due to that gelly, thick formula – but, after about an hour, it becomes more oily and slick and that makes it much lighter on the lips compared to how it felt initially. I would prefer a more watery formula, but this has its uses as well. Like, say, in winter! It appears to be occlusive enough that it would help prevent lips from becoming dry and chapped in that cold winter air. Indeed – this has a good few hydrating and nourishing ingredients added, such as meadowfoam oil, jojoba oil and hyaluronic acid. That alone makes it much more caring than the lip oil from this LE. This slick formula is extremely easy to apply, as well, applying evenly across the lips without even trying. The applicator does most of the heavy lifting here; it is precise enough to easily apply the lip gloss to the cupid’s bow without making a mess. That said, this is a colourless gloss, so any mess you might make won’t be very visible anyways. And I love that it’s not just colourless but also shimmery! It’s got this orange and magenta tiny, tiiiiny shimmer that looks like specks of diamond dust! What it does is add so much dimension to the lips, and the supremely glossy texture already added depth, so these two combined makes for some seriously sultry glossiness and shimmer! Ooh, imagine it over a darker red lip colour! So gorgeous! Now, that was the good, but, like I said, there’s issues here. Like, the fact that it lasts a pretty short amount of time. Even just saliva is enough to wash it off, never mind water (or any other drinks) or, especially, food. It doesn’t matter whether the food is greasy or dry, it will cause the lip gloss to fade regardless. So you’d have to reapply it after each meal. And each drink. And probably throughout the day, if we are being honest. While this is an annoyance, it’s ‘normal’ for lip glosses to be like that. Think about it: they are full of oils and water, so of course they’d last a shorter amount of time than something that has waxes in it. So, this isn’t the major problem for me. You know what is? Well, the size. They say “size isn’t everything”, but here it quite frankly is because it is TINY. Just 1.5 mL. Let that sink in. To compare, the Shiny Lipgloss from this LE is 10 mL... for literally 1/3 of the price. And considering how hydrating this is, you will likely want to keep reapplying it – actually, you’ll need to keep reapplying it, given how short it lasts. So take a guess how long this one tiny little tube will last you for... yeah, probably not more than a week of everyday use. It’s a crying shame, because this is such a good lip gloss. Of course, I was not born yesterday, I know why there’s so little of it and why it costs so much for so little product. It’s the accessories that come with it. And don’t get me wrong, I love them! In fact, the main reason why I wanted this lip gloss in the first place was so that I could get that awesome tassel. But if you keep re-purchasing this lip gloss while it’s still available, you’ll end up with so much unneeded stuff. Like, do you need 5 mini mirrors that don’t have a case? I kinda wish they removed the mirror and instead made the lip gloss after least 5 mL, because 1.5 mL is just absurd. But at the end of the day, even with all the issues and everything, I still really love this lip gloss and will gladly use it up until the very last drop. So yes, I will absolutely recommend it, just be aware that you won’t have it for long, unfortunately. Perhaps that makes it that much more precious and valuable? Maybe... 
 
 
Rating: 7/10
 
Would buy again? YES (tho very expensive for just 1.5 mL) 

 
[Recommended listening 🎶: Taylor Swift – Cowboy Like Me] 


  • Share:

0 comments