Maybelline Color Sensational Elixir in Captivating Carnation: Review & Swatches

Maybelline may be one of my most loved drug store brands (if my many posts are not a huge giveaway). So when I saw the display of the new Elixir, the liquid color balm, in the fall I got excited. I wanted to try it out, and see if the hype is worth it.

To continue reading the review and see swatches, click the link below.

My drug store had its own stand alone display (like the one above), and as you can see there is a wide range of color selections from the lightest to darkest shades.  What more can a girl ask for? I decided it would make sense to choose a color that can be worn on a daily basis. So I chose a mid-tone yellow based pink, Captivating Carnation.

Now the whole new/catchy thing about the Elixirs is that it is a balm/gloss type product that packs the punch/intensity of a lipstick. An opaque color with a shiny finish that helps to hydrate lips. The packaging is rather interesting and even looks like a lipstick. The applicator is a nice doe-foot applicator that is slightly triangular in shape. It's rather odd. It's very "fluffy", which is evident from the picture. I'm not too huge a fan of the texture as it applies to the lips. The upside is that the structure of it helps apply lots of color in one swipe. All of the texture issues I can completely get over, but the smell is HORRIBLE. It's SUPER perfumey and the worst part is that it lingers. It's to the point that I can't stand using it. It's rather tragic since the product is comfortable on the lips, and the color is rather nice.

I know this is getting huge accolades, but I figure there has to be someone else the feels the same about the smell as I do.

Swatches

Lip swatch below. I apologize for not having a hand swatch. Don't quite know where in the pile of make-up this is either (the move kinda jumbled up my piles). As the swatch shows, the color is nearly opaque with a glossy finish.You can see some of my lip freckles though.

Bottom Line: If you don't mind perfumey lip products with odd textured applicators that feels and wears nicely on the lips, then this is the product for you. The smell is just personally too much for me to handle even though the product itself is good.