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Stila Long Wear Lip Color Lipsticks: The Long and Short of It

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stila long wear lip color swatches review

Things I wish were shorter:

  • Winter and the annual rainy season
  • The line at the DMV
  • Titanic (seriously, we already know how the story ends)

Things I wish were longer:

  • Summer
  • Cat lifespans (I might clone Tabs)
  • The wear time of these $20 Stila Long Wear Lip Color Lipsticks

It would make sense for the 16 permanent collection members of Stila’s Long Wear Lip Color Lipstick team to last a long time, wouldn’t it? I mean, Stila went out of their way to include the words “Long Wear” in the name, and they even wrote about wear time in the official product description…

“The next revolution in lip wear is here! A lipstick and lip gloss all in one that boasts extended wear while keeping lips feeling soft and smooth – never dry. The secret is a blend of patent-pending polymers that provide long-lasting wear with rich pigment that glides on like your favorite gloss. The tip of the pen is contoured to provide easy, precise application – hugging every curve of your lip.”

With that kind of pomp and circumstance, I expected at least 5-6 hours from these — but that’s about two hours longer than they actually last. 🙁

stila long wear lip color shades

I’ve tried three of the shades so far — Outrageous (a matte Mad Men reddish orange), Lover (a creamy deep red) and In the Nude (a creamy beige).

My eyes lit up the first time I saw them swatched on the back of my hand. “OOH!” I cried, “Look at how opaque and pigmented they are!”

I like their light vanilla fragrance, the fact that they’re unflavored and how hydrating they are, but those things are kinda offset by some negatives.

The rounded tip they talk up in the product description? Totally awkward. It’s hard to draw crisp, precise lines with it, especially along the outer edges of my lips.

stila long wear lip color swatches review

stila long wear lip color swatches review in the nude lover outrageous

stila long wear lip color swatches review on nc35 skin
Stila Long Wear Lip Color on NC35 skin from left: Lover, Outrageous, In the Nude

stila long wear lip color swatches review lover
Lover

stila long wear lip color swatches review outrageous
Outrageous

stila long wear lip color swatches review in the nude lip
In the Nude

And I’m not crazy about the way these feel, either. I like lipsticks with a light, smooth texture, and these feel fairly heavy and thick.

At least some of them could also use a little refinement when it comes to color consistency. Both of the creamy shades (In the Nude and Lover) apply evenly, but the matte (Outrageous) looks pretty patchy to me.

But those aren’t even the most disappointment things about these. That honor goes to wear time, which is where these really let me down. I’ve been getting about four hours if meals are included, or five without; that pales in comparison to a lot of other long-wearing lip products (like the matte lip duos from Fred Farrugia).

Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: While inconsistent across the line, a few standout colors save Stila’s Long Wear Lip Colors from the Land of Forgotten Lipsticks, but you’re taking a gamble for $20. For that price, and considering it’s a part of their name, I also think they really should last longer. Throw in a cumbersome rounded tip, and these can’t help but fall short of greatness. I’m not the biggest fan, but if you see a color you can’t live without, they might be worth taking a chance. Available at Sephora and online. Grade: B-

Have you given these a try yet? Am I just missing the point? I’d love to hear what you think.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I think In The Nude is a gorgeous color. I guess you would probably have to use lip brushes to get a clean application though, right? gahh that’s too bad. hmm maybe I just haven’t encountered as many long-wearing lip products as you have, but to me 4 or 5 hours is pretty good. Usually when I hear “short wear time” where lip products are concerned, I think around 2-3 hours.
    makeup morsels recently posted … Epic Earrings

    Reply

  2. y’know, I tried this lipstick a while back (I think the shade was coquette), and I was just…. not a fan. It didn’t have awesome staying power (I’m pretty sure it didn’t last more than 2-3 hours on me – I don’t exactly remember, though), it faded unevenly, and I don’t think it really applied that evenly, either. I did really like the rounded tip, though, and the scent. It smelled like cocoa butter and vanilla extract! yum.

    Reply

      • I think I might just cut off a bit from the top to make a nice sharp angle… Hate to waste product, but its not like I am ever going to use up a lipstick before it expires anyway 🙁

        Reply

  5. They look great on your hand, but I concur, not that great on the lips. What made Stila think that a crayon was a good shape for the tip? lol!

    Reply

    • Hi Nina,

      You sound like me circa 1999-2002. Those were my “gloss years,” LOL!

      How was your day? I’ve been thinking about Rice Krispie treats all day long!

      Reply

      • My day was busy but flew by! 🙂

        I got home, went and exercised, had oatmeal for nom and watched House. I was embarassingly asleep by 930. 😀

        Im on a gloss kick these days — my current fave is the Cyndi lipglass!

        Reply

        • I think I might be the only person on this earth who hasn’t seen that show. I have several friends who watch it and love it!

          And WOO HOO to being in bed by 9:30. I’m actually jealous. 🙂

          Reply

  7. I remember trying one of these once and wasn’t impressed either. I totally agree about the patchy application and the rounded tip being awkward. The BE Buxom Big and Healthy Lipsticks kinda’ remind me of them-but at least they have a pointed tip!

    Reply

  8. That Paramour looks pretty close to the color I usually wear. Plus I love Stila products, most of my eyeshadows are from them, nor do I go anywhere without one of their Convertible Lip and Cheek creams. I may need to try this when my friend and I go to Sephora
    Rachael recently posted … Time for Cuteness

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  11. Darn, had the review been better, I might have gone for Paramour, Serenade or Treasure. I’ll try to give them a swatch-shot on my next Sephora visit.

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  12. I haven’t tried these, but had a Stila lip/eye pencil at one time that pretty much turned me off the brand. I guess it’s not nice to judge on one product, but I just thought it was terrible. Scratchy, uneven color and very drying. I gave it an F and never really looked at Stila again. I don’t think these lippies will be changing my mind! 🙂

    Reply

  13. you are so right…I ordered one of these (darling) last year and I swear it lasted no more than 20 minutes. I was horrified that it was sold as “long wear.” I have to say, Stila customer service was great about it though – I complained and they replied right away and reimbursed me for the product.

    Reply

    • Hi Stephanie,

      That’s good to know. I really do appreciate it when companies make an effort to do good customer service. It’s hard to come by these days!

      Reply

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