The Hunt For The Perfect Lipstick: A Trio from Pout

Remember back when I first started this that I had a few ground rules, two of which were "No lip gloss" and "no lip plumpers"?

Well, I'm still less interested in lip plumpers, but recently lip glosses have gained some ground.

In fact, follow the jumpcut to a trio from Pout Cosmetics of UK that go together quite well.



Candidate Lip Gloss: Pout Cosmetics of London Lipslick, #LW29 (Prim Girl)

Purchased: Victoria's Secret (Columbia, MD)

Cost: $16.00

Candidate Lip Stick: Pout Cosmetics of London Lipstick, #LS07 (Kinky)

Purchased: Victoria's Secret (Columbia, MD)

Cost: $16.00

Candidate Lip Plumper: Pout Cosmetics of London Pout Plump Colors, #PP10 (Forbidden Fruit)

Purchased: Victoria's Secret (Columbia, MD)

Cost: $24.00

Brand Info: Pout Cosmetics of London
Pout is one of the latest UK brands attempting to break into the U.S. market (along with Rimmel and Boots No.7). Unlike the other two, however, Pout has targeted fashionistas who shop at places like Victoria's Secret and Sephora.

The Tube, Lip Slick: Pale pink, with almost a fishnet stocking pattern over the top half of the tube. Bottom of the tube is clear, giving a glimpse at the product inside. The brand name "Pout" is printed in black ink on the plastic portion of the tube. A stylized pink "P" adorns the top and a very tiny pale pink sticker with the color and brand information resides on the bottom.

The Tube, Lipstick: Pale pink, with almost a fishnet stocking pattern over the entire tube. Tube is metal. A stylized pink "P" adorns the top and a pale pink sticker with the color and brand information resides on the bottom.

The Tube, Lip Plumper: All plastic; tube itself is clear and cover is black. The tube itself is decorated with flourishes and the name of the product "Pout Pout Plump". The packaging is of an overinflated shipping bag, which you have to pop to retrieve the product.

The Product: The lipstick itself is a metallic fuschia, something I normally hate. But I was assured that adding the lip gloss and lip plumper would hide the metallics. Both the lip gloss and lip plumper are rubelite pink. The delivery point for the lipstick is a tear-shaped slant on the bullet shape; the lip gloss has a sponge tip on an long wand, and the lip plumper is basically, squeeze and apply, just like lip balm.

The Application: Lipstick goes on nicely, with the teardrop shape helping to tailor the Cupid's bow and the corners. It's a lot pinker than it looks, and the metallics aren't as in-your-face shimmering.

The Taste: Sugary, vanilla in the lipstick. The lip gloss smells more floral-like (almost rosy). The lip plumper is pepperment.

The Blot: The application of this combo is as follows: Apply lipstick; blot, dust with translucent powder to fix the first layer, add the lip gloss, blot again, then add the lip plumper without blotting. This takes off the metallic shine on the first layer, then removes some of the stickiness of lip gloss. If you don't like the feel of the lip plumper, just blot it lightly. It held for over two hours this way without needing a retouch, which isn't bad for layered lipsticks.

The Wear: All that comes off on things is the lip plumper; this is one of the advantages of layering three products together.

The Verdict: It's nice to be able to compliment these colors and preserve some wear on the base color, but let's face it; you've just spent $56 on lip care. That's a bit much for my taste, but if you're a lip gloss lover, this is probably the best way to wear it.