Monday, June 16, 2014

Perricone MD No Lipstick Lipstick

I never liked Perricone MD's No Foundation  Foundation, so I have no idea why I was intrigued by his new No Makeup Skincare. I looked it over at Sephora and decided the No Lipstick Lipstick ($30) was the safest purchase for someone who had never been impressed. How hard is it to screw up a lipstick?

Described as an anti-aging lip treatment with SPF 15 designed to enhance lip contours and mimic the natural rosy color of youthful lips, No Lipstick Lipstick is available on one shade: Sheer Rosy Pink Sheen.

No Lipstick Lipstick is said to restore the natural rosy color of youthful lips while deeply nourishing and conditioning. It smooths vertical lip lines with neuropeptides (state-of-the-art ingredients), and its solid-to-serum texture allows for sheer, buildable coverage.

When I took it out of the box, I blanched. The lipstick looked like it had had an accident during manufacturing. Look at the motley surface of the bullet: a combination of frosted, garish pink studded with rose. The color was disastrously uneven. I have no other No Lipstick Lipsticks here for comparison, so I really don't know if I received a dud or not. However, it applied to my lips just fine.

I took swatch photos in full sun to show you that it's actually a pretty, sheer, warm pink. Who would have expected such a pretty color from that lipstick bullet?

Will I recommend Perricone MD No Lipstick Lipstick to you? I don't think so. I don't like it when my product looks "diseased," even if it applies nicely. No Lipstick Lipstick is just another sheer pink lipstick. I will give it credit for the neuropeptides and SPF 15, but then take away some credit for the shape of the tube. It ends up in a mediocre zone.

All in all, I'd say try it if you are a Perricone fan. Otherwise, I think you could skip it.

Photo at top courtesy of Sephora; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

15 comments:

Jo said...

I have never been a Perricone fan and have never bought any of his products because the ingredients never justified the high price tag. However, I got a sample of the No Foundation Foundation serum from Sephora over the weekend and I actually like it quite a bit. It sinks in well and evens out my skin nicely and the best part is that it has an all physical sunscreen - 13% zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The $55 price tag seems to be the going rate for similar products, like the Eve Lom tinted moisturizer. The makeup from the collection went missing at the Sephora I visited so I did not have a chance to look over the other products. The blush and bronzer remind me of Armani's recent releases and something tells me Armani does it better.

Eileen said...

I'm not particularly impressed by Perricone's entry into the color cosmetic end of the biz. If you use your usual skin care all over your face--including lips--then you're getting the peptides, anti-oxidants, etc. anyway. And, really, SPF 15 is nice, but not a big deal; especially when there are excellent balms that have SPF 30. And, those balms are colorless so you can apply any lip color you want rather than being locked into one rose/pink. It is a beautiful color, but like you, I'd have a hard time getting past the look of the bullet. I noticed that Café Makeup showed only the flat top of the bullet--no side shot--so perhaps that mottled look is normal. Anyway, I'm sure Perricone will suit those minimalists who love his skincare line and aren't particularly fussy about the colors and textures they use.

Christina said...

Hi CG! I was just looking at this the other day and was debating getting it. My understanding is that it will look different on each person due to your natural undertones. Then again, I think a lot of sheer lipsticks have the same quality.

I did try the blush, and was a little sad to discover that it shows up as peachy coral on me; not a bad color, unless you were expecting a rose shade, like I was. I don't flush peach, so it's disappointing for me.

I've never been a Perricone person, but this collection intrigues me enough to try a couple of items. I hope I'm not disappointed in the lipstick.

Kiss & Make-up said...

Eek, yeah, something looks off there :-S The color does look lovely when it's swatched though.

LilyBiscuit said...

Thanks for the review. I'm going to pass. Are you returning it? The product looks awful in the tube.

Alix said...

I tried the No Lipstick Lipstick at Sephora and there was just too much slip for me; the bullet was so soft I could just imagine it melting away in the hot summer months. Also, the color was nothing spectacular. For $30 I want a lot more!!

Anonymous said...

I feel like this is an unsatisfactory entry into a well covered market. I'll stick with Fresh Sugar balms that have better color range and don't look as though they've been oxygenated and chalky. Yikes.

Charlestongirl said...

My advice about other reviews: Check to see if the lipstick was sent "for review."

mkdallas said...

I just purchased this and then returned it after one use. It was a pleasant, sheer and natural color and nicely moisturizing, but it really was much more of a balm than a lipstick. For $30, I expect more pigmentation and far more lasting power. I also purchased the mascara after Isabella Muse raved about it on her blog and I must say it is spectacular. Worth every dime!

Crista said...

Your post is so timely; I just bought a tube of this today and mine looks "diseased" exactly like yours! I am going to return mine; I don't see any mention of people getting tubes like this in the reviews on Sephora's website

Charlestongirl said...

Crista, Validation! Thank you!!

Charlestongirl said...

LilyBiscuit, I'll keep it. It looks OK on, even with that awful wrapper.

Eileen said...

Hi Charlestongirl,

All the products sent to Café Makeup for review were sent gratis by the company. I swung by Sephora today to see the products for myself and was totally unimpressed :-(. I think your readers who have tried the lip color and found it lacking have the right of it. It's nothing that hasn't already been done and much better.

Meredith said...

Thanks for letting me know, I'll be scratching this off my list.

Maria S. said...

I bought this, not because of the color, but that it's all physical sunscreen & no chemical sunscreen which I am allergic to. Yes SPF 15 isn't that high & it is pricey, but I haven't had any luck finding an all physical lip suncreen especially in a tube/bullet form. I have found ones that are in a tub/tin, but I hate having to stick my fingers in it, yuk! My tube looks just like yours. Nothing is wrong with it, I think it looks like that because of the physical sunscreen in it :)