Did I need another lipstick? Probably not. Did I buy a new lipstick anyways? I can neither confirm nor deny. I am just such a sucker for sales. And it just so happened that on Black Friday, Pat McGrath Labs’ LuxeTrance Lipsticks went on sale for $14CAD ($10USD). They are regularly a whopping $55CAD/$40USD so you can’t blame me for not wanting to pass up that good of a deal. That’s 75% off! And it was free shipping. I literally could NOT say no. Okay? Okay. I’m not a lipstick hoarder, I swear!
I’ve been very intrigued and fascinated by Pat McGrath. She’s a famous celebrity makeup artist who also launched her own brand. Whenever makeup artists start their own brands, they tend to be very good so I had high hopes for this brand. But her products are EXPENSIVE. We’re talking $86CAD for a quad eyeshadow palette, $170CAD for a 10-pan eyeshadow palette and $90CAD for foundation. Those are some crazy prices and I was curious if her products would actually be worth it. I tried a sample of her foundation back when I was in San Fran (I don’t think any Sephoras here in Edmonton carry it) and I have to say I really did love it. Would I buy it for $90? Hell no. But it was a good foundation.
So this lipstick. It’s part of her LuxeTrance Lipstick range. These lipsticks promise a pigmented formulation with hydrating and protecting properties, long wearing and zero bleeding with patent-pending Biomimetic pigments that shield lips against harmful agents, ensuring high comfort and intense colour payoff. Interesting, right? Sounds like it’s worth $55CAD, right? Well, before we discuss that, let’s discuss the packaging.
The packaging is insanely gorgeous. My lipstick arrived in the mail in a huge cardboard box with this black confetti and bubble wrap galore. There was no skimping. The lipstick box itself is gorgeous. Each shade has it’s own box with a different design and artwork. Now that is luxury at it’s finest. The actual lipstick tube is a glossy black with a 3D gold lip imprint on it. It’s almost as heavy as YSL lipstick tubes. Once again, it’s luxurious. That’s the best way to describe it. I would easily give the packaging a 10/10.
Now onto the actual formulation of the lipstick. When I went to order my lipstick, most of the shades were sold out seeing as they were 75% off, but luckily, I was able to snag a colour I would actually wear. This is #406 Valletta. It’s a neutral peach that isn’t too coral-y with a satin finish. It’s more a neutral nude with just a hint of a peach undertone. The colour is perfection. I couldn’t be more happy with it.
However, the formula wasn’t quite as impressive. Maybe I went into it with too high of hopes but I expected something more for a $55 lipstick. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad lipstick. It’s incredibly pretty on the lips. But I didn’t find it to be overly hydrating, long lasting or have crazy pigmentation. If you gave it to me in a L’Oreal tube, I don’t know if I would be able to tell the difference. Is that too harsh? I love this lipstick, I really do. I’ve been wearing it a ton but I think it’s only worth the $14 price tag that I bought it at. I would have trouble justifying it if it was a $55 lipstick.
I went on Sephora to check out the reviews to see if it was just me who was less than wowed by this lipstick or if the general public felt the same and man! Y’all love these lipsticks. They’re rated 4.4/5 stars on Sephora with 256 reviews. So now I’m thinking maybe it’s just the shade I got. Maybe this shade just doesn’t have a particularly amazing formula? Idk guys, idk. Great review, Taylor. You really outdid yourself. Bravo.
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