Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid review. I am not affiliated with SeneGence/Lipsense in any way. I am not getting any compensation from SeneGence for this review and I am not gaining anything from writing this. This is a totally honest opinion about Lipsense products and what I have experienced with using them. 

You have probably heard about Lipsense before. It is a Multi-Level-Marketing company that claims to have a lip color that lasts for up to 18 hours smudge free.

I first heard about it when a dear friend of mine began selling it. Though I’ve always been irritated about people selling MLM products, she simply posted regularly about how much she loved the products and I eventually gave in and tried it.

I was very impressed by the staying power of Lipsense, but frustrated initially about all the little details you had to know and get used to in order to wear the product. At first I just put it in my makeup bag and forgot about it. I wasn’t going to deal with it.

But over time, I kept trying it and asking my friend for help. One day, I finally got used to it and it just worked like a dream. I was hooked!

I have been wanting to write this HONEST review for a really long time. I feel like so many distributors are deceptive about their products and try to get literally anybody to purchase it so they can profit. I hate that about MLM businesses, and I don’t want to be that person.

So, for those of you who are curious, here is my totally honest and detailed review of Lipsense so that you can decide for yourself whether or not this is something you’d like to try!

PROS: 

• Stays on for 4-18+ hours. NO budging, NO flaking, NO fading. 4 hour wear is absolutely guaranteed, even if applied incorrectly!
• The lip color exfoliates your lips, while the lip gloss moisturizes, providing over-all healthier lips with regular use.
• The color is beautiful, deep and rich and does not diminish throughout the day. It looks as great at the end of the day as it did when you applied it.
• If used every single day, one bottle would last 4-6 months. Because most women won’t be using the same color every single day, the product can last for years!
• AND, if you don’t use it very often, you don’t have to be worried about it expiring! While it technically expires after 3 years, the color has alcohol in it which kills all germs and bacteria.
• All ingredients are natural and organic.
• You can make your own shades! Because the color is applied in 3 thin layers, you can combine up to 3 colors in any order, making your own unique shades.

CONS: 

• If you use any other lip products regularly (with wax in them) your Lipsense will bond to the wax particles leftover on your lips instead of your lips, which will cause it to fall off within 4 hours instead of lasting all day. This can be remedied by using a sugar lip scrub to exfoliate before applying the color.
• If you don’t enjoy the glossy feel, then Lipsense might not be for you. I personally hated lip gloss, but I’ve found that with just a small dab of the gloss I get the benefits of moisturized lips and my lip color stays on longer, but my lips don’t look shiny and they aren’t sticky and gross.
• The color is intense, full and bright. In order to get a more subtle shade, you have to use fewer layers of product which means it won’t last as long. I still do this though, for days where I’m feeling a more “lip gloss” look. I use one layer of the product and it lasts about 3 hours.
• The Lipsense color has alcohol in it (to kill bacteria and make the product last), but if you have any cuts or chapping on your lips it will burn a little bit. It takes a few times to get used to the feeling.
• You MUST own the gloss ($20) and remover ($10) in order to use the product. This initial investment is $55. After this initial kit is purchased, then you can buy other colors alone, which are $25.
  • Why? When you apply the color, it is dry and slightly tacky to the touch. This is because the color has alcohol in it that dries out your lips. When you apply the gloss, it seals in your color, making it smooth and moisturizing your lips. If you don’t like the gloss, you can always blot it off after you rub it into the color.
  • HINT! I tried to come up with hacks to get out of using the gloss and the remover. I sadly have determined that the gloss is absolutely necessary, as I’ve tried many other things only to have my color flake off instantly. However, I have found several things that work for remover! My favorite is micellar water. It comes off much faster than the SeneGence remover and is totally safe and healthy on your lips. You can find a huge bottle of micellar water for $5-7 at your local department store, and it’s great for all your other makeup removing needs!
• If your lips are dry, the lip color will not last as long. Your lips naturally exfoliate every 8-10 hours. The lip color adheres to the top layer of your lips only, so when that layer comes off, so will your color. The more you wear Lipsense, the more moisturized your lips will get (the gloss has shea butter in it, which goes down to the deeper layers). The healthier your lips get, the longer your color will last!
  • Note about chapstick: Chapstick does NOT heal your lips! Chapstick coats your lips with wax to be a barrier against the outside world. Sometimes, especially during the winter or when you have a cold, that extra barrier is helpful or even necessary. But when you overuse that fake barrier, you are signaling to your body that you do not need a natural barrier. When you stop using chapstick, your lips will become inflamed because they have no natural barrier. It will take time for your lips to heal and become naturally moisturized (instead of perpetually chapped like they are when using chapstick).
• Though it’s awesome how long the color lasts, it can also be annoying if you make a mistake or decide to switch your color. It takes a lot of scrubbing to get the color off if you let it sit for more than a few seconds.
• The application process is a bit daunting at first.
  • 3 thin layers
    • Only brush in one direction
    • Let it dry in between layers
  • Must apply gloss after all layers are dry

While it may seem like the negatives outweigh the positives of this product, it is really a matter of getting used to it. I realized the other day that Lipsense is remarkably comparable to nail polish. No one complains about the terrible smell, frustrating application/drying process, and easily chipped nail polishes – as women, we accept the fact that beauty is pain. If we want pretty nails, we do what it takes to get them!

I wouldn’t want to wear a nail polish that wiped off on things I touched throughout the day, and I don’t want to have something like that on my lips either. For me, the more frustrating parts of applying Lipsense are totally worth it to experience a BEAUTIFUL, LONG-LASTING and STRESS-FREE color on my lips.

Personally, I absolutely love wearing Lipsense. I feel confident, gorgeous and get so many compliments. Once I got used to the application process and weaned myself off of my chapstick addiction, I adore having bright and shiny lips and not having to worry about them all day.

At the end of the day, it’s really a matter of your personal preferences. But if you’re a girl who loves rocking a bright lip color, but hates the annoyances of regular lipstick, it just might be for you!