I Thought I Hated Liquid Lipstick—Oh, How Wrong I Was

Although I've been writing about beauty for years, I'm a minimalist when it comes to my everyday makeup routine. That means my idea of looking presentable typically involves just a few things: moisturizer, two coats of mascara, and a tinted lip balm. In my book, if a product requires a mirror to apply, I’m inclined to skip it. What can I say? I’ve gotten a bit lazier since I stepped away from office life and became a freelancer.

Recently, I took a temporary, in-office gig at a fashion brand.

This meant swapping my sweatpants for skirts and replacing my barely-there balm with a Power Lip (just switching out that one thing is a million times easier than doing a full face beat).

A beauty editor friend who knew I was on a bold lip kick gave me a few shades of the new Liquid Lipstick (opens in new tab) from Burt’s Bees (opens in new tab) to road test, promising that they wouldn’t dry out my pout. I was intrigued. A lot of the liquid lipsticks I’ve tried in the past tend to look too matte, and give a stamped-on effect that I don’t love. However, this version has made me realize that they're not all created equal.

The color payoff is S-I-C-K.

My favorite shade is Wine Waters (opens in new tab), a deep burgundy that’s become my new go-to for after hours when it’s time to turn up—I like to go more dramatic at night.

I also love the comfortable texture, which isn't what you would expect from a liquid lipstick. It’s creamy, moisturizing, and delivers just enough shine (now that it's cold outside, I like to layer it with a lip balm (opens in new tab) for extra pampering).

Another thing that deserves the heart eyes emoji?

It glides on like a dream.

(This product doesn’t quite pass my no-mirror test, but hey, you can’t have it all).

I use the tip of the doe-foot applicator to create a precise shape, then I fill in the color—no liner required. Allow me to demonstrate with Rushing Rose (opens in new tab), a super-flattering berry shade that you can wear anywhere:

Besides all that good stuff, Burt's Bees Liquid Lipstick fits in with my personal quest to live a healthier, cleaner lifestyle (less meat, less waste, non-toxic products, etc). I was pleased to discover that the smooth formula boasts 100% natural ingredients like shea butter, apricot, and babassu oil. It’s also free of the things that I usually give the side-eye to when I see them on a label, like parabens, phthalates, and petrolatum.

I'll be honest, I had my doubts about this product at first because sometimes products that are super-affordable don't always pop. But people, I'm happy to report that this is one of those occasions where it's nice to be proven wrong.