Maybelline is a company that needs little introduction. This brand is likely inside your makeup bag if you are a makeup fan and prefer the accessible, lower price point of a drugstore or mass-market cosmetic product.
Maybelline Lifter Gloss is a new addition to the line’s roster with an entire rainbow of shades to add color, shine, and the appearance of extra lip volume. This trusted makeup line is a household staple with over 100 years in the business of beauty. Lifter Gloss has ranked at the top of lip gloss lists since its release.
This review focuses on all the elements of a great lip gloss: shine, long-wear, smoothness, and shade variety.
- A Brief History of Maybelline
- Maybelline Lifter Gloss
- Is There A Wide Selection of Shades?
- Is Lifter Gloss Sticky or Goopy?
- Does Lifter Lip Gloss Get On Your Teeth?
- Is Lifter Gloss Hydrating?
- Is Lifter Gloss Extremely Shiny?
- Will My Lips Feel Softer?
- Is Lifter Lip Gloss a High-Quality Gloss?
- Does Lifter Lip Gloss Increase Lip Volume?
- Are the Shades Pigmented Enough?
- Bottom Line
A Brief History of Maybelline
Maybelline has reigned as one of the top-rated mass-market cosmetics brands since its debut in 1915. The story of Maybelline began as a service of love from brother to sister. Thomas Williams was a Chicago-based chemist. His sister, Maybel, had a crush on a man and hoped to capture his attention. Before the advent of traditional cosmetics, her only means of grooming was an application of petroleum jelly on her lashes and eyebrows. She lost her lashes and brows in a kitchen fire, therefore her eye area was a focal point to disguise.
Maybel’s at-home beauty hacks to conceal the damage done grabbed the attention of her chemist sibling. He went to work developing a cosmetics product to highlight and enhance his sister’s “windows to the soul.” This product would be the humble beginnings of a multi-million dollar beauty conglomerate.
Maybelline Presents Lash-Brow-Ine: Cake Mascara
Maybel’s brother created one of the first mascaras ever sold to the public. Eye makeup was not as bustling of a subsector as face powder and other makeup items, so product choices were few and far between for American women.
Lash-Brow-Ine was the moniker of the first successfully launched run of this formula. The original Lash-Brow-Ine was a combination of coal dust and petroleum, similar to the original creation Maybel made out of burned cork.
There were several failed attempts to recreate Maybel’s DIY beauty concoction. This product was a good alternative to unsafe means that ladies used to tint and dye their lashes. Dangerous ingredients blinded some. It was time to introduce a safe eye makeup solution to the masses, and Thomas Williams did just that with Maybelline’s Lash-Brow-Ine Carbon Black cake mascara.
Mail Order to Product Shelves
Maybelline initially marketed the mascara and sold it solely through a mail-order business. Women clamored to buy Lash-Brow-Ine cake mascara and wrote letters begging the company to bring the product to drugstores and other retail establishments. They listened and Lash-Brow-Ine became a staple on the shelves of dime stores everywhere.
The first retail product was priced at 10 cents. The line added items like their world-famous red brow and eye pencil, and the public bought them just as quickly. The company’s mascara would revamp its original to the current product, Great Lash, a fan favorite that is currently purchased once every 2.5 seconds.
Maybelline Lifter Gloss
Maybelline Lifter Lip gloss with hyaluronic acid is an expert lip-plumping product claiming to visibly improve lips’ look and enhance fullness. The line-up boasts 20 different shades from bronzes and nudes to pinks and plums. Maybelline also claims that Lifter is a non-sticky gloss.
The website features several before and after shots of lips pre and post-application. The result? Super shiny radiant lips that inspire awe and jealousy.
Who wouldn’t want to have visibly perfect lips? Is Maybelline the gloss for you? Will it achieve the goal of plumper and fuller appearing lips?
Is There A Wide Selection of Shades?
Maybelline Lifter Gloss comes in 20 different shades. Colors are categorized by finishes. The metallics are appropriately named “Quartzd.” Earthy, warm tones are in the “Bronzed” family. There is the standard fare expected from any lip gloss. Pinks, berries, nudes, and a few deeper selections offer the variety but predictability many makeup fans desire.
Most brands have a clear or barely-there shade, and Maybelline is no exception. For those who don’t love color, but need shine in their lives, a few shades that stand out are Ice, Sun, and Pearl. Pearl is opalescent and more in the cool range of shades than a clear slick of gloss. Sun is a barely sunkissed nude. Ice is a pinky cool tone with more gray undertones than a stark white.
Shades for All Skin Tones
Maybelline has done a remarkable job of illustrating the wearability factor of each shade of Lifter Lip Gloss.
Models of distinctly different skin tones from porcelain to mocha are represented in product images. Each is wearing the same shade of lip gloss. This is an honest representation of what the customer can expect from the color. Of course, with any online shopping tool, expect some shade variation due to lighting and computer graphics quality.
Is Lifter Gloss Sticky or Goopy?
Maybelline Lifter Gloss appears to be so shiny and full of dimension that it should be considered illegally attractive. But is it gloopy or sticky enough to cause a huge gloss disaster? Happily, no. The texture of this gloss is comfortable and long-wearing. It is not extra sticky. This is great news for those who stay away from gloss because of the messiness of it all. Lifter Gloss produces a healthy shine without going heavy-handed on the ingredients and additives.
Is It Transfer-Proof?
No lip gloss is transfer-proof. At best it is advisable to use a setting spray to help your makeup hold onto the skin and stay in place as long as possible. Give your lips an extra once over to keep the glossy effect. If you are active or eating and drinking often (making direct contact with surfaces), your gloss may not stick around (pun intended) as long.
Neater Lip Glosses Are A Thing
Back in the day, lip gloss was expected to be messy and sticky. The lip formulas of the 2020s have come a very long way in creating transfer-resistant products that are just as effective.
Does Lifter Lip Gloss Get On Your Teeth?
Lip gloss is sometimes seen as a naughty or misbehaving lip product. Many current formulas do not stay intact. They often slip around and end up on your teeth or chin during meals or regular wear. This formula has high shine, but low smearing. You can be confident that most of your gloss will stay on your lips and not everywhere you don’t want it to be.
Is Lifter Gloss Hydrating?
This gloss is not only a hydrating product but has ingredients that are known to provide more than surface-level benefits, namely hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a hydration hero, with factors that contribute to a healthier, more supple radiance. Just think of it as water that is naturally occurring in healthy skin. It gives the plumping effect that is often equated to fresh, youthful complexions.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is more than a buzzword. It is one of the most talked about ingredients in skincare products on the market today. From a molecular perspective, it can hold more than 1000 times its weight in water. This is a humectant or a substance that attracts and retains water. For dry, parched skin, it is the go-to cosmeceutical ingredient. Every skin type can benefit from moisture.
Does Maybelline Lifter Gloss Contain Hyaluronic Acid?
Yes. The lip gloss has hyaluronic acid as one of the main ingredients. The benefit: extra full and plumped lips that gleam with hydration and a three-dimensional effect. Smooth, softer skin on the lips may be a huge payoff from frequent or daily use of Lifter Lip Gloss.
Is Hyaluronic Acid Safe for My Lips?
Yes. This acid is not one of those dangerous or scary acids, despite the word acid being front and center. It is a humectant or a water-loving moisturizer. It does only good things for the health and wellness of anything it touches. Think of it as a good acid — one that doesn’t come with any detrimental side effects or results that take away or strip from the skin. Many acids are a plus and minus situation, like AHAs or BHAs. Those remove the dry, dull surface layers of skin but can be highly irritating or create sensitivity to sunlight.
Is Lifter Gloss Extremely Shiny?
This gloss does a remarkable job of being shiny. There are light-reflecting particles and plenty of luxe color payoff. There is no bad angle when wearing this lip gloss. The light will love you and give the illusion of a fuller pout upon application.
Will My Lips Feel Softer?
Lifter Lip Gloss could help the overall texture of your lips since a major ingredient is a skincare superhero: hyaluronic acid. Getting the wonderful feeling of smoother and more hydrated lips is a definite plus of wearing this lip gloss.
If your lips are usually dry, cracked, or uncomfortable, putting on a lip balm product before makeup application can offer some relief beyond cosmetic aesthetics. There is a medicated lip balm on the Maybelline site: Baby Lips Dr. Rescue.
Increased Softness and Improvement With Use
Lifter Gloss is a makeup item with skincare benefits. Skincare is often helpful in correcting and enhancing skin issues over time with daily or consistent use. Hyaluronic acid is a very powerful skincare ingredient whose overall impact is highly raved about. In time, using any product with a higher concentration of hyaluronic acid could improve the appearance and feel of skin anywhere on the face or body.
Lips benefit from the moisture retention properties of hyaluronic acid. Lip gloss can be more than a surface-level shine and gleam when skincare ingredients are in the mix.
Is Lifter Lip Gloss a High-Quality Gloss?
There are not many companies on the market that can tout the longevity of Maybelline. This means that they are doing lots of things right, which includes introducing Lifter Lip Gloss with hyaluronic acid. Maybelline is a great drugstore brand that keeps up with trends in cosmetics and creates products that offer that extra something without breaking your budget or wallet.
Maybelline’s Quality Standards
Trends come and go, but high quality is a timeless trait. Research and development have gone into every cosmetic Maybelline sells. This lip gloss and all other products have a quality statement of standards or the “Maybelline promise.” This promise includes allergy-tested, dermatologist-tested, and suitable for sensitive skin. Safety and responsibility are very high on the brand’s list.
Trust in makeup brands is more important now than ever. Feel assured that when you purchase Maybelline, laboratory testing and safety standards are above and beyond expectations.
Ingredients That Make The Grade
Maybelline has always been ahead of the curve in trends and forecasting what makeup wearers want and need. Formulas are consistently improving in drugstore brand makeup, bringing high-quality ingredients without the need to spend much cash for them. Maybelline offers more bang for the buck with every product and is forward-thinking when it comes to what people want most from their cosmetics.
Photo source: Amazon.com
Competitive On-Trend Colors For All Skin Tones
Maybelline understands the cosmetics consumer and responds to their need for an array of shades that flatter a variety of skin tones. This assortment has enough range to provide even the pickiest lip gloss customer something. This line includes metallics, iridescent, opalescent, and glitter. Every possible category is covered with this affordable option.
Luxury Ingredients for Less
Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss gives you what you need for a full, luxe lip without any scary price tags. Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss has an average MSRP of $9.99 online and in specialty beauty and drugstores. Upscale competitors such as Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss and Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Hydrating Lip Balm range from $32 to upwards of $38. Mid-level brands such as Fenty Beauty are nearly twice the price of Lifter Lip Gloss with Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer priced at $18 for the lip-plumping version.
Does Lifter Lip Gloss Increase Lip Volume?
Yes and no. The product does give the illusion of a full and voluminous lip area. Cosmetics such as Lifter Lip Gloss are generally considered temporary fixes. Lip gloss is topical or applied to the skin’s surface. With topicals, there is no guarantee that the active ingredient will be completely absorbed into the bloodstream to offer a long-term solution.
If a quick fix is exactly what you want and consistent application is no issue, Lifter gives you a polished pout with mega shape and volume to spare.
Options For Expensive Injections
The convenience and ease of applying a lip-plumping product at home are pluses. And considering how inexpensive a lip gloss is, it’s a much more economic option to costly (or necessary to repeat) procedures. Lifter Lip Gloss is an over-the-counter, retail cosmetic, and is much more immediate than the wait for a medical spa treatment. With the addition of hyaluronic acid, Lifter Lip Gloss is the perfect alternative to painful or expensive lip injections or other costly medical spa treatments. Using a lip gloss like Lifter Lip Gloss could offer the same enhanced lip effect, albeit temporarily.
Are the Shades Pigmented Enough?
Yes: The product is highly pigmented. A lip gloss color should pop or stand out with little need for reapplication or multiple swipes of the product. Lifter Lip Gloss wows with rich tones and true color payoff. Fully saturated colors come through from the palest to deepest shades in the range. The amount of punch for the price point is remarkable — exactly what you would expect from an industry-leading makeup brand like Maybelline.
True Color Payoff With Maximum Shine and Hydration
Can you have it all? Maybe. Lifter Lip Gloss offers high glossy shine, a color that stays true, and hydrated lips. A three-for-one? Of course. Cosmetics that do double duty are highly sought after. This one gives exactly what it should and then some.
Bottom Line
Buying lip gloss should not be a compromise between price and quality. With Lifter, Maybelline meets and exceeds the benchmark for lip gloss. It is a drugstore gloss with high-end ingredients that elevate its status. Expect a lip gloss, but with swagger and substance — and a glow that doesn’t stop from daytime to night. The gloss is reasonable enough in price to purchase several colors for a seasonal refresh or for that all-important pop of color.
Lip gloss is fun and flirty, right? Maybelline makes the business of delivering “the goods” to their makeup bags. Hopefully, Maybelline will continue to wow its customers for at least another century.
