Sephora Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm

Was surfing the Sephora clearance around several months ago and spotted this Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Hot Pink on sale for a mere $3. I scooped it up out of curiosity. It reminded me of the Maybelline ColorSensational Pop Sticks I bought at the local drugstore while attending a family wedding in Seattle last October (will review soon), also out of curiosity. Before that, last summer I had read about a higher end version too, the Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms.

Hot Hues Neon Lip Balm in Hot Pink. All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

My first impression is that I like the packaging. The tube is small, like Japanese lipstick small, but it has some weight to it and feels sturdy. But other than the packaging I have to admit this Neon Lip Balm (and the Maybelline Pop Sticks as well as the Clarins Crystal Lip Balms) is a total gimmick ^.^' Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it at all, but I sure wouldn't pay its $10 retail price, let alone the $25 for the Clarins version. For one I'm not that stupid curious, and for two if I really want a great lip balm I wouldn't bother with Sephora or Maybelline or Clarins. You can read about my many lip balms here.

But with all that said this Neon Lip Balm is really fun to play with ^.^ At the very least it's nice to look at, being a pretty transparent neon pink. It's unscented and has no taste (thank goodness), with its texture being very waxy, much like a wax-based lip balm, think EOS Lip Balm Smooth Sphere. It's not particularly hydrating or moisturizing on the lips, and it doesn't really last for very long. However, while it swatched a sheer barely-there pink on the back of my hand, it turns a much hotter and more pigmented pink on my lips for some reason, so much I thought I had accidentally bought one of those trick lipsticks instead! And layering it actually does make it brighter! 

Also, I'm not sure if this was intended but after the waxy balm wears off, it leaves behind a really stubborn stain in the same hot pink color. This stain lasts for hours on my lips, even through a hot noodle soup meal with lots of wiping using facial tissues! To revive the stain color I just need to layer on a clear gloss or balm and -wahlah- I have freshly colored lips again! An okay balm and awesome stain for $3? Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all. In fact, I like it enough to hunt down 2 other colors, Paradisso Purple and Funky Fuchsia, on E(vil)bay ^.^ I want Crazy Coral too but haven't been able to locate one. Will review these later when I come home from Taiwan.