Pretty Color, Moisturizing, Bad Packaging

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I love the color Rosewood and how it looks on me. I also like the texture of it, it's moisturizing and wears well for a lip serum. Big complaint, it's in the wrong packaging. It's messy and I'm glad I caught onto that before twisting more product out. I just do a little bit of a twist for enough product and dab it onto my lips and smash my lips together. That's been working well. Love the color and formula. Loathe the packaging.

Originally posted on sephora.com

BEWARE: Kiwi oil causes oral allergic reactions!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Oh, Mario, why did you have to ruin this by adding a tingling plumper and kiwi oil? The formula is so soft* and smooth that it applies like a dream. It also cushions and moisturizes the surface of lips enough to erase or cover fine lines caused by dryness. It made my lips look like they belonged on a super model — and that’s why it’s so infuriating that it contains an increasingly common allergen and a tingling plumper that can disguise symptoms of oral allergy syndrome. The tingling never ceased (or even lessened) for the hours I wore it, and it was incredibly distracting and unpleasant for me the entire time, especially with my ADD. My tongue even got a little numb when I accidentally got a bit in my mouth by drinking through a straw. Little did I suspect that this serum, which I chose as my birthday freebie, contains kiwi oil! To be clear, kiwi (and any products containing its oil or juice) can be dangerous to people who are allergic to them, because we can have escalating reactions from repeated exposure. It wasn’t so bad for me only because I’ve successfully avoided kiwi all but twice in my life. I never knew it was used in beauty products in any way until I looked this product up to see if there was a non-plumping version. Had I worn it a few more times, my reaction could have eventually gone from discomfort and numbness to rashes and anaphylactic shock. I gave it to a friend who is not allergic, and she loves it. Rosewood looks beautiful on her as well, even though she’s paler than me. It’s just a shame I can’t wear it. Please, do NOT be lured into complacency if you’ve ever had a reaction to kiwi that includes your tongue. Write to the company asking for a kiwi-free or non-plumping version or find another product. TBH, I suspect the tingling from lip products is just meant to induce a placebo effect rather than actually plumping. The better ones are thick enough to create an optical illusion of plumpness just from how glossy and smooth they make your l

Originally posted on sephora.com