MiLANi Color Perfect Lipstick -- 23 Mango Mambo

image courtesy of Milani Cosmetics website 

Im a late bloomer when we talk about lipsticks, I used to wear lipsticks only during occasions that Im required to wear one, but if not, I would always reach for glosses. 

I used to think wearing lipsticks make me look older, but then again I realized its 

all about choosing the right color that suits you. Colors that go well with your skintone

and colors that complement your undertone. 

After the hotpink to pale pink lipstick trend, there came the hype for orange lipsticks, 

and I always thought orange can never be something that I can pull off but I was wrong, from all the orange lipsticks Ive tried and never looked nice on me, 

I was able to score one orange lippie that went really well with my skintone and my undertone. It's Milani Color Perfect Lipstick in 23 Mango Mambo. 

Milani is a drugstore brand in the U.S, I dunno when the brand started to get a bit famous but I assume its prolly when they released makeup shades that are excellent dupes for branded makeup. 

 The frosted goldish-silver or silvery-gold (?!) plastic tube looks blah. Didnt disappoint me though since its a drugstore brand anyway and it wont cost you much to buy this from its regular price, you just get what you pay for.

Overall, I dont mind having drugstore lippies with packaging that doesnt look attractive since what Im usually after is the contents, if the product itself would impress me, then I wont mind buying this item again.  

What it says on the website : 

"A creamy-smooth, full-coverage, lustrous lipcolor that makes lips look and feel magnificent! The unique contour tip perfects lip shape with a more precise application. "

photo courtesy of  ebay.ph's ShoppingVictory

True that, the formula is indeed creamy, smooth, highly pigmented and has a hint of sheen. Well at least thats for this specific color that I got since it doesnt have shimmer, Ive read reviews that some of the frost ones feel gritty when applied, so please take note of that when buying. 

23 Mango Mambo is far from the traditional orange lipsticks I see, it doesnt have a milky tone to it, but instead it looks more like hot orange to me. It has a strong red base which makes it more wearable than other orange lippies Ive tried.  Its not the kind of orange that would make your lips stand out from the rest of your face, this color gives your lips a little more emphasis without going over the top. Not too bright, not too striking. Color is opaque, pigmentation is impressive as you would need just one swipe to make its true color show up on your lips. Formula is lightweight, doesnt have a waxy or oily feel to it. 

One thing that can be an issue for some would be the scent, this lipstick bears this 

perfume-like scent, its not fruity but more like a sweet, floral-ly one. Not an issue for 

me since my sense of smell can actually tolerate it. The scent goes away minutes after application anyway. 

Wore this lipstick lastnight to replace the typical red lipstick for a pinup girl look. 

It looked really nice to pair with my Winged Black Liner and NARS Luster Blush. 

Here's how it is on my lips : 

(Sorry had to pixelate the areas around my lips, I forgot to wax my upperlip and it looks like a man's 'stache. LOL!) 

One thing that makes me worry about wearing pigmented lipsticks is that it can stain or bleed to areas around the lips which doesnt look nice. I encountered that problem with my Styli-Style Lipstick in Romance which is a deep red shade so I kept my fingers crossed last night and brought makeup remover with me to clean up smudges just in case, but after 4 hours of wear, theres not even a teeny trace of smudging. 

A tip I learned from other makeup junkies : 

Use a longwearing lipliner and line your lips first before applying pigmented lipsticks, aside from making the color pop, it defines your lips even more and it prevents the lipcolor from sliding off and bleeding on the areas around your lips. 

I dont think its necessary to use a lipliner for this product though. 

Staying power is quite impressive for a drugstore lippie. It lasts for about 4 hours with little retouching needed since I tend to lick/wipe my lips once in a while. 

Definitely backup worthy. Unless I see a similar shade from another brand that has better staying power. 

12 months. 

$ 5.49

Got this on ebay.ph for Php140.00 

US Drugstores

eBay.ph 

and probably Milani Resellers in the Philippines 

(thru eBay or Multiply -- DigitalTraincase) 

*** 

I wanna have Rose Hip next, Im eyeing a few shades actually but I dont find some online swatches reliable since I also got Milani Color Perfect in Bing Cherry and it looks maroonish in person, very far from Temptalia's swatch that actually looks more red without traces of being maroon at all. 

Weekend is over once again, ang bilis ng araw. 

Hope you guys have a great week ahead! :) 

Spread Love and Stay Fab!  

XOXO,