Maybelline Color Sensational The Shine, is the newest addition to their Color Sensational range of lipsticks. The Shine claims to have mirror-like colour with a creamy feel, enriched with honey nectar. I’ve had it in my bag for a while and have been using it from time to time so that I could share my thoughts.

The shade I tried is ‘Mauve Diamonds’. It has a mild fruity smell and it applies smoothly and easily and feels moisturising. It isn’t heavily pigmented, and has a very shiny, sheer look, almost gloss-like but its lipstick. Because of the sheer and lightweight formula, it wears off after an hour or two or as soon as you eat or drink something.

I like the way it shines like gloss but feels like lipstick. The shininess comes from loads of tiny, mirror pigments that reflect the light but don’t look glittery on your lips. Keep an eye on your chin though – after I ate I noticed I had reflective particles on my chin that were quite difficult to remove without messing up my foundation.

The packaging is pretty, with a transparent, pink, holographic lid covering a metallic tube.

At around R110.00, Color Sensational The Shine lipstick is a wallet-friendly alternative to higher-end lipsticks like Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Dior Addict High Shine Lip Color.