Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Beige Pop, Nude Pop, Melon Pop, Wow Pop, and Grape Pop

A few months ago, Clinique came out with a new lipstick formula called Pop Lip Colour + Primer, which is described as "a rich, weightless formula that fuses bold, saturated colour with a smoothing primer" that "glides on effortlessly to a modern-velvet finish." Clinique also claims that the "colour stays true" and they "keep lips comfortably moisturized for eight hours." The range consists of a total of 16 shades, of which I bought five. As with all Clinique products, these are allergy tested and fragrance-free. They are packaged in colour-matched square tubes with metallic silver lids that have Clinique's logo engraved onto the side. Each lipstick contains 3.9 grams of product, and retails for $21.

Beige Pop, Nude Pop, Melon Pop, Wow Pop, and Grape Pop
Beige Pop, Nude Pop, Melon Pop, Wow Pop, and Grape Pop

Beige Pop is a light warm peachy-pink beige with a soft sheen in a natural cream finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more beige than Clinique Nude Pop, similar though more opaque than MAC Pure Zen, more beige than MAC Creme Cup, more beige than Too Faced Taffy, lighter and more beige than Too Faced Nude Beach, similar though shinier than NARS Raquel, warmer than YSL #10 Beige Tribute, and more pink than YSL #6 Rose Bergamasque.

Nude Pop is a light-medium warm pink beige with a soft sheen in a natural cream finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly darker and more pink than Clinique Beige Pop, shinier and more beige than MAC Faux, darker and more muted than MAC Creme Cup, more beige than Too Faced Nude Beach, slighter and shinier than NARS Anita, darker and warmer than YSL #10 Beige Tribute, and similar to YSL #6 Rose Bergamasque.

Melon Pop is a light-medium warm muted peachy coral with a soft sheen in a natural cream finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly brighter and more peach than Clinique Nude Pop, more muted than MAC Coral Bliss, lighter and brighter than MAC Peach Blossom, more opaque than MAC Revved Up Patentpolish, shinier and more muted than NARS Julie, darker and shinier than ColourPop Button, darker and more coral than Bite Beauty Syrah.

Wow Pop is a medium cool vibrant bubblegum pink with a soft sheen in a natural cream finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter and much more opaque than Clinique Pudgy Peony Chubby Stick, cooler and more opaque than MAC Fearless Patentpolish, darker and brighter than MAC Divine Choice, brighter and cooler than MAC Pink Nouveau, lighter and more muted than MAC Candy Yum-Yum, lighter and more muted than NARS Angela, and warmer and shinier than ColourPop Wifey.

Grape Pop is a medium-dark pinked purple with a soft sheen in a natural cream finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar though slightly warmer than MAC Up The Amp, lighter and more muted than MAC Vogue en Violet, sheerer and shinier than MAC Men Love Mystery, slightly lighter and warmer than Bite Beauty Violet, brighter and more pink than NARS Dominique, lighter and more muted than Too Faced Melted Violet, and more purple than NYX Pink Lyric.

Well, it seems like Clinique has really started to step up their make-up game. Though the Pop Lip Colour + Primer range currently only has 16 shades total, it is actually very well-curated with something for everyone, including some very surprising shades that you'd never expect from Clinique. What is truly impressive is the formula, which really does feel lightweight but is also somehow creamy and hydrating, while having amazing pigmentation and great colour pay-off to boot. (Typically, lipsticks that have this type of texture have sheerer pigmentation, and lipsticks that have this type of colour pay-off usually have a thicker texture.)  I also find that my lips look and feel smoother and more hydrated during wear-time, and they don't emphasize lip texture or sink into lip lines or leave that dreaded "white ring" around the inside of the lips. The wear-time never reaches eight hours for me with any of these shades, though; the lighter shades wear an average of about three hours before having to re-apply and the darker/brighter shades wear about five. I would also describe the finish as natural with a soft sheen — not glossy, but definitely not "demi-matte" or "velvet." I would say the finish of these is most similar to Urban Decay's Revolution formula, or MAC's Amplified lipsticks, though the texture definitely feels much lighter and thinner, like YSL's Rouge Pur Coutures.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Pansy Pop, Heather Pop, and Rosy Pop

It's not often that I am interested in Clinique's make-up products, but I think it's safe to say that their Cheek Pop blushes have surpassed everyone's expectations in both texture and execution, and the formula has surprisingly made it into one of my own personal Top 5 favourites. Cheek Pops are described as "vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powderless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone." This past Spring, Clinique finally decided to release some new shades, so being the blush fiend that I am, I ended up picking up six out of the eight. The Cheek Pop Blushes are packaged in clear circular compacts with the Clinique logo on the lid, and a daisy design embossed into the powder. Each blush contains 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $24.
Pansy Pop, Heather Pop, and Rosy Pop
Pansy Pop, Heather Pop, and Rosy Pop

Pansy Pop is a light-medium cool pinked lilac with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and warmer than MAC Full of Joy, lighter and more purple than MAC Peony Petal, darker and more purple than Makeup Geek Secret Admirer, more purple and more muted than NARS Gaiety, and more pink and less frosted than Make Up For Ever I918 Lavender.

Heather Pop is a medium muted neutral-cool rose pink with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more muted than Clinique Rosy Pop, warmer than Clinique Pink Pop, less shimmery than MAC Gentle, brighter and more shimmery than MAC Dame, warmer and more muted than NARS Angelika, and warmer and darker than Too Faced Justify My Love.

Rosy Pop is a medium muted neutral-cool watermelon pink with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more darker and brighter than Clinique Heather Pop, more muted and warmer than Clinique Plum Pop, lighter and much more muted than Clinique Berry Pop, similar though less frosted than MAC Dollymix, lighter and more muted than MAC Whole Lotta Love, and slightly lighter and cooler than Makeup Geek Love Affair.

It's about damn time that Clinique expanded their Cheek Pops range! I don't know how Clinique managed to only have four shades in this range for over a year, but I have waited with bated breath (I might be a bit dramatic here) for them to release more. And they finally delivered with eight gorgeous new shades! All their new shades perform just as beautifully as their four original — super-silky, ultra-smooth, highly pigmented, and easily blendable. (For those who are familiar with MAC's Extra Dimension Blushes, which were limited edition, these are very similar, if not exact, in formulation.) They've added some more everyday, muted shades, and some fun, unique shades to the range, so there is sure to be something for everyone now. You can build them up very easily to create true-to-pan colour, but buff them out effortlessly to create a soft, natural flush. They have a gorgeous satin finish with a soft luminous sheen that leaves skin looking perfectly luminescent without being shiny or shimmery. They don't emphasize skin texture, so they are great for all ages and skin types, too. The quality is beautiful across the board, so while the shade choice is personal preference, you really can't go wrong with this formula. And blush fiends like me will want all of them.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop

It's not often that I am interested in Clinique's make-up products, but I think it's safe to say that their Cheek Pop blushes have surpassed everyone's expectations in both texture and execution, and the formula has surprisingly made it into one of my own personal Top 5 favourites. Cheek Pops are described as "vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powderless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone." This past Spring, Clinique finally decided to release some new shades, so being the blush fiend that I am, I ended up picking up six out of the eight. The Cheek Pop Blushes are packaged in clear circular compacts with the Clinique logo on the lid, and a daisy design embossed into the powder. Each blush contains 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $24.
Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop
Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop

Melon Pop is a light-medium warm pink-coral with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is pinker than Clinique Peach Pop, lighter and pinker than MAC Melba, more peach than MAC Rosy Outlook, more peach and less shimmery than MAC Dainty, more peach and less shimmery than NARS Orgasm, and similar though less matte than Hourglass Diffused Heat.

Nude Pop is a light-medium muted warm peachy brown with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is slightly lighter than MAC Warm Soul, more peach and more shimmery than MAC Prism, lighter and more shimmery than MAC Sincere, less shimmery than NARS Madly, more brown than Hourglass Dim Infusion, and lighter and less shimmery than Becca Wild Honey.

Fig Pop is a medium-dark orange-coral with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more muted and less reddened than Clinique Ginger Pop, more orange than MAC Make You Mine, darker and more muted than MAC Modern Mandarin, darker and more orange than MAC Peachtwist, more shimmery and more orange than MAC Pinch Me, and brighter and less shimmery than Becca Songbird.

It's about damn time that Clinique expanded their Cheek Pops range! I don't know how Clinique managed to only have four shades in this range for over a year, but I have waited with bated breath (I might be a bit dramatic here) for them to release more. And they finally delivered with eight gorgeous new shades! All their new shades perform just as beautifully as their four original — super-silky, ultra-smooth, highly pigmented, and easily blendable. (For those who are familiar with MAC's Extra Dimension Blushes, which were limited edition, these are very similar, if not exact, in formulation.) They've added some more everyday, muted shades, and some fun, unique shades to the range, so there is sure to be something for everyone now. You can build them up very easily to create true-to-pan colour, but buff them out effortlessly to create a soft, natural flush. They have a gorgeous satin finish with a soft luminous sheen that leaves skin looking perfectly luminescent without being shiny or shimmery. They don't emphasize skin texture, so they are great for all ages and skin types, too. The quality is beautiful across the board, so while the shade choice is personal preference, you really can't go wrong with this formula. And blush fiends like me will want all of them.

Clinique Cheek Pop Powder Blush in Plum Pop, Berry Pop, Ginger Pop, and Peach Pop

It's not often that I am interested in a make-up product that Clinique has to offer. I mean, aside from the Chubby Stick Intense, there hasn't been much that they've launched in recent years that has really impressed me, and they're not the first (or even Top 20) brand that comes to mind for colour cosmetics (at least, for me). But when they launched the Cheek Pops last month, rave reviews appeared all over the place, and my interest was piqued. Cheek Pops are described as "vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powderless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone." Let's be honest, the blush fiend in me doesn't need much persuasion to check out a new cheek product. So I headed over to my local Clinique counter and swatched these babies. And I was completely blown away. So much so that I needed to buy every single damn shade. The Cheek Pop Blushes are packaged in clear circular compacts with the Clinique logo on the lid. Each blush contains 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $24.
Clockwise (from bottom left): Plum Pop, Berry Pop, Ginger Pop, and Peach Pop
Swatches: Plum Pop, Berry Pop, Ginger Pop, and Peach Pop

Plum Pop is a medium cool-toned cotton candy pink with a soft satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and brighter than MAC Dame, more pink and less shimmery than MAC Gentle Mineralize Blush, less matte and more muted than NARS Angelika, cooler and less shimmery than Tarte Adored, and darker and less matte than Tarte Dollface.

Berry Pop is a medium-dark vibrant cool-toned fuchsia pink with a soft satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is cooler and brighter than MAC Dollymix, darker and cooler than MAC Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush, warmer and more muted than MAC Rhubarb (PRO), darker and warmer than NARS Desire, and lighter and more muted than Tarte Flush. 

Ginger Pop is a medium burnt orange-coral with a soft satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more coral than MAC Pinch Me, brighter and less bronze than MAC Peachtwist, darker and more reddened than MAC Style, softer and slightly less orange than NARS Torrid, more orange than Dior 676 Coral Cruise, softer and more orange than Tarte Charisma, and more muted and less reddened than Tarte Frisky. 

Peach Pop is a medium pinked coral with a soft satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more pink than MAC Melba, lighter and more muted than MAC Fleur Power, more coral and less shimmery than NARS Orgasm, lighter and more pink than NARS Deep Throat, more pink and less shimmery than Tarte Glisten, and lighter and less coral than Illamasqua Sophie.

All four of these are spectacular — super-silky, ultra-smooth, highly pigmented, and easily blendable. The four shades they chose to launch are fun, bright, and cheerful, but still incredibly wearable and lovely across most skintones. You can build them up very easily to create bright pops of colour, but buff them out effortlessly to create soft washes of colour. They have a gorgeous satin finish with a subtle sheen that leaves skin looking perfectly luminescent without being shiny or shimmery. They don't emphasize skin texture, so they are great for all ages and skin types, too. That having been said, these feel and execute an awful lot like MAC's Extra Dimension Blushes, which were limited edition. They might actually be the exact same formula, which wouldn't surprise me given that they are both Estée Lauder companies (in fact, they are both baked products and made in Italy, so they may very well share the same factory). However, the four shades here aren't similar to any of the shades that MAC has released in the Extra Dimension formula, so they are still ultimately unique to Clinique. The quality is beautiful across the board, so while the shade choice is personal preference, you really can't go wrong with this formula. And blush fiends like me will want all of them.

Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale — Summer 2013

It's that time again — yes, the Estée Lauder warehouse sale! Steph is now obsessed with them since I took her to her first one a few months ago, so she went with me to the summer sale last Friday.

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser, Ginger Cloud Smoothing Body Balm, and Ginger Gloss Smoothing Body Oil
Origins Soufflé Trio
By now, you probably know my slight obsession with Origins. And Origins at a seriously discounted price? I cannot resist. Since I had already stocked up on a lot of Origins skincare in April and May, I only got a select few items. The only skincare product I picked up was the Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser (for $12 from $24!), since my skin gets really oily during the summer. The rest of the items I picked up were body products: a bottle of Ginger Cloud Smoothing Body Balm for $15 from $27.50, a bottle of Ginger Gloss Smoothing Body Oil for $12 from $25 (I've fallen in love with this stuff since I bought it at the last sale), and their Soufflé Trio (which includes 125 ml jars of Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Soufflé, Smoothing Soufflé Whipped Body Cream, and Ginger Soufflé Whipped Body Cream) for $30 from $47. I wished that they were offering their "Buy one, get one free" deal again on the Origins sets like last time, but alas, no such luck. Had that been the case, I probably would've bought like, four of those trios.
Smashbox Shades of Fame Eye Palette
Smashbox Shades of Fame Eye Palette (inside)
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara, Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara, and MAC Steamy Nail Lacquer
Okay, so I typically avoid buying make-up items at the warehouse sales because I have way too much make-up as it is, but I eyed this Smashbox eyeshadow palette (from their Summer 2012 collection) at the last sale (which I had convinced Steph to buy) and passed it up then, so I was like, "Okay, if it's at the sale this time, I will grab one." And of course, they had tons of it there, and it was on sale for $25 from $48. So I couldn't resist. It includes nine beautiful summery shades of smooth, buttery, pigmented eyeshadow, plus two shades of Cream Eye Liner, an eyeshadow brush, and a mini Photo Finish Lid Primer. God knows I do not need another palette, but it's so damn pretty. I also picked up three mascaras for $12 each: Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara (originally $22), Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara (originally $19), and Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara (originally $28.50). And I completely bypassed the $5 MAC grab bags this time around because I already had all the products that were in them (and I do not need multiples of anything that isn't absolutely a must-have), so I just left with the free gift, which was MAC's Steamy Nail Lacquer.
God, these sales are like crack.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balms

As you may know, I initially wasn't a huge fan of Clinique's original Chubby Sticks. Not that I couldn't appreciate why there is a market for them, or that I didn't understand why some people love them. The idea of a lip product in a crayon barrel is now widely imitated, and Clinique is the company that popularized it. I guess I just wasn't impressed with what it is given the price point. I mean, I get that it's a glorified tinted lip balm, but it just didn't do it for me. The colour pay-off was almost too sheer (honestly, I got the brightest shades and they just barely tinted my lips), I didn't find it particularly moisturizing, and the packaging certainly isn't luxurious. And maybe I just got a bad batch or something, but mine actually smelled plasticky (I understand that Clinique is 100% fragrance-free, but I also don't want to smell the actual ingredients used in it, you know?). Like, it was almost gag-worthy. Anyway, my point is, when Clinique announced the release of their Chubby Stick Intense, I got curious. Especially when all the rave reviews starting rolling out. So, I went to my local Clinique counter to swatch them, and let's just say... I think I changed my mind about the Chubby Stick. 
Heftiest Hibiscus, Mightiest Maraschino, Plushest Punch, and Grandest Grape
Clinique describes their new Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm as "a soft cushion of colour that's not quite sheer, not quite opaque — just the perfect happy medium." The formula is infused with "mango and shea butters so lips feel comfortably soft and smooth." Currently, they are available in eight colours. They are scent- and taste-free. Each Chubby Stick Intense comes in shade-matched self-sharpening "crayon" barrels, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19.
Heftiest Hibiscus, Mightiest Maraschino, Plushest Punch, and Grandest Grape

Heftiest Hibiscus is a medium vibrant reddened orange with a glossy sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is creamy and balm-like, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and nearly opaque colour pay-off. It is less orange and less bright than MAC Korean Candy Sheen Supreme Lipstick, more red and brighter than MAC So Chaud, and more orange than Revlon Candy Apple Lip Butter. 

Mightiest Maraschino is a medium vibrant cool-toned cherry red with a glossy sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is creamy and balm-like, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and nearly opaque colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC New Temptation Sheen Supreme Lipstick, lighter than MAC MAC Red, and brighter and darker than Revlon Cherry Tart Lip Butter. 

Plushest Punch is a medium vibrant reddened pink with a glossy sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is creamy and balm-like, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and nearly opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly warmer than MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick, more reddened than MAC Speak Louder, and warmer than Revlon Lollipop Lip Butter. 

Grandest Grape is a medium-dark berry-plum with a glossy sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is creamy and balm-like, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and nearly opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more plum than MAC Quite The Thing! Sheen Supreme Lipstick, lighter than MAC Rebel, and much cooler and more purple than Revlon Red Velvet Lip Butter.

Whereas the original Chubby Stick is more for those who love natural-looking lip shades, these are for people who love colour. I would actually say these are more on the opaque side than a "happy medium" like Clinique claims. I like that these are creamy but don't have a lot of slip. As a result, they also wear a bit longer on the lips — about four to five hours before fading. I also felt like these kept my lips soft both during wear and after as well. Grandest Grape stains a little bit after wear, but I have to note that these aren't really comparable to Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, which really, really stain the lips (even after swiping with a make-up remover). Compared to the Balm Stains, these are also more pigmented, more hydrating, and have a creamier consistency. These are almost like a hybrid between Revlon's Balm Stains and Lip Butters, but more pigmented. So, basically, these are instant loves for me. If you liked the concept of the Chubby Stick but wanted better colour pay-off, Clinique finally delivered!

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm: Mega Melon and Chunky Cherry

About a year ago, Clinique released these tinted lip balms called Chubby Sticks. Now, it must be said that I am not personally a fan of Clinique's products, both skincare and make-up, but these Chubby Sticks were so adorable, it was hard not to get suckered in. Last fall, my mom had asked me to buy her a tube of Black Honey, and so I took the opportunity to pick up a couple shades of Chubby Stick while I was at the counter. Of course, once I brought them home and put them on my desk, they were promptly forgotten about until I was trying to find a particular lipstick in my stash last week and came across these — still brand new and in their boxes!

Mega Melon and Chunky Cherry

Chubby Sticks are made with Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter, and Jojoba Seed Oil to "deliver a surge of moisture" and to "keep lips luscious and irresistibly soft" while also providing "a sheer hint of colour that glides on effortlessly, leaving behind a natural blush of colour and sheen." It is also meant to provide "stay-true colour and buildable coverage." Each Chubby Stick comes in shade-matched (as in, the tube colour matches the balm colour) self-sharpening "crayon" barrels, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19.

Mega Melon and Chunky Cherry

Mega Melon is a medium peachy coral. It goes on super smooth and creamy, with low pigmentation and semi-sheer colour pay-off. It has the sheen of a lip balm, but is not glossy. It is darker and much more pigmented than YSL Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm in Dewy Papaya.

Chunky Cherry is a medium pinked red. It goes on super smooth and creamy, with low pigmentation and semi-sheer colour pay-off. It has the sheen of a lip balm, but is not glossy. This is similar to Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15, and is darker and more pigmented than YSL Volupté Sheer Candy Glossy Balm in Luscious Cherry.

Chubby Sticks do everything Clinique says they do: They are mega-moisturizing, keep lips smooth and soft, and provide a natural hint of colour (semi-sheer, but buildable). Of course, because they are not opaque, your natural lip colour will show through, but both shades here did stay true, so Mega Melon tinted my lips peach-coral, and Chunky Cherry tinted my lips red (like a popsicle stain). I also love that you can twist these up instead of having to sharpen them with a giant pencil sharpener. The only thing I don't like, and this is a deal breaker for me, is the taste. Okay, as you know, Clinique's products are 100% fragrance-free and allergy-tested, and the Chubby Sticks are no exception. Of course, because there is no fragrance, it just smells like wax. And it tastes that way, too. I wouldn't mind if it smelled kind of plasticky but had no taste, but the taste is also plasticky. So, as lovely as these Chubby Sticks are, I will not buy any more (and will use these more as a layering tool), which is just a shame, because they have a great formula and some really pretty shades.