Glossier Dupes?

La Victoria by Chancha Via Circuito ft Lido Pimienta & Manu Ranks

Longing for glossier lips! Well, since I had no real excuse to spend £11 on 4.2ml of Hydrogenated Polyisobutene with a splash of vitamin E, I decided to at least use my wits to find any possible dupes and thanks to a quick Pinterest search I did.

Apparently, NK lip gloss is a dupe for glossy-a's glossier lip gloss which was music to my ears as many beauty supplies stores carry the NK line, so I imagined it would be pretty easy to find ... well, so I thought ... To cut a long story short, I ended up with 5 clear lip gel/glosses after visiting 3 stores and only the last one had NK. which meant I spent around £7 for 80mls of gloss so I guess my lips are staying glossy for not days but decades. Of course, since I don't have glossier's glossier lip gloss (ugh what a mouthful) I can't really say for sure if its a dupe but, I can review the gloss factor, scent, and goop-factor for those of you who like to stay glossy and conserve your coins.

First, I think it's only fair to see what these lip gels are up against, the one and only, glossier!

Glossier lip gloss £11 for 4.2mls and a "minimalist" aesthetic

Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 6 (CI 15850)

Word on the grapevine is that this is "the best lipgloss ever" and especially liked by those who usually hate lip gloss" - high praise indeed but, quite hyperbolic and easily said when you're an affiliate (smirks). Now, as much as I think a clear gloss is a clear gloss, I myself can and do see the difference in formulas so I'm not knocking the truth or hustle in such statements. Now before I get into the crux of the review let me explain the "goop factor" and why I thought it necessary to include these somewhat horrendous images to showcase some of the pitfalls to having glossy lips.

Warning the following pictures shows goop factor - scroll down and view at your peril!

What is goop factor? Goop factor is a meter of measure for how goopy or not a lip gloss is.

How do I know a lip gloss is goopy? When your lip gloss gets goopy it forms into clumps which can be mistaken for salvia build-up but, often results from heavier or a heavy application of a thick tacky gloss. The results are undesirable and can look pretty terrifying when you're talking or if you part your lips. For instance, white clumps or lines that build up on the inner rim of your mouth and string down when your lips have opened and are in movement.

Help! How can I avoid this? Apply less gloss especially if the gloss is heavy in feel and wipe off any excess from the inner rim. Plus, checking back throughout the day with a mirror to see if any goopy build-up has been left behind and wiping stale gloss off before reapplying will help.
Why show goop factor? The entire premise of this blog and the reason why I started to show lip photos in the first place was to review how the product works without frills. Sure goop is gross but it happens. I mean hair, fluff, bugs, food particles etc. are all things that can stick to gloss or attack any lip look outside too but, they are external factors whereas goop can look bad all on its own just after being applied. So I guess, I think it's interesting to show that there's more going on behind a photo where the product looks faultless but, isn't in real life (because that's where we all exist - really).
Photo Information: All photos were taken in natural window sunlight. Each lip swatch shows how the gloss looks applied straight from the tube and then I tested the goop factor. The only gloss I applied a little extra to test was the RK - other than that no extra gloss was used to do the "goop-factor" test that differs from the pictures used in the normal swatch pics. Additionally, the lip gloss was on my lips only for the swatch purposes so it had no time to be a build-up of saliva and is all the product (not me!).
Why am I so weird?: That's relative but every now and then someone like me happens ...Dance with me now.

Glossy Lips

Ruby Kisses Jelly Lip Gloss: Smells like sugary and fruity smelly feet in the tube (gross) but once on the lips, it smells more fruity than footy. The gloss is thick and can get gloopy if you apply it to the top and bottom so I'd recommend applying it to just one lip and then spreading it onto the other. The shine is nice, though the gloss is thick and tacky.

Goop Factor: Very goopy.

Ingredients: Mineral Oil (Paraffin Liquidium), Polyisobutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, Mica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Tin Oxide, Lecithin, Polyhydroxysteric Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Ricinoleate, May Contain (+/-) Yellow 5 Lake(CI 9140), Red 28 (CI 4510), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI 777891).

Expiration: 12 months

Price: £1 for 14mls

Beauty Forever Lip Gel

Smells like a smooth creamy and sparkly coconut vanilla which makes me think of black hair products and smells just like an old BF lip gloss I once had - I like it. The gloss is smooth, not sticky or heavy and has a nice healthy shine.

Goop Factor: None or at least very mild if not totally unnoticeable.

Ingredients: Polyisobutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mineral Oil, Tridecyltrimellitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Capryl Glycol, Tocopherol, Acetate, Fragrance. May Contain: (+/-) Polyethylene, Terephthalate, Red 6 Lake (15850:1), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:2), Red 28 Lake (CI 45140:2), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

Expiration: 12 months

Price: £1.50 for 18mls

Absolute Long Lasting Lip Gloss

Smells just like Sally Hansen Lip Inflation in clear (memories) but doesn't have the tingling feeling. The consistency is THICK with a slightly tacky feel and prone to getting gloopy just like the Ruby Kisses. This is a unique brand that I have not seen before and looks very similar to the pins I've seen of MAX gloss which is an apparent MAC clear gloss dupe. Once again, I can't say for sure it's dupe worthy since I haven't tried Mac's clear lip gloss but I have included the ingredients here to help (Mac Lipglass in clear ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol - link).

Goop factor: Off the scale! Granted I applied too much at first but not a dramatic amount to warrant such goop. Totally goopy.

Expiration: Doesn't say.

Ingredients: Lanoline Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, BHA, Propyl Paraben, Vitamine E. Alon.Dimethyl Paba.

Price: £1 for 18mls

NK Lip Gel in Clear

Apparently, this has a fragrance? I don't think so. I was worried that it would smell very plastic according to a review but, it's only a little bit plastic-like. I'm glad that I took the effort to hunt this down as the shine is very nice and the formula is a nice thickness that is not too tacky but not super thin either.

Goop Factor: Some goop but not as dramatic as others.

Ingredients: Polyisobutene, Mineral Oil, Tocopheryl, Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance. May Contain D&C Red 7, D&C Red 28, FD&C Blue 1.
Expiration: 12 months

Price: £1.29 for 15mls

NK Lip Gel in Bubblegum

Smells like watermelon candy, not bubblegum really but, I like it. If you've tried Lunatick Labs Cosmetics Apocalipslicks - it smells just like that. Bubblegum has a strong pint tint in the tube but o the lips it's barely noticeable and looks just like the others. The consistency is the same as the Clear NK but this smells better.

Goop Factor: Some goop in the form of build-up.

Ingredients: Polyisobutene, Mineral Oil, Tocopheryl, Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance. May Contain D&C Red 7, D&C Red 28, FD&C Blue 1.

Expiration: 12 months.

Price: £1.29 for 15mls

Little Roundup

Best Formula? Depends on what you like? If you like super thin glosses Beauty Forever London wins but, if you like super thick glosses Ruby Kisses and Absolute win. Yet, if you're middle of the road (like me), NK will take the crown for you. I like thinner glosses on some days and thicker the next - thicker glosses have a grip to them that can mix well with other products (like liquid lipsticks for gradient lips, using a lip liner etc.) but, I'll save all on that for another post. A clear gloss is a really multitasking product and I can understand why many makeup artists see it as essential in their kit - no glossier needed.