Bamboozled Lip Stain

I don't know what it is about the opening of the Oxford Street store, but I feel as if I have suddenly tripled my excitement for make-up products, more than I have ever done so before in my life. To give you an example - I have probably worn more lipstick this week alone than I have throughout the rest of my life combined, and this is a completely alien concept to me - one that I am excited about exploring at my own leisure.

When I began my journey a few months back, I can honestly say that I was unable to state the difference between a lip stick, tint or stain. To me they were just a repackaging of the same product - a fact that isn't strictly 'untrue', but one that is a little bit more complex than the sweeping statement above.

Upon research, I discovered that the primary difference between a lip stain and a lipstick or gloss is that a stain actually acts as a temporary dye on the lips. Whereas a lipstick tends to add a layer of wax and oil to 'mask' the lips and give them a certain colour, a stain saturates the lips with a particular shade so that they remain a certain colour for a good many hours after application.

Bamboozled Lip Stain happens to be the first and only stain I have ever bought - an intimidating concept when I saw the vividity of the colour I was dealing with. Having said that, the reasoning behind the packaging and the gorgeous design instantly warmed me to the concept and purpose of the product, and my fears turned to excitement when I got the product home to test out.

On a buying trip, Simon (Head of Lush's creative buying team) brought back some bamboo sticks which started a chain of events that would lead to some wonderful future opportunities. Not only did it inspire the likes of this particular product, but it also opened up an opportunity for Lush to forge new working relationships with various people across the globe. One of these projects led the company to Japan, where Lush worked to create sustainable incomes for certain farmers by giving them opportunities to grow and supply bamboo for a fair price.

This lip stain is encased in a bamboo stick about 15cm long. Of course each and every one is slightly different in size, but that's part of the allure about Lush products - no two are ever alike. Aside from the gold wrap-around label, this product comes with no other packaging, which means that Bamboozled is environmentally friendly in multiple ways.

To use, it's advised that you use a stiff lip brush to stroke over the surface of the stain a good 3-4 times and then apply the colour to your lips. What I was instantly impressed by is that the colour is very easy to manipulate once it is on the lips - meaning that you won't be left with patches or darker/lighter areas to contend with. Furthermore, if you accidentally smudge or get any unwanted product outside of your lips, it's very easy to remove, and you won't look like someone who's being drinking a particularly potent glass of red wine.

Having said this, once the product is on the lips, it doesn't smudge very easily and you won't have to worry about having to reapply every time you eat or wipe your mouth. In fact, once I had applied the product, I was able to leave it for a good 5-6 hours before I felt the need to top up, and even the stain didn't look terrible, it just wasn't as vivid as I wanted. 

What is great about Bamboozled is that the product doesn't give you that heavy feeling that lipsticks, glosses and tints can cause. There is no other layer on top of your lips that you're always aware of, which allows the stain to feel a lot more natural on the wearer. At the same time, you don't get the moisturise that lipsticks can offer you, so if you suffer from dry lips, you might wish to apply a lip balm afterwards, just to replenish the moisture and help to bring out the vivid shade of crimson that this item produces.  

As demonstrated in my picture above, Bamboozled creates a rich shade of red on the lips, and you have the freedom to choose how generous you are when it comes to the vividity of the colour of the finished look. I find that one coat is more than suffice to give me a vivid shade without it being too 'in my face' for work. Especially after battling the winter weather during my journeys to and from work, my lips can often become dry and drained of colour. A quick brush of this stain rectifies this problem and gives me enough colour to see me through a full working day.

While a few months ago I would have laughed at the concept of using a lip stain on a near-enough daily basis, I now happily rely on this beautiful product to give me a boost of colour most mornings before work. Priced at £15.00, this product will last you months and months and months. You really don't have to use a lot each time so I can see one stick of this lasting an entire year - a great investment, if there ever was one!

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Castor Oil (Ricinus communis), Watermelon seed oil (Citrullus Lanatus), Sunflower Wax (Helianthus Annuus), Orange Peel Wax (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis), Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera), Rose Wax (Rosa damascena), Glycerine, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Cetearyl Alcohol, Colour 15850:1, Colour 45410:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £15 each (15g).

Year Of Original Release: 2015.