RRP: £23.25
Purchase online from www.nuusuite.com or www.sotanned.co.uk
UK stockists: Gemini Beauty Supplies (0774 3879 336), Beauty Revolution (07731950627)
# of shades available: 12 (Babydoll, Bare, Bombshell, Earth Angel, French Kiss, Frisky Business, Glamarazzi, Goddess, Negligée, Screen Siren, Sugar Sugar, Viva La Glam)
--What does the promo say?--
"Infused with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil and Aloe Extract for hydration, Vani-T's diamanté-encrusted lipsticks are the ultimate in creamy, long lasting, colour-rich mineral lip colour. The latest in organic and natural beauty, these luscious lipsticks don't contain any nasty chemicals! Available in an array of 12 colours, you can choose from nudes to apricots, to dusty roses, pinks and reds. A shade for every dance floor, desk, and dinner date!"
--Packaging--
Large chunks of diamanté-style plastic (it is hardly fair to call them actual diamanté) adorn these lipstick canisters to give a bling effect that differentiates entirely from products that are currently available. You'd definitely have no trouble picking these out on the shelf, especially thanks to the metallic peach cardboard boxes they arrive in too. The box has a handy cutout circle on the base so you can see the shade of lipstick clearly, and there's a vintage look to the thing overall thanks to the swirly black script on the box. It's very different, too, to other mineral beauty brands, which tend to go for pale pastels and often shy from anything bolder. The tube twists up normally like a regular lipstick.
--Application--
Slap it on straight from the tube or use a lip brush for extra contouring.
--Appearance--
Quality-wise, the strength of colour competes well with major commercial brands. Unfortunately, though, I didn't especially like either of the two shades I was sent for testing: the bright red Screen Siren proved too brash against my pale skin, while Frisky Business, a pale beige, blended almost too well, making my entire face seem almost the same colour all over. Clever use of bolder cheek and eye colours is needed to compete with it. However, as these are just two out of 12 available shades, it proves that there's almost surely a shade for everyone (I'd be surprised if none of the remaining 10 fit my needs).
--Scent--
Just a very light hint of beeswax: no overwhelming wax crayon or Playdoh-type smells here.
--Texture and consistency--
Super-smooth and soft both to apply and to wear; not at all slippery, greasy or drying. In short: perfect! The coconut oil is probably responsible for that along with the beeswax.
--Longevity--
Sadly I didn't find that the colour lasted any longer than a conventional lipstick. Still, you can't have it all I suppose.
--Value for money--
For some people the mineral concept is extremely valuable, and avoiding putting parabens, mineral oils, preservatives, petrochemicals, artificial colours and so on into their bodies is very important to them. Sometimes this can be achieved cheaply (Green People's organic lipsticks go for around £11, with other mineral brands like Bellapierre and Inika also pitching their prices here), but it seems from a quick sweep of Google Shopping that the £20-£25 price bracket is about standard for mineral lipsticks, so Vani-T certainly aren't out to fleece the concerned consumer. Garden Pharmacy and Tender Loving Skincare's lipsticks go for this price, too. But all depends on people's budgets, and the point is that proper mineral makeup (unlike the highly dubious 'mineral' makeup peddled by brands like L'Oreal and Maybelline) is widely accessible to all from about £10 per lipstick. So even if you can't afford Vani-T, it can at least serve as an impetus for you to support the mineral makeup industry, whose products can be just as good, rather than running to the big brands every time. I know it's changed my attitude.
perfect partners
Pure White Tooth Whitening Gloss, £22.05
Mineral Lip Glaze, £14.85
Mineral Lip Crayon, £16
Mineral Lip Definer, £13.75
Lip Brush, £17.15
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