What it is: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Shimmer Stix are 6 newly released shades expanding the line of the original Gloss Bomb Stix. They are sheer to medium buildable color payoff lipsticks with a glossy, sparkly finish, a balmy, moisturizing feel, and the same sweet tropical scent as the originals.

Price/Quantity:  $25 for 0.12 oz / 3.6 g

Availability: Fenty Beauty, Sephora, Ulta, Kohl’s

Shade Range: 6 shimmery shades (the original line comes in 11 non-shimmer shades)

Packaging: Plastic pentagonal lipstick case with a snap-shut cap. I like that the shape of the packaging makes it so the lipstick cannot just roll off the counter. The lipstick inside is a standard size (not a slim lipstick) and it twists all the way up and back down with no issues. They match the packaging of the original shade range but there is noticeable sparkle embedded in the plastic of these new shades.

Smell/Fragrance: These have a noticeable sweet, tropical, fruity scent with an almost “sharp” or “tart” quality. I can’t put my finger on what type of fruit I think it smells like. To me, it seems this is all scent as I do not actually taste anything in these.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

These are the ingredients listed for the shade Shimmering Fenty Glow. Most shades have their own ingredients list on the Fenty Beauty website with the majority of the ingredients being the same from shade to shade except for variations lower down on each list.

BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, DIISOSTEARYL MALATE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, SQUALANE, BIS-BEHENYL/ISOSTEARYL/PHYTOSTERYL DIMER DILINOLEYL DIMER DILINOLEATE, POLYBUTENE, CERA ALBA/BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE, SYNTHETIC WAX, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, CALCIUM SODIUM  BOROSILICATE, AROMA/FLAVOR, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, TIN OXIDE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, TOCOPHEROL, POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, ACTINIDIA CHINENSIS (KIWI) SEED OIL, BENZYL BENZOATE, LIMONENE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77492, CI 77499), RED 6 LAKE (CI 15850)

Source: Fenty Beauty

Performance

Application: I am able to swipe these on straight from the tube without the help of extra brushes. I can apply a single layer for a more subtle hint of color or build it up 3-4 layers thick if I want. It’s not hard to get decently clean edges and, while I don’t typically use lip liners, I don’t feel the need to add one in to make these work for me.

Pigmentation/Color Payoff: For the most part these are all sheer but can be built up to a semi-sheer/medium coverage. None of them look completely opaque on me even applied heavily. Icy Amethy$t is the sheerest one, offering more sparkle and shine than color payoff. The rest offer noticeable color payoff in addition to the sparkle and shine and require less building for more intense color.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: These have a somewhat thicker/balmy texture when cold in the tube, but they melt and thin out easily against the warmth of my lip. They are similar in texture to the Elf Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pens (my review) and the NYX Fat Oil Slick Clicks (my review) but these have an ever so slightly thinner consistency and glide on with a little more ease. They feel like they have a little more slip than those. They are not as melty or thick as something like the Tarte Lip Vinyls (my review). Those ones can easily get heavy and goopy if I apply too many layers, whereas I don’t have that problem with the Fenty ones. They do not leave my lips sticky at all and the color doesn’t gather in spots or become patchy even applied more heavily.

The finish is quite shiny, almost as shiny as a gloss, but not as thick. I feel they are a little more reflective than the original non-shimmer shades, though it could be an illusion due to the sparkle. The sparkles are LARGE, glittery even. If you like a subtle shimmer, this is not it. The sparkles stand out but they don’t feel all that noticeable when I press my lips together. When I remove the shade, the color and balmy finish come off easily but a lot of the sparkle is left behind on my lips and I feel the need to use a makeup remover to help get the last bits off.

Longevity: I haven’t worn these all that long yet. At the most, I’ve tried wearing them for about an hour at a time without disturbing them by drinking water or coffee. I felt during those times, they stayed put pretty well and faded gracefully if I did manage to transfer a good bit of the color off my lip. They are balmy and they transfer easily at the slightest touch. They likely will need to be reapplied several times throughout the day. The few times I have reapplied them, I didn’t have any problems with the older layer making the new layer look bad.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• For being glossy, they feel lightweight
• Really nice amount of shine for a stick product
• I can press my lips together and they don’t feel sticky/goopy
• Color stays evenly distributed on the lip
• I can barely feel the glitter on my lips (not gritty)

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I’m not a huge fan of large sparkle/glitter personally
• Glitter really clings to lips even after removing and gets on my face and anything I touch

Do I Recommend Them?

Yes but only if you LOVE sparkle. If glitter straying from where you intended to put is even a little annoying to you, maybe take a pause. The base of this formula is fantastic. I love the thinner balmy slip these have. They feel comfortable, hydrating, protective and they look very nice too. I’d love to see Fenty release an in-between finish in this formula that offers just a hint of fine shimmer but with the same type of glossy, transparent color payoff these have. 

Swatches

Icy Amethy$t

Icy Amethy$t is a pale, sheer lavender with blue and pink sparkle. There is more blue sparkle in this than pink. If I apply this one lightly, the base color isn’t too far off from my natural lip color. If I build it up, it begins to look closer to a cool mauve on me.

Flamingo Fling

Flamingo Fling is a pale, cooler pink with silver and pink sparkle. The silver sparkle is much more noticeable than the pink. The shimmer seems more densely packed in this shade than in Icy Amethy$t but there is still a good balance of base color and sparkle if I build it up in layers.

Fu$$y

Fu$$y is a medium, cooler, mauve pink with silver, gold, pink and blue sparkle. The blue sparkles stand out the most against the base color but from a distance, the sheen is more “neutral” and not distractingly blue. It seems the base color is slightly more opaque in this shade than the previous two.

Fenty Glow

Fenty Glow is a light, warmer, peachy pink with large yellow gold, greenish gold, blue and pink sparkles. The gold is the most prominent and the sparkles seem a little larger in this shade. The opacity of this shade is similar to Fu$$y. It’s still transparent but the color builds up much more quickly than Icy Amethy$t or Flamingo Fling.

C U In Maui

C U In Maui is a bright coral with large gold and pink sparkle. I can see both colors of sparkle closer up but from a distance, the gold sheen stands out more. This one seems to have more sparkle packed into it than some of the other shades but there’s still a good balance of base color to glitter when I build it up.

Hot Chocolit

Hot Chocolit is a true brown with slight reddish tones and gold, green, blue, and pink sparkle. Up close and even from a slight distance, I can see the various different colors in the sparkle but as with all the other shades, it doesn’t take away from the base color. Even though this shade is deeper (and more noticeable on me) the opacity is not too different than most of the other medium-depth shades. One thin layer immediately shows up on me (though still transparent) and I am able to add 3-4 more passes to build it up without it looking streaky. I feel it still looks good around the edges and I don’t need a brush or lip liner to make it look decent on me.

What it is: Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Blah 2 Bright 5% AHA Face Mask is an exfoliating, cherry-scented, gel mask that is applied to dry skin and rinsed off after 10 minutes. It contains a variety of acids to immediately help smooth out dull skin and is supposed to help brighten the complexion and combat dark spots with regular use. This is purely a chemical exfoliator, as there are no gritty particles in it.

Price/Quantity: $39 for 75 ml / 2.5 fl oz

Availability: Fenty Beauty, Sephora

Packaging: Heavy glass jar with a sturdy plastic lid. There is also an added plastic cap/liner that sits between the jar and lid.

Smell/Fragrance: It has the type of cherry scent that for some reason brings back memories of childhood. It’s a strong, sweet, well rounded fragrance with just the right amount of tartness. I’m not against fragrance entirely in skincare but I prefer, if it is added, to be something like this, where it is very intentionally part of the experience and not just an afterthought. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

AQUA/WATER/EAU, GLYCERIN, GLYCOLIC ACID, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, PROPANEDIOL, POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, LACTIC ACID, 3-O-ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID, CARRAGEENAN, MALPIGHIA GLABRA (ACEROLA) FRUIT JUICE, MALPIGHIA GLABRA (ACEROLA) FRUIT EXTRACT, SALICYLIC ACID, PANTHENOL, CAFFEINE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TOCOPHEROL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) EXTRACT, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, RAPHANUS SATIVUS (RADISH) ROOT EXTRACT, LEUCONOSTOC/RADISH ROOT FERMENT FILTRATE, LACTOBACILLUS, MALTODEXTRIN, OLETH-20, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, SODIUM BENZOTRIAZOLYL BUTYLPHENOL SULFONATE, SODIUM PHYTATE, GLYCERYL POLYACRYLATE,  PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, PHENOXYETHANOL, RED 40 (CI 16035).

Source: Fenty Beauty

My Experience With It

I first tried the Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Mask about a year ago, being somewhat intrigued with the ingredient list. With one use, I see immediate results. My skin looks and feels smoother and makeup applies much better. They say that with regular use, it is supposed to brighten the skin and treat dark spots. I use it somewhat regularly but not religiously and I haven’t seen these longer term benefits in my own skin personally. I do notice a slight brightening effect right after using it but I feel it’s probably just due to the top layer of dead skin being gone creating that illusion. For the most part, my skin tolerates this well with minimal to no irritation and I’m very happy with the results. It’s not the cheapest option for exfoliating the skin, but using a thin layer is still effective, and I can stretch out the time between uses. The price is worth how it works for me.

How I Use It

After some trial and error, my favorite way to use this is right before I shower. I may or may not wash my face before hand. If my skin is quite dry (not much oil on the surface), I won’t even wash my face, but if it’s oily I’ll do a quick rinse and pat my skin dry. I will then apply a thin layer all over, avoiding the eye area and lips. If I have any breakouts or areas of the skin that are broken I may try to avoid those as well just so it doesn’t sting. When I first started using this, I left it on for the recommended 5-10 minutes. After close to a year of using it, I feel like it’s better for me if I leave it on for more like 10-15 minutes. If I approach longer times like 20 minutes, I do notice it causes some mild redness and irritation.

I rinse this off in the shower because it is quite thick and simply using my hands with some water over the sink TAKES FOREVER. It is much faster to let the water run over my face in the shower to remove all of the product from my skin. I sometimes use a cloth (wash cloth, square of gauze, etc.) to speed this process up. Doing this is an added level of physical exfoliation, so be mindful that may be a bit too harsh if you have sensitive skin. Personally, I love the combo of this and it does an amazing job of making my skin feel super refreshed.

Depending on how dry or oily my skin is, I may not even use a facial cleanser afterward. In the warmer months, I’m more likely to cleanse either before or after but in the winter I often skip it.

When I use it more regularly, 2-3 times a week (for example: Mon, Wed, Fri) is a good amount that doesn’t irritate my skin but also maintains the smoothness I like. However, I kind of jump around to different products now and then so I don’t follow this pattern religiously. 

How Long It Lasts

I’ve been on the same jar for this entire past year and I’ve just now finished it. Last fall, I repurchased a couple more jars to have on backup in anticipation of running out.

I’d say if I was only using this one exfoliator regularly, I might be able to get around 4 months out of the jar. In the year that I had the container open, I didn’t notice any changes in texture, smell, or effectiveness of the product.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Less harsh than a physical exfoliator.
• Just as effective if not more effective than a physical exfoliator.
• The cherry fragrance is a treat in itself (there’s something nostalgic about it).

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Difficult to rinse off at a sink (better to do this in the shower) because it’s thick and gummy once it dries down. Using some sort of facial cloth makes this go much faster and provides a tiny bit of extra physical exfoliation.
• More time intensive than a physical exfoliator since you need to let it sit on the skin for a bit.
• It has a noticeable stingy feeling on the skin, which is even stronger if I’ve done any facial hair removal before use. I wouldn’t say it’s painful or all that uncomfortable, but it’s noticeable even with regular use.

Fenty Beauty Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stains come in four bright but translucent shades and give the lips a lightly glossy finish. They look and feel sort of like lip glosses at first but with a thinner texture. I can press my lips together and there is no stickiness at all and the color does not gather in a line if I do this. 

These are not transfer proof right after application. If I touch the product or drink from a cup, it transfers as easily as any lip gloss woud. After about 2 hours the moisture and shine fade somewhat, still leaving behind the majority of the color and there is far less transfer. After about 4 hours, I can see the color clearly but my lips look much drier and there is almost no transfer at all. The color mostly fades evenly over time and I don’t get any weird patchiness or crustiness. If I wear a mask over these, some of the color/gloss transfers to the mask itself but it doesn’t smudge outside my lip lines or make a mess of my makeup.

These have a lightly flocked, flattened doefoot wand and it holds just the right amount of product to apply to my lips without having to dip back into the tube for more. I found it pretty easy to control application, get crisp lines and define the cupids bow.

There is a very slight chemical scent and taste that isn’t fragrance. If you are very sensitive to scents then it may be bothersome but I don’t feel that it is too strong or noticeable.

I recommend first applying color to the center of the lips when the applicator is still heavily coated in product. Once there is less on the wand, it is easier to apply clean lines around the edges of the lips.

Mai Type

Mai Type is the lightest of the four shades and is a medium mauvy pink. This is cooler toned and leans a bit berry/purple.

Strawberry Sangria

Strawberry Sangria is nearly a true red but it does have a small amount of pink to it.

Zesty Bestie

Zesty Bestie is an orangey red.

Berry Banger

Berry Banger is a somewhat more opaque and darker berry shade. Goes on evenly. Very small amount of feathering.

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Fenty Beauty Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipsticks come in 10 shades, contain 2.8 g / .098 oz, and retail for $22 each. From swatching, these are definitely sheer and feel smooth and not sticky on the lips. They are a little thicker in texture than I imagined they would be but not enough to be uncomfortable. Some shades have larger sparkle/glitter that you can feel on the lips. I will note which ones those are below.

For the lip swatches below, I applied one thin layer only and avoided building up the color as much as possible. This helps to get a more even application with this formula. This isn’t one I would attempt to layer to get more color payoff because for some shade this results in bunching and patchiness.

Quartz Candy

Quartz Candy has a clear base with pink and gold sparkle. The sparkles are pretty small and I don’t feel them very much unless I’m pressing my lips together and really paying attention. They are somewhat noticeable at a normal viewing distance but not as much as I thought they would be considering how noticeable they are when you look directly at the bullet.

$uga Kiss

$uga Kiss is a sheer, pale pink with very subtle satin shimmer. The shimmer is not noticeable on the lips. This shade does settle a bit into my lip lines and can bunch up if applied too heavily.

Tang Thang

Tang Thang is a sheer but bright orangey red with very fine golden shimmer. The shimmer is barely noticeable at all on the lips. I have to be careful to only apply a thin layer of this and not build it up too much or else it can easily bunch up and look uneven.

Makeout Break

Makeout Break is a sheer, pale peach with golden shimmer. I can barely feel the shimmer at all on the lips. The color is very light and clashes a bit with my natural lip color. It isn’t pigmented enough to really keep the natural color of my lips from showing through. As a result, it can look a little bit streaky or patchy on me.

Glazed

Glazed is a sheer peachy beige with golden sparkles. I can feel the sparkles only the slightest bit if I press my lips together but I don’t find it bothersome. They are somewhat noticeable on the lips form a normal viewing distance. The color went on evenly.

Retro Rose

Retro Rose is warm rosy pink with with fine silver micro sparkles. I don’t feel the sparkles and can barely even see them on the lips unless I’m really looking for them. The color applied smoothly and evenly to the lips.

Goji Gang

Goji Gang is a sheer mauve with an ultra subtle satin shimmer. This applied evenly to the lips.

Cookies & Cocoa

Cookies & Cocoa is a sheer rosy brown with fine golden shimmer. This applied smoothly and evenly across the lips.

Bubble Rum

Bubble Rum is a sheer, medium chocolate brown with very fine golden sparkles. I don’t feel the sparkles on my lips. They are not super noticeable against the base color unless you are really looking up close. This shade was not as even on me as I would have liked. I recommend wearing a thin layer for those with fairer skin tones. I think on a deeper skin tone, this would look more even.

Vamps Who Brunch

Vamps Who Brunch is a sheer deep violet with larger blue sparkles. The blue sparkles are very noticeable on the lips, even from a normal viewing distance. I would say they are even more noticeable in person than they are in these photos. I can feel the sparkles in this enough that I’d warn anyone who hates the feeling of glitter in their lip products. This shade could very quickly look bunched up or streaky if I applied too much. Definitely recommend one thin layer and no more for those of you with fairer skin tones. For those with deeper skin tones, I imagine this shade would look more even.

Fenty Beauty’s Glossy Posse is a limited edition holiday set featuring 5 shades of their Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer. It retails for $42.00 and each gloss contains 5.5 ml / 0.18 fl oz of product. There are four new shades and the fifth, Fu$$y, is permanent. The set can be purchased from Sephora or Fenty Beauty.

The glosses come in a metal tin with a felt-lined insert to hold the glosses in place.

The formula feels the same as their original shades with the exception that some of the shades in this set have larger flecks of glitter. The gloss is thick and noticeable on the lips but not uncomfortable. It is not sticky at all and it dries down over the course of 2-3 hours. The thicker I apply it to my lips initially, the longer the wear time. By the time it dries down completely, any larger glitter in the shade I wear will still be left on my lips.

They have a soft, sweet smell. The fragrance does not smell floral or particularly fruity. The closest thing I can think of to describe the scent is maybe some type of cake or cookie. There is no flavor.

Most of these have glitter in them. If I press my lips together I can feel it, especially with the shades Pretty Please and Hot Chocolit. Confetti and Cheeky had smaller glitter that was less noticeable. Fussy in this seems like the same quality as the full size that I have. I also have Diamond Milk and its somewhat similar to Confetti but not an exact match. Diamond Milk is a clear gloss with silver glitter. Confetti has more of a blueish-purplish shift to it. What makes this set nice in my opinion is the inclusion of a few deeper/brighter colors. This formula works nicely with more intense color infused into it. I like that the color is sheer.

Pretty Please – This is a bright but sheer fuchsia with mostly silver glitter and a tiny bit of gold glitter. I could unmistakably feel the glitter in this when pressing my lips together. I could feel it more and more as the gloss dried down.

Fu$$y – Cool toned light pink with fine shimmer. The shimmer is ultra fine and I don’t notice it on my lips.

Confetti – Sheer opal with micro glitter that shifts between blue and purple. The sparkles in this are far smaller than in is in Pretty Please but still larger than in Fu$$y. I can feel them but just barely and only if I really try to feel them.

Hot Chocolit – Sheer brown with larger flecks of pink and purple glitter. The glitter particles are larger, about the same size as the ones in the shade Pretty Please. They don’t really stand out all that much, visually. You really have to pay attention and look close to see them.

Cheeky – Bright but sheer coral with golden micro glitter. The sparkles in this are smaller, just like with the shade Confetti.

Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer is a one-shade-fits-all lip gloss. It is a warm peachy pink with golden sparkles and a glossy sheen. Immediately upon application the texture is somewhat thick and I am aware that there is something on my lips, though it’s not uncomfortable. After about 10 minutes, it begins to settle down and feels a bit thinner and less noticeable. There is no stickiness whatsoever if I press lips together, even throughout it’s wear time. I can get about 2 hours of wear before the shine fades. The doe-foot applicator is larger than your standard lip gloss applicator and the top is reflective enough to use as a makeshift mirror. I don’t notice a taste but it does have a sweet scent that isn’t too faint or too strong. If you are looking for a high quality go-to basic perfect for everyday wear, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.