Some mature women might have been hesitant to choose this vibrant color to test (Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor, 520 Neverending Purple, 0.07 oz), but I just LOVE purple and know older ladies can use bright, bright pinks and corals to great effect, so I thought, "Why not purple, too?" and I'm glad I did!
I don't care that I've been wearing makeup for decades now. I never get tired of playing with it and I feel it gives me a pulled-together look and a look that says I care about my appearance. In fact, I was able to be a receptionist for a billion-dollar company even in my late fifties. The makeup helped me look "polished."
I think a mistake women make is to be scared to use bright colors if they are older, if their skin isn't "perfect," and if they feel their features aren't "perfect." Hogwash! Brights look GOOD on ANYONE, it turns out! Not only do the COLORS look good, the CONFIDENCE shown is appealing, too! I no longer ask myself, "Oh, what will people think?" when choosing makeup and clothes. I ask myself, "Do YOU like this?" instead! Life's too short, people!
Well, I'm talking a big talk, but I did apply the color lightly, just a dot on each side of the bow of the lip, then spread it out with my pinkie to corners for the top (put a dot, pull to side, put the other dot, pull to side), and a bigger dot on the bottom lip and pulled to each side with the pinkie. It gave a wonderful pop of color without emphasizing the lines around my lips. If you are young or don't have the lines yet, use the precise foam brush to fill in the lip with color, instead of spreading a small amount out with your pinkie. On my daughter-in-law, the solid, intense color looks fantastic.
When applied lightly, this color is a vibrant pink with purple tone. When applied solidly, it looks more purple, but not a blue-based purple. It's a red-based, meaning it is more in the pink family.
The name is truthful: Color-STAY. Yes, it stays and stays. I don't even retouch during the day.
Have you seen Lipsense's Violet Reign? This reminds me of it, color-wise. Lipsense is all the rage, but I don't like it. I like, frankly, the Revlon and the Maybelline long-lasting (and 24-hour) lip colors. The Revlon Colorstay I especially like: It doesn't dry my lips, it's reasonable in price, and it lasts longer on me. I can layer it and pull it with my pinkie and it covers beautifully. It isn't patchy when I do this. BIG positive.
I don't use the gloss end of the lipstick (it comes with the foam tilted coloring-in brush on one end, and a pointed brush-like tip for the gloss on the other) because I like a matte lip with bright colors. For a pinky-brown lip, yes, I'd use the gloss overlay. But for me, I like matte brights.