In which I wear orange lipstick and don't look like a clown corpse

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There were two truths that I once thought I knew about myself: I don't really like lipstick, and I can't wear orange makeup. I look okay in orange clothing, so I've always felt like I should be able to wear orange on my face, but it always goes horribly wrong somehow. Orange eyeshadow = fresh zombie. Orange blush = consumption victim. Orange lipstick = clown recently murdered by jealous competitor. I've given orange lip products that look dreadful on me to my sister, and she looks great in them - despite the fact that looking at us, you would think we had very similar coloring, and we've even been mistaken for twins (although I am 4 years older, haha, sucka). Even coral on the orange side has been a disaster.

I've eased up a bit on the lipstick hate lately, though I still prefer a stain or a gloss or a balm, etc. But I'm still not completely sure what compelled me to spend my precious Ipsy points (shout out to whomever used my invite link!) on an orange lipstick. In the photos and swatches that I found online, bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Light It Up looks pretty bright fucking orange. Exactly the kind of thing I've never been able to wear, and yet I ordered it. Morbid curiosity?

When I got it and opened up the tube . . . yeah, it still looks pretty fucking orange. An orangey coral, but definitely orangey. As I should have expected. Yikes.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Light It Up

By the way, I find the locking mechanism on the tube somewhat annoying. I guess it would help to prevent it from coming open in your purse or whatever, but this way you have to flip it upside down, slide the little knob, then flip it back over and pull the lipstick out. It's 5 seconds, but it seems unnecessarily gimmicky. I'd prefer a regular lid that just clicks into place.

Since I already spoiled the end of this fascinating drama in the title of the post, I'll get to the results, where - surprise! - this lipstick actually doesn't look terrible on me.

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Light It Up

When it's on my face, it looks like it has a lot more pink in it than it does in the bullet. Its definitely a coral shade, not a pure orange. Quite bright, and yet there's something about this one that does not turn the rest of my face the color of death! I don't know what it is. Needs more research.

The formula of the lipstick is pretty nice. It's creamy and goes on opaque. The best way to apply it is to put on one coat, blot the fuck out of it, and then add another coat. If you just do a single layer, it will show lines and dryness much worse. Two layers evens most of that out. Because it's very creamy, it will settle into lines slightly as time passes, but honestly, I am pretty damned picky about that sort of thing, and I don't think it's noticeable unless you look extremely closely. The creaminess also means that it will transfer easily. This is definitely not a long-wear lipstick, but nevertheless, the color lasts several hours (I'd say 5+ even if you drink a cup of coffee and eat a snack or something), and the creaminess means you can press your lips together and keep it spread around as the day goes on. It wears off pretty nicely, not patchy. Because of the texture, it feels great on my lips and isn't drying, which I appreciate. The lipstick has a light vanilla-mint scent, kind of like mint-flavored white chocolate, but it's very subtle and dissipates quickly.

I'm not sure how I would have felt about this lipstick if I had actually paid $18 for it. Would I be disappointed, or would I convince myself that it was utterly perfect, to justify the price? It's not cheap.

I do recommend checking it out if you have some Ipsy points hoarded and have been dithering about whether or not to redeem them for this lipstick. Especially if you are like me and feel like you should be able to wear orange makeup, but usually can't. It's possible that it will surprise you too.

(Note: Ipsy's points system is kind of shit, I know. You can't really get enough points to redeem for anything unless you have some referrals, because points expire after a year. This is one of the great divides in the Birchbox vs. Ipsy debate, because Birchbox's points are awesome. Personally, I still prefer Ipsy, because I feel like I get more interesting and valuable products for my $10. No foil packets or tiny, terrible perfume vials, which seemed to make up at least half of what I got when I subscribed to Birchbox.)