One of Stila’s new releases for Summer is their After Glow Lip Color. I was instantly drawn to this because I am a huge fan of chubby lip pencils. However, this isn’t just any chubby lip crayon. It contains florescent pigments that respond to black lights! According to the Stila website, the florescent pigment is also three times brighter in sunlight. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not really a fan of this gimmick, but I still had to try the Afterglow Lip Color! J
As I said, these are chubby pencils filled with a medium, buildable coverage, subtly staining lip color. The color twists up, so no sharpening required. The shades are pretty pigmented and the six available colors are relatively bold. No neutral pinks here! J Don’t be frightened by the three times brighter in sunlight claim or the bold look in the casings, because they do apply relatively sheer at first and can easily make a wash of definite color, but not necessarily shockingly bright color. The color also seems to look the same inside and outside – they are not screaming, “look at my lips!” bright in the sun. With beautiful buildable colors, these pencils are quick and easy with no fuss application – in other words, they are perfect for Summer! J
Stila Afterglow Lip Colors in
Electric Pink, Party Pink, Rave Red & Tangerine Dream
In addition to the easy application and bright color choices, these pencils are also pretty long lasting. They are not too creamy, or at all greasy or slippery, so they stay on the lips. They are also not overly waxy, nor do they dry out the lips or emphasize lines or flakiness. They are kind of the perfect balance of a lip color that lasts without being uncomfortable! And, as if that weren’t enough, they also have a slight staining effect too! Double the wearing power!!! J
Stain remaining after washing and drying arm with a towel
According to Stila, these pencils contain a number of good-for-the-lips ingredients. There is Sunflower Seed Oil to nourish and moisturize and Oat Kernel Extract to soothe and calm lips. Algae Extract helps retain moisture and adds anti-oxidant properties along with Vitamins C and E, while Glycerin helps attract and trap moisture. Stila says they are cherry flavored, but I do not really notice much, if any, smell or taste. That’s fine with me because Cherry is not my flavor of choice! J I should also point out they do not have that traditional lipstick-like taste either. I really notice nothing in terms of flavor or scent. These do contain Lanolin Oil and Lanolin Wax, so they are not Vegan.
As I mentioned, the pigments in these pencils react with black light. I kind of wish they didn’t. Should you happen to come across an area with black lights – I know, not likely to happen completely by accident – your lips are going to glow. Though I find that kind of cool, I’d rather have a lip color I can feel confident in wearing under any lighting conditions without looking a little frightening. And I love the shades of this pencil enough that I would wear them pretty much any day – but I don’t want a glowing mouth! That being said, the odds of me running into a black-lit area are pretty rare, so I find myself gravitating towards the After Glow Lip Pencils quite often! J
Stila Afterglow Lip Colors in
Electric Pink, Party Pink, Rave Red, & Tangerine Dream
My verdict? These are amazing lip colors that last well, are well pigmented and come in great Summer shades. I can overlook the black light gimmick, but I do wish these pencils were not black light reactive. I would still highly recommend these lip pencils…just look out for weird lighting conditions!!! J
Stila After Glow Lip Color pencils are available in 6 shades, and retail for $18 each. They can be found wherever Stila products are sold. They are currently on sale at Ulta for $12 each, so what are you waiting for? Rush to Ulta a pick up a few!!! J
