As it turns out, that was a terrible idea, but hey, it gave me an excuse to demo everything all over again!
So anyway, Avon is no stranger to the sparkly lipstick. UCR Rubies is the fourth gem-enriched lipstick that I am personally aware of, with the first three being 24K Gold, Brilliance (pearls), and Rose Gold. Avon is a lover of glitter and sparkle, and usually, with the release of a gem-enriched lipstick comes the release of a sparkly make-up item. For 24K Gold, there was an entire 24K Gold collection, including an extension of the quad palettes when they released Golden Twilight and Golden Sapphire; with the release of Rose Gold came Limited Edition Rose Gold nail polishes, and when Brilliance was released, we were treated to the return of Twilight Sparkle and Sparkling Silver Glimmerstick Diamonds, as well as two new shades (Golden Diamond and Brown Glow) and two new nail polishes.
But when Rubies was released, this didn't happen. It could, perhaps, have had something to do with the release of not one, but two new ranges in the brochure before, Arctic Goddess and Dazzling Diva, both of which featured sparkly make-up items. But whatever the reason, in C1 2013, Rubies made its appearance as a stand-alone lipstick with nothing matching to compliment it. For this reason, I was a little disappointed, as I would happily have invested in some eyeshadows with rubies (I feel that Avon is missing out when they fail to include red as a colour in their eye make-up palettes). Despite this, I bought all six of them to try, as they were going cheap as demonstration products go. And so, into my collection I welcomed Noble Nude, Majestic Mauve, Radiant Ruby, Princely Plum, Fuchsia Fame and Imperial Pink, as seen below.
Now, it has to be noted, that when these arrived, they actually look a lot darker than in this picture. I'm guessing that when you have an army of professional photographers at your disposal, you can use all the fancy lighting you want to make your products look pretty. But all the same, I quite liked the darkness of them. I am really into statement lip colours that give you a complete pop - a pout worth looking at, and what better way to do that than with a fairly neutral eye and bold, rich lips?
When I opened the, rather sexy, black and red tube, I was surprised to find that the lipstick had a faint fruity smell to it; a soft and refreshing fruit, perhaps peach or something like that? I can't be too sure, sadly, but it is a very nice smell all the same. The colours were deep and vivid, with tiny tiny flecks of pinky-red sparkle that you can only see under direct light. The whole effect is subtle and glamorous - there's none of this over-the-top glitter effect that can sometimes come across in sparkle lipsticks. The colour of the lipstick compliments the red sparkle perfectly; there is no sense that either one is going to outshine the other, and while the richness of the colours may come across quite intimidating, there is also something energetic and spirited about them. They seem to inspire a sense of boldness, and while normally I wouldn't be seen in the daylight wearing something as deep as Princely Plum, I actually went to the shop wearing it. And do you know what? I didn't care one little bit!
I love this lipstick. While at first the formula felt a little bit gritty, that soon eased out and went on smoothly. The lipstick is soft, silky and light; you barely notice you're wearing it. There's no heavy residue, and my lips felt moisturised, though there is no claim to moisturisation in the advertising. The effect of the rubies was soft and subtle, giving me a sparkly, shiny pout with no in-your-face, overkill glitz which can sometimes ruin an otherwise perfect look. The result was sexy and seductive; something I do not often feel, and many people commented on how nice my lipstick was! What made it all better, was the fact that the lipstick was pretty robust. I spent four hours at a party wearing Fuchsia Fame (a fabulous party colour), and I knocked back quite a few drinks in that time, yet my lipstick still looked bright and kissable. After that I went to the after-party, and when the colour finally did fade, it left behind traces of the ruby sparkle, which on its own was also a nice effect - I did not retouch my lipstick all night (seven hours) because of this. The fruity smell is also ever so slightly present when the lipstick is on, though there is no noticeable taste to the product. While for me transfer was minimal, I have yet to see how well this lipstick holds up in more mouth-active situations, such as kissing or eating, though I am hoping for good results as I would hate to have to consider that this lipstick has a negative side.
Soft and subtle, yet bold and daring. These traits are what make this lipstick truly fabulous. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone. There is a colour to suit all, so if you're not one for the bold bright statements, Noble Nude is there to help. If you want something that is sultry and sensuous, I recommend Princely Plum, and if you just want something cute and girly, Imperial Pink is your colour. I have yet to try out Majestic Mauve and Radiant Ruby, but I see Ruby as a vibrant, sexy colour, perfect for a hot night out, and Mauve as the colour you'd wear on a romantic night with your significant other.
Now, at £8.50, these are in line with most other Avon lipstick prices, so you are probably not going to fork out any more than usual for one. Having said that, there are cheaper lipsticks out there, which has the potential to make some people think twice. Please don't. They are well worth the money!
All-in-all, this one's a slam dunk for me. I don't have a bad word to say about it, which makes a nice change, as I am incredibly fussy when it comes to lipsticks. A top-notch five out of five stars!
Want to try it out or fancy looking at more of Avon's lipstick choices?
Go to my Online Brochure or speak to your Independent Representative. Alternatively, you can buy online at avonshop.co.uk.
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