Every week the Gloss team test the best products around and this week it's all about multi-tasking. We tried the all in one lip and cheek colours so you don't have to...
Kiko Glow Touch Lips & Cheeks
Price: £5.90
Buy online: www.kikocosmetics.co.uk
Feedback: “It's no secret that I am a big fan of Kiko; the brand's make-up is generally impressive on all counts - packaging, formula and price - and this creamy lip and cheek tint is no exception. In a handy tin which will be living in my handbag from hereon in, the texture is somewhere between a creamy blush and a lip balm, with no stickiness to speak of. Highly pigmented, just a dab to the cheeks was enough to create a pretty pink blush; I found it a little hard to blend at first as it's such a strong colour but with a bit of effort I was pleased with the dewy finish which was long-lasting too. As a lip tint it gives a gorgeous dense colour yet feels very light, but as someone who prefers balm over lipstick I didn't find it hydrating enough. I much prefer it as a blusher but would happily use it to top up my clear balm with a bit of colour when needed for multi-purpose beauty on the go.”
Reviewer: JJ
Score: 7/10
Revlon Baby Stick Lip and Cheek Tint
Price: £6.99
Buy online: www.boots.com
Feedback: “I really liked the packaging of this tint as it's small enough to carry with you everywhere you go - the downside, though, is that there's not a lot of product in there for your buck. I also couldn't decide whether to use this stick format directly onto lips and cheeks (surely a hygiene issue there?), with a brush or with a fingertip. In the end, though, I tried all three because each time I was convinced I was doing something wrong. I had the Sunset shade and it's really quite baffling; to look at it you see a coral-red stick, yet when putting it on the balm-like formula was almost transparent. It's so sheer that it borders on being a bit pointless - if I wanted a clear lip balm, that's what I would buy. With a lot of applications I eventually got a slight wash of translucent coral colour on my cheek but by that point they were red all by themselves because I'd pressed so hard. Other online reviews suggest the other shades are more pigmented but I'm sad to say I won't be finding out.”
Reviewer: JJ
Score: 2/10
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks
Price: £19
Buy online: www.bobbibrown.co.uk
Feedback: “Creamy, lightweight with just the right pop of colour for my lips and cheeks – now this is what I call an all-round multitasker! Not only did it blend well, but it also left a slight dewy, healthy-looking sheen behind. A great size with a handy mirror in the lid and a brilliant shade range too - I won’t be leaving the house without it.”
Reviewer: AM
Score: 10/10
NARS The Multiple in Portofino
Price: £30
Buy online: www.narscosmetics.co.uk
Feedback: “The Multiple is a make-up bag must-have for women the world over, and its flattering range of shades, compact packaging and versatility ensure that its popularity has barely waned since its launch. Designed to be used on the cheeks, eyes and lips, where you decide to put it depends a lot on your skintone and shade selection. Portofino is a lovely pale rose colour that blended easily and gave my cheeks a natural, outdoorsy flush that lasted most of the day. Colour-wise it worked well on my lips, but unfortunately I found it quite drying and a bit tricker to apply with precision. A lip brush and balm would come to the rescue, but that defeats the purpose of The Multiple as a handy, on-the-go multitasker. I steered away from applying Portofino to my eye area for risk of looking like I had been sobbing in the loos, however other lighter shades would work well as shadows and highlighters. The speedy application is a major bonus, and it’s a great tool for brightening up your visage and creating definition without looking too “done”. I think buying one light shade and one deeper tone would slimline both your handbag and getting ready time, but it will also slenderise your wallet a fair bit.”
Reviewer: AH
Score: 7/10
Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip & Cheek Balm
Price: £20.50
Buy online: www.amazon.co.uk
Feedback: “I love lip tints and I love cream blushes, so to be able to reduce the size of my make-up bag with a multitasker is always a plus. I picked up the Givenchy balm for a couple of reasons - firstly, it’s Givenchy and if it brings me one step closer to Audrey Hepburn I am going to try it; secondly, the packaging was really attractive, clean and just screaming “luxury”. I tried the balm on my lips as they’ve been feeling a bit drier since the weather has turned, and I really liked the texture - it was soft, moisturising, and it didn’t feel like it ‘pulled’ my lips when I applied like others have done. The tint of pink enhanced my natural lip colour, while keeping it subtle. But then it became sticky, and my hair loved it a bit too much.
"Because of this sticky situation, I didn’t try it on my cheeks. I think it would be good on the cheek of someone who doesn’t wear too much coverage underneath their cheek colour or who has the kind of complexion where they just need a slight tint on their cheekbones with that added shimmer. Also, for the price, the pot is incredibly small - but then you’re paying for the gorgeous packaging and the big name behind it.
Reviewer: EC
Score: 4/10
Smashbox O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color
Price: £21
Buy online: www.smashbox.co.uk
Feedback: “I was really fascinated to try out this product as it claims to give you a truly customised colour by reacting with your own skin chemistry. It gave a lovely velvety feel to my cheeks and lips, however the colour was very faint on my dark brown skin even after applying a pretty hefty dose. Lovely texture with a great concept but unfortunately for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.”
Reviewer: AM
Score: 5/10
Benefit Benetint
Price: £24.50
Buy online: www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk
Feedback: “Another dual purpose classic, Benetint was originally created for an exotic dancer in the 70s. It certainly looks quite racy in the bottle (subtle it is not) but once applied the raspberry red shade appears less vibrant. I have three words of advice: blend, blend, blend. And blend fast. And screw the cap on. Otherwise things get messy and you look more clown than cherub. The nail polish style bottle is handy and transportable but I found the brush far too flimsy and imprecise for application; my fingers worked much better. As both a blush and lip stain it was impressively long-lasting, but I found it very drying on my lips so would advise using with a balm (the newer double-ended pocket-pal stain and gloss would work better for lips. Not bad for a transparent flush but requires some delicate handling to get it right.”
Reviewer: AH
Score: 5/10
AERIN Multi Colour for Lips and Cheeks in Natural
Price: £30
Buy online: www.johnlewis.com
Feedback: "I really loved this product! The shade worked perfectly for me and my olive skin but it's versatile enough that it would add a good neutral flush of colour to fairer skins too. It lasts for a long time (though more for cheeks than lips I have to say) and it gives you a very soft bronze colour. Usually I steer clear of cream blushers as I find them too heavy on the skin but this one has a lovely soft and dewy texture. Finally, the packaging is beautiful and perfectly practical for a small make-up bag on the go."
Reviewer: CH
Score: 9/10
Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream Blush
Price: £16.50
Buy online: uk.lizearle.com
Feedback: "Though this is a blusher, it can also be used on lips thanks to its vitamin E-rich formula. The texture of this felt quite thick and heavy at first, which for me is a bit of a turn off. Personally, I prefer a stronger lip so rated it as a lip colour rather than a blusher; it gave a lovely soft texture and a really pretty tint. As a blusher, it's a little too much for me but if you're looking for a rich and creamy alternative to powder it does the job. I wasn't overly keen on the packaging though - there's something slightly medical-looking about the navy blue and white!"
Reviewer: CH
Score: 7/10
Becca Beach Tint for Cheeks and Lips in Watermelon
Price: £20
Buy online: uk.spacenk.com
Feedback: "Some of the best things come in small packages and this little product has been one of my make-up bag staples for many years. So devastated was I on hearing that Becca might be going out of business last year that I stocked up on a load of them (and thankfully it didn't). Why do I love it? Well I don't always use it on my lips and cheeks (or chips and leeks as my mum once said in a tongue-tie!) but it seems to be the perfect cheek 'flush' colour - the colour that you get when you've been on a long windy walk. It's foolproof to apply and takes me from pallid to perky in seconds even if I've had very little sleep. You can use it on your lips too for a raspberry stain or try any of the other sumptuous colours from Peach to Guava and Papaya."
Reviewer: ST
Score: 12/10