March 21, 2013

Sephora + Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

Sephora + Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands

I love the general idea of the new Sephora + Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands ($24) but the packaging is a pest to use and what originally looked like a really cool concept ends up being a PITA.

I mean think about it the name alone is kinda funky right? Colorbyte Lip Wands? It’s appeals to my geeky good nature in a major way. Even the pristine white packaging has visions of Apple dancing through my head. If Steve Jobs was going to use a lipgloss at some point in his life it would have had to be one called Colorbyte Lip Wands right?

Take a peek!

This four piece collection is housed in a green slide out box. Inside you’ll find four crystal cube glosses with chic white accenting. The packaging at a glance is beautiful. The glosses resemble little ice cubes. Unfortunately this packaging will begin to grate on your nerves after a while. Each tube has a twist off top and a very tiny slanted plastic applicator for application. You have to squeeze the middle of the cube to get the gloss to flow into the applicator tip but this proves a little challenging at times. Although the center of the packaging where you’re squeezing has some give you still have to press rather hard to get the gloss out. As you near the end of the gloss I imagine it’ll become even more challenging!

Sephora Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands

My second issue with this set are the colors.

The set contains:

  • Touch of Emerald (glittery white gold clear gloss)
  • Cameo Brown (muddy mauve brown)
  • Georgia Peach (bright cream coral)
  • Crocus (dark lilac purple)

Aside from the glittery shade the rest of the colors are really unflattering. I’m unsure who would really enjoy shades like this. It really is a matter of personal taste of course but I think many of you would agree that these shades aren’t something you’d want to spend $24 dollars on.

Sephora + Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands Spring 2013

Sephora + Pantone Universe Colorbyte Lip Wands Swatches

On the up side, the texture of the glosses is lovely. They have a good deal of pigment, a high glossy shine, and the formula is very comfortably with a gel-like consistency that has a lightweight texture sans stickiness. Supposedly they are a volumizing formula and the gloss being so thick in texture that’s true as it gives my lips a more pouty appearance thanks to that thickness. They do not contain fragrance or flavor of any kind.

Overall, Sephora did a great job on these. The formula is lovely, the packaging is very appealing, but sadly, that packaging can prove pretty as well as challenging. I think the colors are terribly mismatched and as out there as they could go. A few users on the Sephora website said they successfully combined the colors and mixed and matched them to create other shades. I tried cocktailing myself but wasn’t pleased with the overall results at all. These colors just aren’t me.

Sephora’s latest Pantone Collection has a few gems but I felt like the Colorbytes Lip Wand Set wasn’t one of them.

Sorry Sephora!

Available now at Sephora stores or online.

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Eraser

    The new trend in beauty seems to be the focus on packaging, as if the actual product is now secondary. Seems to me over-reaching in “designer” artwork or, as you just described, “innovative” packages. Wouldn’t this kind of thing be so much better in a simple palette form?

    • Chynna

      I agree! I like innovative packaging, but it has to function well or it’s a problem and I’ll avoid it.

  • Christine Joy Luikuo

    It seems awesome by looking at it but just as soon as I saw how it looks like by singles, I already know it’ll be difficult to make the glosses come out. Maybe it has a very small applicator, then it’ll be easier to use. And the colors! They’re not wearable. They are lovely colors when playing around with Pantone palettes but I think they’re better be used in eyeshadows rather than in lip products.

  • Ruthless

    The shades look really good on me, I loved this set! However the squeeze packaging is really annoying, and it’s on my “maybe” list.

    The mauve colour is my favorite, followed by the coral. Then the lavender. I didn’t try the glitter in store. I find all of the 3 actual colours to be fairly opaque and flattering.

    • the Muse

      happy to hear it 🙂 mauve worked for me the other three shades not so good 🙁

  • 18thCenturyFox

    I love all the colors but the muddy one and you are right about that packaging! Like those old skool UD refrigerator kits- cute but no way am I gonna work with that past age 14. In fact I keep thinking Georgia Peach would be cute with Betty Bright and Crocus with Daddys Little Girl. Sorry- I’m a daddys girl and I still feel a bit barfy when I type that.

  • Lorraine

    I was drawn to these the second I saw them in the store. But I found it impossible to get any gloss out to swatch on my hand. And I tried all four. The colors look tempting but the packaging should come with a warning about potential carpal tunnel syndrome…

  • Deb

    Taking into account how colors display on different computer monitors….those are some ugly colors.

    • the Muse

      lol….I kinda felt the same 🙂 I just can’t wear these without looking very odd.

  • Sara

    I totally just LOLed at my desk from the Steve Job wearing lipgloss comment!!! You crack me up, Muse… 😛

  • dia

    Oh, poo! I really wanted to like these. I love unusual lip colors, and the packaging is very pretty, but there’s not much point to it if you can’t get the product out! (also I don’t understand the “wand” part of the name- these things aren’t wandlike at all!)

  • TwirlyGirly

    “They do not contain fragrance or flavor of any kind.”

    I wonder why your set has no fragrance, Muse! My set smells quite distinctly of chocolate – or, more specifically, as my daughter said, “hot chocolate MIX.”

    They have no flavor, though.

    • the Muse

      wow my nose must be off, I don’t get that twirly at all…! I have one up to my nose right now…! It could be because I have a press sample, sometimes press samples are a little different from the original store release…I know sounds weird but it happens 🙂

      • TwirlyGirly

        Maybe that’s it. I had someone visiting yesterday, and showed the set to her (I wanted to see if she had as much of an issue dispensing the product as I – she DID), and the first thing she did after removing the cap was to put it up to her nose to sniff – “Wow! Chocolate!” were her exact words. So I don’t *think* it’s all in our collective imaginations…..LOL!

        But seriously….you need to contact Sephora and demand the chocolate-scented set….you definitely got short changed!

        • the Muse

          My nose be broke 🙂 I really don’t get any scent at all! Now you have me curious to go to Sephora and smell them 😀 did you like the set? Curious minds. I thought it was really a cute design and the formula was awesome but I swear I didn’t get along with the shades at all, they make me look deathly 🙁 And the packaging can be a PITA sometimes!

          • TwirlyGirly

            H-m-m-m-m….do I like the set…? Well, the packaging design is innovative and beautiful, albeit totally UN-user friendly. The gloss formula is very good, IMO. The colors….I think they could have done MUCH better. To be honest, even though I’m not a “collector” of makeup by any means (can’t afford to be), I have to admit my reasons for buying was more because of the packaging as opposed to “I just HAVE to have those colors,” and that is something I don’t do very often. Of the products in the collection, I bought the Colorbyte Lip Wands and the four-piece eyeliner set. The eyeliner set is fantastic, IMO, with the size/finishes being just right to get me through this season of all things Emerald….and at only 18.00, I think quite a steal.

          • the Muse

            agreed on all of that. I really LOVED the packaging and I thought the gloss was lovely…but friendlier colors would be nice. and I think they could have kept this design but just made it a little more squeezable to get the gloss to flow better! I typically have excellent success with Sephora’s eyeliners, doesn’t surprise me you loved them ;-D TGIF btw…thank god it’s friday, I’m dead tired ;-D