December 16, 2015

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick Review & Swatches

Sephora Pantone Universe Color of the Year Matte Lipstick 2016

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick ($18) is a new, limited edition shade that is launching with Sephora 2016 Pantone Color of the Year Makeup Collection. This shade was inspired by one of the two Pantone Color of the Year, Rose Quartz, which is a soft baby pink.

Sephora created this lipstick color as a layering tool to be used with other colors. I find it lightens shades up considerably and adds a little coolness to them. Whether or not you’ll wear it alone depends on how brave a girl or guy you are as this one is quite a pale whitish pink.

Let’s take a look!

Sephora Pantone Universe Color of the Year Matte Lipstick5

Sephora Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick6

The Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick comes housed in a packaging we were introduced to last year with the Sephora + Pantone Universe Pure Marsala Matte Lip Creme Lipstick and Sephora + Pantone Universe Marsala Cooling Multi-Stick. The outer box has gives the illusion that the lipstick is floating in thin air. It’s a rather pretty effect plus add the soft, pastel watercolor print on the box and you have a really elegant looking presentation. The actual lipstick barrel is square with a light blue and pink ombre design representing Serenity and Rose Quartz the two 2016 Pantone Color of the Year shades. This is actually a lighter plastic tube compared to heavier tubes from Pantone Collections in the past but still pretty regardless.

Sephora Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick

As per Sephora, this pastel pink shade is “meant to layer and be mixed with other shades”. I would say that’s about right as most people will find the heavier white undertone makes it very difficult to pull off on its own. I find the shade pulls more of a white on my lips with a bit of pink versus a true pale pink shade. I’m not saying there are people that can’t pull the look off, just that few will be able too.

The formula is a iffy for me. It drags a good deal during application and proves very difficult to get a smooth, even finish. It also accentuates every single natural lip line and falls into those lines which gives the finished look a very dry, patchy appearance. It’s supposed to be a satin finish but it actually feels more matte to me. I also found it difficult to use a layering shade since application is a bit messy plus add another color on top and things blend out into a rather hot mess that migrates every where. The wear time is around three hours and it fades pretty fast during that time period.

I actually found myself wishing it was more of a sheer color changing lipstick that applied a natural pink. But this is quite pigmented and applies near white on my lips!

MAC Von Teese Lipstick Swatches

MAC Von Teese Lipstick Swatches

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick (Von Teese Lipstick layered on top)

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick (Von Teese Lipstick layered on top)

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick Swatches

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick Swatches

I used it with MAC Von Teese Lipstick and as you can see it morphs the shade from a brighter red to a cooler pink. It actually works great during laying swatch on my wrist but in reality it doesn’t quite work that way on lips. A lip brush might help but it can be a bit messy in my experience.

I think Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick is definitely would make a welcome addition to an artist’s kit but for the average makeup user like myself that’s not incredibly creative or very good at makeup application it might be a little difficult to get down right. Both the formula and the color make it a near impossible task to wear perfectly and correctly! There’s no doubt it’s unique but it’s a hard to use that’s for sure.

Sephora + Pantone Color of the Year Layer Lipstick will be launching soon at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Think you’ll buy it?

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

  • Haley

    Wow Muse I’m not going to lie I’m a little disappointed with the collection so far. I definitely thought that this lipstick would be a beautiful and wearable baby pink. Boy was I wrong! I’m really hoping that the palette will save this collection. Will you be reviewing that too? Thanks for the money saving reviews! XD

    • Isabella Muse

      Me too, they sadly aren’t shades I can pull off! Yup! I’ll have that live shortly 🙂 and my pleasure! I’m glad the review helped!

  • Renu

    Bummer. When I first saw this, I thought it would be perfect for “subtlefying” some of my deeper lipsticks. But too bad about the formula. Sounds like too much of a hassle to work with

  • Rachel R.

    Eeek! The lipstick is much whiter than I was expecting. It looks lovely over the Von Teese lipstick, but I think I’ll be passing on it.

  • Katherine T.

    Yep, I was afraid of this. Might as well put pink chalk on my lips. This is very, very sad. This whole collection is a fail, heads should be rolling at Sephora

    • Isabella Muse

      yeah likewise here, very chalky! I’m sure someone will look amazing in it, just not me :-/

  • OliveUnicorn

    Oh wow ! I remember buying the blue when these were new and being so impressed with packaging. I literally used all of the blue , it was the best mixing to tone down certain lipsticks and made the best cool toned greige .