Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir Review & Swatches

Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir Creamy Lip Lacquer is a newly formulated Maybelline Color Elixir that’s launching in eight shades with the Maybelline Spring 2015 Makeup Collection. As a fan of Color Elixir I was quite excited to see these at Harmons recently and picked up six of the eight shades for myself to try out.

Let’s take a look!

Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir Creamy Lip Lacquer is slightly confusing as originally I thought this new formula would be shimmery or even iridescent in finish but technically I’m not seeing any of that. I am however, seeing more shine from the formula and quite a different texture and formula when compared to the original Color Elixirs.

Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir Swatches (Enthralling Nude, Mystical Magenta, Opalescent Orchid, Glistening Coral, Radiant Ruby, Lust for Mauve)

As you can the new Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir are packaging exactly the same as the original Elixir’s in a small chubby tube that’s 0.17 in size and features a thin flocked applicator for application. Just a note about the applicator, out of the six shades about three or four of the applicators were curled up for some reason and horribly bent right out of the tube (look at Glistening Coral below and you can see what I mean). At first I had thought someone had opened and screwed up the applicator but all of the glosses were sealed. I tried bending them back into shape but wasn’t successful unfortunately. I’m not sure what happened here but it did ruin my experience a little with the product.

The original Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid was a hybrid product that had the texture of a gloss with the color of a lipstick and the hydrating feel and texture of a lip balm. They sort of have that cushy balm-y texture that felt quite lovely on lips.

The new Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir are formulated a good deal differently and felt like the product was more of a lipgloss vs the original hybrid formulation. The colors are a little tiny bit sheerer (although still nicely pigmented), the texture was a little thinner and considerably more shiny. The shades have a tiny hint of sparkle but it’s barely noticeable on lips and some of the shades have a hint of an iridescent finish but again it’s barely noticeable. Maybelline did lighten up on the vanilla/creme brulee fragrance and flavor in my opinion as well. I felt the wear time was a little shorter as well since these lack the slight tacky, sticky consistency the originals had. I can get about three hours from some shades where as others wear about two.

Maybelline Entralling Nude Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

Maybelline Glistening Coral Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

Maybelline Radiant Ruby Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

Maybelline Opalescent Orchid Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

Maybelline Mystical Magenta Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

Maybelline Lust for Mauve Iridescent Shine Color Elixir

I find the formula is a bit more gelly-like and the texture and translucent finish kinda of sort of reminds me of Chanel Gloss Fluo De Chanel Brilliant Lip Shine.

Where as I felt the original formula kinda reminded me of a liquified version of a lip balm I feel the new formula is more of a true thinner lipgloss with the high shine of one.

I think if you didn’t like the original Elixirs you might just embrace the new Iridescent Shine ones. They are lighter, less fragranced/flavored, with a higher shine and less pigment. It’s kinda a nice and playful Spring edition of Color Elixirs in my opinion. I do believe it might prove a little disappointing though if you liked the plushy, creamier texture of the originals but for me I kinda like the lighter texture! Both versions are really quite lovely in my experience.

Maybelline Iridescent Shine Color Elixir is available now at Harmons and should be launching at major drugstores at the end of December and into January.

Tried them?

Do share your thoughts and experience with the new formula!