You may have noticed the Maybelline Color Blurs have started popping up at drugstores across Canada lately. It’s a lineup of fairly awesome bright matte colours.
Bright, matte colours? Take me now!
Currently available in ten shades; the Color Blurs range from several shades of pinks to some dark reds. There’s an orange and a plum thrown into the mix as well.
So what’s the deal with the Color Blurs? Well, it’s a twist up product (twist from the BOTTOM! It’s weird, but that’s how it works!) similar to the chubby lip crayons that have been popular for quite while now. Thankfully these are on the much thinner side which means they are a lot easier to apply to the lips (for me anyway) and you can get a much more precise line.
On the opposite end is a soft rubbery smudger intended to help give you a blown out/blurred look.
The colours are opaque on the lips in one swipe and pack one hell of a colour punch. I mean, look at the swatches – that’s a LOT of colour!
In keeping with Maybelline‘s recommendation with these products, I applied a little bit of the Color Blur in Berry Misbehaved to the inside edge of my lips. I then used the smudger to blur out the edges towards the outside of my lips. It’s a bit on the high maintenance side, but it actually produces quite a beautiful effect. I looked into it a bit more and it seems to be a lip trend that started in Korea last year (2014) and it’s started to seep into North America trends recently. It’s supposed to give you that “been eating a popsicle” look. It’s a reverse ombre in my eyes, and I think that makes this trend fairly unique.
Of course, if you want full colour impact, you can absolutely achieve that with this product. And my god how it delivers.
Here’s how the second shade (Fast & Fuchsia) looks blurred out. It’s a slight bit softer than Berry Misbehaved, but I personally don’t notice much of a colour difference when it’s applied this way.
However, with a full application, you can definitely see the difference between the two shades.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking for the blurred effect that Maybelline suggests, or are just seekingr a new vibrant matte colour for your lips, these Color Blurs absolutely deliver. They are smooth and feel soft on the lips. They don’t drag or feel chalky which is an absolute blessing in a matte lip products. They also provide full colour opacity in one swipe. The Color Blurs are scent-free, so if you’re not a fan of Maybelline‘s traditional sweet scent these will absolutely make you happy!
And the smudger? I totally scoffed at it when I first saw it thinking I could produce a better result with my fingertip. I was wrong – that smudger is golden for getting that soft blurred out line. Be sure to wipe it off between uses so you have a clean smudger every time you start blurring out your edges for that ombre look.
In case you hadn’t guessed, I give the Color Blurs two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
This post features press samples sent for consideration.
I’m planning to get these sometime this week and thank you for showing what the smudger can do. The other reviews that I’ve read totally dismiss the smudger and I was a little worried about it but after reading this post, I feel better about purchasing these. I have my eyes set on My My Magenta but I think I’ll be picking up Berry Misbehaved too.
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
I was so “oh whatever” about the smudger till I actually tried it. I’m glad that’s helped you out!
Let me know how your shades work out! I think I’ll be getting some different shades as well since the colours are so gorgeous!
I had Berry Misbehaved in my hands at CVS yesterday! But because they were running a better deal on L’Oreal I went with one of the La Lacque pencils instead. I really like the one I got (Choco-Lacque) but will definitely be getting a couple of these Maybelline ones too. I love how they look using the smudger!
I heard the La Lacques were back (weren’t they originally out briefly last year I think?)! I’ve never actually seen them at a drugstore in Canada so I’m not sure if they made it up here. Do the L’Oreal ones have a scent? I’m so grossed out the usual L’Oreal scent that I’m typically put off by their lip products unfortunately. 🙁
I think they are, along with the Le Mattes! I’ve been seeing full displays at various drugstores here in northern California. I had read they were out last year too but at that time it was like an urban legend because I never actually saw any 😄 It has a very faint floral (?) scent. My nose isn’t very sensitive but I had to put it right up close to really smell it and I didn’t notice it at all while I was wearing it. Definitely not as strong as the L’Oreal lipsticks that I have.
Gotcha. Okay, I’ll be on the lookout for those here! I was in the drugstore about five minutes ago perusing but didn’t spot them. Sometimes it can take a few months for things to show up in Canada.
I was just looking at these yesterday! They didn’t have any testers and I couldn’t choose a colour, so I just left them there. May have to go back…
Shoot! The Shoppers I was at today had testers, were you at a Rexall?
I’d say the darker colours are way nicer than the lighter. Agree that I was very skeptical of that smudger but it really did work!
I couldn’t believe it. I thought that thing was ridiculous when I looked at it – because those kinds of attachment pieces usually are! But yeah, perfect smudge with it. Unbelievable.
Oh wow that gives quite a good “blurred” effect! It’s pretty surprisingly that Korea didn’t have a product like this since it looks like it makes things pretty easy. I follow Korean entertainment and always find it really neat when things come out here that have been popular there for a while!
I didn’t look into it very deeply, but maybe they did use some kind of rubber tool to smudge it out? Either way, Maybelline did an awesome job with this one.
I do feel like North America is pretty slow on the trends. lol
you totally perfected the ombre look! i agree, the formula is quite good. i don’t prefer to wear these full on though but the smudger and smudgy-ness of the formula works perfectly.
Thanks Jenn! I think a fully soft lip would look great too. I tend to apply my product pretty heavy handed, which isn’t necessarily the best way to do it…
I just bought one of these (I’m Blushing, I think), but haven’t tried using the smudger. The ombre thing is definitely a “I just ate a popsicle” look. I’m always fascinated by how much the Asian beauty market/styles can set trends on a worldwide level. They always seem ahead of the curve and modern. Remember when BB creams were only available there?
I do! And I’m not even convinced the BB creams we have here are the same as the ones they have. I’m fairly certain we’re all being duped in North America and they’re really just tinted moisturizers!
I think that’s true!
These look super I will have to check them out thanks for the review I want the Fast & Fuchsia one 🙂
Hey Cheryl! I was really pleased with how nice the Fast & Fuchsia one looks. It’s not a colour I gravitate towards, but I thought it looked so pretty! Let me know how you feel about them after you’ve picked one up!
I’ve attempted to achieve this look with other lip products in my stash, and I’ve really liked the effect! But the texture of these sounds great and both of these shades are totally up my alley 🙂
I think you could manage it with a soft matte lipstick, although I’m sure just about any lipstick would work, but I think the matteness is what helps the look be cohesive. (Shiny might look a bit off.)
I read that wrong, so you HAVE tried it out with other lipsticks! What worked best?
I’ve only tried it once, with my Ilia Lipstick Crayon (which has a satin finish) and it worked quite well 🙂
Such pretty lips!
I love the ombre look that it gives, and it also looks great full on.
Since I’m such a huge KBeauty fan I don’t know why I have not tried the ombre lips yet (I procrastinate too much some times).
Go for it! It’s pretty, but I’ve not tried wearing it at the office since I think I’d end up fussing with my lips too much.