Lipstick Queen Jean Queen Gloss

 

 I won't be giving this product a number rating. I'm not much of a gloss person; in fact, I generally avoid the stuff, and Jean Queen is one of just three glosses in my collection. Therefore, I don't think I'm enough of a gloss aficionado to really rate it. I am a Lipstick Queen person, however, and I'm a huge fan of the Jean Queen lipstick. So when I saw that b-glowing.com had this product on sale, 50% off, I pulled the trigger and bought a gloss.

First, let's talk about the packaging. This is something Lipstick Queen always does well! The box is just plain cute, albeit way too big for the product inside--there's a loooot of empty space inside that box. Perhaps it would have been more economical to do one of the blister packs they use for their other products...?

 

The actual tube is clear plastic, so you can see how much product you've used. The cap is metallic blue, just like the Jean Queen lipstick tube. There's a brush tip applicator, which I almost always hate in those "clicky pen" formats. There's no twist-up mechanism in this gloss, though: you squeeze the tube and it pushes product up to the brush. This makes it much easier to get your product out of the tube, but be forewarned that you only need a little bit of pressure to dispense a lot of gloss. Also, I'm not sure how well this will work when you start running out of gloss--you'll probably have to squeeze really hard to get those last dregs out.

This is a very lightweight gloss. It's not sticky or heavy, which makes it a comfortable option. However, stickiness is usually what gives gloss its staying power. The Jean Queen gloss lasts for just a couple of hours on my lips. But it doesn't feather, and because it's such a wearable, slap-it-on-and-go shade, it's no big deal for me to reapply it. After all, there's no mess to clean up.

Wait. Renee likes a gloss? Oh, my. Lipstick Queen just made Hell freeze over...again.

As you might guess, the Jean Queen gloss and lipstick are very, very similar. The lipstick is slightly more opaque, while the gloss is shinier and has more berry tones than pink when swatched on my hand. On my lips, however, they're practically identical

The best way to wear these, however, is layered. You get a tad more pigmentation when you combine the two, and of course, there's the shine factor! Here's a photo of me wearing both the Jean Queen lipstick and gloss:

So which would I recommend you buy? For most, it's going to come down to preferences about formulas: go for the gloss if you want more shine, go for the lipstick if you want more staying power. If you have very dark skin/lips, you'll probably have better luck with the lipstick because it is slightly thicker and more opaque; hence, it's more likely to show up on your lips.

To be totally honest, I'm really glad I have both. They make a great everyday pair, and while they're nice individually, the color and shine is well and truly amplified when you layer them. At around $20 each, these are great mid-end products that are definitely worth a try.