For the past few weeks you’ve been hearing me rave about makeup from ‘indie’ Australian brand, de Leon Cosmetics. I’ve previously reviewed a selection of their eye and lip colours.

This time de Leon has sent me their #3 “Why can’t I stay?” lipgloss and lipstick balm and their #10 “Ambassador’ lipstick balm.

Here are the swatches.

Lipgloss:

#3 “Why can’t I stay?” gloss is a beautiful deep, rich red. It’s completely saturated in colour, and a little goes a long way. It also has a beautiful metallic shine. So it’s totally the lipstick to wear for pouting and cooing “Why can’t I stay?”

Lipstick Balm:

If you like the new Revlon Lip Butters, well, de Leon’s ‘Lipstick balms’ have been around much longer. When I heard about this concept from de Leon back in February, before Revlon Lip Butters were even released in Australia, I knew this would be for lip products what BB Cream has become for base makeup. With the moisturizing benefits of a lipbalm, colour of a lipstick, and shine of a lipgloss, the Lipstick balm is everything you’d want in a lip product.

I think de Leon’s lipstick balms totally have it in for Revlon Lip Butters. Revlon Lip Butters are more balm than lip colour. Though the name says ‘colour burst’, most of their colours are completely sheer. On the other hand, de Leon’s lipstick balms really do have the pigmentation of a lipstick! Just have a look at the snaps below.

#10 Lipstick balm

Ambassador is a lovely rosy pinky colour. When I posted pictures wearing this lip colour, so many people asked me what it was!

I already have quite red lips, so usually rose colours don’t show up well on me. I also have this annoying darker ring around the edge of my lips that I need a lip colour to be able to cover up. Ambassador is perfect on both fronts!

#10 Lipstick balm

Despite the Lipstick balm version of “Why can’t I stay?” is much less pigmented than the lipgloss, and doesn’t have that metallic base shine, it is as vibrant and deeply coloured as any lip product I’ve come across!

Finally, I just wanted to note that both the lipgloss and lipstick balms appear to also be lipstains. I personally like this because the colours fade down to quite a natural colour and I don’t have to worry about reapplying throughout the day!

Have a look at de Leon’s full range of lipstick balms on their website! Make sure to check out Captain Tightpants and Spank your inner moppet. These totally remind me of Lime Crime’s Carousel Glosses!