‘I Tried The $9 Tik Tok Famous Milani Lip Balm And Here’s What Happened’
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As a hydration fiend, I'm super picky about the body butters, face oils, and hand lotions I like, but nothing compares to the very real obsession I have always had with lip balm. Since I can remember, I've always had to have at least one hydrating lip product on me—I have about nine sitting in my small New York City apartment at the moment. I can't believe I'm finally, openly admitting this but it's to the point where if my lips are feeling dry, I can barely focus on anything else. That's why I've often avoided lipsticks and stains, opting for tinted lip balms or glosses instead.
I had never considered I could get moisturizing benefits from cult-favorite drugstore brand Milani till TikTok started raving about the brand's hydrating and ultra-pigmented Fetish Lipstick ($8, Amazon). The TikTok beauty community was raving about how pigmented the shades were, including the wide variety of nude shades. As someone with a medium skin tone and pigmented lips, it can be hard for me to find a truly nude shade, and at just $8 per lipstick, I figured I didn't have much to lose.
Here's how I felt Milani's Fetish Lipsticks lived up to the TikTok hype (and my high lip product standards).
It's hydrating.
As you might have guessed, hydration is the key factor in whether a lip product is for me or not. If a lipstick isn't making my lips feel soft, I'll find myself applying balm over it, often nullifying the effect of whatever pigment it might have had. Milani's lipstick is infused with castor oil and feels exactly like my best lip balms. I used it all winter, often finding myself reaching for it over my lip balm whenever I wanted a bit of pigment to my lips.
The color payoff is great.
I mostly stuck with the nude shades because that's simply my preference, and the color payoff was amazing. It was perfect for nailing that "your lips but better" look. I have some pigmentation around the edges of my lips, and this totally canceled that out. The only thing I'd say is that even though these are labeled as being matte, they seem to have more of a glossy, satin finish to them (which, tbh, I actually prefer anyway).
I put this to the ultimate test by wearing it out to dinner with a friend at a pho restaurant. I figured that if this could last through me slurping noodles, it's a winner. While the glossy finish didn't stay, I was super surprised that the pigment remained. When I got home, I really had to try to scrub this off with a towel and some water.
I also appreciate that as someone with a medium skin tone, the Fetish Lipstick comes in a wide range of "nude" shades—not all of them are on Amazon, but you can see the full range here on Ulta.
It's a low-maintenance product.
For how much quality I got out of this product, I couldn't believe it was just $8. Honestly, it's even better than some very pricey $50 designer-brand lipsticks I've tried. It's a total no-brainer, and now that I've accumulated a few shades (my favorites are secret and lustful!), I keep one in a few of my purses at all times. It's super low-maintenance, and can easily be applied without a mirror, so I can put it on while I'm in the middle of dinner, on a walk, or even on the train without worrying how it might be spreading on to the rest of my face.
All the feel of a lip balm with the pigment of a true lipstick makes this one a total winner for me and my high lip product standards—don't be surprised if you end up with more than just a few shades!
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