Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Limited Edition Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit: Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.

For Holiday 2019, Mary Kay is introducing three different lip kits promising a beautiful pout that's "transfer-proof, kiss-proof, anything-proof, and everything-proof". With a two-step application and a one-step removal process, the limited edition Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit ($47 CAD) is available now until the end of 2019. I'm a big fan of long-lasting lip colors so this definitely piqued my interest. To read my review and see some swatches of all three shades, click......

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit

Packaging:
The Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit comes with three individual products: the Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer (4.8 g), the Lip Lacquer Sealer (5 g), and the Lip Lacquer Eraser (4.36 g). All three are required to apply and remove the long-lasting lip color and they are packaged in a standard lip gloss tubes paired with a flexible, tapered doe-foot applicator. Everything comes in a nifty little box that includes detailed instructions on how to use each product.

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit

Formulation:

The first step is the Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer. This is a liquid lip color that's pigmented and quick-drying. The formulation is very stinging due to its high alcohol content and the sensation is intense. Depending on your pain tolerance, this may be a dealbreaker. With your lips apart, apply a thin layer. It is very important to keep your lips apart until after step two because the dried lip lacquer is extremely tacky and will literally "glue" your lips together if let your upper and lower lips touch. Interestingly, there's a big discrepancy between the formulation of the three Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer shades. "Rose" is a dusty peach nude and it has the most even and smooth formulation of the three. "Cherry" is a bright pink-based neon red. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch but the consistency is visibly gloopy and stringy. I was able to make it work but the application is textured and uneven. "Plum" is a vampy deep burgundy. Its consistency is much smoother than that of "Cherry" but the coverage is a touch patchy.

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer in "Rose", "Cherry" & "Plum"

Moving onto step two. After the Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer has fully set (which takes less than 30 seconds), apply a generous layer of the Lip Lacquer Sealer. This is essentially a lightweight, non-tacky balm that not only locks in color but also provides a hydrating shine. Unfortunately, the sealer does wear off with eating and drinking. Without it, the lip color feels quite dry and paint-like so re-application of the sealer (or some other type of balm) is a must throughout the day. In terms of wear, the Ultra Stray Lip Lacquer does stand to its claims. The pigments are bound together by polymers and they cling tightly to the lips. There's no smudging or transferring but as the day wears on, there are some "cracking". Personally, I cannot stand wearing this the entire day as it just doesn't feel comfortable. My lips feel like they are being suffocated behind a clingy mask and despite the long-lasting color, it's just not a worthy tradeoff.

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit in "Rose"

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit in "Cherry"

Mary Kay | Holiday 2019 Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kit in "Plum"

The third and last step of the kit is the Lip Lacquer Eraser, which I presume is designed specifically for dissolving the Ultra Stay Lip Laquer. Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well. For the shade "Rose", the color came off fairly easily but for "Plum", and especially "Cherry", the removal process was a pain. I used almost a third of the tube, coupled with aggressive rubbing and scrubbing, and only some of the color came off. "Plum" eventually removes completely but "Cherry" leaves behind the brightest hot pink stain. This isn't terrible per se but the color does not go away for at least a full day and a half and when it fades, it fades in patches, resulting in a less than desirable look.
Overall, I'm not a fan of the Ultra Stay Lip Lacquer Kits. The application is finicky and while the wear time is great, the lip color feels drying and uncomfortable. With so many one-step, all-day wear liquid lipsticks on the market nowadays (ex. Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink), the two-step process feels rather outdated (the Maybelline SuperStay 24Hr Lip Color, a similar product, has been on the market for over a decade). Additionally, the $48 CAD price tag is really high when similar drugstore products can be found around $12.

Availability:
Mary Kay is available through your local Mary Kay Consultant.

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