Maybelline Color Sensational Cream Lipstick Review

Maybelline Color Sensational Cream lip color hydrates and smooths dry lips.

Dry lips seem to bother most people from time to time. Lip scrub, lip balm, and even lip mask can help soothe a dry kisser, but what if you want a little something more from hydrating lip products? Even if subtle, I want color. Maybelline offers great, nourishing lip color options with plenty of shades and finishes to suit every mood and situation. Their Color Sensational line includes cream lipstick in 40 hues. Love Barbie pink lipstick? Try Pink & Proper. If you’re looking for classic red lipstick with a super comfy feel, check out Red Revival.

At under $10 a tube, I explored Maybelline’s Color Sensational Cream Lipstick range to find the best lipstick for my thirsty lips and love of color. The shade Warm Me Up delivered supple, pinky nude lips with a hint of sheen and welcome hydration. Not to mention I could have easily passed it off for a popular shade of MAC lipstick. Let’s dive into the details of Maybelline Color Sensational Cream Lipstick review.

Promises vs. Performance: Smoothing, vibrant lip color.

Maybelline’s Color Sensational Cream Lipstick has a brilliant reputation among avid beauty buyers. An all day wear test helped me get a firsthand sense for why this bestselling formula has made so many fans. I think that’s because it’s an accessible drugstore product that performs. When I wore it, this lipstick did a good job of keeping the brand’s promises (these are easily found on Maybelline’s website) of being creamy, smoothing, and providing great color. While I didn’t find shade Wake Me Up to be “vibrant,” a blanket description that appears on the site, it certainly gave me the soft color I was hoping for in a mauve nude. Other hues deliver that promised pop of “crisp” color, if that’s what you’re looking for.

My Review Thoughts: Maybelline Color Sensational Cream Lipstick

During review with my first swipe of Maybelline Color Sensational cream Lipstick I noticed the creamy, buttery texture and decent pigment. The payoff was not quite what you might expect from professional grade, but I was pleased with what I got for what I paid, which was under $6. It was also buildable. I had no trouble building some color intensity with an additional layer of the product. Did it make my lips feel supple and smooth, and did it resist bleeding, as promised? My mouth looked and felt pillowy and hydrated while wearing this lipstick. No bleeding, although I was also wearing my favorite NYX lip liner. I was pleased with the look and feel of this lip look, and I kept the tube close for needed touchups. I find that hydrating formulas are often not the most resilient. This lipstick was no exception, but for the finish and value, I didn’t mind.

How It Compares: The best drugstore lipstick cream formula?

Maybelline Color Sensational is my pick for best drugstore lipstick in a cream formula. For anyone who wants pigment but who struggles with dry lips, this product is as nourishing as it is beautiful. It’s comfortable and smoothing on the lips, even when they’re dry and flaky, creating a smooth finish with buildable color. This product is rich in feel and appearance and has the benefit of hydrating shea butter. The shade Warm Me Up has mostly 5 stars from 9.5 thousand Amazon reviewers. I’m also a fan of this flattering shade for everyday looks and as the right touch for when my eye makeup is taking center stage. With 40 options to pick from, there’s a shade for any occasion.

Milabu Beauty Method: 5 tips for pillowy, pinky nude lips.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up is a very wearable nude. Overlined and topped with gloss? Why the heck not? Sometimes more is more.

1. Exfoliate your lips. I love Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($18). Just massage a tiny amount of the scrub onto your lips and then remove it with a warm, damp washcloth.
2. Moisturize your lips. This is optional, but for extra hydration apply your favorite lip balm or oil.
3. Line your lips. I enjoy NYX Slim Lip Pencil ($4) in shade Natural. It mimics my own lip color and pairs well with Maybelline lipstick in Warm Me Up. Sometimes, I also enjoy overlining the top lip and just slightly above the Cupid’s bow.
4. Apply your lipstick. I like to swipe Color Sensational onto my top and bottom lips straight from the tube. Two layers provides the right amount of creamy pigment for me, but you can stop with one if you prefer.
5. Top with gloss. By now your lips are pillowy nude perfection. But for even more shine and hydration, add a swipe of NYX’s cult favorite Butter Gloss ($5) in Madeline or Crème Brulee.

Tip: You can get the added benefits of a lip mask from the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($18). Before removing the scrub, let it sit on your lips for two minutes, while its shea butter and jojoba oil deliver extra hydration.