What I'm Not Buying: Kat Von D Everlasting Glimmer Veil

Kat Von D has released a new lip product, called Everlasting Glimmer Veil. 

And I won't be buying. 

In the makeup world, I am a self-proclaimed eyeshadow addict. That was the first kind of product that really sucked me in, and I've been enamored with eyeshadow since. That's why the vast majority of content on my blog is about eyeshadow. Those have been the most difficult products for me to resist purchasing. In pretty much all other areas of makeup, I have a pretty tame collection, though "tame" is subjective. 

My lip product collection, I would say, is pretty lean. And I think that's because it has been challenging over the years to find colors that flatter me. I have a warm olive complexion, and I've just found that most lip colors look a little... off on me. That's not to say that I haven't found great ones—I certainly have. But I tend to live within a few color families that I know work for me (and this is mainly mauve). 

So when I look at people who are always up on the new lip products, I find that a little amazing. Lipstick just isn't where I play with makeup, so the releases always tend to pass by me, a little unnoticed. 

But this one didn't. 

Kat Von D announced a new lip product to her line, which can either work on its own or over her matte liquid lipsticks. And, as the name suggests, these products are shimmery/glittery. 

Let's look at swatches:

As you can see, there is a range of colors available with neutral and colorful options. And if these were liquid eyeshadows, I would certainly be interested in the orange, purple, teal, and blue options. 

The main draw of this product, I think, is in its marketing, as a product to be worn over liquid lipsticks: 

And the effect is very pretty:

But, this product is $22. And in reality, you can layer products you already have over other products you already have and achieve, probably, a similar result. 

Unless I'm missing something, this product just seems to be a (kind of late to the game) version of metallic liquid lipsticks. Like the ones from NYX:

Or Colourpop:

Or Jouer:

Or Too Faced:

Or the multitude of brands that have come out with a product like this. 

Personally, I've never been the biggest fan of the metallic lip trend. And I think that's because I grew up in the 1990s/2000s and relate metallic lips (and all the other "90s trends" younger girls seem to think are so cool) with being an awkward pubescent girl trying to achieve these looks:

But what's cool about makeup is that it is so personal, and everyone has different tastes and things they feel most flatter them. Metallic lips just aren't that for me. 

And in terms of glitter or sparkle, if I have any desire to add that to a lip color, I have Jouer Skinny Dip lip gloss:

While I am not personally a lipstick or lip product addict, from what I have seen from people who claim to be is that they continually buy the same colors over and over again. And the reason they give for buying the same thing is that they want to try whatever "formula." I feel that is something I hear all the time. It's definitely something that eyeshadow addicts are guilty of as well, but I feel it is even more prevalent with lipstick. 

But, here's the thing. When you have found a formula and color that you really love, I don't think it serves much purpose going out and buying more of the same colors in different formulas. I've seen people who will buy one lipstick, really like how it performs, and then buy every single color available. And then another new product will come out, and the cycle repeats itself. And the thing is, it's not like it is reinventing the wheel each time. Most lipstick formulas, I would say, are quite similar. Some of my favorites are Marc Jacobs, Bite, Estee Lauder, NARS, and MAC, but I also have an all-time favorite from Maybelline and Revlon. And just because you find a new formula that you like, it doesn't usually mean that you no longer like the last formula you discovered that you loved. And then you just keep accumulating all these lipsticks in the exact same color that—for the most part—probably don't perform all that different. 

My guess is that the people most interested in buying the Glimmer Veils probably already have colorful metallic liquid lipsticks or lip glosses that they can layer over other lipsticks and get the same effect. For those who are a little intimidated by color, I imagine they will gravitate toward Thunderstruck, which is the lightest, most neutral shade. And from what I can tell, Thunderstruck will perform similarly to any shimmery lip product. 

One last thing that I'd like to talk about is the marketing of this product. I want to reiterate that I really enjoy Kat Von D as a brand. I think the brand typically comes out with interesting products or color schemes that I haven't really seen before, and I like the ethics of the company in terms of being cruelty free and vegan. With other brands, I usually do a bit of an eye roll when I see they have released yet another new product, but I always pay attention and get a little excited by anything new from Kat Von D. (I also like that the brand doesn't come out with a new product every month like other brands.) But the marketing of this product as a "transformer" for the brand's liquid lipsticks feels like just that to me: marketing. Granted, I have not personally tried this product, but from what I have seen (including in the demo Kat Von D did), it seems like the effect could be achieved with many existing products that people already have in their collections or less expensive drugstore options. 

This product also feels like "makeup to play with." And what I mean by that is that this is makeup for people who want to post on Instagram with a totally fun, colorful look. Or people who just want to play around and get inspired by doing different things. I can also see this as a "going out" or special occasion product. And all of that is fine, don't get me wrong. I think playing around, being inspired, and trying new things is really great and exactly how makeup should be used. But I don't think this type of product will be an everyday staple for most people. And because of that, I just think looking into cheaper options might be the smarter way to go. 

While I think the concept of this product is interesting and find the (PR) lip swatches really pretty, I just don't think this product is all that practical or flattering outside professional photos. (See Temptalia's swatches here.) Metallic lips just aren't a trend that interests me, so this is an easy pass.