LA Splash Chubby Twist Auto-matted Lipstick in Pink Orchid review, swatch, photos

Warning: This is not pretty.
I knew there was a valid reason why I never liked LA Splash products. First, there was that horrendous glitter eyeliner from the worst beauty subscription ever (see here), appreciated by non-makeup-buffs alone. It always separated into clear water and chunky blue glitter that never dried and was dripping and could be wiped off ages later. I gave it - on demand - to a teenaged neighbour who didn't know much about liquid eyeliner. I await the day when she actually tries more liquid liners and realises what a decent liquid liner looks like.
Then, there was the mascara-that-refused-to-come-out-of-its-tube. I pleaded, begged, coaxed, bullied, threatened and bribed it, to no avail. I have no idea what that mascara actually does or even looks like. That one, I binned. I like to be somewhat neighbourly.
And the news that LA Splash once used a model's photograph for their ad campaign without her permission worsened matters. What brand does that??
Finally, there is the Chubby Twist Auto Matted lip crayon in Pink Orchid. Of the three LA Splash products I have been thrust with, this one is the best.  And, my first impressions were very good. But....

Here is the review of the LA Splash Chubby Twist Auto Matted Lipstick in Pink Orchid, and swatches.

Packaging of LA Chubby Twist Auto Matted Lipstick

The best part. I'm late on the lip crayon bandwagon, but the packaging rocks! Will definitely order a few more!

Formula, pigmentation, swatch and staying power

Very good pigmentation, and I love the shade. Staying power is decent and it leaves behind a stain. No need to sharpen.

LA Splash claims this lip crayon will glide on smoothly and leave the lips moisturised. No way Jose! It is incredibly, unbelievably drying, among other things, as you will find out in the next paragraph.
There are no parabens. But mineral oil is second in the list of ingredients. Wait, I'm going to be swallowing mineral oil from my lips??

Swatches of LA Splash Chubby Twist

So what is wrong, you ask? Great pigmentation, decent staying power, matte formula....
Look below and you'll know.

Apply a couple of swipes to even out and it pills up in little blobs. The formula is cakier than ANY batter.  This lipstick is patchier than Great-Grandma's quilts! I hope Gran never reads my thoughts on her mum's quilting prowess.

Now for on-lips swatches. I warn you, these pictures are not pretty. Upon application, this lipstick streaks more than people ever have at the Wimbledon finals. And all this is over EOS Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew. You don't want to see the on-lips swatches without the lipbalm.

 My lips are regularly scrubbed and salved and are not dry, as you must have seen from my previous lip swatches.

This lipstick, on the other hand, dried out my lips, flaked, peeled, settled in fine lines and accentuated them. And there was more caked-up-saliva-white-patch between the lips than I have ever had with any lipstick before. You can even see a bit in the pictures.

Bottom Line
The shade is the best thing about this lip crayon. I sent a couple of on-lips photographs to my friend Shivani, who has been trained in makeup artistry from the UK and who owns lipsticks in three-digit numbers, and she said - without knowing what lipstick it was - "You rock the colour, but the lipstick is of awful quality". I knew I was right! She also - rightfully - said "I told you so" as I had initially thought the lip crayon was decent. I doubt anyone who knows their way around good lipsticks would like this lipstick. $9.98 for streaky hollow? I'm passing. If it worked for you, good for you; I'm telling it like I see it. I've got to go tell all the beauty boxes I subscribe to now, not to send me LA Splash in future. 
Rant over.
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