The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Velvet Stick in Poppy Universal – Customised Pout and Flushed Cheeks

When I had visited Switzerland 6 years ago, I had bought my first “intuitive” lip gloss, the Smashbox O-Plump a plumping lipgloss that changed colour from clear to a custom shade of pink depending on your personal skin chemistry. When I saw a similar product recently at The Body Shop, I had to try it out. This one, however, isn’t a gloss, it is a matte product and looks a scary grey when you first see/swatch it. I’m talking about The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Velvet Stick in Poppy Universal….

About The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Velvet Sticks

“Give your lips and cheeks a naturally flushed glow with our first chubby sticks. Enjoy a colour burst with an exquisite velvet matte finish.

Poppy Universal: Indulge your dark side with our transforming black shade, adapting to the unique pH of your skin into your own individual poppy shade.”

 

The Body Shop already has a lip and cheek stain in a pretty red colour which was also available as a limited edition Lip & Cheek Doll. While that was a liquid formulation, these Velvet sticks are crayons and come in five colours besides the Poppy Universal.

The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Velvet Sticks are slightly chubbier than most other chubby sticks. While the other colours come in a white plastic “crayon” with coloured bases, the Poppy Universal is all black. I like that it has a twist-up mechanism so you don’t have to sharpen it and waste the product. The colour really does look a weird gothic dark grey in the packaging and when you swatch it, you get a greyish-purplish shade. Not really flattering.

But not to worry, the colour does change in a few minutes. While it isn’t really noticeable in the swatch, it can be seen when you apply it on the lips or the cheeks. On me it becomes a pretty berry shade and gives a lovely flush on the cheeks. Of course, each person using this will get their own, unique shade since it will react differently with each person’s skin and that’s what I love; a customised pout!

 

 The texture is a dry-yet-waxy matte, just the perfect thing for the monsoons actually. Because of the texture, you need to make sure that your lips are well exfoliated and hydrated before applying this. Once it’s on your lips, though, it kind of clings to the skin in a light layer and  lasts quite long. And is very lightweight too; as though you aren’t wearing anything on your lips. On me it stays for about 5-6 hours through coffee and a light snack after which it fades leaving behind a faint stain. The best part, it doesn’t transfer! Not on the coffee mug, not onto clothes and not even on my sonny’s chubby cheeks.

The texture makes it a bit difficult to work it onto the cheeks and you have to be quick in blending it before it sets. I applied 4-5 streaks of the stick on the apples of my cheek and blended them quickly with The Body Shop’s fabulous Kabuki brush. I also blended it a couple of times with my fingers but I prefer the finish I get with the Kabuki. This natural-looking flush works for me but if you prefer a deeper colour, you can always layer more product.

Like I mentioned, the texture is fabulous for the monsoons; it will not streak or run down your face even if you get caught in a downpour! Being a cute little chubby stick, it is very portable and you can carry it everywhere for a quick touch-up.

Priced at ₹995, this is one product you should have in your monsoon beauty kit. If berry shades aren’t your thing, then there are five other beautiful shades to choose from. I’m surely going back to get the dusty-rose shade which I think would be the perfect MLBB for me. And perhaps even the pretty coral….

Have you tried out any of the colours in of The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Velvet Sticks?