Ganda Ka? A review of Vice Cosmetics Water Gel Lip Tint + a short glossary of Swardspeak
Editor’s Note: Before Buwan ng Wika ends, we want to celebrate a Filipino language that has risen in popularity in recent years - Swardspeak! More popularly known as Bekinese or Bekimon, this gay lingo has also become common in the beauty world, especially with the arrival of the Vice Ganda brand. A glossary of terms has been included below for those who are not familiar with the terminology. We hope you enjoy this article as much as we did producing it!
Noong ako’y isang Baby G pa lamang, ekis pa ang mookup sa small world after all ko. Sabi kasi ni Mommy, “Studies first!” So dahil ako’y isang Pinoy sa puso’t diwa, I listened to my mudrakells.
When the moment arrived that kailangan ko nang rumampa sa college, I took the opportunity to experiment! Feel ni Baby G na she’s become G na G when she slapped on her HerBench Lip and Cheek Tint para mukhang Bloomingdale’s siya, and not like the Haggardo Versoza she always felt like.
Truthfully, Baby G has become Tita G and now prefers lipsticks over lip tints. So when Inang Reyna Liz brought the Vice Cosmetics Water Gel Lip Tints to the office, my first reaction was, ‘Ekis ako diyan!' I thought kasi move on mode na ako from tints.
Pero I learned the hard way, Tita Chozzz. First love never dies nga, birit nina Ser Eugene Wilder and Mamshie Joanna Gardner.
The Vice Cosmetics Water Gel Lip Tints (P145, vicecosmetics.com.ph) is a water-based tint with the claim to fame of being “intensely pigmented and long-lasting for vibrant color that stays put; lightweight texture delivers all-day comfort. Infused with comfort enhancing ingredients and antioxidants including Vitamin E.” It has eight shades, and I was able to try six of them.
Winner things about the product:
The price: Morayta po siya for P145. Kaya ng allowance if you know how to save!
The shade range: Pinks, reds, an orange, and a plum? Palakpakan ang diversity!
The comfort: Parang sumakay ka ng P2P pero afford sa budget.
The staining: When I first test-ran Seswang, I was surprised na andiyan pa si teh sa lips ko even after the greasy samgyupsal I ate.
The blendability on the cheeks: It was soooo easy to blend this tint on the cheek! Pramis. Traditional tints would leave marks on your cheeks if you’re not fast enough. With this, you get more play time to blend.
Waley things about the product:
The shade tones: Some of the colors seem too similar, almost twinsies na. Looking at you, Sisterette and Kyondi!
Kala ko ba wala nang Patch Kids? There’s some patchy application with some colors, particularly Seswang and G na G. Seswang layers patchily, and G na G just applies patchily. Gets?
Mababaw lang kaligayahan ko, but why does it seem like mababaw rin ang laman ng lip tints? I’ve used these tints less than 10 times each pero parang kinain ko kalahati. These mostly show up on those tubes with a more translucent finish. 3.5 grams lang itetch.
Ang konti :(
Keberlalu:
The scent: It has a borderline sugary scent. Gusto ko ng sweet life, not so much sweet-scented lips. It thankfully goes away as you apply it.
The applicator: It looks like a flat paddle applicator on both sides.
I photographed these swatches in natural light, freshly applied. Paki take note mga mumshies that my best foundation match is Estee Lauder Double Wear in 3W2 Cashew.
My favorite color is actually the one I was afraid of to the highest level: Seswang, a cool pink that looks quite fuchsia on my lips!
Beshie is an orange that looks peachy on me. For my skin coloring, medyo kambal sa uma po sina Kyondi (true red), Chozzz (warm red raw), and Sisterette (warm pink). If you’re blind sa love and sa life like me, these three colors just look way too similar on the lips. They do look different naman when swatched. Finally, G na G is a medium violet but it actually looks more plummy red on me. The other two colors in the range are Paberjin (a burgundy wine) and F na F (a fuchsia pink).
Swatches, from left: Beshie, Seswang, Sisterette, Kyondi, Chozzz, G na G
Umbrella sisters: Chozzz, Sisterette, and Kyondi are good for everyday awra in school. Feel ko bagay sa aking baby sisterette (Hi Gia!) ang mga colors na ito.
Final thoughts: So I believe, ladies and gentlemen, Tita Vice has impressed me with her Water Gel Lip & Cheek Tints! My shondabells self is pretty sure my jutakells college self would have loved these a lot. If bet mo the gandang polbo and lip tint look, these tints are pasok sa banga. I’ll probs be gifting these to my cousin and sister (wiz na surprise Christmas gifts ko charat) and to the girlaloos in my life who like the low-maintenance ganda.
Have you tried these tints? Which colors scream ganda lang? Share your thoughts and let us know in the comments!
Special thank you and more power to my Hype Gay, his Majestita Anton Chos-hua, for being my go-to source for wis-dumbs and kabaklaan!
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Awra - To show off your outfit, your beauty, or your makeup.
Charat - May be used as a negation particle. Renders the previous statement as either false or at least humorous.
Chozzz - Same as charat, may be used as a negation particle. Can also mean joke lang. Can also be spelled as chos or choz. A derivation from echos.
Ekis - To say no, not possible, di pwede, pass.
G na G - To go for it.
Haggardo Versoza - The feeling of being bone tired. A portmanteau of the words "haggard" and "Gardo Versoza", the actor.
Jutakells - Small. Derived from the Cebuano word Diyot, which means a little bit.
Keberlalu - Ok lang, netural.
Kyondi - To flirt, to make landi.
Morayta - Affordable, cheap. Derived from mura.
Rampa - To show off in public. From the Filipino translation of catwalk.
Seswang - A term that you can call a sister or friend. Popularized by Vice Ganda herself.
Shondabells - To be old.
Sisterette - A term that you can call a sister or friend,
Umbrella sister - Literal English translation of "payong kapatid".
Wiz - To say not anymore, no, nope. See also: wit, waley, Aiza Kelly’s, wizakells.
