Hit or Miss? Review + swatches of the Mark. by Avon Liquid Lip Lacquers
I sometimes tend to forget that Avon is not a local brand. Witnessing the strong foothold that Avon has had on our market growing up, I’m convinced that at least 90% of Filipinas have tried an Avon product at least once in their life. While I’ve never been particularly drawn to their makeup, I have heard good things about the Mark. by Avon line. Supposedly the edgier and trendier sister to the True Color brand, Mark. offers playful, creative products at the affordable price point that Avon is known for.
The Mark. by Avon Liquid Lip Lacquers are priced at P399 each and come in both shine and matte formulas. Each liquid lippie holds 7ml of product and is housed in a clear plastic tube with either a shiny or matte black cap to match its contents. The applicator is a flat, fuzzy, diamond-shaped wand that’s easy to maneuver for a precise application. The scent reminded me a lot of grape candy - sweet and fruity, but it does go away a few minutes after application.
The Shine version comes in a total of ten different shades. I got to try four colors, namely: It Girl (a bold magenta), Love Bite (Barbie pink), Pouty (mauve raspberry), and Vintage Smoke (rose quartz). Consistently, I found the shine formula to be creamy and intensely pigmented. With each swipe, the colors coated my lips evenly with a stand-out shine. While you can really feel the weight of the lipstick throughout its three to four-hour wear time, I don’t find it to be uncomfortable. There is a noticeable stickiness but it’s not so different as to how a lip balm would feel.
Truth be told, glosses are never my first formula of choice as a daily commuter. Wind, hair, and a glossy lip never made for a good combo but I like the Mark. Liquid Lip Lacquer Shine enough to make it work some days. It transfers, is completely gone after a meal, and doesn’t leave a stain. BUT the saving grace is that this formula is very forgiving on my dry lips and can hide all of the imperfections on my worst lip days. If you enjoy glosses and can find a shade that you like, the shine liquid lacquers are worth the money.
Pro-tip: ask your Avon lady for a sale! They almost always have one anyway.
The Mattes, unfortunately, are another story. I tested six out of the ten shades available: Maneater (berry), Orange You Happy (fiery orange), Passion-it (vampy wine), Pinking About You (dead person pink, aka Are We A Joke to You, Avon?), Rosy Flush (an icy pink), and TKO (a hot pink). There are other warmer, more everyday shades which I haven’t swatched, but as you can see the ones here are going to be tough to wear for Asian skin. Strangely, the pigmentation of the mattes were inferior to the shine lacquers.
The mattes have a moussey texture that dries down within a few minutes. Most of the colors applied patchily and would catch on to drier areas of the lips. There’s also a chalky, chunky quality to some of the shades, and you can find blobs of dry pigment when you zoom in on the shots. These are not particularly drying mattes but they do transfer and the wear averages around the 4 to 5-hour mark. Some shades leave uneven stains, but it’s always butthole lip realness after meal time. Orange You Happy and Passion-it are fierce colors but not in this formula, sadly.
The Shines were a hit for me, formula-wise, but the Mattes sorely missed the mark for me.
Swatches, from left: (Shines) It Girl, Love Bite, Pouty, Vintage Smoke, (Mattes) Maneater, Orange You Happy, Passion-it, Pinking About You, Rosy Flush, TKO
Have you tried the Mark. by Avon Liquid Lip Lacquers? How was your experience?
