Review: mark.'s Juice Gems

Lipgloss, in some ways, is the best makeup product you can own. It can add color or sparkle to an otherwise nude lip, it can hide chapped or dry lips, and it can make a flat-colored lip more three dimensional and eye-catching.

But finding the perfect lipgloss can be hard work. Often times, the formulas can be too thick and gooey, leaving your mouth a stringy mess when you try to talk, eat, or drink. Other lipglosses can be too liquidy and run right off your lips and down your chin which is definitely not attractive. I've tried lipglosses that smell funny, have huge chunks of glitter, are drying, or are just too hard to deal with. For a while, I even considered giving up entirely on lipgloss because the brands I tried made me look like a beauty amateur.

A few years ago, I was introduced to Lancome's Juicy Tubes when I went shopping with my Grandmother. The makeup counter was giving out free mini Juicy Tubes with select purchases and my grandmother gave me hers because she thought I would enjoy it more, as a young girl. I was thrilled with it! I thought I was so mature because it was a highly pigmented formula that looked like lipstick, but was still a gloss, so I could get away with wearing it to ballet class.

Over the years, I forgot about my Juicy Tube until I was cleaning out my makeup bag one day and I found it at the very bottom. Instantly, I remembered my sheer joy with a product that was for ladies and girls at the same time. Oh, how long it had been since I had been enraptured with a lipgloss! Though this particular Juicy Tube had expired, I vowed to get more to replace it. That was, until I realized they were $18.00 a piece. Eighteen dollars?! Where was I supposed to get such money? Guess I'd have to stick to my old, less perfect lipglosses until I could actually afford such a luxury product.

But then, I met mark. and discovered their Juice Gems. The Juice Gems looked exactly like Lancome's Juicy Tubes and came in just as many colors as their counterparts. And for only $6.00? That was it: I had to try them out!

The first Juice Gem I got was in Fig, a beautiful caramel color that went on relatively sheer, but still had a little bit of pigment and some subtle shimmer. The gloss smelled exactly like its name and lasted for hours -- even through a Starbucks date. How cool! I was smitten (and so began my love affair with mark., which I'll write about later).
From L to R: Honeydew, Cherry Pop, Mango Tango, Fig, Pomegranate, and Pretty Wild Honey Child
(I'm so sorry that the picture is flipped! I took these on my Macbook and I haven't quite figured out the editing software yet. If you can help, let me know!)

Since I got my first Juice Gem, I have amassed quite a collection that includes Mango Tango (an orangy-nude metallic color that goes perfect with blue or teal eyeshadow), Cherry Pop (a bright red glitter gloss that completes any party lip), Honeydew (a very pale, glittery nude perfect for subtle glamor), Pretty Wild Honey Child (not marketed as a Juice Gem, but pretty much the same product), and Pomegranate (a hot pink gloss with no glitter and my personal favorite). And mark. constantly introduces more shades all of the time, sometimes as permanent products and sometimes as seasonal items.

Swatches! From L to R: Fig, Mango Tango, Cherry Pop, Honeydew, Pomegranate, Pretty Wild Honey Child

Juice Gems, for those who have never seen a Juicy Tube, are small lipgloss tubes that are about 3 1/2 inches long and have a slanted edge with a spout at one end to apply the product. This is perhaps my favorite selling point, because this type of packaging is far more sanitary than doe foot applicators or pots. Because the applicator does not touch the entire product at once and then one's finger or lips, less germs are likely to reach the product. For those who are interested, you can also easily clean the applicator tips of the Juice Gems with a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol.

A view of the applicator and tube.

mark.'s lipgloss formula is flawless. It's smooth, not too thick, smells exactly like it's fruity name, and has the perfect balance of matte/glitter/metallic/shimmer. I would recommend Juice Gems to everyone, regardless of your age because it is youthful, but not immature. And for the incredibly low price, how can you afford not to?

Have you used mark.'s Juice Gems? What do you think of them? I find them to be a total dupe for Lancome's Juicy Tubes. Any other lipglosses you like?