Exotica Makeup Lipstick in LoveBrandie | Review

Hey all! I remember when I first started blogging and dabbling with makeup, a bajan beauty brand was a far off thought. Now there are about 3 that I know of doing big things in Barbados. This year I hope to try them all out. One of them I had tried a long time ago, but they’ve undergone a number of improvements and invention of new products, which is always a good thing.

Today I’ll be reviewing and swatching the Exotica Makeup lipstick in LoveBrandie, which I saw on their Instagram page and instantly fell in love with it (the irony there)! I paid $25BDS for this local brand lipstick, which is not much different from the other drugstore lipsticks we have here. Apparently the colours are inspired by the persons who work where their products are sold. They also sell tons of NYX products!

As you can see from the bullet, LoveBrandie is a deep maroon colour or looks brown even depending on the lighting. On my lips it comes off as a oxidised blood red. I was amazed by the formula of this lip product as it is glides on easily and doesn’t sink into the lines of my lips or highlight any dry patches. I would call this a satin finish lipstick, as there’s very little sheen to it once applied. I actually compared it to a similar Revlon lipstick I have of similar colour and I must say seems to last longer on the lips.

I wore this Old Years night and the staying power was shocking! Through eating, drinking, talking and New Year’s kisses, it lasted. Of course it wasn’t perfect, the centre of my lips were the most worn, but the colour still held on. My lips did start to feel more dry as time went by however, but nothing some lip balm or re-application of the lipstick couldn’t fix. It was not at all uncomfortable to wore and I in fact forgot I was wearing it. I paired this with a lip liner for Old Years and the transfer from lips to glass or cups was very minimal.

It makes sense to wear this with a lip liner, just to make sure it doesn’t go smearing all over. But once it’s on, it hardly goes anywhere!

The Verdict:

Pros

• Local brand
• Pigmented
• Glides on easily
• Beautiful colour which is a lighting chameleon
• Pricing is good 
• Would look good on many skin tones
• Long lasting

Cons

• Packaging is a bit short (I feel like I might lose it)
• Sells out way too fast (make more! haha)
• Not a moisturising lipstick

The Raw Sugar:

Like I mentioned, I was very surprised by the quality and staying power of this lipstick. I glided on easily and lasted well throughout Old Years Night. I have to test it even more during a regular day with a lot more eating involved, so I know the true staying power. But, I love this lipstick and would tell others to run out and buy it!

Where to Purchase:

Exotica Makeup & Extensions -Sheraton and the Colonnade Mall. (Barbados)

Disclaimer: This product was bought with my own money. Opinions are my own.