Glossy posse: Kanebo Lavshuca Balloon RD-1

Today I would like to take a closer look to one of my newest lipglosses. I absolutely have no shortage in lipglosses, and I even doubt if I have ever finished a lipgloss entirely. Still, these glossy babies tempt me to reach for my credit card, especially when they promise me my-lips- but-better glow.

Kanebo's little sister Lavshuca is consequent in releasing regular collections throughout the seasons, and they often have a new formula of an eye or lip-product in their new line up. Their Balloon line had a couple of natural shades that the Japanese cosmetic makers are often so skillful of. The name Balloon also sounds tempting for the volume-challenged pucker that I have.

The gloss comes in a neutral, partly see-through box. The colour and number is written down on the sides of the box.

The gloss looks like a pen in its size. The application system is quite new. You have to press a button on the side, and eventually, some lipgloss will appear out of the plastic tube. It took me lots of patience and clicking before any gloss came out. I am not sure if you have to press in the button for the whole time, or click rhythmically.

It works quite differently than another penlike system I have from Integrate (beneath the next picture), which is an easy twist-and-gloss tube.

The colour was, although it looks quite rosy in the picture, a bit too brown for me. I also found it a bit too sticky for my liking. Normally that would not be the biggest problem for me, as I like the sticky Mac Lipglass as well. But in this case I found that the pigment did not spread evenly because of the stickiness. It resulted in an uneven coat of lipgloss and colour on my mouth.

My lips did not ballooned into huge porportions either. I could not detect any plumping effects. It functions, in my opinion, just as the standard lipgloss as far as volumizing the pout.

So I would like to compare the size with my Shiseido Integrate Soft Jelly Rouge in PK 702. The Integrate is the top one; the Lavshuca balloon is on the bottom. Obviously, the Lavshuca is the one in a thinner pen.

I prefer the Integrate over the Lavshuca, as Integrate is non-sticky and spreads the pigment out easily and equally. Nevertheless, the colour can be a bit too cool, sometimes. The swatch picture next shows the Integrate on the left and the browner Lavshuca on the right. Both have these lovely sparkles that are subtle enough for the more mature woman.

So I did my customizing blending of the two, and concocted the perfect MLBB (my lips but better) gloss. As far as the stickiness, now it is just a tad sticky. Together, they are a wonderful match.

That saved my glossy posse for today...

For a more positive review on the Kanebo Lavshuca Balloon lipgloss and more swatches of different colours, check out Lotuspalace.