Review: Layering Lip Bar in Stubborn Rose (Laneige)

This product was sent to me for review purposes. Please note that affiliate links are used.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Laneige, and I’ve been pretty dedicated in trying out all of their lip bar range – from the original, matte to tint, I’m literally tried them all. Along with their cushion (which is still one of my top favourites to this day) their lip bar was my introduction to the brand; this is back when the original was still selling out at a lot of stores.

Since then, they have released a number of additional formulas with this same gradient concept and – in my opinion – these are far superior to the original (which had always been a bit patchy for me). This new Layering Lip Bar has an updated layering design for more consistent application and comes in both Cream and Matte formulas spread over 20 shades.

I received this product to review and definitely want to get a few more shades – especially to try out the matte formula too! It’s currently selling for USD$25.20 (on sale from USD$36) from the StyleKorean website – they actually stock quite a lot of Laniege top products, so I would recommend checking out the range in general.

If you’re keen on this lip bar, or want to know how it compares with the others, read on for this review!

Product Description

The Laneige Lip Bars are all designed to create easy gradient lips – rather than having to feather out or layer lipsticks, their design allows for multiple shades to be applied at once. In the past, each bar has had two complementary shades but the exciting thing about the new Layering Lip Bar is that they each feature six shades.

The main selling points are:

• Creates a natural gradation with six layers of colours
• Gives intense color payoff with a wide shade range
• Has a high-adherence texture for perfect voluminous lips

It also has two different finishes.

The Cream shade has a moisturising, glowy finish and claims to give the appearance of plump lips. It contains:

• Multi-layered pigment (for longevity and colour intensity)
• Volumizing resin (to create radiant glossy lips that look natural and full)
• Fitting Glow Texture (smaller than usual particles adhere well to the lips for a lightweight and comfortable wear)
• Moisture Wrap (Patented technology from Laneige that offers deep hydration even when used over long hours)

The Matte formula, on the other hand, as a comfort matte finish and a blurring effect. It contains:

• True Pigment (Fine pigment powder that gives rich and clear colour)
• Comfortable Matte Texture with CSA Oil (Oils that give a silky and lightweight texture, while applying thinly for a comfortable finish)

As you can see, the two formulas are actually very different and which you choose will be dependent on your personal preferences (and what shades you want). The one that I’m using, Stubborn Rose, is one of their Cream shades.

Packaging

The packaging for the Layering Lip Bar has a similar premise to the others but is actually very different. This is something that Laneige tends to do with the ranges so that they are cohesive but still easy to differentiate – in my opinion, they are brilliant at packaging and they kill it every time!

The lip bar comes in a soft matte finish unit carton with rose gold details. It’s simple but the quality and attention to detail gives the product a luxurious vibe. It has the same shape and foiling as the others, but the colour gives it that subtle differentiation.

Opening it up, you will find that the tube design has a similar function to the others but is otherwise quite different. This one has a rose pink exterior made of a metallic plastic and a flat button on the side which will push up the product. I used to have an issue with the sliding button, as I often got confused about which direction to push it, but I’ve gotten used to it by now.

Overall, the new packaging of the Layering Lip Bar looks gorgeous and highly collectable. I like that it’s sleek and lightweight, so it’s easy to fit into any bag. The upgraded round shape of the tube also gives it a more elegant and feminine feel, which suits the brand very well.

I do have two things to flag though:

• The new packaging doesn’t show the shade (even the sticker isn’t colour coded) which may be an issue if you tend to collect a lot of them
• This metallic finish is more prone to fingerprints than the previous designs

Personal Experiences

I tried out this at home (because there was nowhere else to be) and the formula definitely impressed me! When I realised that it was a Cream shade – I actually though I’d picked a matte one – I was concerned that it would be similar to the original. However, this formula is really creamy and also hydrating on the lips. It doesn’t emphasise any dryness, gives lips a pretty glow and also wore for a good 5-6 hours. The fading is very minimal.

However, it does transfer so isn’t totally kiss proof. The Layering Lip Bar doesn’t leave any stain – this means that you will need to be reapplying if you want to keep it fresh all day, but I’m not too fussed about that. The formula is soo comfortable!

Compared to the Original Lip Bar, I absolutely think that this formula is far superior. There is no patchiness (which was my main issue for the original), the pigmentation is perfect and the gradient is very natural. If you haven’t tried out these before then I think that this is the one to start with.

For Stubborn Rose, I feel that the gradient is quite subtle – as you can see in the swatch above). When I go to try out a few more, I’d be interested to see how the variants with more diverse colours (i.e. layers of very, very different shades) would turn out. If you’ve used them before, let me know in the comments!

And so – here’s the verdict!

SO WHAT IS IT?

A six-layered gradient lipstick in both Cream or Matte finishes

THE GOOD

• Very pretty packaging
• Good shade range and two different finishes
• Highly pigmented – one swipe application
• Natural gradient effect that is easy to use
• Super moisturising on lips
• Glowing, glossy finish that gives lips a fuller appearance
• Minimal fading (wears approximately 5-6 hours)

THE BAD

• No shade indicator on tube
• Packaging is prone to finger prints
• No stain left behind (needs re-application)

RATINGS

• PACKAGING | 3/5
• PRICE POINT | 3/5
• SHADE RANGE | 5/5
• PIGMENTATION | 5/5
• MOISTURISING | 4/5
• LONGEVITY | 4/5

OVERALL RATING? 8/10

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

In case it wasn’t obvious yet, I loved this and I would absolutely recommend it! If you tried out the original lip bar and wasn’t sure about the formula, or if you’re new to these at all, then definitely check this out. I also love their Two Tone Lip Tint Bars (which I grew to love) and the Two Tone Matte Lip Bars too.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

The Layering Lip Bar is available on StyleKorean and is currently on sale for USD$25.20! I love the Laneige brand so would highly recommend checking out their other offerings too – the Lip Sleeping Mask is a staple of mine.

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