I bought this product with my own money. However, this post also contains affiliate links as an alternative shopping recommendation. These go towards supporting Oh My Stellar and future content.
Are you more of a lip tint or a lipstick sort of person? I had actually never used a lip tint until I got into Korean make up and I actually think that this is a product type that’s quite unique to Asian cosmetics. You see more products like this in Australia now but Western formulations are always more like a gloss and less like a stain – of course, this most likely comes down to differences in style.
Personally, I tend to use a wide range of products and formulas, all dependent on my mood and the overall look. I find that tints are best for days when I want a lightweight but vibrant lip colour, and not having to worry too much about retouching it. Also, since my make up style also varies, I do think that tints are best suited to Asian style or more natural looks.
Out of all of the lip tints that I’ve tried (and trust me, there are so many), the one brand that’s never let me down is Peripera! I started out with their original lip inks – there were only five colours back then – and now both their range and my collection has been greatly expanded. They had a wide range of different formulas, shades and really cute packaging.
One of the new ones that I haven’t tried before is the Water Gel Tint – and I’ve finally tried it out! I have been mostly avoiding it because I’m not very fond of water tint formulas – they tend to be too thin and a bit drying for me, but I wanted to give these a shot. I bought two of the shades – Redbeanpress and Beetpress – and they were both the perfect choice for me.
So, read on for my full review!
Packaging
So that main thing that drew me towards this product was, naturally, the packaging! Peripera is really good at their packaging design – it’s always really cute and trendy, but well executed in a kitschy way. They’re also very consistent across the board, which is obvious in their massive Peri’s Ink range, so it makes me very happy as a designer.
Since these are Water Gel type tints, the packaging is different to their inks. From my memory, it draws inspiration from vitamin water bottles to emphasise the watery consistency. Rather than a box, the lip tints come in a matte plastic package which is fully sealed. It’s a little bit gimmicky, but I think that it still looks really interesting – this would be a fun gift, or even to open it up yourself. For me, it reminds me of how I used to be really excited about lip balms as a kid and if I wanted a simple present for a young teen or a kid, I think that lip tints are a pretty good choice!
The packages tear open and the tints are housed in a small, bottle like tube. It even has a little white cap! The colour of the cap is somewhat corresponding to the tint shade, but isn’t completely accurate. The rest of the bottle is also transparent so you can see what’s inside. Personally, I’m pretty happy with this! Being about to tell what shades I have from a distance is very important to me, since I own so many lip products – also, since the darker colours tend to look very dark in the tube, the coloured cap is really handy. I like that the packaging is very simple but also themed.
The tints have a basic doe foot applicator, which I forgot to photograph, but it isn’t anything too exciting there.
Product claims
This product is generally described as being vibrant, with long-lasting colour pay off. However, it has three general claims:
- Vivid, powerful, juicy colour payoff
- A moisturising barrier formed by the water gel formula
- Seven colours optimized for all skin tones
The water gel formula is meant to form a moisture barrier over the lips, locking in the pigmentation (to form a stain) and to keep your lips moisturised. An issue that I often have with water tints is that they stain well, but make my lips overly dry. This product should then fix all of these issues and, knowing Peripera’s track record, I also bought this product very confident about the pigmentation.
The seven colours include ‘universally flattering’ reds, as well as MLBB for both warm and cool tones. The two colours that I got are catered to cooler skin tones and are allegedly MLBB shades but, of course, the darker shade isn’t quite that. The colours are quite close to what they show in the official lip swatches, but the texture of the product is more like a glossy gel tint – in the swatches, they look more opaque and creamy. That being said, the formula is still very light, easier to control than a water tint, and has a buildable colour. The tint is semi-transparent, so the final colour will be influenced by the natural shade of your lips.
Personal experiences
And above are some arm swatches and lip swatches – I purposefully did a full lip with them, although I tend to gradient these shades out instead. My application is a little messy, but please forgive me! Since the product is quite thin, it’s easy to sheer it out on the lips or to build it up to a deeper shade. For those who, like me, like to gradient out the edges, this lip tint is as easy as any other to gradient. However, since the formula is of a gel tint, layering it out can be patchy if you’re not careful. For day-to-day application though, I haven’t had that issue since I would usually gradient it out.
On first application, there is a moisturising layer on top of it which makes the tint really comfortable. It is a little bit sticky, especially if you have the product layered up, but I don’t mind that since the product still feels weightless. This hydration also fades gradually, but the tint leaves a pretty stain and it’s easy to reapply. Eventually, I just put a clear balm or gloss over it if I don’t want to keep building the colour. However, compared to the original Peripera Peri’s Ink, I find that the colour isn’t as long wearing or as bold, though it has the moisture benefit.
It’s pretty but, to be honest, I don’t mind myself reaching for it much since I got it. I think that this is more a personal preference, as I prefer lipsticks and glosses lately. Still, it’s a nice product but I prefer the longevity, formula and colour range of their ink tint.
Out of the two that I got, Redbeanpress applies like a pink tint on me – since my natural lip colour shows through a lot. It is closer to what I would consider a pink MLBB for me, and can be worn easily on my no-make up days. However, Beetpress is more my sort of shade. I love darker reds, but I do prefer to slightly gradient it out since it has a tendency to be a bit streaky.
And, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A gel tint with moisturising properties
THE GOOD
- Very pretty packaging from the packet to the tube
- Moisturising layer on first application that makes it comfortable
- Colour can be built up to strong vibrancy
- Each to sheer or blend into a gradient
- Range has both cool and warm shades for different skin tones
- Fades but is easy to reapply
THE BAD
- Formula can look patchy when layered
- Not as long wearing in comparison to the ink tints
- Smaller colour range
- Official lip swatches don’t show the correct texture
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- PRICE POINT | 3/5
- PIGMENTATION | 3/5
- LONGEVITY | 3/5
- MOISTURISING | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 6.8/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I love Peripera lip products and I will be continuing to buy them, continuing to test out new formulas, but this isn’t one that I would leap to recommend. I don’t have much luck with these water based gel tints but, out of all that I’ve tried, this is still the best one that I’ve used. Instead, I would recommend for people to try out the Original Ink Tints – it does leave your lips drier, but a layer of balm on top will quickly fix that. Alternatively, they also have a Moist version that would work. The longevity of these are better and it is more pigmented.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
I can’t even remember where I bought these from, but the Water Gel Tints are selling on BeautyTap for USD$9 – they’re not cheap but are a similar price to others from their brand. You can also check out the rest of Peripera’s products there! You can also use my code – ohmystellar15 – for 15% off!
