Can we all just admit at this point that I love KAJA as a brand and their products? The thing is, every product I’ve tried from them is good. Beyond a mere ‘good’. Yes, I admit, I love the brand’s aesthetics and packaging (my gosh, the packaging!) but the product itself is deserving of their ratings.
So what is a Heart Melter Lip Gloss Stick? A super long product name (I guess we all fall susceptible to long-winded titles and names, right?) for a lip balm/gloss. I don’t consider it a lip gloss, probably because I think of lip glosses as…well, gloopy. I want to call this a lip balm but what’s the difference? If I go ham and call everything a lip balm, where will the madness end? I don’t know but I do know I am not going to open up that debate.
Kaja makes cute products, let’s just get that out of the way, even before I start the review. That way, the review won’t be filled with, “so cute”, “the aesthetics”. Cool? Okay, cool.
Onto the review!
The Specifics:
Lip condition: Tested when my lip was in good condition and on a day when my lips were dehydrated.
Lip prep: None.
What is it?: Heart Melter Lip Gloss Stick is a heart-shaped lip gloss in stick form. It gives you high shine, hydration, contains oils that are conditioning (and nourishing) and the pigment packs a punch. Basically, it’s a cute heart shaped lip balm (cue gasping and madness).
Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Trimethylsiloxyphenyl Dimethicone, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyethylene, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Macadamia Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-6 Esters Behenate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Microcrystalline Wax, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Fragrance, Red 27 (Ci 45410), Prunus Domestica (Plum) Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Water, BHT, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract.
Packaging: The tube itself is sleek, weighted so it doesn’t feel like cheap plastic and has a minimalistic design. It reminds me of Milk Makeup, Glossier but especially Bite Beauty in its simplicity. The box that the product comes in has bursts of lavender and soft pink, completely different than the sleekness of the tube but it somehow adds to the overall aesthetics (someone count how many times I’ve written aesthetics so far).
The best and most gimmicky part is the tip of the tube: it’s heart shaped. Adorable but I did have a little difficulty at first when trying to use the lip gloss, as I tried to stay within my natural lip line. To get access to the gloss, there’s a clicker at the bottom of the tube and you’ll have to click it quite a few times for the gloss stick to raise up.
(I am getting severe bad memories from Milk Makeup’s Sunshine Skin Tint, which I love but had the same stupid clicker at the bottom of the tube.)
The clicker is fun to use at first but it does get annoying after a while, especially when you can’t really control how much product you want (vs how much you get from non-stop clicking).
Affordability: I paid $20 CDN for 1.4 g at Sephora.
I’m going to be honest, I really wanted to try a Pat McGrath lip gloss but I can’t justify paying that much for one lip gloss, knowing I will never be able to finish it. Plus, I love KAJA so I opted for this one. I do think it’s on the ‘cheaper end’ of the affordability scale (compared to other lip glosses offered at Sephora) but it’s up to you to decide.
Was it worth it? Only in the colour I bought (Hunny Bun). I don’t think I’d use this product if it were bright red or bright pink. Only because I don’t like super pigmented lip glosses (I always worry they’re going to smudge or settle into my lip lines)
I tend to overlook this product since I don’t often reach for this product as I tend to go for stains, balms or lip gradient looks (which I can’t do with this product).
As a lip gloss stick, I think it’s worth it, it’s cute and I’m glad I own it (I needed to convince myself of that as I was writing it).
Smell: Cocoa. Not the sugary, artificial cocoa scent. This smells faintly of 100% pure cocoa powder and it’s lovely and not overpowering. (If you’re curious, it doesn’t have a taste, no cocoa and no greasy plastic emollient flavour either.)
Texture: KAJA says there are oils in the formula, which become evident the moment the gloss stick touches your lips. It melts and sinks into the lips, creating a moisturizing, high shine layer on the lips. Just because there are oils present in the formula, don’t think this product is greasy–it isn’t. It’s not gloopy, thin, sticky or slippery which is why I want to call it a balm.
It hydrates the lips but not compared to KAJA’s mood balms. This gloss stick is a thick balm sort of texture on the lips.
Now here’s the issue I had with this formula and heart-shaped tube. Because it melts upon the first contact with my lips, it does tend to slip past the lip lines (I had to clean the edges), especially with the imprecise tip of the gloss stick. This depends on the layers. If you go for a sheerer look, it won’t accentuate or settle as much. If you really layer on the product, it has more of a chance of settling. And if your lips are on the dryer, chapped side, it will accentuate and even settle into the lines as you wear the gloss.
Finish: For an opaque lip: glassy (but not sticky) lips. If you’re a fan of high shine lip glosses that are pigmented, you will love this lip gloss stick.
For a sheer look, this sinks into the lips and provides a wash of colour that isn’t as shiny and looks more natural (Hunny Bun’s colour)
Colour intensity: This is a very pigmented lip gloss. If you do one quick swipe, it will go on a little sheer and not as intense. But this builds up fantastically and is instantly opaque by the second swipe.
05 Hunny Bun is a gorgeous nude pink, ‘my lips but better’ colour. I was stuck between this colour and 03 Crazy 4U (a mauve nude pink). I think both colours are very similar, though Hunny Bun leans a little warmer and deeper. Because of the colour, I can see myself using it to even out my lip tone and when I want to add a little colour to my lips.
Wear test: Wore a very sheer amount and it lasted under an hour of me running errands and no eating. It sunk into my lips, didn’t settle or accentuate the dryness and as it wore away, it left behind a little stain, wasn’t patchy but it did disappear towards the inner part of my lips, leaving a line.
The more layers you add, the longer it will last (2-hour mark).
Longevity: None. No, that’s not fair. This has the same longevity as any lip gloss out there. It won’t survive food, drinks and it won’t live past the 3-hour mark. You’ll have to keep reapplying to get that high shine glassy finish but the pigment leaves behind a very faint stain (which I love).
What I love: I love the warm brown/pink nude colour and how buildable this gloss stick is. The packaging is gorgeous and the heart shape tip is adorable; the slight cocoa smell is surprisingly addictive. What I really love though is the fact that this is a gloss in stick form. The moment it touches your lips, it melts onto your lips. I like how pigmented it is because I can go for a sheer or opaque look (though I don’t think I’d wear this in the brighter colours because I don’t like an opaque brightly coloured, high shine look).
What I don’t love: What I love, is also what I don’t love. I don’t love how slippery it becomes when it touches your lips. It’s cool but when I’m trying to precisely stay within my lip line, this will smudge and shift past it. I did notice that it settled into my lip lines and accentuated my chapped lips when I layered on the product and wore it for 2 hours (so if your lips aren’t in perfect condition: head’s up. Or, swipe the product until opaque and you won’t notice it as much).
I also don’t like the clicker. I’m sorry, KAJA. You tried to be cute (and you won in other aspects) but this clicker is not cute. I like products where I can twist them up and control how much product raises from the tube. I can’t control that with a clicker. I clicked eight times when I first used this and nothing happened so I kept clicking and then bam, the stick just shot up. There’s no option to twist the tube back down, lowering the gloss stick when you recap the lid. This may not bother you but it really bothers me.
Possible dupe: Pat McGrath Labs lipgloss, MAC Heartmelter lipglass but KAJA’s is the only product (that I can think of) that is a lipgloss in a stick form and can give you a sheer and slightly matte/natural finish to a bold, opaque and high shine finish. I found out Sephora makes a very similar product (clicker and all) called Melting Lip Clicks. I haven’t tried them so I can’t speak for quality and colours but I just had to mention there’s that option too.
I can’t think of any other dupe. If I do, I’ll update this review to add it here.
Repurchase: Only if there was a sale going on. I don’t think I’d pay full price for this gloss stick. I absolutely love Hunny Bun and the ‘my lips but better’ colour so I will repurchase for that reason.
Recommend: I will recommend it only because of the versatility in sheer and opaque application and Hunny Bun’s shade.
If you love lipglosses (that are a high shine, smell amazing and offer great pigmentation) and want to try a gloss in a stick form, give this a go. You will love it!
If you aren’t a fan of lipglosses or can’t be bothered with constant reapplication, look somewhere else.
Final thoughts: I am very curious as to how many times you can use this product before it runs out. Especially with the clicker. At least if it were a twist tube, you can check by twisting it all the way up. Just like MM’s Sunshine Skin Tint, you finish the entire tub without even knowing it. I’m probably nitpicking because I just don’t like the dang clicker aspect of it (cute but annoying).
The versatility and the different looks of the product are what I keep coming back for. I don’t reach for this gloss stick often but when I do, I suddenly remember why I like it so much. I love the shade Hunny Bun and how I can get away with a sheer and natural look. I mainly like the product because of the colour and the sheerness I can achieve with a light hand.
Rating: 4.5/5
Update: So I used this again (third time) and I applied a very sheer layer and I love the look. I put a sheer layer and it was so dang natural! But I still don’t like the imprecise heart shaped tip because I still had to clean up the edges of my lip line.
Thanks for checking out my review!
Note: I am not affiliated, sponsored or paid by the brand or any other company to write this review. I am just a person online giving my opinion.
Note: If you like my glasses, they are called ‘Japan Morning’ and are from EyebuyDirect. If you want to check them out, they can be found here. Use my code: IFCYSISUD5 for $10 off your order!
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