Disclosure: I received complimentary LipSense products for review purposes.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  I was not financially compensated for this post.

In a past life prior to 2012, I indulged in weekly mani/pedis, took regular trips to the salon for highlights, and practiced Bikram yoga three times a week.  Now, my nails are short and bare (well, other than the Elena of Avalor band-aid currently wrapped around my pointer finger) and the time I used to spend working out has been filled with driving the girls to gymnastics and dance classes.  I would sooner cover my imperfections with a cartoon cat SnapChat filter than apply real makeup.

I’m not going to lie, though.  As much as I love momming, I do miss taking care of myself.  So if there’s anything that I can incorporate into my insane routine that will make me feel pretty, I will give it a try.  Enter LipSense, which claims its color will last between 4-18 hours without “kissing off, rubbing off, or budging off.”  Sonya at Red Gate Beauty sent over the color of my choice (I like a nude lip, so I went with First Love), along with the clear gloss top coat.

Now, my go-to lip is a smear of Chap-Stick, so when I saw TWO(?!) steps to this routine, I groaned a little.  There were detailed application instructions that involved ten seconds of dry time between coats and specified to swipe on in one direction, and it was just overwhelming to think about going through all this every morning when every second counts.  But, I really wanted to see if this product lived up to the hype, so I powered through it.

Upon applying the color coat, my lips felt tingly, which the product claims is normal with the first few uses.  As the color dries on the lips, it feels a little tight and sticky, but that feeling goes away once the clear gloss is applied.  It’s a far more involved application process than my usual Chap-Stick, but I really liked how it looked.

Now, let’s talk about how long lasting this stuff actually is.  The color seriously does stay on.  It lasted through a Dunkin’ Donuts iced hazelnut, a mid-morning apple, and all the way up through lunch.  Once the gloss coat wore off though, that tight, feathery feeling came back.  I didn’t bring the gloss with me to work, so I defaulted to my Chap-Stick as a top coat, and let’s just say it didn’t have the same effect.  The feathering got worse, and I had to wipe it all off.  But, I’m sure if I reapplied the gloss, this stuff would last all day!

My overall opinion on this product is that it’s fantastic for a night out.  It’s perfect for longer events like weddings, dinners, etc. when you want a long lasting color that you don’t have to constantly reapply.  For someone who doesn’t mind re-applying the gloss throughout the day, it would be great for work, too.  But for my everyday, I just don’t want to be re-applying anything that requires me to look in the mirror.  So, I will definitely continue using LipSense when I want color that lasts a few hours, but you’ll still catch me in Chap-Stick when I’m on the go (#basic).  Now, if only LipSense would come up with a product that puts itself on, and reapplies when needed, I’d be hooked!  😉

Thinking about trying LipSense for yourself?  Head over to www.redgatebeauty.com!  Sonya is offering 15% off to readers who use coupon code bloggymoms15 at checkout.  Let me know what you think of it in the comments!