Is High-End Lipstick Better Than Drugstore Lipstick?

 For our experiment, we decided to compare the Fenty Stunna Lip Paint to two drugstore liquid lipsticks-NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor-to determine if they stayed true to their marketed claims.
 

Chemistry Research

Isododecane is the very first ingredient listed in our lipstick. After researching, we found that this chemical claims to enhance the spreadability of products and has a weightless feel on the skin. It also helps to prevent the evaporation of water from the skin. Its chemical formula is C12H26

Dimethicone is the second ingredient listed in our lipstick. It’s claimed to make products easily spreadable and help form a protective barrier on the skin. Its chemical formula is (C2H6OSi)n.

Trimethylsiloxysilicate is the third ingredient in our lipstick. It claims to help hold pigments in place while providing water-resistance in skin care and color cosmetics applications. It also works as a skin conditioning agent and slows down water loss to keep skin hydrated. Its chemical formula is C6H18O5Si3.

Safety Concerns

Some personal safety issues that were discovered from the chemical dimethicone were that it traps everything under it which could lead to increased breakouts and blackheads and it can be a skin/eye irritant. Researchers also found that it’s a non-biodegradable chemical; this is true for trimethylsiloxysilicate too. This means that it cannot be changed to a harmless natural state by the action of bacteria. Therefore, it can have long-lasting negative effects on the environment.

Procedure

We applied the lipstick in the morning before school began, and throughout the day, we would conduct multiple “wear tests”, like drinking beverages and eating. We took photos periodically during the day, normally after each wear test, and compared how long each lipstick stayed compared to the Fenty lip paint.

Results

We found that the Fenty lip paint lasted the longest, in fact, it didn’t come off until it was physically wiped off about 12 hours after it was applied. The Fenty’s color stayed vibrant all day, which means that the lip paint is true to the claims for the most part. The Revlon Ultra HD Matte lip color lasted for about 6.5 hours and was able to withstand multiple wear tests, but it was very drying, unlike claims made by the company that the lip color kept lips moisturized. The NYX matte lipstick lasted for about 8 hours, but the color started to fade after a couple wear tests.

Proposed Improvement

For Fenty to improve their product, they need to work on how cohesive the product is. The product was pretty messy throughout the day, clinging to whatever separate objects touched the lipstick, but if the lipstick was more cohesive, it wouldn’t be so easy to smear everywhere. They should re-formulate the lipstick so it doesn’t cling to every surface that it comes in contact with.