Review: Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer

For the first time since approx. 1988, a Wet N Wild display caught my eye at the drugstore. Mixed in amongst the rest of the brand’s products were a few items branded as “natural.” One of these were the Natural Blend Lip Shimmers. A quick scan of the ingredients (listed below) showed that these Lip Shimmers weren’t as greenwashed as I had assumed. At $1.99 a pop — yes, really — I brought three home. 

Wet N Wild’s website classifies the Natural Blend Lip Shimmers as part of the lip balm family. They’re moisturizing, for sure, but one of my mental classifications for lip balm is a certain subtleness, a sheer quality. There is nothing subtle about the Natural Blend Lip Shimmer. 

The texture of these Lip Shimmers was, well, confusing. They were dry enough to be cracked in the tube, but incredibly minimal pressure produced basically a giant, heavy smear across my lips. I do not have issues with getting my lipstick on the rest of my skin à la 1993 Courtney Love, and yet there she smeared. I was frustrated enough with applying directly from the tube that I opted to use a brush instead. It worked better. However! Once applied, these had minimal staying power. They smeared all over my water glass quickly.

Natural Blend Lip Shimmer is sold in nine shades. I purchased Maple, Spice and Cinnamon. When swatched, Maple is a deep coral with golden shimmer, Spice is a cool raspberry and Cinnamon is a blue red. I saw when swatched, because on my lips these all went neon. It was crazy. They looked so very day-glo!

I thought briefly about purchasing a lighter shade to see if it too neoned out, but ultimately I didn’t really care. At $1.99, these are decent play or starter lipsticks for kids and teenagers — fun with color without the heavy chemicals. I would not recommend these, however, to a single grown-up of my acquaintance. 

Swatched, from left to right, are Maple, Spice and Cinnamon:

The swatches are pretty, but don’t be fooled. You’ll look like Nicki Minaj whether you want to or not. On the other hand, if you’re going for Nicki’s look, these will be perfect!

Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Beeswax/Cire d’abeille, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Phytosteryl Macadamate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire de carnauba, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax/Cire de Candelilla, Theobroma Cocao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopherol, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint Oil), Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Mentha Peperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Sorbic Acid, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Root Extract, Cinnamonium Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Linum usitatissimum (Linseed) seed extract, Oryza sativa (Rice) bran extract. [+/- (MAY CONTAIN: Mica, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Carmine/CI 75470, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499.]

Comments

[Mary]

Holy crap! That's a good ingredients list. Who would've thought? And I love the pigmentation. I might actually be picking these up! I'm totally shocked by that.