Review: VICE Cosmetics Phenomenal Liquid Lipsticks

Sometime in 2018, local comic and gay icon, Vice Ganda, released a cosmetic line. Bathed in bright fuschia with his name in white, the brand proudly touted the tagline "Ganda for All" or Beauty for Everyone.

True to their slogan, Vice Cosmetics offers products in a huge color range and is one of the few brands that prominently feature males that wear makeup (and not just drag queens) across their social media. This commitment to diversity, affordably priced products, and catering to as many people as possible is what honestly drew me to this brand.

The flagship products of this brand were a range of lip products. Since that time, they have expanded to include highlighters, blushes, and powder foundations (with a somewhat decent shade range, given the local market). Additionally, all their products are paraben-free and they offer vegan products as well.

Cruelty Free Status

Unfortunately, reaching out to brands via email to get confirmation of their CF status is not very popular here in the Philippines. This can be because cruelty-free consciousness is a relatively new concept here and a lot of people don't necessarily know how to answer or respond due to the lack of education and regulations here in the Philippines.

Bunnies are one of the most common test subjects for market testing done on cosmetics

While Vice Cosmetics is PETA certified (since August 4, 2017), it's also not necessarily the most reliable credential for a brand to have as PETA is not very thorough with their evaluation process. However, those are the standards for internationally recognized brands.

Since Vice Cosmetics is still a relatively new brand based in the Philippines, I think it's a really good thing that the brand cared enough to go get certified because it means that they are aware the people care about this and are making an effort to substantiate their claims. For that reason, I respect the Vice Cosmetics team and consider the brand cruelty-free.

Phenomenal Liquid Lipsticks

The simplest way that I can describe the color range of these products from Vice Cosmetics is "Nudes for Everyone" (yes, that innuendo was intended and I don't apologize for it).

There is an overwhelming amount of neutral shades in this collection in a number of undertones and color families that you'll be able to find that perfect vampy shade, the ideal MLBB (My Lips But Better) shade for your skin tone, or your go-to mid-toned nude for any kind of look - this is the intention of these products.

So no matter what your preferences may be, you'll probably be able to find something perfect for you in this range of products. Though if you wanted vegan products, these probably aren't it. These lipsticks contain Acetate and Vitamin E, both likely animal-derived since there is no label stating that these products are vegan anywhere.

Top to Bottom: Hanash, Kerstofayn, Cheverlooo, Sisteraka, and Ravaaan

I have 5 of these lipsticks and have been wearing them quite often so I have fully formed a solid opinion on the products and the colors too. I'm going to go into the colors one by one with different selfies of me wearing each shade with different makeup looks and in various lighting conditions.

The shade names for the lip products are taken from swardspeak and bekinese, which are the vernaculars mostly spoken by gay men in the Philippines. I'll do my best to translate them so you get a review and a sort-of language lesson too.

CHEVERLOOO

Something extra that's nice and girly

The brand's site describes this as a rosy your-lips-but-better shade that's perfect for any girly or extra look. This is one of the lighter shades in my collection, and I consider this my perfect MLBB shade. It's actually almost the same color as my lips, and I like wearing it when I have a really colorful eye look on.

This is a little more drying in formula compared to many of the phenomenal liquid lipsticks though. This is something I find a bit strange because in the years that I've worn liquid lipsticks, the lighter shades tend to be less drying that deeper shades. It's quite the opposite with these products.

RAVAAAN

"Laban (to fight)" with a twang; Looking beautifully fierce

Touted by the brand as a "warm brown berry shade", I'd definitely describe it as a burnt cranberry. This color in particular glides on with full pigment and is definitely smudge-proof without being drying either. It's one of the newer colors in my collection of Phenomenal Liquid Lipsticks, and it's one I'm glad to have.

This feels comfortable and nice on the lips and doesn't feel drying at all. That quality is something I did notice about the more mid-toned shades in this product range.

SISTERAKA

A term used to refer to your closest (usually female) friends

While common, it is pretty hard to find a nice cool-toned mauve that doesn't look periwinkle or even gray on your lips - not everyone can pull that off. I think this is what Sisteraka gets right as a shade. It has a more violet undertone that is balanced so well that it just looks pinkish and isn't too intimidating of a color. So yes, I do think this shade can be worn by different kinds of people.

Much like Cheverlooo, this shade is also quite drying. While I only have a few light-colored shades, I've worn both colors enough to observe that for these shades, the formula just causes your lips to really shrivel up and any loose skin will lift off - which is really annoying.

HANASH

From the Japanese word "Hanashi (Story/Chat)"; A happening or event

If you prefer your nude lips more on the mauve side, Hanash is definitely what's up. It's a pink mauve-toned shade that looks particularly nice with more warm-toned looks to balance out the coolness of this shade. While it's not quite a muted color, it's still not too harsh or garish either.

One of my other favorite colors in this product range, it's a nice deeper-toned mauve I can easily wear when I want to wear a neutral lip that isn't too light. Definitely a more comfortable shade to wear in the collection too. Also, if you have really textured lips - this shade doesn't really emphasize it.

KERSTOFAYN

Getting so overwhelmed that you forget your own name

Kerstofayn is the definitive bright pink shade on my skin tone, and it's got to be another one of my favorite shades from the Phenomenal liquid lipsticks. The color and undertone just makes fair and cool-toned complexions look brighter, and I always like a pink product that doesn't make me look like a corpse.

The only downside I see to wearing this shade is that it tends to look best with really bright and colorful looks too. I wouldn't really say you can wear this with a brown smokey eye or a grungey eye look just because it's too bright and cheery.

This is a mid-toned neutral so I have no problems with its wear time and comfort. This is definitely one of the shades that I recommend from this product line.

My Final Thoughts

While the formula definitely isn't very consistent, the shade range is why I continue wearing these lipsticks often. The mid-toned shades (Ravaaan, Hanash, and Kerstofayn) are definitely the standouts in this product line because they have a comfortable powder matte finish and are long-lasting and transfer-proof.

Unfortunately, even if I really do like Cheverlooo and Sisteraka, I can't really recommend them to people who don't like overly drying liquid lipsticks that emphasize crusty lips. While wearing a moisturizing lip balm and really exfoliating your lips does sort of help, these colors are still pretty annoying to wear.

However, even if you find that these shades don't work for you, it's not going to feel like a loss since these lipsticks are under PHP 200 each and you can definitely buy them with a discount too. In the quest to find your perfect nude shade, I think these are worth trying without breaking the bank.

And since you can see powder products, stay tuned for that review too.