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Nothing nasty touches my lips
For someone who’s only recently become a lipstick kind of girl, the beauty world is incredibly daunting. So many gorgeous models endorsing so many international brands, not to mention so many nasty chemicals and so much animal testing. After searching high and low for a lipstick that ticks all my boxes – vibrant long-lasting colour, natural, animal-friendly, and made in New Zealand – I’ve found the one. Meet my new Scarlet Blaze lipstick from Karen Murrell.
Karen Murrell
I’m not going to lie. This claim on the Karen Murrell website – the average lippy-loving woman ingests nearly two kilograms of lipstick during her lifetime – freaked me out a bit. That’s probably what Karen Murrell is trying to do: make people aware that since there’s so much stuff going into their bodies, they should do their best to make it as natural as possible. That’s where Karen Murrell’s au-natural products come in. All KM lipsticks are made from natural-based ingredients, which means there are no baddies like mineral oils, animal-based material, parabens or preservatives. And because there’s so much goodness in there, the more you use KM lipstick, the better condition your lips will be in. The environmentally-friendliness doesn’t stop at the lip though; Karen Murrell’s packaging is 100% eco-friendly and none of her products are tested on animals.
Scarlet Blaze
I picked up a Karen Murrell lipstick in Scarlet Blaze. I was initially drawn to the ‘scarlet’ because I was looking for a rich red, and maybe I’m a little bit colour-blind but I thought the colour chart on the side of the packaging was redder than the product itself. When I tested it on my hand it was actually a rich shade of plum which I probably wouldn’t have chosen outright but I thought, “Hey, let’s take a risk.” And I’m glad I did.
First impressions
I wanted to eat it. I’m not even kidding. As soon as I opened the packet all I could smell was Christmas. Karen Murrell was onto something when she infused Scarlet Blaze with cinnamon oil. The lipstick glided on like silk and the subtle sparkle added a dash of luxe to the rich colour.
Long-lasting colour
Karen Murrell’s Scarlet Blaze is less ‘scarlet’ and more ‘rich plum’ so I don’t think the name is quite right. But while I admit I actually wanted a red, Scarlet Blaze won me over because it’s so long-lasting. The edges of my lips are quite ‘cracky’ which means lipstick can bleed really easily unless I apply lip liner first. Scarlet Blaze stuck to my lips like glue (minus actual glue) and barely crept into my lip cracks even though I wasn’t wearing any lip liner, and I only reapplied once during the day. I’ve never worn plum before but the long-lasting and non-lipcrackiness nature of this one makes me confident to try Karen Murrell’s other shades.
Active ingredients
Karen Murrell’s natural ingredients make for a long-lasting, creamy smooth application that’s good for your lips (as well as your insides, since you’re going to eat almost two kilograms of the stuff before you die). The active ingredients in Scarlet Blaze include candelilla (Euphorbia cerifera), a vegetable wax that’s produced from the candelilla plant which grows in a hot and dry part of northern Mexico. There’s also evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis) which is rich in omega-6, and castor oil (Ricinus communis) which helps colour stick to your lips while being nice and gentle at the same time.
Verdict
Karen Murrell’s long-lasting colour is comparable to internationally-acclaimed makeup brands like M.A.C and L’Oreal, but the thing that makes Karen Murrell better is the manufacturing. I love that this lipstick is totally natural and animal-friendly, and the fact that it’s made in New Zealand is an added bonus.
Stockists
Karen Murrell retails for about $30 in various chemists and health stores all over New Zealand, plus you can order any of her products online.
R
Hate the cloying cassia smell! Overkill! Ruins this product for me. Reminds me of Big Red chewing gum.
Also think the ingesting claim is a myth. Yes, you would ingest a little bit, but it also gets wiped off on napkins, etc. More pertinent is that the skin is a porous layer and anything you put on it can be absorbed, hence why we pursue natural products.