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Review of Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball Shimmer Treatment Lipstick
By Angie W and Jessica M

Poppy King, the creator of Lipstick Queen, always combines unexpected inspirations in the “stories” behind her products. For her past releases, we’ve heard about Andy Warhol, Roman Polanski movies, symbolism in medieval art, and the Big Bang theory of the universe. Now, for Butterfly Ball Shimmer Treatment Lipsticks, Poppy refers to a boxer and a children’s book. The boxer is Mohammed Ali, who boasted that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” The book is The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper’s Feast by Alan Aldridge, with its whimsical, detailed illustrations in psychedelic colors. There might also be a nod to Edward Gorey in the spooky-cool drawing of a butterfly on these new lipsticks’ packaging.

Butterfly Ball lipstick is available in five flattering tints and it’s infused with vitamins B, C, and E plus aloe vera for an extra-smooth, emollient application – perfect for lips that have the winter blues! Speaking of the blues, this product also incorporates “a hit of turquoise,” like the gleam of iridescent blue in butterfly wings, to make teeth appear whiter. We’ve tried three shades so far, and we’re all a-flutter to tell you about them (pun intended).

Fly is described as “hot shimmering pink.” Its application is very smooth and feels almost as moisturizing as a lip balm. The color goes on as a relatively sheer, wearable pink when it’s applied with a light hand, and it shows up as brighter, strawberry-sorbet pink with layering or heavier pressure. It’s similar to Saint Rose, but it’s even less opaque and it has a slight shimmer.

Moment, the line’s “sexy shimmering red,” is a versatile red with an underlying cranberry hue. It’s a perfect red for daytime, because it’s semi-translucent and not too intense. It’s still more strongly pigmented than Medieval, for example; you’ll definitely feel like you’re wearing lipstick, but it’s not overwhelming, even on soft features or light skin. Again, the shimmer is subtle.

Goodbye, a “deep shimmering wine,” looks almost too trendy in the tube, like a deep brownish purple with green-blue sparkle. Surprisingly, it applies as a black-currant stain.
It’s quirky-chic on pale skin, and it would harmonize well with darker skin tones. It can also be worn over other colors, to add a little depth and mystique. It should appeal to fans of Mystery from the Chinatown line.

As a perfect finishing touch, the Butterfly Ball lipstick cases are a unique dusty purple shade with black lettering, and they have a matte finish that feels almost rubberized (something like NARS lipstick tubes). These lipsticks would make ideal holiday treats for women of any age. The Fly shade would be especially fun for a teenager or a woman in her early twenties, Goodbye would make a trend-setter smile, and Moment is a great way for a color-shy woman to spread her wings, cosmetically speaking.

Have you attended the Ball yet? If so, let us know what you thought of these colors and others!

Butterfly Ball lipsticks are available for $20 each at http://www.lipstickqueen.com/, Barneys, Henri Bendel, and Space NK boutiques.

Product photos by Angie and Jessica.
Illustration by Helen Dryden from VOGUE, July 1914.
Song lyrics from Animotion’s “Obsession.”
Disclaimer: press samples of this product were provided by Lipstick Queen