Purchased with my own money review:
This is absolutely amazing! I tried it on at the Aritaum store and it looked so pretty. It's the best lip product I've ever bought. It's my holy grail! You must try it at least once.
What I loved:
The packaging caught my eye first. True to its name 'Stained Glasstick', it has a glossy case. Compared to tints or tint balms from other stores, it's longer and slimmer, so it doesn't take up much space. It looks beautiful just sitting on your desk. I immediately tested it on the back of my hand. Despite being a tint balm formula, the color comes out vivid and it's not too sticky. The color looked beautiful even just swatched on my hand. It looked the same on my lips as it did on my hand. The best part was how natural it looked! Unlike other products, it doesn't sit on top of your lips but feels like it's part of them. As a student, I can't wear obvious makeup to school. This doesn't look like I'm wearing anything, so it's perfect for school. Even after a while, there's no flaking or dryness, and it doesn't feel sticky like a lip balm or smear. Regular tints often cause lip flaking after some time, but this doesn't do that at all! It twists up like a lipstick, but doesn't get messy when you retract it. While I don't expect long-lasting wear from a tint balm, this one actually lasts quite well. You can apply it quickly without a mirror. It doesn't create harsh lines, so you don't need to blend it with your finger - it applies smoothly and beautifully. It takes just 1 second per lip, so 2 seconds total to apply. It even makes bare faces look pretty. If you haven't found your perfect tint yet, I highly recommend this one!
Purchased with my own money review:
As I mentioned in the positives, this is my holy grail tint, so I don't have many complaints. But I'll write about a few things that could be improved. This section might be short.
What could be better:
While the packaging is really beautiful, the color indicator part looks like a transparent jewel. It's pretty at first glance, but from some angles, it might look a bit tacky. Also, since it's a glossy case, it can show fingerprints. You can wipe them off with clothing, but if there are many, it might look dirty. The cap is longer than the main body, which can be a bit inconvenient when opening and closing. There weren't any major inconveniences with the packaging during use. As I mentioned earlier, there was a very slight stickiness when swatched on the back of my hand. It's about enough for 2 strands of hair to stick - not very sticky, but it could be bothersome for some. While all the colors are nice, on slightly tanned skin, it might have a dark reddish tint. It could look a bit like blood color on the lips, but unless you're very tanned, this shouldn't be a significant issue. I'm mentioning it just for reference. Since there weren't many downsides, I'll end here.
When doing a gradient effect, using a cotton swab actually makes the product stick to the swab. For a more natural gradient, gently blending with your fingertip works better.
