Although mood lipsticks have been around since the 80s, you can bet that a newbie like me has never tried it on before. About 3 weeks ago, a friend gave me a Sarah Cosmetics “SHY Girl” lipstick as a gift. The name SHY came from the idea of ” kissing the lipstick turns your lips pink”. She told me it was her favorite shade of pink and that it was a lip stain so it lasts “forever.” I was not a believer. Lip stains that I’ve tried on in the past have been messy and/or difficult to apply.

The first time I tried on #8 Green Changing by Sarah Cosmetics, I did it without a mirror. BIG. MISTAKE. When applied, it goes on clear – almost like a chapstick. But very quickly I could see the pink bursting from my lips. It’s a nice shade that isn’t too bright and dries with a matte-ish finish. I should also mention that I tested out my friend’s testimony. I wore it on my boyfriend’s birthday celebration – the verdict: after a heavy night of partying until 3 in the morning, I only had to reapply once.

How it works: Mood lipsticks react to your skin’s pH level and heat. It would explain why my friend and I don’t really have the same shade of pink. The amount of time it takes for the color to set also depends on your body’s chemistry. Sometimes, I find that the color takes at least 3-5 minutes before fully appearing evenly.

Sarah Cosmetics is based in Texas, where all of the testing methods take place. They do not test on animals. I reached out to the company to inquire about the ingredients are used. This is the response I received from Diana Aridi, the president of Sarah Cosmetics:

“I am really glad that you like our Number 8 lip stain! It has always been one of our most appealing & and most selling lipsticks, as well as one of our personal favorites. Our products – lipsticks in specific – contain a variety of natural ingredients including Aloe Vera and several moisturizing elements. We offer a line of color changing lipsticks, which are long lasting, as well as other fashion colors.”

I am still waiting to receive a more extensive list of the other ingredients, but I recently bought 2 more SHY Girl lipsticks from Sarah Cosmetics – #9 Black to Wine and #99 Go Red to Red. I am disappointed with #9. It’s not as dark and deep as I hoped it to be. It’s a dark fuchsia, but is more pink on my lips. I really love #99, but I think it has more to do with the fact that I love red lips. Red = Confidence.

The cons:

There’s a bit of a sticky sensation after the product dries… not as sticky as lip gloss though.

Mood changing lipsticks won’t have the same shade for everyone.

It’s a lip stain so getting it off is not easy.

If misapplied, it looks like you ate a popsicle stick and the residue is dried off the edges of your lips.



Price point: Super affordable at only $6 each. Find it here.