Hey, all! It’s been a long while since I wrote anything on here, but I felt like this review deserved more than a smattering of Instagram posts (I’m @bellibonebeauty).

Last year I was sent lipsticks from Gloryhawk to try out, and unfortunately I wasn’t a fan. The formula was very dry and waxy, to the point where I had a hard time picking up color even after warming the clamshells and using a lip brush to scrape at the product. Because of that, pigmentation was barely there. The owner closed up shop for a while to reformulate her lipsticks. The new formula is still vegan, hooray!

Disclaimer: The products swatched and reviewed in this post were all samples provided to me by Gloryhawk in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was sent a clamshell of each of the new colors, as well as a lipstick tube. All four of these colors are currently available through Gloryhawks’ Etsy shop.

Paloma Blush: starts as a fresh pinky-coral. However, as your day continues, it settles and goes through a gradient of shades until it reaches a ripe red grapefruit color. Yes, color changing!

Unfortunately I haven’t worn this shade on my lips throughout the day yet to see how the shade changes colors, but this definitely swatches a melon-y shade. It’s semi sheer, but can be applied with a lip brush for better opacity. A great spring shade!

Cherry Slush: a vivid shade that straddles between red and pink

For me, this swatched as a slightly redder Paloma Blush. This isn’t a semi sheer shade, so it builds up easily even when using your finger to apply.

Girl Crush: a vivid mulberry

Man, oh man, I love this color. A lovely berry stain when applied with your finger, or a deep raspberry when applied with a lip brush. Even more intense out of the tube! This is the color I wear tested, and I felt fierce.

Power Rush: a striking deep plum

This shade I had trouble with applying to full opacity, which is a shame as I love darker and bolder colors. I’d love this for Fall.

None of the shades from the previous formula were remade, so I tried to find similar colors to compare with. For reference, all of the discontinued shades shown here were advertised as fully opaque. Lux, for some reason, has actually aged well for me and was easy to apply. I love this comparison picture because you can really see the difference in texture between formulas: the newer formula is much more moisturizing and has the sheen of a balm, whereas the older formula was dry and left a matte stain.

So, I decided to take Girl Crush out for a spin on my work day. I gave this lipstick hell: I ate a spinach and feta pretzel, I sipped on coffee, and I had steak for dinner (mmm). There also may or may not have been a lot of smooching the dog. The lipstick definitely faded a lot, but nicely so. I made a point to not reapply at all that day, which might make some of you shake in your boots, but it’s doable.

As you can see, it’s faded significantly. However, it’s faded evenly and left a nice pink stain. (For reference, my bare lips don’t have any pink tones to them.) My lips felt nice and moisturized for most of the day, but near the end of the night I felt like I could use some chap stick. For an indie lipstick, I’d say this fared very well. My lips are usually dry and don’t take kindly to lipsticks with any drag, so this new formula is a godsend.

Summary: Gloryhawk’s new formula is a huge improvement. Moisturizing lipsticks that are easy to apply and can also take a punch or two without fading unevenly or pilling. And a vegan formula to boot! I’d definitely recommend these new lipsticks, and I’m excited to see what new shades Gloryhawk rolls out for Spring.