Warning: fan girl level gushing about to happen.  Jay Harper from Red Apple Lipstick was kind enough to send me some samples of RAL’s lip sticks, lip glosses, and pressed eyeshadows to test and I was blown away with how much I really liked their products!  This review and swatch is for their Mint 2 Be Lipgloss in Honey Badger, which is a popular shade of theirs and also a very versatile one I was able to use in so many situations.

What colors does this product come in?– The gloss comes in 19 fabulous shades and counting.  I have it swatched here in Honey Badger, which I’ve been using on bridal parties, models, and on myself with wonderful results.  It’s a nude pink that is soft, sophisticated, and feminine without being too sweet or too slick and shiny looking.

Red Apple Lipstick Lipgloss in Honey Badger

Consistency?– Smooth, silky.  Not sticky or oily, doesn’t pill or bleed or travel all over your face when you’re trying to eat nachos…which is very hard thing to do and still look cute at the same time.  Tastes and smells clean and minty.

How much does this product retail for?– $18.50, available online through http://www.redapplelipstick.com/

What can you expect from this product? – Where to start?

  • Cruelty free
  • Paraben free
  • GLUTEN FREE
  • Vegan
  • Soy free
  • Made in small batches in the USA
  • Silky and moisturizing but not sticky or oily
  • Great pigmentation
  • No petroleum or GMOs

As a gluten free gal, I personally prefer to use beauty products that do not contain gluten even though I don’t have a topical sensitivity.  As a professional artist I handle, breathe, and absorb all of the same products I use on my clients so my preference for certain types of products is also in the interest of my long term health and safety as well.  In my beauty practice, I have met many fellow gluten free folks who avoid the substance in their personal care products because they react to gluten on their skin with rashes, itching, outbreaks of hives, and even hair loss.  Wheat germ oil (triticum vulgare) and other wheat products have sneaky ways of getting into cosmetics and personal care products as emollients, preservatives, or “conditioning” or “thickening” ingredients, and are frequently labeled simply as “tocopherol” (vitamin E) without noting the source as coming from wheat.

In fact, there are no labeling laws or standards to accurately define “gluten free” personal care products in America, and while a large brand might make a product like lipstick they proudly label as “gluten free”, chances are they are processing it on equipment that is also used to process raw materials and finished product that contain gluten!  Considering that most makeup manufacturing is outsourced to China and some parts of Europe, how do you know if a product is actually gluten free or if the company is just slapping a label on there to cash in on a perceived “fad”? The FDA just determined and passed the (voluntary) labeling standards for gluten free foods in August of this year, so who is to say how long it will take the notoriously dodgy, self regulated cosmetic industry to catch up?

With the incredible momentum of awareness going around and more people getting diagnosed and learning to lead healthier lives post diagnosis, it only makes sense for those living with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to extend a similar level of care and caution into selecting their cosmetics and personal care items since the quality of these products does have an effect on our lives. I LOVE this gloss (I swear, they aren’t paying me for this review) and I like that they are a small company with excellent customer service.  Thank you, RAL for making an exceptional product!

Bunk or Buy? – WHY ARE YOU STILL READING?  YOU SHOULD BE ORDERING LIP GLOSS FROM RED APPLE LIPSTICK RIGHT NOW.

Overall grade: A++