We all have that one makeup staple that we won’t part ways with, no matter how old or how out of date it actually is. That can’t-part-ways-with-kind-of product for this beauty writer happens to be a rose pink lipstick and shimmery golden gloss that has probably seen better days. But, no matter how old (and probably germ-ridden!) these products probably are, I can’t seem to part ways with them. And thanks to Giella Cosmetics, I kind of don’t have to (more on this in a sec).
Of course, keeping these products too long definitely comes with the reality that they are practically on the verge of being tossed out, especially since the sponge applicator for my golden gloss can’t barely get any more product out of the tube. Sigh. However, I was so very desperate (and perhaps in denial) that I’d be able to use both of these products until they were completely finished, I practically put off any chance to actually throw them out. But sadly, the ‘empties’ concept doesn’t always apply to makeup products, as you’ll definitely want to change products that you use on your eyes, face, and mouth every so few months.
With that said, since summer is coming (and I hate melting makeup more than anything btw), I decided it was time to see if any makeup companies were using the power of the internet to solve a beauty woe like this. I mean, it’s not 2005 anymore, where you literally had to bring everything to a mall makeup counter hoping you’d get something close to your desired shade. Plus, ordering makeup in your pajama pants is so much easier, am I right?
So, taking my beauty probs to Google, I stumbled upon Giella Cosmetics, a cosmetics company that not only makes its own products, but allows beauty junkies (like yours truly!) to mail in their old products for a chance to find and receive the closest match possible. How does this work exactly? Giella Cosmetics founder Giella Pobłocki says that the company matches the color by a trained eye, not a computer. This guarantees an exact match to your product, she explains.
“We first look at the texture (is it matte, cream, satin, sheer or a stain?), then we look at the color, then the shimmer, and finally the aroma,” Poblocki told me. “By carefully adding each pigment, colorant, shimmer, emollient, we test the color on the skin, and then it’s molded in the tube,” she adds.
The whole process takes about a week if you do the process online, according to Poblicki, and prices for each product depend on what you want to be recreated. Lipgloss and lipstick go for about $20 to $28, but there are other foundations, concealer, and nail polish also work checking out. To recreate the signature gloss and lipstick I wore to the ground, I mailed my products over to Giella Cosmetics in hopes that I could finally toss my old products for good. Below is how the whole shindig went down, just in case you were curious about checking this out for yourself.
Mailing Out My Products
To start my customizable makeup journey, I simply headed over the post office, mailing my bagged gloss and lipstick in a small priority box to the company’s address. Doing so, was fairly easy, but you want to make sure there is enough product left for the folks at Giella to work with. That way you can get the perfect color match possible. It’s also important to include your name, phone number, address, and email information with your products, so that way you can actually get them back.
The final step is waiting, of course, which should only take about one week if you do the process online. The process is also available in-store, but you’ll have to be located in the New York City area in order to do it in-person.
The Gloss
As you can tell, my original Lauren + Vanessa gloss (left) comes in a shimmery warm gold tone which flatters my skin tone perfectly, making me a bit desperate to find the right color match now that this gloss is almost five years old. However, once my new gloss arrived, I was pretty impressed with how close the Giella color match was. The shimmer and tone were totally on par with my old gloss, and it was still pretty sheer and smooth when applied onto my lips.
Courtesy of Author.
But, being that I usually wear a hint of gloss over some lipstick for some added shine, I was pretty curious to see how it would replicate my lip old lip look I wear whenever I actually put on some makeup. More on that below.
Courtesy of Author.
The Lipstick
Like my gloss, I was pretty eager to get my hands on my new lipstick, as my old Glamour Dolls lipstick (left) featured the perfect pink mauve-like tone I couldn’t get enough of. This lipstick also had a matte finish to it, which definitely didn’t dry out my lips and paired perfectly with my shimmery gloss.
Courtesy of Author.
Once my new lipstick arrived, I was a bit skeptical at first, because the new shade looked a bit darker than the first. However, once I swatched it below, I was pretty impressed how similar they were, even down to the soft matte finish.
Courtesy of Author.
Comparing The Looks
My go-to makeup look usually consists of foundation, highlighter, nude shadow, lipstick, some gloss, and lots of lashes. With that said, I was sure to test out both old (left) and new (right) lip products to see if they had some sort of difference whatsoever.
Courtesy of Author.
To my surprise, I was pretty astonished how virtually impossible it was to spot any kind of difference, as my new set of products captured that shimmery gold and dusty pink tones I adore so much. Yes, there may be slight differences depending on lighting, but the match was so very uncanny it convinced me to finally part with my old products for good. And it was so liberating.