Bite Beauty reformulated their Luminous Creme lipsticks into a new and improved formula called Amuse Bouche ($26 each for .15 oz/4.35g, made in Canada). There are 34 shades total that are exclusive to Sephora (instores and online). I had a few favorites in the original Luminous Creme formula (they had some really good neutrals) which I found to be a creamy lipstick with a glossy finish and medium coverage. The new Amuse Bouche Lipsticks offer a lot more pigment and coverage while still maintaining that creamy feel. I feel like the new ones are creamier in texture with a super lush finish and look but they are lightweight in the way they feel. I teamed up with Bite to feature one of the shades Sorbet (a gorgeous watermelon pink) – if you follow them on Instagram @bitebeauty you will see a new shade showcased each day in a fun way by different digital influencers and swatches on different skintones too.
I have a first look at all the shades plus thoughts on the formula as I’ve been playing with all 34 shades over the past few weeks. I’ll say upfront that I give the new Amuse Bouche lipstick formula an A+ rating. They are one-swipe wonders with a luminous full coverage finish that doesn’t look flat. As one who often finds nude shades hard to pull off, I was thrilled to find a number of good wearable neutrals in this launch (although there are a couple that are too pale for my liptone).
My thoughts by category:
- Formula / Texture / Pigment – The Amuse Bouche are creamy and smooth. The texture is very soft and glides on the lips but there’s enough thickness so you can feel it adhere well to the lips. Pigment is incredibly rich – I can get full smooth coverage with one swipe, but as with most lipsticks I do at least a couple so I can get even application around the edges and then fill in. I like applying these straight from the tube. Some of the darker colors require a lip brush to get the edges precise. For me it’s always hard to apply dark colors evenly around the edges of the lips so I recommend lining with a lip pencil first if you’re dark-lip challenged like me. Texture is super creamy but still lightweight so you don’t get a heavy feel.
- Lasting Power – Lasting power is very good. If you look at my Sorbet review, I have the initial application shot and another lip swatch of the color 5 hours later. Some of the darker berry colors do stain the lips so the color will last longer even as it fades. I had on Eggplant yesterday while swatching and decided to leave it on to see how it would wear. It lasted from around noon until late evening and didn’t budge at all. Colors in general last a long time without budging or bleeding. I did have a tiny bit of smudging with Liquorice – it kept migrating on one side of my lips, but it could be easily fixed with a lip pencil first.
- Color Selection – Color selection is incredible. All the colors are creams (so no shimmer). They are full pigmented creams but don’t look flat on the lips. I think Bite did an amazing job at color selection. There is a shade for everyone in this launch. The only category I can think of where the shades are a bit limited are browns and there are no taupes – but I don’t really wear colors in either category so I’m really thrilled with the selection of neutrals and mauves.
- Overall Feel – These are creamy, lightweight, hydrating and have an incredible slight citrus scent. It smells delicious but they do not have a noticeable taste.
- How it compares to other bold creamy lipsticks:
- Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes by comparison have a more velvety finish. The color selection for the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes in general is bolder and more edgy in color selection. There were a lot of reds and orange options while the neutral category was limited. The texture of the Marc Jacobs lipsticks is a bit thicker while the Bite Beauty formula is more creamy and luminous. Both are equally good in terms of full coverage pigment and lasting power.
- Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G has a similar full coverage creamy texture, I would say the Bite Beauty formula has a more creamy feel and hydrating texture while the Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks aren’t as moisturizing. Color selection of Bite is a lot better and the shade range has more edgy options.
- Buxom Bold Gel Lipsticks come in a Satin and Matte finish. I’ll compare the Satin Formula which I find creamy like the Bite Beauty Lipsticks. The finish and formula are different between the two. The Buxom Bold Gel Lipsticks in the Satin Finish being gels are more lightweight in texture. I can’t say I have a preference for one over the other, both are really good. Both have a creamy feel, a semi-glossy finish, good pigment, great color options.
I will have lip swatches for each set in upcoming posts. Since there are 34 shades in total I wanted to split up the posts into color category so it would be less overwhelming with the amount of photos. Here’s a quick repost of the packaging and ingredients in case you missed my feature on Sorbet.
First a quick look at some of the older Luminous Creme formula compared to the Amuse Bouche formula. I only had a few of the Luminous Creme Formula in Musk, Fig and Pepper. Below are some comparison swatches. You can see it clearly with Pepper the new formula is a lot more pigmented and creamy while the original has more of a glossy sheen.
________________________
Neutrals:
- Souffle
- Sugarcane
- Honeycomb
- Meringue
- Sake
- Pepper
- Rhubarb
________________________
Corals and Oranges
- Picked Ginger
- Gazpacho
- Persimmon
- Cayenne
- Gingersnap
- Sweet Cream
- Maple
________________________
Purples
- Spritzer
- Eggplant
- Jam
- Beetroot
- Liquorice
- Tannin
- Sour Cherry
- Black Truffle
________________________
Cool-toned Pinks
- Gin Fizz
- Cotton Candy
- Dragonfruit
- Kimchi
- Radish
- Sangria
________________________
All the others
- Verbena
- Sorbet
- Fig
- Chai
- Molasses
- Nori
________________________
Overall a solid lipstick launch. There’s lots to love and play with in this new formula. I think Honeycomb, Meringue, Sake and Pepper are the perfect neutrals (even for my pigmented lips). I can’t get enough of Honeycomb these days. I do wish I had been able to grab a few of the original formula before they were pulled from stores. There were a couple of shades I had on my wishlist for a while but they weren’t repromoted in the new launch.
Have you checked out the formula yet? I think you should! Lip swatches and lipstick photographs to follow in each of the five categories soon. You can find the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks for $26 each exclusively at Sephora.
Many thanks to Bite Beauty for sending all the colors for me to play with.
