ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss

One of the main reasons that I subscribe to Topbox is to discover new brands and in my August box, I was introduced to ModelCo. It's an Australia company that produces "...innovative, quick-fix, multipurpose beauty solutions" that are also cruelty-free. Sounds great to me.

My Topbox contained Shine Ultra Lip Gloss, which ModelCo describes as a, "... reflective, shimmering gloss (that) ends a luxe touch to your beauty look, and glides on smoothly for a non-sticky, long-lasting finish."

Available in eight shades, I received the one called Striptease. But despite its racy name, this colour is completely suitable for daytime wear and the office. It's a pale, almost neutral pink that's didn't really change my lip colour, at least not a first.


In its clear tube, this gloss looks really shimmery, maybe too shimmery. But once on, that quality is nowhere to be seen. Instead, what I ended up with were shiny, but not too shiny lips, that had their nature colour essentially enhanced but not altered by this product.

Unfortunately, that shine didn't last. In less than an hour, that glossiness went away and was replaced with an almost frosted look. Now, I'm not sure if this something common to this line or something that just happens with Striptease, but it was a bit of a surprise though depending on what look you're going for, not necessarily a bad thing.

According to ModelCo, this gloss can be worn on its own or layered over another lip product. I tried this out a few times and was always pleased with the results. This product plays nicely with other lip brands and gives them an undeniably glossy boost with almost no change to the base colour (at least with Striptease). Again, the glossiness wasn't as shimmery as I thought it would originally be (which I'm completely OK with) and it didn't stick around for as long as I would like, but it did add a new look and shine to any lipstick that I applied it over.

Striptease

The texture of this gloss is interesting. I wouldn't call it "non-sticky" as it did leave my lips with a sticky sensation for a few minutes. Thankfully, that feeling quickly went away and was replaced by one that was quite moisturizing. Interestingly, that sensation lasted for hours, making this lip gloss better feeling than some lip balms.

According to the product description, serious thought went into this item's packaging, which is always nice to see. "The tall thin bottle and smart inbuilt mirror makes SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss perfect for small handbags and on-the-go application," says Model Co. While I find the tube a bit big for a small handbag, the plastic packaging is lightweight, the lid screws on security and the built-in mirror really is a great and functional idea. So while it might not be ideal for a small bag, it will definitely work for a medium-sized one.

Since ModelCo is an Australian company, I'm assuming that the pricing on its website is in Australian dollars. That means that this gloss retails for about $19 Canadian, which isn't a bad price for what you get. The bigger issue, and possibly the bigger cost, is getting this item to Canada from Australia. I've never seen this brand in a Canadian store so online ordering might be the only route to go.

Would I buy this product: I don't I like it enough to buy it online and pay the shipping/duty costs. However, if I saw this line in say, Sephora, and the price was still reasonable, I might pick one up, though likely in a different colour (I have no need for anymore clear/neutral glosses).

Should you buy this product: It's a good product, with smart packaging, but it's not worth the cost and hassle of buying it online. But again, if you see it at the right price in a real store and like the colour, go for it.