Maybelline Color Elixirs have come to Ireland! First look with lots of photos and swatches!

It's happening!  Come September, these little stunners will be on counters everywhere and makeup lovers like me can breathe a sigh of relief.  They're here...  I've been hoping and praying and waiting for the Maybelline Color Elixirs to come to Irish shores because come on, the Americans get all the good stuff!  And yesterday, six of the eleven shades on offer arrived and I couldn't wait to show them to you, so this is a first look today, not a review.  An introduction if you will.  Maybelline Color Elixirs, meet everyone.  Everyone, meet the Color Elixirs.  I think we're all going to get on fabulously!

I can't talk about the packaging without addressing the fact that they're the spit of Dior Addict Fluid Stick, something that's outside my budget at the moment but these are only €9.69, so yes, I'll be able to collect the rest of them.

The formula has a "double phase technology" which sounds very high falootin' but essentially it offers the high shine of a gloss with the pigment of a lipstick.  Want to see more?  Yes, I thought so.

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Nude Illusion, Blush Essence, Hibiscus Haven

The first three shades here are the softer of the six and while Hibiscus Haven isn't a hit for me (blue toned bubblegum pinks do nothing for my complexion) the formula on all of them is spot on.   Nude Illusion is a warm caramel nude whereas Blush Essence is a dusky pink with fine shimmer running through it.  

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Nude Illusion, Blush Essence, Hibiscus Haven

On to the brights now and I love them all!  Have a guess which one is my favourite....

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Alluring Coral, Mandarine Rapture, Signature Scarlet

L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Alluring Coral, Mandarine Rapture, Signature Scarlet

Each one applied easily with the soft applicator and please can we take a moment to look at the shine below!  Of all the lipstick/gloss hybrids I've tried so far, this formula hits the mark in terms of offering the glossiness that I crave being a gloss lover.

Top row: L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Nude Illusion, Blush Essence, Hibiscus Haven

Bottom row: L-R: Maybelline Color Elixir Alluring Coral, Mandarine Rapture, Signature Scarlet

It's grand seeing lip swatches like above, but I thought I'd show them to you with my whole visage for the craic.   And you can see how much my favourites work with my skin tone.  Regular readers won't even have to guess which ones are my favourite, but I'll tell you anyway.

Maybelline Color Elixir Nude Illusion

Nude Illusion is a warm nude as I mentioned above and doesn't wash me out, making a great shade to wear with a smokey eye.

Maybelline Color Elixir Blush Essence

Blush Essence is a beautiful soft pink shade is perfect for everyday wear and I shall get lots of wear out of it, especially to work.

Maybelline Color Elixir Hibiscus Haven

Hibiscus Haven is a really bright bubblegum pink shade and honestly is so much brighter in real life than in this photo!  If you like brights then you'll love this.

Maybelline Color Elixir Alluring Coral

Alluring Coral... Where do I begin.... It's me in lipgloss/lipstick hybrid form and it's perfect.  Not that I'm perfect.  But I'm a bit more perfect when I wear this.  

Maybelline Color Elixir Mandarine Rupture

Mandarine Rupture comes a very close second to Alluring Coral in terms of my love for it.  I can't cope with the sheer perfection of this shade and this will be in constant rotation for me.  Fact.

Maybelline Color Elixir Signature Scarlet

Signature Scarlet knocked me upside the head with it's pigmentation, shine and absolute wearability for a rich red shade.

So that's our first look at the Color Elixirs.  I'll be testing them out over the coming days and will report back with a full review, maybe in video form!

Which one is your favourite?  To the comments!