Fruit-Inspired Lips : Getting a Dragon Fruit Pout with Sleek Makeup Pout Paints

I received a few of the new Sleek Makeup Pout Paints quite recently and I’ve been trying to get a feel of it. Sleek Makeup Pout Paints are little tubes of super intense liquid colour that you can use directly, or mix and match to create a lip colour that is perfect for just you.

It was one evening, while I was cutting up a red dragon fruit (pitaya) for dinner that I got to wondering – “I wonder how this colour would look on my lips?” I mean, look at it.

Its a beautiful shade of cool-warm fuchsia red-pink, a colour that only Mother Nature could create. I wondered if I might be able to create this colour for the lips too, so I donned my Mad Scientist hat (or lab coat) and set to work with the Sleek Makeup Pout Paints.

Let me just tell you a little bit about these Pout Paints before I go on. These little tubes of paint are very strongly pigmented, so one drop is quite literally all you’ll need for bright and long lasting lip colour. You can (and should) mix them in some form of palette or platter but to be quick, I mix them on the back of my hands, and it can stain. A bit of makeup remover usually does the trick but its a point to note. Do not get this on your clothes.

The colours we have today are Pin Up (warm fire engine red), Mauve Over (cool pink), Peek-a-boo (blue) and Cloud 9 (white). You could wear a blue or white lip if you like. But they are really meant to be mixers. The blue deepens the colour, and white lightens it.

Left to Right: Peek-a-boo, Mauve Over, Cloud 9, Pin Up

All the textures are fairly thick and liquid, except for Cloud 9 which tends to be very watery in my tube. I’m not sure if its like that for all tubes. I find that I will squeeze out some oil, rather like how it is when you paint with oil paints. This brought back many a memory of art classes, I can tell you!

Whilst I do find them long lasting, I also find that it smears around a lot. Its got a light liquid texture, and applies very easily with a lip brush (ideal so you don’t look too demented after smearing it around with your fingers) but I also find that it leaves its mark everywhere – coffee cups, teeth and woe betide if you kiss someone. They’d be branded for life 😛

Still, despite leaving your mark everywhere your lips go, the Pout Paints do last quite long. I can blot my lips after an oily lunch and still have dulled colour spread quite evenly on my lips. A touch of gloss or a balm brings it back to life. Good thing too because its hard to carry the colour around with you unless you mix up a big enough batch and store them in little pots. I’m a little lazy (ok I’m a lot lazy) so I just wear it in the morning, see what’s left after lunch and either wipe it off or apply gloss or another lip shade over it. I never have the same lip colour on my lips in the morning and afternoon 😛

Some people have mixed them with clear lip balm or vaseline to create a tinted lip balm, or you can create your own lip gloss by mixing them with clear lipgloss. This makes them quite versatile and fun if you are the creative sort. I just mixed different lip colours with these and had fun, although to be perfectly honest, I couldn’t use these at a pinch. Its a bit too much work for me, and so I reserve them for days when I have time to experiment.

So now we’re done talking about the Pout Paints, let me show you how they look and how I created my Dragon Fruit Lip Colour.

Also featuring: Smashbox Soft Box eyeshadow palette 

Hmm… I should have perhaps turned up the fuchsia in this one. I mixed a drop of each of the 4 colours I have. Pin Up and Mauve Over, to create a rosy tone, Peek-a-boo to deepen it to the shade you see here, and Cloud 9 to add light. It is really gorgeous in real life. I asked a friend what it reminded them of and they said “Dragon Fruit” so I guess I got it right some how 😉 Can I replicate it? Probably not. I just know it needs these 4 shades you see here, but the percentages of each may vary each time.

I have also mixed up a couple of other variations, but because both Pin Up and Mauve Over are strong red-pink shades, the variation in colours aren’t very wide. If I were to toss a peach or perhaps a nude into the mix, I might have been able to come up with something more unique.

But I wanted to show you also just how intense the colour is on its own. Get your sunnies ready for Pin Up!

Whoa! Talk about bright! I didn’t do anything to this picture. The red is really THIS BRIGHT when worn on its own. Its so bright that not even I would wear it out. I later toned it down after taking this picture. Its a warmed up shade of red and I do think it benefits from mixing with the other colours. It adds warmth and a very cool colour like Mauve Over most certainly benefits from mixing with Pin Up.

Those familiar with OCC Lip Tars will recognise these and the concept. I never quite got into the OCC Lip Tars because I found them drying. These aren’t. I enjoy playing with these, but only when I have the time to create an interesting lip shade. Otherwise, its still back to the regular lipsticks and glosses for me 🙂

BTW Dragonfruits are very high in Vitamins and very good for health. I love the red ones because they are lovely and sweet and if you over indulge, be careful when going to the toilet or you might just scare yourself 😛

Have you tried the Sleek Makeup Pout Paints? Do you think you’d enjoy mixing up your own lip colours or creating your own lip tints? Or has your makeup ever been inspired by fruits? 😀

Paris B

Sleek Makeup Pout Paints come in 11 shades and retail at US$8/£4.99 each at www.sleekmakeup.com (ships internationally) or at Superdrug stores in the UK