I’ve been a brunette for more of my life than I’ve been a blond. (Except, of course, for that time I tried Sun-In. Then I was a ginger. But not in a good way.)

So, to avoid mimicking a Robert Palmer Girl, I generally avoided wearing intense lip colours, and instead favoured the smokey-eye-and-pale-lips combo.

But then I started going (really) grey, went super-blond to conceal it all and landed in a makeup chair at the P&G Mom kick-off event last fall where the artist put a shockingly bright lipstick on me. And I loved it.

Fast-forward through dinner and the SHOP.ca launch party later that night where many drinks were drunk and this lipstick stayed in place. All night.

And thus began my love affair with CoverGirl lip products.

I’ve been a makeup snob since I discovered MAC in 1998, and NARS a few years later. Apparently, I’m drawn to makeup brands in ALL CAPS.

Before this CoverGirl experience, you couldn’t have convinced me that a good, long-lasting lip product could be found in a grocery store or pharmacy for less than two Starbucks beverages. I was accustomed to paying up to $35 for lip beautifiers.

When P&G issued an online shopping challenge in conjunction with walmart.ca, I knew exactly what I would buy: CoverGirl lipsticks, glosses and balms.

I’m no stranger to online shopping (especially after Christmas 2011 when Etsy saw just about every pay cheque for a solid month), and there’s nothing I like more than spending someone else’s money.

Here’s the short version of what went down:

• I typed “walmart.ca” into my browser; selected “beauty” category, then “CoverGirl”
• After choosing a product and changing my mind, I tried to go back to the previous screen. This exercise in frustration inconsistently resulted in error screens – even more annoying than those sites where you go back and they don’t scroll down to where you left off
• In most cases, it was easy to see the lipstick/gloss/balm shade and make a judgement call about whether it was the right colour for me by putting my hand up beside it
• Creating my account after filling up my shopping cart was quick and easy
• Everything in my cart qualified for free shipping. Easy peasy. Now I’m on a roll!, I thought
• I keyed in the details from the pre-paid Visa gift card provided by P&G, and got an error message that returned me to the checkout screen. I keyed them in again and this appeared:

Service Temporarily Unavailable

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

• That happened twice more
• I gave up

In the end, I walked into my neighbourhood Walmart store and bought my CoverGirl lippies with my own money because by then I had lost, then found, then lost again the gift card provided. Probably from hurling it across the room.

Out on the town with CoverGirl Lip Perfection in “Hot Passion.”

CoverGirl Lip Perfection in Tempt and Hot Passion. I had these colours at home already, and they’re two colours I absolutely love so I bought two more as back-up. They stay on forever. The upside and downside to that? You can apply it at 7 a.m. and not need to touch it up until 5 p.m., at which point it’ll last until morning if you don’t scrub it off before bedtime. And a-scrubbing you will do!

CoverGirl Blast Flipstick in Cheeky and Tease. I get so many compliments every time I wear these colours. What this product has in “it” factor for its main colour, however, may be lacking in its complementary colour at the other end of the (flip)stick, depending on which one you choose. With Tease, for example, I’ve tried using each end alone (which works best) or – as suggested on the package – mixing the colours. The latter is no go for me. I always end up looking like a mafia girlfriend circa 1987. That said, I did use the 1987 end for a recent toga party and it helped me look very Grecian:

The lighter end of “Tease” helped me commit to that Grecian glow at a recent toga party. That’s Big B with me…such a good sport.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Peony. If you’re looking for a hit of colour with the moisturizing qualities of a balm, this would be a great choice. Your lips will feel fantastic after using this balm, and there are a lot of fab colours from which to choose. Expect it to stay on as long as a gloss versus a lipstick.

CoverGirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Coral Twist. I love the hot pink version P&G sent me awhile back and was excited to try another colour. This product looks like a big, fat lip pencil but it glides on like a balm and leaves your lips feeling soft and only slightly glossy with sheer colour. Either my lips weren’t exfoliated well or this colour doesn’t “glide” as easily as my hot pink shade. The colour is great – especially if you’re sporting a tan – but it didn’t go on or stay on as nicely as the hot pink.

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in Flirty Nude. I often use my FlipStick and Lip Perfection lipsticks as lip stains by applying them using my fingertip and a lot of smudging. It makes for a very natural look, and one that doesn’t need to be taken off with a sandpaper-strong makeup remover come nightfall. If you’ve ever used benefit’s benetint lip and cheek stain, the CoverGirl Lipstain is similar in terms of texture but has the distinct advantage of an applicator. However, my experience with it didn’t see the stain last long – a couple of hours, tops. While it was there, though, it provided a nice, natural look and it dries to the touch almost instantly.

CoverGirl wetslicks fruit spritzers lip gloss in Guava Splash. If you don’t generally like scented or flavoured lip gloss, then stay away! The flavour is strong (with my mouth closed, I can smell it every time I breathe for the first minute or so after applying). I don’t personally mind it. The colour is really pale with just the right amount of shine (don’t worry, you won’t be a beacon with this stuff). Guava Splash is perfect with a really smokey eye, when a bright, matte lipstick would be too much. I also forgot to remove it one night before hitting the hay and I awoke with pleasantly moist lips.

My favourite? It’s a toss-up between the Lip Perfection for that vixen look and Jumbo Gloss Balm (in the hot pink!) for everyday wear.

Have you ever tried CoverGirl makeup?

DISCLAIMER: I am a P&G Mom. As part of my affiliation with this group, I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are always my own, are never influenced by brand relationships, and are not paid unless otherwise stated (“sponsored post”).