I bought another lipstick even though I have too many

Getting drawn into the bright colors again

I really should have stopped buying lip products. My drawer is already overflowing with tubes that I only used a handful of times, but then I saw the news about the new ‘Nowear Lipstick Baming Glow’ colors. It’s that familiar cycle. I was just browsing through a beauty news feed, probably thinking about how my current shade looks a bit dull, and suddenly I was looking at the ‘New Rose’ spectrum. It’s funny how they market these things—balancing warmth and cool tones—as if that’s going to fix my entire look. I ended up ordering one simply because the website mentioned a mini lip pouch gift. It’s such a trivial thing, that tiny pouch, but it felt like a reason to click ‘purchase’ instead of just closing the tab.

The reality of the color payoff

When the package finally arrived after a couple of days, it felt smaller than I remembered from the photos. I tried the shade that’s supposed to be this balanced rose, and while the texture is definitely smoother than the matte ones I usually keep in my bag, it’s not exactly revolutionary. I think I expected it to be a bit more pigmented, but it has that sheer, glowy finish that’s trendy right now. It feels nice on the lips, not sticky like some of the older glosses I used to own, but I have to reapply it constantly after drinking coffee. My old ‘Moonlit’ shade from them lasted way longer, but this one feels more like a daily lip balm with a tint.

Navigating the store shelves

I went to a local Olive Young store yesterday just to see if the other colors looked better in person. The place was packed, as it usually is on a Saturday afternoon. It’s hard to get a real sense of the color when the store lighting is so harsh and yellow. I saw the display for the ‘Be Velvet’ cushion and the different primers next to the lipsticks. It’s overwhelming how much space they give to these base products now. I spent about twenty minutes just staring at the color swatches on my hand, and honestly, they all started looking the same after a while. I didn’t end up buying anything else, which I consider a small victory, but the confusion about which product is actually worth the 20,000 to 30,000 won range stays with me.

The mess in my makeup drawer

Coming home, I tried to organize the drawer where I keep all these lipsticks. I found an old lip tattoo tint buried in the back that I haven’t touched in months. It’s fascinating how quickly my preferences shift. A year ago, I was obsessed with the longest-lasting, stay-all-day formulas, and now I’m gravitating toward these sheer, glossy things that don’t last through a single meal. I don’t know if it’s because my style changed or if I’m just bored with the same routine every morning. Sometimes I look at these tubes and feel a bit annoyed at how much space they take up. I still have that stick foundation I barely used sitting right next to them.

Just another product in the rotation

So now, the new lipstick sits on my vanity, right in the front. It’s not the magic solution to looking put-together, and I’m sure in two weeks I’ll be back to using my old standby. I still have this lingering thought that I should have just kept using what I had instead of chasing after a new release. There’s no big realization here, just the fact that my drawer is slightly fuller and I’m still standing in front of the mirror wondering if the color really suits me as much as the photos promised. Maybe I’ll feel differently about it next week, or maybe I’ll just reach for it out of habit until I get tired of the packaging.