Armour Beauty – lip gloss for your wild side

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Armour Beauty lip glosses in various shades on a white counterphoto: we heart this

At some point, everyone has imagined themselves as a rock star; jumping on the bed and belting songs into a hairbrush, playing to thousands of adoring fans (or was that just me?) Maybe fantasizing the fabulous parties, amazing clothes and your own personal beauty stylist? While we may not have become the next Joan Jett, we can at least feel like an edgy glam-rocker or a ferocious sexpot with Armour Beauty lip gloss.

Armour Beauty is the brilliant creation of model/former Lunachicks front woman, Theo Kogan and makeup artist/handbag designer, Allison Burns. For the moment, they concentrate on bringing you the best glosses possible (the only product in their line), with shades available in both opaque and shimmer glosses. Armour Beauty is the brand that out rocks other glosses on the market. Inspired by rock and roll days gone by, the designers cleverly paid homage to some of their favorite songs, night clubs and female legends by giving their various shades names like Barracuda and Cat Club.

As a major Debbie Harry fan, I was thrilled to receive my sleek lucite tube of Dreaming, a sparkling, supple shade of rosy mauve from the shimmer collection and named for the Blondie song. Paraben free and with no animal testing ever, these glosses contain Vitamin E, grape seed and avocado oils, as well as mango and shea butters. Meaning your lips will look great, smell warm and slightly fruity and feel deliciously moisturized and kissable, while you’ll feel guilt free!

Not only does this gloss have an impressive staying power, even lasting through my multiple coffee fixes, but it also transitions easily from day to evening. Paired with simple, daytime makeup, the shimmer and hint of color was fun and flirty, but at night, the glimmer and shine of Armour Beauty when matched with smoky, come-hither eyes…hot!

While I can only attest to the lovely sheer purple of Dreaming, I can imagine that if you’re feeling particularly sassy, red shades like Barracuda or Shattered would be a sexy way to enhance any look. Or, exceptionally daring ladies could try Femme Fatale, an opaque black shade. With dark, dark, VERY dark lips showing up on runways and red carpets, this striking number would be an exciting way to punctuate your evening ensemble. Just remember to tone down the rest of your look to pull this off. I’m guessing most of us don’t walk the red carpet in our daily lives, so too much would be, well…too much. (Or use mix it with red for an equally dramatic, but more wearable vampy shade~wht)

Armour Beauty gloss has swiftly become a favorite amongst celebrities and make up artists with ladies like Lily Allen, Lady Gaga, and Karen O sporting various shades. And as we all know, these women definitely know how to rock the sexy. So even if you aren’t a rock star, you can afford a slice of the rock and roll lifestyle with these fantastic lip glosses.

Don’t forget to check the comments for the we heart this review team’s thoughts and experiences with Armour Beauty.

Kari is a Minneapolis based artist who drinks too much coffee and enjoys taking pictures of the strange foods she eats. She’s always running 10 minutes behind despite her clock being an hour fast. You can find her musings on art, music and food at her blog, Tuna Fish Casserole.

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.

Author

  • kari

    Kari is a Minneapolis based artist who drinks too much coffee and enjoys taking pictures of the strange foods she eats. She's always running 10 minutes behind despite her clock being an hour fast.

21 Comments

  1. I have Last Dance. It looks very dark in the tube. But it is a gorgeous plum/mauve shade that goes on slightly sheer. I think that it would flatter most anyone. Armour lip gloss feels so good on. It is not overly sticky nor does it immediately fade away. It has a nice middle of the road staying power. I have found that anything that stays on forever is way too sticky or drying for my tastes. This is none of those things. And of course you have got to love that it has such quality, good for you ingredients. Last Dance is a beautiful shade that can be worn in a subtle way or with a little more layering in a more rock and roll or hence the name, Donna Summer disco way. This is one of my faves. I totally recommend it! And I can’t wait to try more colors.

  2. These sound great; I love that the company only does lip glosses. When a line is focused like that it seems like there is better quality!

  3. Kellie, I totally agree with you about the sticky factor. AB lip gloss manages to stay on without feeling like you’ve coated your lips with glue.

    I’ve also gotten quite a few compliments on the color whenever I wear it. Dreaming is really a fantastic all around shade, but I’m dying to try the red!

    And I really do like the smell of the gloss. I get very turned off from a product if it smells too chemically, but as my coworker described it, AB gloss “smells like happy.” :)

  4. Thanks, kari, for this enticing introduction to Armour Beauty. This lip gloss fiend can’t wait to check it out!

  5. I totally agree with Kari’s review! I received “Edie” to try, and it’s a lovely light beige nude that was no doubt inspired by the original nude-lip icon, Edie Sedgwick.

    What I loved the most about this shade, other than its stellar staying power (even on a chronic gloss-eater like myself) is that the pigment magically cancels out my natural lip color and provides the most perfect and true nude lip that I’ve ever seen from a gloss. So many times I’ve purchased a “nude” gloss only to swipe it and find that my lips’ natural pigmentation shows through and what I was hoping would be a “nude” effect actually turns out to be a barely-there sheer hint of color. NOT the case with “Edie”. This baby is almost like a concealer in lip gloss form as it truly conceals your natural pigmentation and delivers on its Edie-Sedgwick-like nudeness. But unlike a concealer, it’s not a too-pale shade of nude. It’s got such a pretty, deep beige hue to it–you just have to see it for yourself.

    Nude lip fans, you NEED this one. Also, I love the scent and fragrance! To me it’s just like tropical bubble gum. So fun!

    Five huge stars from me.

  6. Oh Armour Beauty, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

    1. Packaging: This matters to me! In a purely superficial sense, I love the lucite tube. Lucite, whether in a trashy heel or a lip product container, rates very high with me. And from a deeper place, love the sturdiness of it and the doe foot applicator.

    2. Smell and taste: I have a super sensitive nose. If a gloss is TOO anything (fruity, minty, cupcake-y) I can’t wear them. Armour Beauty glosses have a very faint smell which reminds me a bit of a creamsicle. But it’s not at all overpowering and fades quickly. And I’m happy to say, no taste at all.

    3. Staying Power: Like others have mentioned, these stick around! They’re slightly tacky, so they do last, but they’re not super sticky, so that your hair and everything else are getting caught on your lips. Plus, the gloss has a plushness to it, making it feel pillow-y on your lips.

    4. Color: The range of shades is beautiful. From black to nude, and everything in between. And I love that they have a shimmer collection and an opaque collection that is clearly defined. When you buy online a lot (like me), it helps to be obvious.

    5. Cleverness/Coolness: The fact that these are named after great moments in Rock and female icons makes me insane with love!

    I got to try Cat Club from the opaque line, a hot pink that can be applied lightly for a subtle bubble gum pink, or heavily for a bright, glossy retro bit of gorgeousness. LOVE this gloss!

    I also tried Gypsy from the shimmer collection (and named for the Stevie Nicks song). This is a light peachy nude with tons of gold shimmer. It’s pretty sheer, but very pretty. And looks fabulous over a nude lipstick.

    Can you tell I’m impressed with the line? 5 glowing stars from this lip gloss junkie.
    .-= stef´s last blog ..The Original Bad Girls of Rock & Roll – The Runaways =-.

  7. Wow, Stef! What a re-cap on this line. You sure know how to elaborate well! These sound amazing.. I’ll be sure to seek them out! Thank you for the post Kari!

  8. Woot – it’s like women in rock day here at we heart this! Love it. I did not test the Armour Lip Gloss, but I’m a little envious of those that did. They sound sound awesome. I’ll be trying Stef’s this weekend when we get together.

    I have, however, had the pleasure of seeing the Lunachicks live on a number of occasions. They were pretty popular in Philadelphia when Stef and I were right out of college. I remember seeing them at a sold out show in the teeny, yet historic Khyber. (George Washington, Ben Franklin and a ton of founding fathers drank there – now (or at least in the early 90’s) it was a great intimate club to see up and coming bands. Theo – you ladies rocked!
    .-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..The Original Bad Girls of Rock & Roll – The Runaways =-.

  9. Pam, you know I could wax on about the merits of a good gloss all day long…

    No kidding Tyna, it is “Ladies of Rock” day at we heart this! Gotta love that.

  10. Tyna, I am so jealous you got to see the Lunachicks play!

    And anyone who hasn’t tried these glosses, you HAVE TO. I couldn’t have asked for a better product for my first review! I carry it with me everywhere I go now and like Stef pointed out the lucite packaging is nice and sturdy. Plus it’s a nice size, around the size of a lipstick tube, so it won’t take up too much room in smaller handbags or clutches.

    It deserves all 5 stars!

  11. Always a trial with a new lipgloss — you never know what you’re going to get. I liked the yummy bubble gum scent (though not flavor) of Diana, a mauvey natural looking pink that gave a good subtle pink–especially over the top of a neutral lip pencil.

    I don’t mind a gloss that’s a little sticky–especially if the color stays on.

    But it’s probably not my first choice for $19 earmarked for lipgloss.

  12. Oh, and I just made a pact with myself that I wouldn’t buy any more lip glosses until I used up at least 10! (Hello, my name is Amanda and I’m a lip product addict… like, for reals). Guess this one is going on the lemming list!

  13. I Had no idea one of the Luna Chicks was behind this amazing brand..
    now wonder it rocks!!! I tried Last Dance and let me just say.. it is my new FAVORITE! The color is lovely, it’s like the perfect wine color.. a deep but sheer merlot color. Stays amazingly, smells divine, and makes your lips ultra smooth.

    Armour is a good name as it stays like a healthy lip armour. And the fact it’s named for such fine women in rock.. or entertainment.. Baby Jane!!! Edie!!!
    Does it get any better?!!

    Well worth the price tag as I’m sure it will last and last.
    The packaging is lovely, and the staying power alone give this an easy 5 stars.. Now I want Baby Jane!!
    Love this! :)

  14. Alright – I’m a bit behind on this one, but I got to try the shimmer line in ‘shattered.’ The color was sort of a fuschia shade, which is fun, but definitely not for the faint of heart! My lips were still a bit tinted an hour later, but the gloss does leave a VERY intense lip print on my coffee mug – reminiscent of my mother’s many Diet Coke cans throughout my childhood. I think I must have different expectations from most when it comes to a gloss because I did feel like this one was a bit too thick and tacky. I definitely wouldn’t go so far as to call it full-on sticky, but I like a slightly smoother texture.

    The little tube is super modern and absolutely the prettiest gloss in my arsenal, and like I said, the pigment is fantastic!

  15. Wow, these glosses sound amazing! I too, have a bit of an addiction to all glosses so I can’t wait to try these!

  16. Oh no…I really don’t need another lip gloss brand to love, but these sound really tempting. Especially if Stef is giving them 5 stars. Going to keep my eye out for these. Great post Kari.

  17. Amanda, Tiffany- I totally think you’d find AB is worth making an exception for. ;)

    And not gonna lie, I’m really curious about trying Femme Fatale…

  18. I love the looks of the gloss and the packaging. Hmmm, when did I become such lover of great packaging?

    (And, I still imagine myself as a rocker or a Broadway crooner. That’s why I bought a karaoke machine. :-) )

  19. Although I never imagined myself in front of tons of adoring fans, these do look great! I’m thinking of branching out in my lipwear and I’m considering all the options…

  20. I’m just sort of So/So about these. Diana is a pretty mauve-y, nude-y pink and it looked really great over my nude bobby brown lip pencil! I like the bubble gum scent and I didn’t mind the stickiness – i felt the gloss stayed on really well. But given a choice between this $19 gloss and say, a DiorKiss or a Bare Escentuals Buxom Babes, Armour definitely wouldn’t win.

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