I would like to interrupt our usual discussions on food, travel and fitness, to expound a little on something a bit different this time. But of course, it is something that also contributes to one’s happiness. Lipsticks!

Or to be specific, Clinique’s Chubby Sticks (because they aren’t quite lipsticks per se). I’m kind of late to the party here (in terms of talking about them, not in terms of loving them because I’ve been a fan for a while), but better late than never I suppose.

In August 2014, I was introduced to the phenomenon that Clinique calls a Chubby Stick by my sister. A lovechild of a lipstick and a lip balm, it offers what many women only used to dream of – colour AND moisture.

One led to another, and another, and then a sweet friend got me a minis set for my birthday last year, and the rest is history.

Since I own 7 shades, and my sister and mother another 1 each, I decided to do a swatch comparison collage on my lips for fun. And look how pretty all these colours are when placed side by side! Makes the inner girly girl in me swoon.

I tried to keep the lighting the same, but there are some variations. For example, the swatch for Mightiest Maraschino is not that accurate (it’s redder in real life, I’ll post another picture of it further down).

Here are my thoughts on these 9 shades of the Clinique Chubby Sticks that I’ve tried:

Intense Shades

Chunkiest Chilli: A slightly dark reddish-brown shade that can look quite elegant (or maybe a bit mature), depending on how heavily you layer it. I like this shade, but not superbly fond of it.

Heftiest Hibiscus: One of my favourite shades, a bright orange-based coral that can really light up the face. Better when applied lightly though IMO, an over enthusiastic hand could result in one looking a little scary.

Mightiest Maraschino: A bright red shade with a bit of pink undertones that could be a bit Snow White-esque for those with lighter complexions. Great for instantly jazzing up a dinner outfit. Makes one look young, but classy.

Plushest Punch: This is a super bright pink colour that pops right off one’s lips. Good if you like attention, and if you have a cooler skin tone – I’m not a huge fan because mine is warm, but this is a fun colour to wear anyway.

Grandest Grape: I didn’t like this colour that much at first, but it really grew on me. When applied gently, it gives the lips a sexy dark purple-pink tint.

Regular Shades

Mega Melon: A super light, subtle peachy shade that helps to give one a natural, ‘I just woke up fabulous’ look. I like this and use it pretty often for casual, everyday occasions.

Woppin’ Watermelon: The cool sister of Mega Melon! Functions as a lightly pink tinted lip balm I suppose, though I rarely use this one because I find that there is not enough colour (I like it bright usually!).

Pudgy Peony: This colour was one of my least favourites at first, but then somehow became one of my favourites – I’ve actually nearly finished the entire stick! A sweet pink shade that I initially thought was too girly, but when applied gently it really lends a nice rosy glow that is great for daily use.

Red Tomato: A bit like Mightiest Maraschino but less intense and more towards red-orange than red-pink. One of the brighter and more obvious shades in the regular chubby stick range.

By the way, you can also mix colours to get the desired shade you want! I recommend a light one (like Mega Melon or Woppin’ Watermelon) with an intense one (like Heftiest Hibiscus or Mightest Maraschino) to get your desired strength or shade. Try warm tones with cool ones for a unique new look.

Mixing is like having more lipsticks! I own 7, so that means it’s like having… (7+1×6+1×5+1×4+1×3+1×2+1×1? my permutation math is a bit rusty) 28 different lipsticks. Isn’t that cool?

In terms of moisture, these did a pretty good job of keeping away those awful chapped lips for me. Colour staying power without touching it is strong, but after food or rubbing with a tissue, most of it will come off with the base tint still visible – overall fairly decent.

And so there we have it! My little swatch test/review on 9 shades of the Clinique Chubby Sticks 🙂