Generation G // Blotted Lip Smackdown
[Note: I wrote this post before Glossier released a new Generation G formula, so this post is about the old formula. I have not yet tried the new formula.]
I’ve been meaning to write this post for months but am just now getting around to it! You may recall that I bought a ColourPop Blotted Lip in my first (and so far, only) ColourPop haul. I also bought a Glossier Generation G lipstick last year, and seeing as how both lipstick lines are meant to give a blotted look, I thought I would compare the two products here.
Glossier Generation G costs $18 and comes in six shades; I bought the color Like, described as a light powdery pink.
ColourPop Blotted Lip, on the other hand, costs $5 and comes in seven shades. I selected the shade Drip, a warm rosey mauve.
Below you can see the two lipsticks lined up next to each other. Both come in plastic cases and feel physically lightweight—Generation G more so than Blotted Lip.
The shades I bought aren’t dupes (Blotted Lip in Brain Freeze might have been a closer shade to Like), so this is by no means a scientific comparison.
Swatch Time!
Each brand describes their lipstick as a sheer matte. I agree that they’re sheer and matte, but as you can see below, Generation G is significantly more sheer than Blotted Lip.
Actual Wear Photos!
Below you can see how each lipstick looks on me. I tend to prefer a subtle lip, so I do really like the blotted look these lipsticks give. I’m wearing Like on the left, Drip on the right.
Clearly, the ColourPop Blotted Lip offers substantially more color payoff than Glossier’s Generation G. My lips are pigmented, and applying several layers of Like gives me a very subtle My Lips But Better look. Drip offers bolder color with just a layer or two—but to be fair, it’s a darker shade to begin with. Some of the other Generation G shades appear more pigmented than Like, so they may require fewer layers for visible color.
Let’s Talk Comfort
Everyone in the beauty world these days is talking about the “comfort” factor of lipstick. My definition of a comfortable lipstick is one that I can wear without feeling the need to apply lip balm after fifteen minutes or so (I’m a lip balm addict and I just cannot with dry lips!). I don’t consider either Generation G or Blotted Lip to be particularly comfortable; with Generation G, especially, my lips start calling for moisture after just a few minutes of wear. That’s not great (for me, at least. I’m sure others don’t mind so much). Blotted Lip is a touch more moisturizing—I don’t feel like reaching for my lip balm quite so soon after applying it.
What’s great about these lipsticks is that they’re both cruelty free and vegan. I’m trying to pay more attention to whether brands and products are cruelty free (thanks to Jackie of the Natch Beaut podcast for reminding me to vote with my dollar!). I’m not vegan, but if a product doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients, all the better.
And the Winner Is…
So…which lipstick wins this low-key smackdown? It’s pretty obvious that Blotted Lip is the winner here: the pigmentation and comfort are superior, and it costs less than a third of Generation G’s price. I wouldn’t write off Generation G entirely, though—if you like a really sheer wash of color on your lips and don’t mind a drier product, this may be the one for you.
If you have the money to spend, it can’t hurt to try out both of these lipsticks for yourself. But if you’re looking to dip your toes into the blotted lipstick world, pick up a Blotted Lip or two and see what you think!
Have you tried Generation G or Blotted Lip? What do you think of these lipsticks?
