Beauty Care: Bite Beauty Virtual Lip Lab Experience + My Custom Lipsticks!

Recently, Bite Beauty started doing virtual Lip Lab experiences, and I was invited to try it out myself (free of charge), where I was able to make two custom lipsticks, which are reviewed below.

I’ve always wanted to go, but boo!hiss! if they didn’t put in a location that would have worked after I moved away from the area, so it was neat to be able to do it virtually. They’re still offering $15 off each custom lipstick with code LIPHOME (so $45 for one or $90 for two).

I used my phone to login and meet with Fran, who works out of the Brooklyn Lip Lab, and was extremely encouraging, patient, and all-around lovely to work with. She had a good working knowledge of Bite’s offerings, both past and present, and really walked me through the process.

It takes about a half hour to create each shade, depending on how many tweaks and attempts you have them do. It took closer to 40 minutes to create the red and only 20 minutes to create the green shade. There are four finishes to choose from–matte, satin, luminous, or sheer–and I ended up with satin for both, which is pretty much the now-discontinued Amuse Bouche formula.

Once you select a finish, you start with base pigment(s) and then mix-ins, which can neutralize certain undertones or add more depth or lightness, depending on what you’re after. The whole process is set-up like a virtual meeting, and Fran adjusted her camera so that I could see her mixing together the various components. There was never any pressure or feeling that I was being rushed to “pick” a shade, which was nice.

After you’re happy with your custom shade, you get to choose the flavor/scent from six (vanilla, violet, fresh citrus, wildberry, coconut, and citrus mango), give your shade a name (even have a symbol stamped on with the name), and select a font. The virtual session then concluded, and Fran went to actually make my custom lipsticks and filmed short clips of her doing so and took some photos, which were emailed to me later on that same day.

I received my order via UPS about a week later, which also included a small, zippered canvas bag and some sample-sized products from Bite’s range (lip balm, primer, liquid lisptick, and a brush) and the information for my shades. There was also a card included for each custom shade that detailed the name, recipe for the custom shade, and so on. Bite stores the information about your custom shade, so you can always repurchase your custom shade (or a friend can).

It was a fun experience, and if you’ve always wanted to go to the Lip Lab but don’t have a location near you, the virtual experience was lovely. I will say that you should go in with an idea of what you want, and if you have products that are “close to” what you’re after, make sure you have those handy so you can share with Bite. It seemed to give Fran a much better idea of what I meant by a “deep red” rather than just saying it!

For me, I wanted to try one “fun” color, hence the green, and something more traditional, hence the red, but I wanted something deeper but vibrant. I’d love to see Bite add shimmer as a mix-in so that you could create more pearly or metallic finishes, too! ‘Cause then I’d have tried to recreate Chanel Dragon.

But also? I really miss the Amuse Bouche formula!

Supervixen

Bite Beauty Supervixen Amuse Bouche Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark green with subtle, cool undertones and a cream finish. It had good color coverage in a single layer, which applied fairly evenly. There was a smidgen of product that settled into my deeper lip lines, though it wasn’t noticeable from a normal viewing distance. It wore well for five and a half hours, left a faint stain behind but was hydrating over time.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes
Formula Overview

Top Dupes

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Sephora Offshore (66) (P, $8.00) is glossier (95% similar).
Givenchy Pourpre Edgy (326) (P, $36.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (95% similar).
MAC Nyma Tang (LE, $20.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (95% similar).
Tarte Miami Vice (P, $21.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
Pat McGrath Major Red (DC, $40.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (90% similar).
Hourglass Icon (P, $32.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (90% similar).
Colour Pop Bichette (P, $6.00) is darker, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
Estee Lauder LA Noir (P, $32.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (90% similar).
MAC E for Effortless (P, $19.00) is darker, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
MAC Give Me Fever (P, $19.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (90% similar).

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Formula Overview

$26.00/0.15 oz. - $173.33 Per Ounce

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.15 oz.) is supposed to have “bold, creamy color” with “extreme moisture, soft texture, and creamy wear.” The majority of the range is very pigmented–typically opaque with one pass–with a few shades being semi-opaque but usually buildable.

The consistency is very lightly creamy to lightly creamy with some shades requiring light-medium pressure and can pull the lip a bit when gliding it across the lips, though the color doesn’t appear ragged and the bullet itself doesn’t feel stiff (while other shades applied without tugging, so check individual shade reviews!) The majority of the shades I’ve tested have been lightly hydrating to non-drying and fairly comfortable to wear for the long-haul. They have a herbal, lemony scent but no discernible taste. They wear longer than average, from four to eight hours, depending on the intensity and propensity of the shade to stain.

Browse all of our Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick swatches.

Supervixen

LELimited Edition. $26.00.

9.5

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

97%

Total

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Mellan's Luck

Bite Beauty Mellan’s Luck Amuse Bouche Lipstick ($26.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a deep red with cool, blue undertones and a satin finish. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in one pass, which applied evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging. The texture was lightly creamy but not too heavy or thick, so it was comfortable to wear and didn’t emphasize my lip lines. It was still going strong after six hours of wear and left a stain behind. The formula was moisturizing to wear.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes
Formula Overview

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Fenty Beauty Midnight Wasabi (P, $18.00) is darker, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cosplay (DC, $18.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
Kat Von D Plan 9 (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).
Kat Von D Plan 9 (P, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Guerlain #111 (P, $33.00) is more shimmery, darker (80% similar).

View Swatches