When Fenty Beauty By Rihanna launched in 2017, the line included one shade of the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, a shimmering rose nude called Fenty Glow. Since then, the range of cruelty-free shades has expanded to include full size glosses in Fu$$y, a shimmering pink, and Diamond Milk, a pearl with silver glimmer. But wait! There are four brand new shiny shades currently available only in the Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Collection. Liz got this set as a Christmas gift, and Lea has the OG Fenty Glow in her makeup bag; let the swatching begin!

Price: $18 (Each Full Size Gloss Bomb), $42 (Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Collection)

Find it HERE

Tested January 2020

Liz:

The five-piece Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Collection contains mini lip glosses in a really cool metal tin. I’m a sucker for pretty packaging and I like it even more when it’s black, shiny and reusable. I’m still storing the mini glosses in the tin the way they came, but when I go through them, I will happily keep using it to corral hair ties, bobby pins and the like.

These glosses are a great size; they’re small enough to pop into my pocket or purse for the day, but have a normal doe-foot applicator that easily swipes product onto the lips. All the glosses are easy to wear and generally very sheer with some kind of reflective glitter.

My favorite shade in this set is definitely the hot pink Pretty Please.

Maybe I’m really into it because it matches my pink hair, but I think it brightens the whole face. It has the strongest color payoff of them all and works well on fair skin tones like mine that lean cool-toned.

Confetti is a clear gloss with actual blue glitter in it.

This might sound terrifying, but it’s subtle; you can tell it’s blue up close, however, at the normal distance that most people would see it from, it just creates a dimensional shine. If you like to apply a gloss on top of lipstick, Confetti would be a great option because it wouldn’t change the color of the lipstick underneath but would amp it up a bit.

The shade I was sort of disappointed in was Cheeky.

It looks so bright and orange-red and beautiful in the tube, but the shade doesn’t translate well once applied. It wasn’t the pop of color I expected, but more of a muted pink with golden shimmer. Nice, but a bit of a let down for me in terms of pigmentation.

Hot Chocolit is a true light brown gloss.

It doesn’t lean overly tan like a lot of other brown shades out there, which makes it really unique. I think this would amplify caramel or brown lip tones in deeper skin and create a beautiful glow. On my light pink natural lip tone it came off a little dull, and is probably the least wearable in the set for me personally.

The only shade also available on its own as a full size, Fu$$y is a peachy nude pink that has the most opaque, creamy finish of the bunch.

Full disclosure: this shade bores me a little. Not that it isn’t pretty, because it is; it’s just too neutral and blah to get me really excited.

All five shades are scented and I think they smell like watermelon Jolly Ranchers: sweet, with a fruity kick. The scent does linger on me for a while, which may be a turn-off for those who don’t like fragrance in their lip products. Without eating or drinking, these lasted on my lips for about an hour and a half. I did this wear test with three of the five shades and the longevity was the same for each of them. They did leave some glitter on my lips as they wore off, but nothing chunky or yucky. I didn’t find them drying at all and they are amazingly non-stringy and non-goopy. When I rub my lips together, I can feel the glitter particles but I wouldn’t say it’s gritty or all that noticeable.

I am so happy to have this set because I really like some of the exclusive shades, specifically Pretty Please and Confetti. While the Gloss Bomb formula is top notch across the board, the shades in this collection are subtly different but not mind blowingly so. It would be amazing if they become available individually at some point, because I would pick up Pretty Please again and again.

Liz’s Verdict: Love the formula and shine, although not every shade is essential.

Lea:

Liz sent me the original shade Fenty Glow as a gift and I’m sure you’re not surprised she found a gem. This may just be the best gloss I’ve ever used. I love it so much I sent a tube to my sister for Christmas. She’s mixed race with a deeper skin tone and true to its claim, this shade really is universally flattering.

Described as “shimmering rose nude”, Fenty Glow creates a your-lips-but-better look. The scent is EXACTLY that of a pink Starburst, which I think we can all agree is the best flavor.

Gloss Bomb’s applicator is generously sized and soft with a tapered tip, really well designed and easy to use in my opinion. I can swipe this on with no mirror no problem, or I can layer it over my favorite Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Pillow Talk (a very similar shade) for more pigment. The formula doesn’t feel sticky nor the shimmer sandy. Packed with shea butter, this gloss wears well and when it’s gone my lips are left better than before.

Supposedly Rihanna created this because she “wanted the girls to get kissed more” and I can totally see that. This is my every day color. I have one in the car, the diaper bag and on my makeup counter. It’s easy and flattering, and I’m a big fan of both.