Sleek Lip 4 in Havana Review

The final Sleek product I got for my birthday was Lip 4 in Havana. I was curious about this one, as it is an online exclusive so I hadn't had a look at it instore. However I really like brown and berry toned lipstick so I thought it would be my thing. It was also reduced on Sleek's website (and still is) from £8.99 to £4.49, so it wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't like it.

So, as you'll be familiar with if you've read my other Sleek posts, the palette is square and quite flat. It comes in a box with images of the specific shades and textures included in Havana.

As always the packaging is sleek, black hard casing with a nice big mirror and a little brush.

So the shades are a deep berry gloss called Cookie, a satin light brown called Rum, a slightly darker brown satin called Frappuccino and a very light nude toned gloss called Creme Brulee.

Here are the swatches. On the left is without flash, on the right is with. The shades run from top to bottom as they appear left to right in the pan. The top shade is Cookie, then Rum, Frappuccino and Creme Brulee.

Here you can see the textures of the different shades, with the second and third being satins and the first and fourth being glosses.

So above is Cookie. This shade is really similar to lots of others I have, so it's pretty within my comfort zone. It was slightly messy and did tend to come off more quickly than the satins. It also stained my lips a bit when it did come off. However it's a good berry shade, so if you don't already have one you can experiment with Cookie.

Next is Rum, which I think is actually my favourite of the lot. It's more of a light, slightly caramel-y brown. I also find the satin finish easier to apply and longer lasting. When it did fade it didn't look too bad, it was quite even. It's low-key enough for daytime but still adds a bit of colour to the lips.

This colour is Frappuccino, which is somewhere between a berry and a brown. It is also a satin finish, so ease of application and its staying power was very similar to that of Rum. I think this was probably my second-favourite shade in the palette.

Finally, this is Creme Brulee. Whilst I understand the desire to include a lighter shade in this chocolate and coffee-themed palette, I'm struggling to find anything positive to say about this colour. First off it's my least favourite finish: gloss. It was messy to apply and really hard to get a good finish on it. I'd imagine it would wear off quite easily like the other glosses but I never found out as it looked so bad I took it off before I went out! It doesn't look as awful on as I imagined from looking at it in the palette, but it's still a shade I don't think would be flattering on many people.

In summary, my two favourite shades are the most wearable colours with the most practical finishes: Rum and Frappuccino. I do like Cookie but I doubt I will ever use Creme Brulee unless it's just to lighten up or add a glossier finish to one of the other shades. If you like browns and berries then this palette is for you. Even if, like me, you see Creme Brulee as a write-off, it's still excellent value at £8.99.

TL; DR

Cookie

* Berry/wine toned

* Glossy finish

* A little messy to apply

* Not that durable

* Flattering to a lot of colourings

* In my opinion it's a staple shade

***.5/5

Rum

* A light brown with slightly teracotta undertones

* Looks very caramel-toned when applied

* Satin finish

* Durable

* Pretty easy to apply and build up to a more solid colour

* I think this is probably most flattering to medium and olive skintones

****.5/5

Frappuccino

* A more purpley brown

* Satin finish

* Darker than Rum but lighter than Cookie

* Again it is durable and easy to build on

* Could be mixed with Rum to create a nice colour

* Again it is probably most flattering to mid-toned skin colours 

****/5

Creme Brulee

* Light nude colour

* Gloss

* Messy to apply

* Very hard to get (and I assume maintain) a nice, even finish

* Pretty unflattering to me, and I think a lot of other people

* Can be mixed with other colours, so not totally useless

**/5

Havana Overall

* Fantastic value even if not all the shades are your thing

* Perfect if you've not tried dark lip colours and want to experiment but aren't sure where to start

* If, like me, you are already a fan this is definitely one to add to your collection 

* Rum in particular is quite a unique shade and I don't own anything similar

* I do think it leans towards being more for medium to slightly darker skintones, so it isn't universally flattering

****/5