Trish McEvoy Essential Balm- Gorgeous Pink

This product first came onto my radar while paging through a recent Spring Beauty promotional catalog from Saks Fifth Avenue.  Towards the back, there's a section where you can mix and match eye and lip looks on the model. A lovely pink lip with a slight frost stopped my paging and immediately had me asking "what is that?"  It was the Trish McEvoy combination of Gorgeous Balm and a lip pencil.

I picked up Trish McEvoy Essential Balm in Gorgeous Pink (a product without many reviews in the blogosphere!) and have been playing with it for the past week.  Funny story about how I got it- I ended up ordering from Nordstrom, where the site was saying 0 stores with 100 miles had it in stock.  I was very confused when I saw the origin scan from UPS in my town.  I guess there was a glitch with the buy online, pick up in store system since Nordstrom ended up shipping from my local store to my house.  I love their customer service, but that's a first! I should mention that I live less than 10 miles from the store.

Other than the yummy Blueberry candle and two fragrances, I honestly haven't explored many offerings from Trish McEvoy.  I'm not sure why I haven't, but it's a counter that just hadn't caught my eye. Obviously I have a local counter...

First, the stats.  Essential Balm contains 0.10oz of product in a crayon form and retails for $28. Currently I see two shades on Nordstrom's site.  I've seen it advertised at Nordstrom and Saks, but check your local Trish McEvoy counter. It retails for $28.

The line describes the product as "An ultra-light yet moisturizing lip color [that] combines the plush feel and finish of a balm with a cushion of complexion-enhancing, light-reflective color that adds fullness to lips. Plant-derived moisturizers increase hydration and improve barrier function as the jumbo crayon design offers an effortlessly precise application. A hint of mint provides a refreshing finish."  They weren't kidding with the phrase ultra-light!

Most lines have their version of a crayon; adjusting my expectations accordingly, let's talk about this product.

Functionally, I enjoy the feel of this crayon.  I love it when lines put the color of the crayon on the outside for easy identification. It's the little details that matter, especially at this price point.

Gorgeous Pink is a lovely, cool-toned pink. It's a classic shade that would appear to flatter any number of skintones.  Although the description told me that it was sheer, I was still taken aback by just how sheer this product was. It's very shiny and glossy- with a metallic edge- but almost totally disappears on my lips. For that reason (and the rapidly deteriorating winter weather), I only have swatches on my hand to show you.  I also don't have indoor pictures since it's such a sheer shade.


The swatch photos are pretty accurate.

Outside, no flash:

Outside, in direct sunshine (love this, the most accurate):

Overall, this product isn't what I thought it was. Once I adjusted my expectations, I found a lovely, classic neutral crayon that's likely to take up residence in my bag as a go-to.

It provides a beautiful, glossy hit of color that may show up on lighter lips; on my pigmented lips, it provides a beautiful finish.

Bottom Line: I highly recommend trying this out a local counter; if you're in the market for a beautiful sheer balm this may be just what you're looking for.