3CE Mood Recipe Lip Color Mini Kit Review

Hi guys, today I'll be sharing my review of the 3CE Mood Recipe Lip Color Mini Kit I got from Annyeong.my!

3CE has always been one of my top fave K-beauty makeup brands. Not because I've tried a lot of their products and loved them, but rather because of their models hahaha. Stylenada + 3CE really do a great job of conveying that perfect "it-girl" look with their models + their photoshoots, and I always die a little inside when Park Sora's face comes up on my timeline. She's just too gorgeous!

Anyways, I've slowly been collecting + trying 3CE products and I'll be sharing about my collection in a different post soon. Today I'll be sharing about 3CE Mood Recipe Lip Color Mini Kit!

WHAT IS IT

This mini kit contains 5 mini lipsticks, and they're supposed to have a creamy application, matte finish + color that lasts all day. I actually first came across these lipsticks in Sephora, but I didn't want to get them because they only had the full sized ones (and they were quite expensive).

This is actually part of 3CE's Mood Recipe collection which is 3CE's nude/brown-y line:

WHERE TO BUY
The kit is available on Annyeong.my for only RM189. I checked 3CE's official website and they state that the official price for this set is USD56 (~RM224), so if you get it on Annyeong, you'll manage to save around 15%. If you divide it per lipstick, each mini lipstick will cost RM37.8 The full-sized lippies cost USD20/RM80, so I think it's more worth it to get the set because you'll be able to get & try 5 colours instead of just 2-3.

Annyeong.my is a new Korean cosmetics website based here in Malaysia and you get free shipping if you buy more than 2 items. They also offer flash shipping and guarantee authenticity. Their delivery is pretty fast because these lippies arrived in only 2 days! 💜 They're a pretty new website so the selection isn't as big, but they do have the essentials like Etude House, Innisfree, Laneige, 3CE and more. They also have a pretty pink physical store in Ipoh!

PACKAGING
The kit comes nicely packaged in a box and has a sticker of authenticity behind as well. Annyeong.my offers 100% authentic K-beauty products so you don't have to worry about fakes/dupes (like the ones you see on Shopee/Lazada)

The lipstick itself comes in a basic plastic unit with 3CE's logo on it, and I like how the plastic reflects the shade. I feel like it's easier to tell them apart that way.

SWATCHES + COLOUR THOUGHTS

There are a total 5 shades, and they have a very nude/orangey-brown colour story. From lightest to darkest, the shades are:

#114 ROWS #115 MUSS #116 INKED HEART #909 SMOKED ROSE #117 CHICFUL

I was kinda curious why a random number (909) was added in, but I think it was because the lipsticks were made and labeled before the set was created + they didn't want to add a shade that was lighter than 114 or darker than 117 haha. 

Now it's time to show you guys what the lippies look like on my lips! To apply them, I exfoliated my lips first and put on a lip balm. After doing the rest of my face, I wiped off the excess lip balm and applied the lipstick directly onto my lips. It's definitely easier to to control than a liquid matte lipstick because it doesn't immediately set once applied.

#117 Chicful

(Reddish Brown)

I feel like I never have a problem with dark lip colours. So far I've pulled off (or at least I feel I do) all the dark lippies I have, and this is no different. If you were to ask me to choose between a light lip and a dark lip, I would choose the dark one every time hahaha. This shade is a bit more purple and burgundy looking in real life, and although it's leaning a bit too the cool toned side, it still looks amazing on me. I think this colour would be perfect for dark, smokey looks or for bloody gradients a-la Kelseyanna Fitzpatrick. 10/10!

#909 Smoked Rose

(Brick Rose)

This lip is a nice, go-to rose colour. I wouldn't say that it's totally unique, but I would say that it would be perfect for someone who's looking for that MLBB look. The red isn't too vibrant not is it too orange. It's the perfect nude/neutral rose shade that would be perfect for everyday use. (Sorry if it looks a bit glossy in the pic, idk why but it wasn't this shiny irl haha).

#116 Inked Heart

(Peach Brown)

This shade is a unique burnt orange colour and it's my fave from this set! I think it really compliments me and looks great paired with my current black hair. I don't think I would look great with this lip if I were blonde, but at the moment I'm LOVING this shade. I previously blogged about Breena Beauty's Wanderlust collection, and the orange shade Spice Latte really grabbed my attention. They look quite similar but Inked Heart is slightly more yellow-toned than Spice Latte.

#114 Rows

(Nude Beige)

#115 Muss

(Rose Beige)

I didn't take any pics with these two shades because, to be honest, they weren't really popping hahaha. Rows is lighter and even more yellow toned compared to Inked Heart, and the colour reminds me of Indian dahl. I think it would look great if used as a gradient transition colour with a darker lip, but on it's own, its not really that pretty on me.

As for Muss, it's a great nude-y pink that would actually be a great everyday lip colour for someone lighter than me (I may look quite fair in the pics but...um...lighting and editing haha). Its a slightly brown salmon shade that I'll probably pop on my eyes or cheek instead.

The texture of these lipsticks is I N SA N E L Y smooth and creamy, almost like butter! They're very easy to spread + much easier to control than matte liquid lips. Since liquid lips set very quickly, its hard to apply them and make the shape of your lips perfect, but since these come in stick/cream form, it's so much easier to edit/reapply without looking cakey/thick.

The finish of these lips are matte but they're not drying at all. Maybe its because I exfoliated + prepped my lips nicely, but they were pretty lightweight and comfortable to wear out. The finish is more like a velvet matte and it's not super matte/dry compared to a normal liquid lip, and I find this comfier because my lips can stretch more when I talk and my lips don't feel tight.

As for the longevity, it stays on quite well but it's not the longest wearing lipstick either. It doesn't do well against oily food and its not transfer friendly at all. Given that it's a cream/stick lipstick, I already expected it to smudge easily

MY REVIEW + VERDICT
I've tried a few matte stick lipsticks before and although they were pretty, the bad thing about them was the draggy feeling during application. These lipsticks, however, like I mentioned, felt super creamy, smooth and lightweight on my lips. I think the texture is what sold this lipsticks for me, and based on this experience I'm even more keen now to try out other shades from this range,

For the price, you get a great selection of colours that you can mix & match so I think it's worth it to get the set. I don't have an HG colour yet, but my fave out of all 5 would definitely be Inked Heart followed by Chicful.

If you divide it per lipstick, it costs RM37.8 per shade. I think its pretty reasonable for the quality you get + the shades you get to play with. Individually would I say it's cheap? Not really, but would I say it's worth it as a set? Absolutely!

And that's it for this post! I hope you guys found this post interesting and helpful. If you're interested in getting any of the products mentioned in this post you can find them on Annyeong.my's website by clicking here! You can also find them on their Facbook here.

As always thank you for reading and I'll see you all in my next post!