DUPE SMACKDOWN #3: MLBB GLOSSES

Left to right: NYX Spong Cake, Buxom Sugar, Revlon Rosepearl

My lips but better (MLBB) glosses are a must-have for women of every age - you can throw them on for any occasion, whether you want to play down your lips for a dramatic eye or just have an easy, everyday go-to daytime lip look.  Whether you prefer neutrals or colorful looks, an MLBB gloss is one that is likely to get tons of wear as long as you're not Gwen Stefani -- with a perpetually red pucker.

I'm comparing three shades that are MY lips, but better; I have rather pigmented lips and my skintone is NC25, though I think these picks would work for many people in a wide skintone range:
Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Sugar $18, described as "rose beige" in "original" finish (not super-shimmery).
NYX Mega Shine Gloss in Sponge Cake $5.50 on nyxcosmetics.com, and my favorite gloss formula and packaging by NYX.
Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Rosepearl $7.49 at my CVS.

In different lighting, the colors of these glosses all appear to change... they are all subtly nuanced but the effect when they are worn is basically a dupe.

It was really hard to capture their true colors. In different light, these glosses look nothing alike in the tube and in swatches!  But the picture of them on my lips at the top of this post is true-to-color .

Smell: If you like your lip products with minimal scent, the only one you're going to be okay with is Revlon Rosepearl.  Colorburst lipglosses do have a slight smell to them, but it is by far the subtlest of the three. Buxom Lip Polishes have an extremely sweet, almost cloying candy scent that you will definitely notice.  Most of the NYX Mega Shine Glosses smell of an artificial cherry fragrance, which some reviewers have called overly fake and sweet.  Personally, I like the fragrances of both the Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar and NYX Sponge Cake, so it is a toss-up for me.  I think Rosepearl wins this category because a larger range of people will be unbothered by its scent.

Taste: I don't think any of these really have a flavor, except the sweet fragrances of the Buxom Lip Polish and NYX Mega Shine Gloss impart a sweetness when you wear them.  If you can't stand sweet lippies, Revlon Rosepearl will win again.

Texture:  None of these glosses are what I would describe as sticky.  If I had to choose, I would say the Buxom Lip Polish is the the stickiest of the three, but it's generally not very tacky.  All three of these glosses last a couple of hours and are smooth and pigmented, though the Buxom is the most sheer.  It also has the most reflective shine of the three, which is also going to be a matter of personal preference -- Sugar has that wet-lips look to it.  It is also the only plumping gloss of the three so some might be irked by it's menthol-like tingle.  I often want to remove lip-plumping glosses immediately, but I am not at all bothered by the Buxom Lip Polish formula (though whether it actually plumps is questionable).  My husband complains of the "weird" tingle if I get it on him, though.  The NYX and Revlon glosses do not tingle or cool lips at all, but their shine is also more muted compared to the Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar.  Their relatively high pigmentation means you'll want to apply them with a mirror, but the Buxom gloss is sheer enough that you can apply it without looking.  If you have less pigmented lips than I have, you'll probably prefer the NYX or Revlon, but pigmented lips will appreciate the convenience of the Buxom Lip Polish.

Left to right: NYX Sponge Cake, Revlon Rosepearl, Buxom Sugar (so light-reflective that it looks quite different than the others in all my pictures. I swear in person these three look like dupes!)

Color:  These are all MLBB for me and look quite similar on, though the differences are infinitely more apparent in swatches.  The Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar's sheerness will make this look more different from the other glosses on another person.  It's so shiny, though, that I think it is actually less versatile than Rosepearl or Sponge Cake.  The glassy shine makes me feel I need a stronger eye look to pair with Sugar, and that it's best relegated to when I want to look sexy (it's okay, but not ideal, for the office).  Even though the pigments are MLBB, the shine level has a color-erasing effect in some light.  Also, the reflection is so obvious that I'm less likely to get a kiss from my husband when I wear it because he has a greater fear of transfer! Obviously the sore thumb in this lot is the Buxom Lip Polish - I think Sponge Cake and Rosepearl are basically interchangeable for color when worn.

With a different angle of light, Buxom Sugar (center) appears much lighter.

Winner: Revlon Rosepearl, my latest acquisition of the three, has got to be the winner for several reasons:
No intrusive smell or taste,
Affordable (especially if you get it like I did, with a coupon or on sale for $6.49 with $5 CVS Extrabucks in return!),
Widely available (at just about every drugstore vs. NYX at Ulta or online, Buxom at Sephora or BE Boutiques). 
All three have fairly nice packaging, but I do feel that the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polishes are just a bit gaudier and less elegant than the NYX and Revlon wands, due to the shiny silver topper and large BUXOM text.  They don't feel to me like they ought to be two- or three-times the price via the packaging.  While I appreciate the fragrance, feel, and finish of the Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar, I think the Revlon gives a comparable luxury experience that is only diminished slightly by how easy-to-find it is (no sense of rarity or exclusivity).  I think Revlon Glosses are the best drugstore lip gloss because of the high-end appearance of the packaging and quality of the product itself.
I'd love to know your MLBB glosses! Please comment below :-)