REVIEW: Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tints (Ice Cream Tints!) + SWATCHES

The moment I laid eyes on the Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tints I knew I HAD to have them (and in every single color too)! I mean c'mon, it's lip tints in the shape of popsicles. How could one resist?

Etude House, known for their adorable product packaging designs, blew everyone out of the water this summer as these tints became one of the most popular products on the market and was constantly sold out. Luckily, my boyfriend was visiting Korea at the time and he was able to hunt them down for me. :D I picked up every single shade, so lets get into the review and swatches!

ETUDE HOUSE DEAR DARLING WATER GEL TINT

Water tint with amazing sweet shades inspired by the delight of summer and and ice cream that gives you extremely hydrated, refreshed, clear juicy lips.

INGREDIENTS:
RD306 SHARK RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TROMETHAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-13, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), RED 33 (CI 17200), YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), POLYISOBUTENE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, FRAGRANCE, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, SILICA, ALUMINA, BLUE 1 (CI 42090)

PK004 RED BEAN RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), TROMETHAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-13, POLYISOBUTENE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, FRAGRANCE, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), RED 33 (CI 17200), SILICA, ALUMINA, RED 27 (CI 45410), BLUE 1 (CI 42090)

PK005 PEACH RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TROMETHAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-13, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), POLYISOBUTENE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, FRAGRANCE, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, RED 27 (CI 45410), YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), SILICA, RED 33 (CI 17200), ALUMINA

RD307 WATERMELON RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TROMETHAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-13, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), POLYISOBUTENE, YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), FRAGRANCE, RED 27 (CI 45410), DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, RED 33 (CI 17200), SILICA, ALUMINA

PK006 JEWEL RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, CALCIUM SODIUM BOROSILICATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), TROMETHAMINE, POLYACRYLATE-13, POLYISOBUTENE, SILICA, MICA, FRAGRANCE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), TIN OXIDE, YELLOW 5 (CI 19140), RED 27 (CI 45410), RED 33 (CI 17200)

OR205 APRICOT RED

WATER, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, TREHALOSE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYSORBATE 20, TROMETHAMINE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), POLYACRYLATE-13, POLYISOBUTENE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, YELLOW 5 (CI 19140), FRAGRANCE, SAPINDUS TRIFOLIATUS FRUIT EXTRACT, RED 27 (CI 45410), SILICA, RED 33 (CI 17200), ALUMINA

PRODUCT WEIGHT: 4.5g

RETAIL PRICE: $6.50

The Dear Darling Water Gel Tints are water-based lip tints that come housed in popsicle shaped packaging. They're about the same size of an average nail polish and are really small and adorable! The body of the bottle is clear plastic, so it's easy to see the true color of the tint from the outside of the bottle.

At the top of each bottle is a tan stubby popsicle stick with 'Etude House' embossed onto the handle. The handle twists open to reveal the attached applicator and the opening of the product.

The applicator itself is a flexible pointed paddle that's fatter in the middle and tapers off towards the edges. This kind of shape offers the wearer the most precision as it enables you to reach the corners AND edges of the lips with ease. I prefer this kind of shape because it usually offers the most mess-free and quickest application.

In the center of the applicator is a dip, or hole, which is a neat addition because it eliminates the need to use both sides of the applicator when applying product. For instance, with most lip products that come with wand applicators, I will apply my bottom lip with one side, flip it over, and apply my top lip with the other side. However, this applicator holds most of the product inside the middle hole, so it evenly disperses the product on whichever side you use it on. You no longer have to flip to the other side, but just dip it back into the bottle for more product and use whichever side you like!

The pointed applicator is attached to the wand in an angled manner that's roughly 45°. This design allows the wearer to apply the tint to the lips in a more comfortable fashion.

I do want to point out that the direction the applicator sits on the wand varies and is not the same - what I mean by this is that the ideal side the pointed applicator is meant to sit on your lips might be placed where the handle is flat and easy to hold, or it might be in a different direction making the handle more awkward to grasp. It's not a biggie by any means, but it would've been helpful to make them all uniform and placed where the handle is flat and thus, easier to hold.

On the official Etude House webpage, they described these tints as a "hydrating, clear, fresh, juicy water tint" and I have to agree!

The Dear Darling Water Gel Tints have a cooling plush gel consistency that completely envelops the lips in a glossy coat. It's a thicker formula than most tints, but it's also a jelly texture that's very lightweight and comfortable on. The tint glides on smoothly and doesn't emphasize dry patches on the lips or fine lines. It also gives the lips a sheer coverage that hugs onto the lips without being sticky or drying. With the exception of Jewel Red (which is a glittery topcoat), all of them give the lips a pigmented wash of color that ranges from vibrant hues to more muted ones like Red Bean Red. As for scent, these smell SO good like fruity grape candy!

The lip tint has a glossy finish to it even after it settles in and "dries" down making it feel more hydrating on the lips. Personally, this formula is the ideal kind of tint for daily wear because it provides moisturizing comfort AND color.

Sadly, these tints are not very long lasting at all and it's mostly due to its sheer and glossy properties. For the majority, I can get roughly 2-3 hours of wear before its transferred off of faded away. As for staining ability, it was the majority of the darker, more vibrant shades (Shark Red, Watermelon Red, and Peach Red) that left behind a stain lasting another few hours of wear, but the lighter shades didn't leave behind anything distinguishable to the eye.

The Dear Darling Water Gel Tints is currently available in 6 shades, and for some reason all of them have the word 'Red' in their names, but as you can see only two are actual red hues. There are 5 gorgeous tints, plus 1 glittery pink shade that can be used alone or as a glitter topcoat!

*I swatched PK006 Jewel Red below, but my collage editor would only accept 5 photos here :(

RD306 SHARK RED

Shark Red is an oxblood red and a definite show-stopper! I like how it's both sheer, but also a vampy sultry deep red. It's a very flattering hue that's great for any season, but I'm most excited to wear this during fall and winter! This shade wore for about 3-4 hours and also had the best staining ability out of all the shades.

RD307 WATERMELON RED

Watermelon Red is a bright watermelon red (hence the name) in a sheer finish. It's a fun shade that's great for summer and it just makes the lips look so juicy and plump! This one also wore for about 3-4 hours and had good staining ability as well. However, the stain it leaves behind leans slightly more pink than red.

OR205 APRICOT RED

Apricot Red is a sheer apricot orange that looks just a tad bit coral on my lips when it mixes with my natural lip color. This is one of the shades that I love wearing everyday because it's a pop of color that brightens up the face without being loud or crazy since its sheer. Apricot Red wore for about 2 hours max before fading away and it didn't leave a very noticeable stain behind either.

PK004 RED BEAN RED

Red Bean Red is a sheer purple mauve, but this is surprisingly a great MLBB color in my opinion! It's a great everyday shade that enhances my natural lip color and makes it look more plump and luscious. It's the most natural looking one on and I think it's a safe choice for anyone. This wore for about 2 hours max and also didn't leave much of a stain behind either.

PK005 PEACH RED

Peach Red is a sheer neon pink that really brightens up the face. It's surprisingly really wearable since it sheers out upon application and it gives the lips a fresh, youthful appearance. It wore for about 3 hours and had okay staining ability, but not as strong as the Shark Red and Watermelon Red.

PK006 JEWEL RED 

Jewel Red is a clear gloss with tons of micro-glitter and the most unique of all! Even though it has a baby pink hue in the bottle, it applies clear on my lips. It can be worn alone for a natural glossy look with a little shimmer, or as a topcoat for other lip products! It looks beautiful on top of other tints, but unfortunately, this one doesn't last very long at all and only looks great at initial application. It wears for about 1-2 hours before wearing off for me completely. 

This is Jewel Red used as a topcoat on Watermelon Red! It was my mistake for  not waiting for Watermelon Red to settle in, so when I applied Jewel Red on top, it moved around the tint underneath a bit making it look a little uneven in the photo.

Here are arm swatches of all 6 shades of the Dear Darling Water Gel Tints as well, along with the stains they leave behind after 10 minutes. As you can see, the formula is very sheer for all of the shades!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm a huge sucker for cute packaging, so I don't regret purchasing these one bit. With my bias aside though, these aren't the best tints around, but they're still pretty good if you're into sheer lip tints that is! It's an all-around easy, breezy lip product to wear - it's easy to apply with the applicator and the formula itself is a luscious jelly that glides on effortlessly. It's comfortable on and I personally really like the sheerness of the shades for everyday wear. These are pretty low-maintenance tints that you can just swipe on and go, but be warned, they don't last very long and touching up/reapplication is a must with these.

I seriously hope Etude House expands the shade selection or launches more ice cream shaped products, because I loved these!

WHERE TO BUY?

The Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Lip Tint are available for purchase on Amazon HERE!
They are also available on Etude House's official website.



Disclaimer:  All items mentioned in this post was purchased by me. Post contains some affiliate links, which helps support this blog.