Chameleon beauty products have ushered in a new era of makeup customisation, but how do they work exactly? And are they worth the hype? Ashleigh Cometti investigates.
“One size fits all” beauty products aren’t new, and anyone who was makeup obsessed in the 2010s will recall the chokehold of
While it wasn’t the original colour adapting lipstick (Avon released its Color Magic Lipstick in 1974), the dramatic shift from the bullet’s signature emerald-green shade to a personalised pink when applied to lips - coupled with some clever marketing - shook up the industry.
For good, it seems, and in the decade since Frog Prince’s launch a suite of brands have followed suit, adding pH reactive makeup products into their repertoire - especially in the realm of products designed for lips and cheeks.
This includes everyone from luxury brands like Tom Ford, which unveiled pH-responsive products with its gold-infused Soleil Lip Blush, through to wallet-friendly alternatives from dupe brand MCo Beauty.
More recently, it’s the newest take on Clinique’s colour adapting Black Honey that’s caused a stir, with Nude Honey offering a more neutral option for those who want to eschew the berry tones of the original. Or Milk Makeup, which launched a pH reactive shade in its viral Cooling Water Jelly Tint.
Read on for more about these shade shifters, along with our recommendations of the best pH products to try now.
What is pH colour-changing makeup?
A pH colour-changing product is typically available in a universal shade (whether that’s clear, green, blue etc) which transcends into an appropriate shade for that particular complexion when it comes into contact with skin.
pH reactive makeup promises to flatter a variety of skin tones, meaning brands don’t have to focus on diverse shade ranges, and instead rely on the skin’s pH levels to create a customised hue.
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Advertise with NZME.“I love the way these types of products work as they can be interactive and fun,” says Stacey Fraser, a cosmetic chemist and Design Practice Fellow at the University of Canterbury.
How does pH-powered makeup work?
Time for a brief science class. The pH scale is used to measure how acidic a substance is, from 1-14 with 7 being neutral. A pH of less than 7 indicates acidity, while a pH higher than 7 indicates alkaline.
Stacey explains that these products contain pH-sensitive dyes (often referred to as Red 27 or Red 21) that are colourless or lightly tinted. “When applied to skin, they react to our natural pH and moisture in our skin, which causes a visible colour shift - usually into shades of pink, red, or berry,” she explains.
“The result is a custom colour that’s specific to your skin.”
Think of it like a science experiment - the dyes have a weaker pH value, which triggers a chemical reaction when they come into contact with the pH value of our face (which is mildly acidic) creating a flush of natural-looking colour.
Skin generally has a pH of 4.5-5.5 but this can vary between individuals, meaning the results of a colour adjusting product is personalised to suit their skin’s unique chemical makeup - a combination of pH, moisture and oils.
Does the science work on everyone? Yes and no, Stacey says, adding those with very oily or very dry lips may not achieve the desired result.
Are some pH products better than others?
Yes, says Stacey, who explains pH reactive formulas work best in products geared towards lips and cheeks, rather than base products.
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Advertise with NZME.“Foundations are more marketing the ‘pH changing term’ as they use encapsulated colour that burst on application,” she says.
She’s referring to the number of brands who claim that their shadeless foundation or concealer ranges suit myriad skin tones.
Instead, a handful of formulas use certain pigments in a white base, so while they may look like they’re blending into skin, they’re not loaded with the same adaptive technology as others in the pH space.
The takeaway here? If you see a foundation touted to be universally flattering, proceed with caution.
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Tempted to try colour adaptive makeup for yourself? Consider the transformative power of these pH reactive picks for lips and cheeks.
It’s long been one of Dior’s best-sellers, and now the fashion and beauty house has reimagined the iconic product with Colour Reviver technology. The powder blush reacts with the skin’s pH and moisture level to create a custom blush colour. Available from Sephora in three hues, the ultra-fine texture melts seamlessly into skin for a lightweight, second-skin finish.
Milk Makeup’s viral blush and lip stain is now available in a pH-adaptive pink hue, that reacts with the skin’s pH level to create a hydrating, buildable pop of colour. The formula sees vegan collagen, aloe and sea water combine, which creates a cooling effect when applied directly to skin. The original viral long-lasting blush and lip stain with a hydrating, bouncy jelly texture that glides on for a sheer, buildable burst of colour.
The next chapter in Clinique’s Almost Lipstick story comes Nude Honey, a softer iteration on its predecessor for a “your lips but better” finish. While the original Black Honey imparts a berry-tinted shade that suits just about everyone, Nude Honey is described by the brand as a “flexible nude that looks different on every lip”. The neutral hue contains both warm and cool pigments, meaning it adapts to a variety of skin undertones.
Dupe beauty brand MCo Beauty has released a wallet-friendly take on the trend with its ultra-hydrating lip tint which doubles as a lip balm and treatment in one. The universal shade adapts to the natural colour of lips for a custom shade, and leaves lips feeling smooth and hydrated in one swipe.
The hybrid lip and cheek oil transforms upon contact with the skin, leaving behind a pop of pinky colour. The non-sticky formulation contains a blend of peptides to help care for skin while imparting colour, plus the cherry scent heaps on the nostalgia.
Gold by name and by nature, this wholly covetable lipstick bullet is dotted with 24K gold flecks. The balm formula applies clear and transforms into a glossy pink stain, delivering a healthy flush of skin tone-flattering colour.
This pH-activated, conditioning lip balm comes in 10 different tints that promise to shade-shift upon contact with lips. The unique formulation couples jojoba seed and sunflower oils with shea butter to help defend against dryness and boost moisture levels, all while delivering a playful pop of glowing colour.
It’s one of the newest brands available from Sephora, and now Byoma has unveiled its pH enhancing lip oil with local beauty aficionados. It harnesses skin adaptive technology to create a tailored lip tint shade that appears naturally flushed. The brand’s liptide complex sees ceramides and lipids combine to help support the skin barrier, combat transepidermal water loss and leave lips full and healthy.
Don’t be fooled by the turquoise-blue appearance, this pH-powered gloss-balm hybrid morphs into a custom pink shade to suit your unique skin tone. It serves triple duty to plump, hydrate and colour lips in one, leaving behind what the brand calls “stained glass shine”. The formula twins hyaluronic acid with superfruits to soften the appearance of fine lines and create the illusion of a soft, pillowy pout.
It may not look like much upon first glance, but this radiant-finish blush reacts with the pH of skin to create a dewy blushing colour on cheeks. The jelly texture is a dream to apply, and the glowy finish has earned this product a reputation for sitting somewhere between a blush and highlighter in one.
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