While Cake's Mistletoe Berry Lip Gloss looks adorably bright strawberry red in the tube, it actually applies thick, translucent pink, and sparkly---giving your lips a very photographable, alluring shine. The lovely, creamy, vanilla cake-batter scent means anybody talking with you will be dying for a taste.

Though I don't think "Mistletoe Berry" is the best name for this (mistletoe is poisonous, and its berries are white, and probably taste like berries instead of cake batter), Cake has really produced a high quality, deliciously scented gloss. It is thick enough to be subtly eye-catching, but it does leave marks on coffee cups and kissing partners. Luckily, it only lasts on your lips for about an hour and a half, so you can apply the gloss, entertain your partner with your wit and sparkle, and then, by the time things turn to kissing, your lips will be speaking for themselves again.

Cake's lip gloss has a very broad-reaching ingredients list: Polybutene is a hydrocarbon which is thick and tacky, commonly used in lip glosses like Cake's, as well as as a smoke inhibitor additive for engine oils. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, a similar compound, is often used as a base for chewing gum. Octyldodecanol is a long chain fatty alcohol, used as a solvent and for absorbing the fragrances which give this lip gloss its pleasant scent. Canola oil is oil of the rapeseed, commonly used in cooking. Ozokerite wax is a product of the deposition of dissolved paraffin left behind by petroleum as it slowly oxidizes and evaporates. Commercially mined in the Ukraine, it has a higher melting point than typical candle paraffin. Aroma speaks for itself---the scent of the Mistletoe Berry lip gloss is actually not at all berry-like, and reminds me more of cake batter. Ethylene/propylene/styrene copolymer makes the lip gloss thicker. Silica is typically used as a desiccant and might also be used to improve the texture of this lip gloss. Zea mays (corn) starch is a starch commonly used for its thickening abilities, both in food and in cosmetics. Butylene/ethylene/styrene copolymer is also used to increase the viscosity of the gloss. Punica granatum sterols are waxy, solid alcohols derived from pomegranate which contribute to the moisturizing properties of the gloss. c10-30 cholesterol/lanosterol esters are a blend of fatty acids and cholesterols from lanolin. Phenoxyethanol is a fragrance fixative and a solvent. Calcium aluminum borosilicate is actually a glass-type material---I assume it is ground for this lip gloss, and used to improve the very reflective, shiny appearance. Caprylyl glycol is used as a humectant and for skin conditioning. Tocopheryl acetate is the product of vinegar and vitamin E, which allows more effective absorption into the skin. Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil is the oil seed of the castor plant, while the Helianthus annus (sunflower) seed oil is the oil of the seed of the sunflower. Benzophenone 3 (aka oxybenzone) is a chemical used for its ability to block UV rays, so it is commonly an active ingredient in sunblocks. Sorbic acid is an antimicrobial agent whose pH is similar to that of vinegar. Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract is the extract of rosemary, used for scent. PEG 80, aka polyethylene glycol 8, is one of the shorter chain forms of polyethylene glycol, is used to promote an emulsion by reducing surface tensions of the other ingredients. Tocopherol is vitamin E, useful for promoting skin elasticity. Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble salt of vitamin C and palmitic acid. Citric acid promotes flavor, along with ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C.

So that's all looking slick and glossy on your lips. But what's contributing to the color? Cake states that this lip gloss "may contain" mica (Cl77019), a mineral known for its flat cleavage which creates a sparkling appearance, titanium dioxide (cl 77891), a white dye, iron oxides (cl 77491, cl 77492) for red coloring, along with the artificial coloring agents D&C red #6 Lake (cl 15850:2), D&C Red #7 Lake (Cl15850:1), D&C Red # 27 Lake (Cl 145410:2), Fd&C Blue #1 Lake (cl142090:2), Fd&C Yellow #5 Lake (Cl19140:1), Fd&C Yellow #6 Lake (Cl15985:1), Bismuth oxychloride (Cl77163), Carmine (Cl75470), Manganese Violet (Cl77742), and Tin Oxide (Cl77861). With all those colorants, I'm sure they got the hue exactly the way they wanted it. It seems like a very pretty strawberry color in the tube, but is mainly clear with a bit of sparkle and pink tint when applied.

Mistletoe Berry Lip Balm is very thick and slick---it applies easily onto your lips, and it feels nice to slide your lips across each other. The gloss is nice and shimmery, adding a nice glisten to your lips without looking over-the-top glittery or tacky.

When applied to your lips, the color blends in extremely well---I had actually thought that Mistletoe Berry applied clear until I put it on my arm for these pictures. Its pink hue and shimmer draw the eye easily. When applied to the lips it eventually soaks in, not leaving any residue behind. When applied to your arm, though, it feels tacky if you try to rub it in, and needs to be washed off with soap and water.

I was expecting a berry scent when I first unscrewed the cap of my Mistletoe Berry lip gloss, and was surprised when I smelled a very sweet, vanilla, cake-batter scent instead. This smells surprisingly appealing: I enjoy being able to smell it after I've applied it.

The scent is not very long-lasting and it fades in about an hour, along with the glossy properties of the gloss. The scent is bound in both the alcohols and fats of the gloss, so it doesn't all vaporize immediately like a cheap perfume. The scent is well-balanced with the gloss and does its job perfectly---it smells nice without being overpowering, and it sticks around as long as you want it to without lingering long after it is welcome.

Despite my many fragrance allergies, Mistletoe Berry does not bother my nose.

The best feature of Mistletoe Berry Lip Gloss is the shimmer and shine it adds to your lips. It made me wish I was having a photo shoot, because the glossy shimmer would draw attention to my lips and face in photographs.

The gloss stays glossy and pretty for about an hour and a half before absorbing into your lips without leaving any residue (though you will still be able to faintly smell the vanilla cake batter aroma).

Because the gloss will leave marks on coffee cups or kissing partners when it's been freshly applied, I would recommend it for photo shoots and giving speeches, rather than for romps under mistletoe.

Cake's Mistletoe Berry Lip Gloss comes in a handy pocket-ready 0.4 oz tube. The tube and the cap are clear with white text, showing off the pretty strawberry-colored sparkles of the gloss itself. The cap threads on securely so this will not spill all over your pocket or purse.

I expect this tube to last a long time, and since it only says "Cake," "Lip gloss," and lists the ingredients, you needn't worry about anyone seeing the packaging.

I'm not really much of a lip gloss user myself, since I prefer being kissed to being looked at. Because the waxes in lip glosses can make them a "once you're used to it, you can't stop" product, I will probably only use this on special occasions, when I'm giving a speech or when I know my picture will be taken. Personally, I might only have given this three stars---but that's only because of my lifestlye---the Mistletoe Berry Lip Gloss itself has no flaws that I can see.

Well, it might be better if it tasted as sweet as it smells! But the completely neutral taste that it has, coupled with the lovely cake-batter scent, is a reason to use this all on its own, even if you don't need to wow your audience with glossy sparkle.