I Found A $9 Dupe For Isamaya’s Chrome Liplacq That’s Every Bit As Sparkly

Part of my winter to-do list was to achieve makeup that resembled a sparkly snowflake — and for that, I knew I needed the perfect silver color for my lips. So when I spotted the most supernatural glitter lip gloss I had ever seen in my life on model Alina Timo’s TikTok, I had the intense urge to get my hands on it immediately. A quick scroll through the comments revealed the identity of the lip product, which a number of equally enthusiastic commenters figured out to be Isamaya’s Liplacq 2.0 Maximizing Lip Serum in the Shade Chrome.

Once I tried it, I couldn’t stop. For months, I’ve been using it everywhere: on my eyelids for subtle shimmer, four coats of it on my lips for an Instagram sparkle-filter finish, and even a small dab as highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones when I’m feeling adventurous.

The Liplacq became a core part of my revolving makeup routine in ways I never expected, but the $38 price tag is a bit prohibitive for me to continue to live my best, sparkliest life. Then, my friend lent me her Milani Highly Rated Diamond Shimmer Gloss, which costs nearly $30 less but seemed to be a viable dupe. After a few rounds of testing, I’ve weighed in on both below.

The Similarities

Both the Isamaya and Milani products are vegan glosses consisting of metallic silver glitter suspended in a clear base. They layer the same with multiple coats for a buildable effect. I’ve found, from a distance or in still photos, they look like regular high-shine glosses, but once you come closer (or stand in the way of direct or iPhone-camera light), that’s when the shimmer really announces itself. Both glosses wear for about two to three hours or until you eat anything before you need to reapply.

The Differences

Aside from the major price gap, the main difference between these two sparkly glosses is that Isamaya’s contains lip-plumping ingredients like hyaluronic-acid microspheres and ginger oil (it’s labeled a “serum”), while Milani’s formula focuses primarily on the look. (Moisturizing vitamin E and high-shine polymers are its star ingredients.) While I barely noticed or felt any plumping action from the Liplacq, I did find that it contains more potent silver pigment in a single swipe — meaning it only takes two or three layers to achieve my ideal shimmer factor compared to Milani’s four or five. But the extra applications don’t take much effort, especially because the Milani gloss feels like a silky lip oil or balm, while Liplacq feels slightly heavier (but not sticky).

The Verdict

I’ll forever credit Isamaya’s Chrome Liplacq for getting me into high-sparkle gloss, but the impact of Milani’s dupe makes it hard to consider paying almost $40 for a single tube. Isamaya undeniably wins in the lip-treatment category and luxury experience, but if I’m going on looks alone (and the potential worry of losing it on a night out), Milani is for sure the way to scratch my glitter itch without breaking the bank.