Float like a butterfly. The sheer shimmer treatment with a signature turquoise flash.
The Butterfly Ball collection has been discontinued along with the wider Lipstick Queen range. The distinctive muted plum-pink rubber-coated tube with butterfly wing illustration makes it recognisable on eBay and Poshmark. The most frequently sighted shades are Smitten, Moment, and Goodbye. We recommend the alternatives below for ongoing use.
Butterfly Ball was Lipstick Queen's most nature-inspired collection — a tribute to the wing of a butterfly, which Poppy King described as "one of the most beautiful effects in the world." The concept was both visual and functional: a flash of turquoise iridescence woven into every shade, inspired by the structural colour of butterfly wings, that caught the light as you spoke and moved, and optically brightened teeth in the same way Hello Sailor's blue pigment did.
Housed in a soft-touch rubberised plum-pink tube with an elegant butterfly wing illustration, the formula was the lightest and most balm-like in the Lipstick Queen range — incredibly wet, soft and moisturising, enriched with Aloe Vera and Vitamins E, C and B. Each shade was as sheer as a butterfly wing itself, buildable, and finished with the same silky glide that made wearers describe the collection as feeling like a lip treatment rather than a lipstick.
Butterfly Ball was Poppy King's most overtly poetic product concept. The inspiration came directly from Muhammad Ali's famous phrase — "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" — and from her genuine reverence for the natural beauty of butterfly wings. "The butterfly wing has to be one of the most beautiful effects in the world," she explained at launch, "and although I would never lay claim on what Mother Nature does, I created Butterfly Ball in her honour."
The collection translated that reverence into cosmetic form through structural colour: just as a butterfly wing creates its iridescence not through pigment but through the microscopic architecture of its scales, Butterfly Ball achieved its signature turquoise shimmer flash through a precise blend of Mica and Synthetic Fluorphlogopite. The result was a subtle, living iridescence that changed with the angle of light — visible in a flash as you spoke or smiled, but never harsh or glittery in the way conventional shimmer lipsticks were.
The distinctively rubberised, slightly soft-touch plum-pink tube with its butterfly wing illustration made Butterfly Ball one of the most immediately recognisable products in the Lipstick Queen range. It was regularly featured in gift sets — Butterfly Kisses, Hall of Fame, Lip Nouveau, Spring Fling — and many devoted fans built complete collections across all seven shades. The collection launched at Barneys and rolled out to Ulta, Space NK, and international retailers, remaining in production throughout the brand's active years.
Each Butterfly Ball shade was significantly sheerer on the lips than it appeared in the tube — a consistent surprise for first-time wearers. The turquoise iridescent shimmer was present in every shade but was most visible in the mid-toned and deeper colours, where the blue flash created the most striking contrast.
The Butterfly Ball formula was the lightest and most balm-adjacent in the Lipstick Queen range — lighter even than Medieval and Hello Sailor, with a wet, almost fluid texture that reviewers consistently described as feeling like a lip treatment rather than a lipstick. The base was built around Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate and Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate — a combination of esters and emulsifiers that created the distinctive gliding, coating feel — supported by Hydrogenated Polyisobutene for slip and gloss and Castor Seed Oil for emolliency.
The shimmer system was the collection's technological heart. Mica particles coated with Titanium Dioxide and iron oxide pigments created the base shimmer in each shade; additional optical particles — Synthetic Fluorphlogopite — contributed the structural, angle-dependent iridescence that produced the turquoise flash. Unlike conventional cosmetic glitter, which is visible as discrete particles, the Butterfly Ball shimmer was designed to be imperceptible up close but luminous when light struck at certain angles — mimicking the micro-structural colour of a butterfly wing.
The conditioning system was unusually broad for a lipstick: Aloe Vera extract, Vitamins E (Tocopherol), C, and B contributed antioxidant protection and skin-conditioning benefits across multiple pathways. Film formers in the formula helped seal in moisture after application, extending the comfort of wear beyond what the formula's balm-like texture alone would provide. The formula was entirely fragrance-free — a rarity for a shimmer-based lip product — and contained no artificial fragrance.
Apply directly from the bullet in a single smooth pass for the classic Butterfly Ball look — a sheer wash of colour with a living iridescent shimmer. The formula is so forgiving that no mirror or lip liner is needed. Best for those with cool or neutral undertones; the turquoise flash can look slightly grey on very warm skin tones.
Butterfly Ball's greatest strength was as a topper over other lip products. A light layer of Fly or Sigh over a favourite MLBB shade added the turquoise dimension and fresh iridescence without changing the base colour significantly. Goodbye layered over reds deepened them beautifully. The glossy formula made any matte underneath more comfortable.
Unlike some ultra-sheer formulas, Butterfly Ball was moderately buildable — particularly in mid to deep shades like Sigh, Trance, and Goodbye. Two to three coats produced a noticeably richer result, though the formula never reached full opacity. Each layer also intensified the iridescent shimmer effect.
As listed on the 0.134 oz formulation (Float shade):
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Octyldodecanol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Silica, Mica, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Disteardimonium Hectorite, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, 1,2 Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850).
Note: Beauty Bridge and Space NK also list Aloe Vera and Vitamins E, C, and B as key actives — these may appear in a different version of the formulation or as the brand's highlighted ingredients. The Mica and Titanium Dioxide combination creates the signature turquoise iridescent shimmer flash. Pigment colours vary by shade. The formula is entirely fragrance-free.
Three products that deliver the spirit of Butterfly Ball — the same sheer iridescent shimmer, balm-like nourishment, and that elusive quality of lip colour that feels alive in the light.
The closest modern equivalent to the Butterfly Ball concept: a sheer, iridescent lip product that feels like a treatment and enhances rather than replaces your natural lip colour. The Dior Lip Glow Oil adds a dimensional shimmer and gloss using a complex of conditioning oils and optical pearl pigments that shift with the light — creating the same living, ethereal quality that defined Butterfly Ball. Available in a wide shade range that covers every Butterfly Ball equivalent from Float (bare pearl) through Sigh (mauve) to Goodbye (deep berry). Equally excellent as a topper or worn alone.
For fans of Butterfly Ball who loved it primarily as a conditioning, barely-there shimmer treatment, Charlotte Tilbury's Collagen Lip Bath delivers a similar balm-gloss hybrid experience. The formula is deeply nourishing — enriched with hyaluronic acid, collagen, and vitamin E — and the subtle shimmer in several shades mirrors the ethereal quality of the Butterfly Ball iridescence. Particularly close in feel to Float and Smitten for those who wanted a polished, minimal everyday option.
For those who loved Butterfly Ball as a standalone sheer shimmer lipstick rather than a topper, NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine comes closest to replicating the experience. A sheer, glossy lipstick formula enriched with conditioning oils and a luminous shimmer finish that catches the light — the same "your lips but more interesting" quality that Butterfly Ball fans describe. The shade Turbo (a sheer red-raspberry shimmer) is a direct spiritual successor to Moment, and Kiss (a soft rosy shimmer) parallels Smitten precisely.
"They're covered in turquoise micro glitter that blends in almost imperceptibly. It makes me feel like a fairy every time I apply it."
Moment looks like a very dark berry in the tube but applies as a vibrant cherry red with a teal iridescence that shifts as you move. I was taken aback by the transformation the first time. It's chic in a way I didn't expect — somehow elegant and otherworldly at the same time. I wore it every single day in autumn.
"Fly is in the tube and you go, 'oh dear, that is extremely pink.' Then you put it on and it is sheer, wearable, and genuinely beautiful."
I wear Fly as a topper over almost everything now. A light layer over a neutral MLBB shade adds this incredible cool iridescent dimension that just makes any lip look more interesting. It does make your teeth look whiter — I was sceptical but it works. I have genuinely not found anything like it since Lipstick Queen discontinued.
"Goodbye layers over red lipsticks to deepen them beautifully. That turquoise shimmer adds something no other lip product does."
Goodbye is described as wine but reads as blackberry on my lips — a deep, plum-adjacent shade with a turquoise shimmer that lifts the whole thing and makes it feel expensive and unusual rather than simply dark. I wear it over a red base and the result is something genuinely beautiful. I own all seven shades and will finish every single one of them.