ColourPop Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and Lippie Primer

Hello again readers!

I started a new job, and I've been working 9–5, 5 days a week. It's really a big change to what I was doing before (which was a lot of doing whatever I pleased, and some education). It's left me so tired, but I'm happy to be getting back into the swing of things again.

 I'm starting my third round of Colourpop reviews today: Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and the Lippie Primer.

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Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils

The Lippie Stix ... have a very peculiar name. Now, Lippie isn't anything new. It's been slang for lipstick for ages now, but instead of saying "Lipstick Stix", they just went straight to slang. I don't personally have a problem with it (have you ever heard of the Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie?) as it rolls easily off the tongue, but I know that there are many who despise the name. They find it to be childish, and I can definitely see where they're coming from. Just think of trying to explain what you're wearing on your lips to a complete stranger ...

The name aside, let's move on to the product. The packaging for these is really sleek, and I'm really happy with them. They have clean looking white plastic packaging with the holographic brand name on the side. Each of the Lippie Stix has a color-coded bottom, with a sticker telling the shade name and the lipstick finish.

The Lippie Stix come in 8 finishes: matte, matte-x, sheer, pearlized, glossy, satin, créme, and satin luxe. I only have three different finishes in my collection (for now ...): matte, sheer, and glossy.

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Many of the Lippie Stix come with coordinating Lippie Pencils to match, making a cohesive, clean look easy to obtain. 

Each of the Lippie Pencils are housed in white packaging, with a white cap. They all have the name of the Lippie Pencil printed on the side, with the same holographic print that they use for the company name. The pencils have color-coordinated bottoms so it's extremely easy to find the liner that you're looking for in your liner collection.

They are NOT twist-able pencils. They must be sharpened if you need more product. That's a shame, because sharpening ends up taking away some of the product ... The upside is that because they need to be sharpened, the formula is creamier than say their Créme Gel Liners.

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Nevermind Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil

Nevermind (Matte): Deep Violet

I really like this color. It doesn't look like much on the skin, but on the lips it ends up being a deeper shade of violet, more like Wet n Wild's Vamp it Up or MAC's Cyber. Although it has more of a true violet color compared to a blackened violet.

While I like this color, it's one of the shades that I feel needs the coordinating Lippie Pencil to work properly. Nevermind is a very creamy formula, that will feather out of the lip line. The Lippie Pencil ensures that the color stays on the lips, where I want it to be. Once it dries down, it's more like a Satin Matte finish that still feels creamy on the lips. 

The color needs a little build-up to be fully opaque, but this is one of those shades that I don't mind working with, since I don't wear it too often.

Tootsi Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil

Tootsi (Matte): Greige

Tootsi was one of my first Lippie Stix, as it came in my first ever order from the brand. I cannot get enough of the grey-toned beige pink colors that are available in the market, so having so many in my collection is not a hassle! The Lippie Stix version of this shade, is really pigmented and goes on opaque with a slightly creamy consistency. That creamy texture goes away once it dries down to a matte finish. 

Close up of bottom of Lippie Stix to show color-coordination

Bound (Glossy): Pink

Kiddo (Sheer): Coral

Bound is one of those shades that I just really appreciate it as a glossy finish. I found that I liked it better off than if it was such a bright, cool-toned pink in a matte finish. I wouldn't ever reach for it otherwise. The finish remains through the entire time it lasts on the lips. However, with the formula being well, glossy, it doesn't last too terribly long on the lips. I find that I have significant wear in under 2 hours. It's easy to add more layers, and it's easy to remove as well. Out of all of the finishes, this is my least favorite because of the wear time.

On the other side of the spectrum, Kiddo is one of my favorites, only because it's a sheer, slick formula. One swipe gives a subtle flush of color, but it can also be built up. I like this one best, because I only use a little bit and then as it wears down through the day it doesn't look incredibly obvious the more that it fades. It fades more evenly than the other shades in my collection. Perfect for work.

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Finally, I have the matte Lippie Stix.

Oh Snap, Tootsi, Lumiére, Brink, Grunge, and Creature.

Oh Snap: Dusty pink nude

Tootsi: Reviewed above

Lumiére: Dusty mauve pink.

Brink: Dusty beige taupe

Grunge: Cool-toned plum brown.

Creature: Blackened burgundy.

I'm really impressed with these Lippie Stix. They go on smoothly, they are opaque, build up quickly, and they dry down to a comfortable matte finish. Not always a flat matte – more likely a satin matte finish instead, like a traditional matte lipstick.

They are not transfer proof. If you touch or rub your lips, the product will smear off. That's fine, because it makes taking the lipstick off to eat something that is easily done. With liquid matte lipsticks I just have to eat and hope they don't look too awful while eating.

The only shade I wasn't a huge fan of, was creature. The color was gorgeous, and it was one of the first products from ColourPop I ever purchased. I just found it to be incredibly patchy and because of this it was difficult to apply evenly. It never ended up looking good, even with a lip liner underneath. It was hard to work with and isn't worth the effort.

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The biggest downside of these product, is that it seems like such a deal! $5 for a lipstick? Hell yeah! Of course, you only get .035 oz of product ... Say for example, a full-size MAC lipstick you get .1 oz. It takes about 3 Lippie Stix to make just the 1 MAC lipstick, so in the end they end up costing about the same. You save $2 with the Lippie Stix option, however, who really uses up a whole lipstick (except past me who was determined to use up every lipstick that I hated)? If your collection is large, you probably won't use up a full size, especially say, a mint green! It's up to you on what you'd like to spend your money on.

I really enjoy the Lippie Stix as a whole, and I look forward to adding more to my collection.

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Lippie Primer

The Lippie Primer has the same packaging as the Lippie Stix. I really like that for convenience and storage sake.

I wasn't really looking forward to using this product because how much can a lip primer really change up your lipstick game? Let me tell you, it makes a difference!

The primer smoothed out any lip lines I had, and gave it a nice base to adhere to. I definitely noticed a difference (especially with creamier formulas, compared to matte formulas) in longevity. It lasted much longer with the primer. I was really surprised that it made a noticeable difference.

The downside, is that it's an extra step and I tend to forget to use it. I don't have such a discipline when it comes to my lips, than I do to my face or eyes.

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Each of these products contains .035 oz of product, and retails for $5, and I recommend them! Especially if you're interested in a wild or hard-to-find color or you're interested in expanding your collection on the cheap.

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Thanks for reading!

Colourpop Créme Gel Color, and Liner

Hello again readers!

I'm ready for this next installment of ColourPop items from my collection.

Créme Gel Color

These are branded as Créme Gel Color, but in reality they're gel liners in a more traditional pot. The packaging is really fantastic, as each of the pots is made of clear glass, and the lids are like a tin with the holographic ColourPop logo branded on top. Each of the products has the name listed on the sticker on the bottom, because it's easy to get them confused (especially with the darker colors in lighting conditions that aren't that great).

Best O: Deep burgundy

Fast Lane: Deep teal

Workout: Blackened forest green

The products that I bought were all matte liners. With the Créme Color range, they are mainly mattes, some metallic shades, and when they have limited edition releases – glitter. Mattes are ones that I know I would reach for most often.

Each of the products feels creamy, and intense, but when it came to application they each needed two coats for full opacity. Best O and Workout were my personal favorites, while I don't mind Fast Lane it's just not a liner that I ever find myself reaching for often. Fast Lane is also the liner that needs the most TLC to really shine, as I found myself sometimes going for three coats!

They also have an issue, where with the more coats you use, the more texture you get for your liner. They can become hard, clumpy, and even crumbly. I have had a few occasions where there would be too much product and it would crumble up in places. The downside is often I found myself needing those layers for perfect application. 

With the crumbling issue aside, these liners were incredible. Once they set, they were smudge-proof, waterproof, and even on my oily lids I noticed that they lasted all day with minimal fading. I was really impressed with the lasting power! Even for the swatches, they set, and I had to take an oil-based remover to remove the swatches from my arm so nothing would be left behind – a makeup wipe wasn't cutting it!

Make sure to keep them closed tightly at all times when not in use. I've heard and seen photos and disclaimers from other customers that their liners have dried out. Mine have been going strong since I got them in October, and I haven't had any issues. The only one that I'm worried about is Best O, because that is the liner that I use the most often and I can see that one drying out first though it hasn't happened yet.

Each of these liners has .11 oz, and retails for $6. I definitely recommend these!

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Créme Gel Liner

This was the product that I was most excited about trying from the Créme Gel line. It's an eyeliner pencil that's more up my alley, as I use them for everything for smudging on my lash line to lining my eyes for dramatic looks. The packaging is similar to the Lippie Sticks packaging, but the difference is that the tip where the product is is color coded. So, even if you manage to ignore the colored bottom, you'll notice right away if you grabbed the wrong product once the lid is off.

The product comes pre-sharpened, but the packaging doesn't include a sharpener. I haven't noticed any issues with the product not being incredibly sharp, so I don't mind it, but I do know that it bothers others.

The best part of the packaging, is that it's twistable! I don't have to sharpen the entire pencil (just the tip, if I so wish). It's such a wonderful feeling because I rarely (if ever) pack a sharpener when I travel.

I chose Best O, which, like the Gel Color pots, is a deep burgundy matte. This liner performed better than the Créme Color pots. It was smooth, pigmented, and I got the color payoff I wanted almost immediately. I rarely have to go over the liner I applied a second time, and when I do it's because I didn't put enough down the first time. 

These liners come in two finishes as of now: matte and metallic.

Though pigmented, this product was a lot drier than I was expecting. I was expecting a formula like the Rimmel London, Jordana, or Milani gel liners, but this formula had to be drier in order to twist the product. If you have too much product dispensed, it will break off, of that I can assure you. It will break off, and you will mourn the loss of a few applications of your liner.

These don't have the same staying power, minus the smudge-proof qualities. On my oily eyes (especially since I usually wear this on my waterline and tight-line where it's extra moist from being next to my eyeball) they don't last as long as the Créme Gel Colors. Not to say that they don't last long, because by the end of a long day there's still color there, it's just not as intense as when I first applied it.

Each of these liners has .01 for $5. I really suggest this product especially if you're interested in trying some out-of-the-box colors!

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Best O was the "best" choice to try out in both formulas, because it's the color that I reach for the most often. It's such a wearable color that's a little out of the box, and makes the blue in my eyes pop! I really enjoy both formulas in this shade, and it makes me eager to try other shades from the collection.

I have yet to try a metallic finish, so I'm looking forward to add one to my collection to see how it's different than the mattes (besides for the obvious difference in finishes!).

Thanks for reading!

ColourPop Super Shock Shadows & Blush

Hello again readers!

I'm really happy to start doing the reviews of my ColourPop collection. I've been placing orders and really getting a feel for certain products. I love some, I'm okay with others, and so far I haven't hated anything which is a good sign (just not for my wallet)!

Starting with the Super Shock Shadows/Pigments, I'm really sort of surprised with them. They have a mousse texture that dries down to a powder finish. They're $5 a piece,  soft to the touch, and a bit of fun to press around in the pan since they're malleable. 

A few things to note is that since they are a wet formula, they can't be depotted. This is frustrating for anyone that wants a large collection of ColourPop shadows, but doesn't want to sacrifice the space to house the products. It's also frustrating that for each shadow I want to use, I have to unscrew the product. It's something really silly to be frustrated over, but I've always preferred a pigment or pressed powder shadow for this reason, since you don't have to store them in air-tight containers.

I really couldn't resist the Forever Freshman set (since sold out! sorry for the inconvenience!) since it contains a few of my favorite things: 90's culture and beautiful shadows.

Crimper: Light metallic gold with gold glitter
This one is more like a shadow I'd pat in the center of my lid, compared to all over my lid. It's pretty, but it's not pigmented enough to be worn on it's own in my opinion.

As If: Mid-tone matte brown
This was a little "dry" to work with, and needed a few layers for best application. I like using this in my crease shade, so it works perfectly for that!

Melrose: Matte rust
My favorite shade in this collection. I can't get enough of it. The pigmentation is really good, and it makes the blue in my eyes pop! I wish they kept this on permanently.

Koosh: Metallic silver-taupe

I'm a sucker for a good taupe, and Koosh is no exception. It always looks good on my eyes, and the formula and pigmentation are really good.

90210: Grey-tone taupe with gold and pink glitter

Another shade that I wish they kept on permanently, because it's just such a beautiful shade. The pigmentation was phenomenal, and the color really pops even on the lid. This shadow does have a bit of fallout if I blend, but it's nothing too major and it's easy enough to wipe away.

 Baby T: Navy blue with blue sheen
This said it was a matte, but it has a sheen to it that just makes it look more like a satin. I was really disappointed, because I thought it was going to be the answer to my matte navy prayers. How sad. When blended out the sheen isn't as prevalent, but I don't wear this all over the lid for that reason.

 Doe-A-Deer: Matte blackened violet

I had high expectations for this color (one of the first shadows I ever bought) and I was really let down. The shade isn't bad, but the formula is really bad. It's patchy, and requires a ton of layers to build up to full opacity. I don't know what it is about this shade, but it just doesn't want to work out.

Downtown: Matte cool-toned taupe

I can't find this on the ColourPop website anymore, and that's a crying shame. This is such a beautiful cool taupe, that's perfect for the crease or blended all over the lid. It's very rich in pigmentation and easy to use. Really if it wasn't for this shade, I never would have bought another ColourPop shadow again.

Central Perk: Matte dark burgundy
This is such a beautiful color, but a little hard to work with. It wants to be patchy so bad, even though it can be blended out it takes some time to work with it. I find it to be worth it, because it's such a beautiful color (and a FRIENDS reference!).

Plaid: Blackened Olive

I was just a sucker for the entire fall line to be honest, and a blackened green? Sign me up! I only like deep greens really, and this is just such a beautiful shade for the lid. Incredibly pigmented and easy to apply.

Straight Trippin': Matte blackened violet
This is such a deep shade. It needs a couple of layers to have full opacity, but it's so well worth it. It's intense, it's deep, and it's very flattering to wear. I'm really pleased with this shade.

Mixed Tape: Mid-tone cool taupe grey

It's not quite a taupe, but not quite a grey either. It's a beautiful middle ground shade, that looks incredibly all over the lid. It catches the light just enough to be interesting, without being a metallic or a shimmer.

Straight Trippin' and Doe-A-Deer are incredibly different, even if they're approached in the same way. They're both blackened violets, where Straight Trippin' has far more black, and is far more pigmented over Doe-A-Deer which is lighter and more patchy. Straight Trippin' is a much better use of your money, and everything I wanted Doe-A-Deer to be.

Above is Mixed Tape, which has compmletely fallen out. I'm not sure what sort of glue they used, but it's an awful adhesive. It felt like gel when I went to scrape it off, like it's wet and never dried. This isn't the only one I've had issues with either.

Straight Trippin', As If, 90210, Crimper, and Plaid have all been loose. Either I can feel them shaking when I pick up the container, or when I go to use them, the pan moves around making it harder to pick up pigment. 

And it's only the new products. I wish that this wasn't the case, because it makes me really hate reaching for them. I can't super-glue the pans back in, because I don't want the toxic fumes to get anywhere near these cream products. I'll have to hot-glue them back in as soon as I can find my hot-glue gun. Very disappointing in that regard, which makes me not want to buy more.

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Aphrodisiac: Neutral Matte Blush

I reach for this blush all of the time, so much that I'm almost hitting pan! The pigmentation is really good, and it's a very flattering blush on my face.  The formula is similar to the Super Shock shadows, where it's a mousse-like texture that dries to a powder finish. I use a stipple brush to apply it, and it blends into the skin like a dream, I was really impressed with how easy it was to apply and blend. I'm not interested in any other colors from the blush range but I really enjoy this one. If the rest of the shades are anything like Aphrodisiac, then they are well worth the $8 price tag.

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Thanks for reading!