ColourPop Lippie Stix

   By now, you all know I'm quite the lipstick junkie and usually stick to liquid to mattes... I stumbled across ColourPop while searching some Instagram tags, and since I was in need of some new lip products I headed to the site.
   ColourPop.com has a very clean design, and is extremely easy to navigate around. The site has a wide range of cosmetics from highlighters to lipsticks, all less than $10.00 USD. Not only that, but shipping is free over $30.00 (in the U.S.) and when you first make an account you'll receive a $5.00 off coupon via email!

   ColourPop's lipstick range consists of Ultra Matte Lips, Lippie Pencils, and Lippie Stix... For every Lippie Stix, there is a matching Lippie Pencil (you don't have to play a guessing game).
   Lippie Stix come in a variety of formulas, from sheer to matte, and a range of colors that suit all skin tones. With almost every ColourPop product they show swatches on light and dark skin (side by side)... Throw in the great descriptions and ingredients list, I'm in love with the website's set up.
   As you can see above, the Stix don't come in a traditional tube, but rather a convenient crayon style that makes application precise and easy... The formulas of the seven Stix I ordered consisted of five mattes, one satin, and one pearlized. I realized that the matte colors withstood day-to-day activities better than the other formulas, which is the usual with lipsticks. Also, darker colors are "thicker" in formula, but not necessarily harder to apply (maybe more creamy, if you will).
   The bottom left photo is after one hard swipe with a Simple makeup removing wipe, and the bottom right photo is after washing my forearm with antibacterial soap and cold water... The way certain colors "stained" and others easily removed was expected; these also act slightly as a lip stain (rubbed off product is much less noticeable). From my experience thus far, the Stix did not feather much at all - especially the mattes - and withstood much more than "traditional" lipstick would have.

 

•  Blood: Matte; A deep, burgundy red. Perfect color for colder days. Applies smoothly, and without much difficulty. Stained lips slightly and has good staying power, so reapplication very drawn out.
• Bichette: Matte; A red color with wine and plum, making it a classic blue undertone red. Perfect year round color. Applies like silk, so be careful of mishaps. Kisses the lips with some stain, and looks lovely.
• Flawless: Satin; A red undertone violet that even Beyonce herself would love. Perfect for colder weather or year round bold statement days. Glides on when applying, but I didn't notice any stain.
• LBB: Matte; A plum/wine toned pink-ish purple. Perfectly fine for year round. A bit more thick/creamy, but well worth the extra-steady application. Some staining if worn for long periods of time.
• Lumiere: Matte; A dusty mauve color that is my favorite in the whole bunch (believe it or not). Wonderful for year round wear. Applies like a gem, and although it doesn't stain it has great staying power.
• Westie: Matte; A perfectly dusty, baby pink. Lovely for any spring, summer, and even fall occasion that calls for a touch of softness. Application is effortless, with no noticeable staining, and a tiny bit less staying power.
• Wet: Pearlized; A cool mixture of taupe and gunmetal that I'm 100% into. Nice for cold weather, but also great in warmer months thanks to the taupe. Applies beautifully, has much more staying power than I imagined, and no noticeable staining.

   The Lippie Stix formulas all have a signature scent, much like M.A.C lipsticks! The scent is that of fresh baked white cake that has yet to be covered in frosting. It is uplifting, without any sort of sugary-sweet notes - I'm in love with it!

   ColourPop's customer service and shipping was awesome, for lack of a more eloquent word. My package arrived two days earlier than the tracking showed, and the box was very sturdy. The product packaging is wonderful... Representative of the clean yet stylish look of the website, well made, and also containing a list of ingredients for that particular product; with proper labels consisting of the cruelty free symbol, made in the U.S.A label, product type, product name, brand name, and company address.

   The ColourPop brand is now one of the two companies I automatically suggest to those looking for lip products that are worth every penny spent... I'm completely hooked, and can't wait to make my next order to try some eyeshadows, as well as the Ultra Matte Lip line... Head to ColourPop's Instagram (@ColourPopCosmetics) and check out the endless stream of swatches and brand announcements, and once you realize that this brand is for you (like I know you will), hop over to ColourPop.com to make your first purchase!

*These products were worn on multiple occasions for over a month.

This post is in no way sponsored; all opinions are my own.*

xoxo Elle

LA Splash: Smitten Liptint Mousse

   Get a little vintage with Inflamed! This waterproof liquid lipstick is by LA Splash Cosmetics and is a part of their Smitten Liptint Mousse line... Inflamed has a blue undertone, and is a classic red lipstick. Wonderfully matte, with a very slight shimmer, this liquid lipstick is perfect for any season!

    Inflamed was in the same package as Venom, so it was ordered on May 11th, 2015 and arrived May 14th, 2015... And, just like with Venom, it came in an individual clear, plastic, rectangular casing with a sticker seal around the connection point of the top and tube... This lippie arrived SLIGHTLY separated near the top, but I believe it was more due to being left in a hot mailbox for 6+ hours rather than product being bad (I won't know for sure until I order another in the future).
   This Smitten Liptint Mousse applied to my lips like a dream, feathering a tiny bit at the corners of my mouth. Beware of too much layering though, or prepare for some crumbling... Originally, I swatched Inflamed on the back of my hand and it did pass the running water test just as well as the Lip Couture formula. I wore this lippie for about eight hours straight, having lunch and dinner in the process. During dinner, I could have gone for a re-application but I wanted to do a full test. At the end of the day, it hadn't feathered anymore but the color had faded some and seemed more patchy.
   The application brush was standard, and slightly harder for me to use than that of the Lip Couture product, but I didn't have time to go back with a precision lip brush to touch up my edges... None the less, someone with less shaky hands than I have will be able to apply this better than I did.
   It is a no brainer for me to rate the Smitten Liptint Mousse formula by LA Splash Cosmetics with a 4/5... I will definitely be repurchasing Inflamed when I run out, and even more colors from this range as well!

 *All makeup I review are products I've used for a week+.

None of the products I review are sponsored unless stated otherwise.*

xoxo Elle

LA Splash: Lip Couture Liquid Lipstick

   After the LimeCrime scandal finalized my decision to never purchase from them again, I came across a brand called LA Splash Cosmetics. I found that they have three different versions of their waterproof liquid lipsticks, and a range of colors that vary for every skin tone... They are cruelty free, made in the USA, and ship worldwide!
   Black lipstick used to be a staple in my makeup bag in early high school, but I gave in to the voices all around me telling me to be more lady-like and threw it away... Earlier this year I noticed that LA Splash had a liquid lipstick called Venom, a Lip Couture Liquid Lipstick, and I had to have it!

    To start, this product was ordered on May 11th, 2015 and arrived May 14th, 2015. The quick shipping was a pleasant surprise, since I'm used to waiting a minimum of seven days for online makeup orders... It was in an individual clear, plastic, rectangular case and also had a sticker seal around the separation point of the top and tube. Protective packaging is a big deal to me, so I really appreciated it being multilevel.

   Venom arrived intact (no separation of product) and seemed a bit less pigmented than I expected, but when I swatched it on the back of my hand I must have looked like the heart eyes emoji... It was the most velvety smooth liquid lipstick I had ever seen, and perfectly pigmented black. I ran room temperature water over the swatch and rubbed my finger over it to find no smudging of the product! I've used many brands of staying-power liquid lipsticks (Anastasia Beverly Hills, LimeCrime, Kat von D, etc), and none passed the running water test (although LA Splash is the first advertised waterproof).

   The Lip Couture Liquid Lipstick applied onto my lips with ease, and even though I did use a precision lip brush to touch up the edges (shaky hands) the application wand of this product was much easier to use than the standard provided in most liquid lipsticks... Venom dried within moments, not feathering at all in the process, and about an hour and a half later I headed out to dinner. I had a chicken ranch wrap and it was a bit messy, so it was good for testing out the staying power! By the end of my meal, the Lip Couture lippie still looked fabulously untouched, other than the inner section of my lips that had the oils/saliva constantly hitting against it but you couldn't tell unless I puckered my lips (kissy face). Oil based makeup remover is how LA Splash recommends taking these waterproof lipsticks off, other than their shea butter remover, so this removal makes perfect sense to me.

   In conclusion, I rate the LA Splash Lip Couture Liquid Lipsticks with a 5/5... This formula is lovely, truly matte, beautifully pigmented, and has the best staying power of any lipstick I have ever tried. I cannot wait to get my hands on more colors!

*All makeup I review are products I've used for a week+.
None of the products I review are sponsored unless stated otherwise.*

xoxo Elle