I wasn't completely thrilled with my first Colourpop order, but I thought to give the brand another try. After all, my last order consisted only of their Super Shock eyeshadows and I wanted to test out some of their lip and cheek products. If I wasn't happy with those either, then at least I'd be satisfied I gave Colourpop a good go but things just didn't work out. When they were having a $5 off promotion around Christmas (sadly shipping was still exorbitant), I finally ordered a few items on my radar: Ultra Matte Lip in Trap and Midi, Lippie Pencil in Lumière, Super Shock Cheek in Monster and Super Shock Shadow in Nillionaire.
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The Super Shock Cheek in Monster was probably the product I was most excited about. I remember when Colourpop first came out with highlighters, Monster was the one shade that called out to me. I'm naturally drawn to highlighters that flash an opalescent/iridescent pink or purple as I find them rarer and more special than your typical gold, champagne or frosty/whitish variety. Seeing it reviewed and mentioned a few times on auxiliary beauty only reinforced that I needed it.
Fortunately Monster came as expected and its pronounced pinky/purple shift didn't disappoint. I can safely say I don't have anything like it in my bloated makeup collection, which is always pleasing and extra justification for purchasing. I'm still not 100% won over by the texture (very similar to their eyeshadows, if not the same) as I find it weirdly thin and emollient and capable of being blended away to nothing a bit too easily. However that same weirdly thin and emollient texture does have its benefits, like increased multipurpose use (for example, you could use Monster as an inner corner highlight, cream shadow, eyeshadow topper, or on top of lipstick for a metallic overlay or accent).
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The Super Shock Shadow in Nillionaire was entirely enabled by Tiffany. This one definitely did not look as good on me as it did her. I wished it was more of a neutral-to-warm gold leaf effect, but on my lids, it looks too greyish/greenish, dull and muddy. The underlying colour is like a medium khaki taupe rather than something closer to my all-time favourite shadow, the left side of the NARSKalahari duo. It's a typical problem I have with similar colours (think L'Oréal Infallible eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure), but clearly I never learn.
I've also concluded after trying 6 Colourpop eyeshadows that I simply dislike the texture of them. Sure, the shimmery shades have the advantage of no fall out, but you have to apply them with your finger, they need to be layered multiple times to achieve desired opacity, and any blending needs to be targeted and careful otherwise it will become a glittery mess quickly.
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Moving onto the lip products. These I generally liked. I was tempted to order a single Lippie Stix (it probably would've been Tootsi) just to see what they were like, but in the end I decided to keep my cart as tight as possible.
The lip liners (Lippie Pencils) tend to garner more raves than the lipsticks from reviews I've come across, so I opted for the shade made in collaboration with KathleenLights, Lumière. It looked good on her (worn in this video) and was featured in her November 2015 Favourites, plus it's been compared withNARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna, so I had high hopes. It's a great lip pencil for the price. Very pigmented, a nice texture (not too dry, not overly soft and creamy), long lasting and fairly comfortable on the lips. These kind of deeper, purply rosy mauve shades are fashionable now, so it's fun to experiment with a trendy shade without breaking the bank.
Speaking of trendy lip colour, the Ultra Matte Lip in Trap was an unabashed foray into that world. After Monster, it was the product I was most excited about (and we're talking a very close second). Trap is decidedly darker, more cool-toned and greyish than Lumière, though the two certainly have their similarities. So long as the rest of your face makeup works with it, it's a striking statement colour that isn't too out there and certainly not unflattering.
Midi is a lighter, nude, less purple version of Trap. It's warmer and more pink. I think it's super pretty, though like most nude shades, it requires a flawless base to shine, otherwise it can emphasise any areas of redness and unevenness in the complexion.
There have been comments about the formula of these liquid matte lipsticks not being the best. Personally, I don't find them too bad, though your lips do need to be in good condition (if you have dry, chapped or flaky lips, forget it). They're slightly drying, but nothing major. I didn't experience separating, cracking or flaking, though I usually don't wear a lip product for longer than 1-2 hours until I start eating and it all comes off, or I just remove it because I can't be bothered anymore and I dislike the feel of product on my lips. You can apply a lip balm or gloss over these to make them more hydrating and change the finish while retaining the colour.
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Overall, this was a more successful order than my last one, mostly thanks to the lip products and Monster meeting expectations. To me, the appeal of Colourpop is its ability to deliver a huge product range with trendy, creative and more unusual shades at an affordable price point (so long as you live in the States). I'll be steering clear of the eyeshadows from now on though.
Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Monster
The Super Shock Cheek in Monster was probably the product I was most excited about. I remember when Colourpop first came out with highlighters, Monster was the one shade that called out to me. I'm naturally drawn to highlighters that flash an opalescent/iridescent pink or purple as I find them rarer and more special than your typical gold, champagne or frosty/whitish variety. Seeing it reviewed and mentioned a few times on auxiliary beauty only reinforced that I needed it.
Fortunately Monster came as expected and its pronounced pinky/purple shift didn't disappoint. I can safely say I don't have anything like it in my bloated makeup collection, which is always pleasing and extra justification for purchasing. I'm still not 100% won over by the texture (very similar to their eyeshadows, if not the same) as I find it weirdly thin and emollient and capable of being blended away to nothing a bit too easily. However that same weirdly thin and emollient texture does have its benefits, like increased multipurpose use (for example, you could use Monster as an inner corner highlight, cream shadow, eyeshadow topper, or on top of lipstick for a metallic overlay or accent).
l-r: Super Shock Cheek in Monster, Super Shock Shadow in Nillionaire
The Super Shock Shadow in Nillionaire was entirely enabled by Tiffany. This one definitely did not look as good on me as it did her. I wished it was more of a neutral-to-warm gold leaf effect, but on my lids, it looks too greyish/greenish, dull and muddy. The underlying colour is like a medium khaki taupe rather than something closer to my all-time favourite shadow, the left side of the NARSKalahari duo. It's a typical problem I have with similar colours (think L'Oréal Infallible eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure), but clearly I never learn.
I've also concluded after trying 6 Colourpop eyeshadows that I simply dislike the texture of them. Sure, the shimmery shades have the advantage of no fall out, but you have to apply them with your finger, they need to be layered multiple times to achieve desired opacity, and any blending needs to be targeted and careful otherwise it will become a glittery mess quickly.
l-r: Lippie Pencil in Lumière, Ultra Matte Lip in Midi and Trap
Moving onto the lip products. These I generally liked. I was tempted to order a single Lippie Stix (it probably would've been Tootsi) just to see what they were like, but in the end I decided to keep my cart as tight as possible.
The lip liners (Lippie Pencils) tend to garner more raves than the lipsticks from reviews I've come across, so I opted for the shade made in collaboration with KathleenLights, Lumière. It looked good on her (worn in this video) and was featured in her November 2015 Favourites, plus it's been compared withNARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna, so I had high hopes. It's a great lip pencil for the price. Very pigmented, a nice texture (not too dry, not overly soft and creamy), long lasting and fairly comfortable on the lips. These kind of deeper, purply rosy mauve shades are fashionable now, so it's fun to experiment with a trendy shade without breaking the bank.
Speaking of trendy lip colour, the Ultra Matte Lip in Trap was an unabashed foray into that world. After Monster, it was the product I was most excited about (and we're talking a very close second). Trap is decidedly darker, more cool-toned and greyish than Lumière, though the two certainly have their similarities. So long as the rest of your face makeup works with it, it's a striking statement colour that isn't too out there and certainly not unflattering.
Midi is a lighter, nude, less purple version of Trap. It's warmer and more pink. I think it's super pretty, though like most nude shades, it requires a flawless base to shine, otherwise it can emphasise any areas of redness and unevenness in the complexion.
There have been comments about the formula of these liquid matte lipsticks not being the best. Personally, I don't find them too bad, though your lips do need to be in good condition (if you have dry, chapped or flaky lips, forget it). They're slightly drying, but nothing major. I didn't experience separating, cracking or flaking, though I usually don't wear a lip product for longer than 1-2 hours until I start eating and it all comes off, or I just remove it because I can't be bothered anymore and I dislike the feel of product on my lips. You can apply a lip balm or gloss over these to make them more hydrating and change the finish while retaining the colour.
l-r: Lippie Pencil in Lumière, Ultra Matte Lip in Midi and Trap, Super Shock Cheek in Monster, Super Shock Shadow in Nillionaire
Overall, this was a more successful order than my last one, mostly thanks to the lip products and Monster meeting expectations. To me, the appeal of Colourpop is its ability to deliver a huge product range with trendy, creative and more unusual shades at an affordable price point (so long as you live in the States). I'll be steering clear of the eyeshadows from now on though.