Updated Swatches and Review: Lime Crime Lipsticks and Velvetines

So, I looked at my blog this morning and decided it's probably over due for a new blog post. No matter how busy I get with my random hobbies I want to be updating my blog at least once a week. I have reviewed these items before, but since I got some different colours (I actually purchased these sometime last year) I thought I should do an updated swatch and review for you all. 

I know there has been a lot of drama and controversy surrounding the brand of late (deciding to pull distribution from many online sellers and the online hacking scandal) and I would like to keep my review free of these issues. I'm still trying to decide if Lime Crime is a pain-in-the-butt hopeless mob who can't run their company or whether they have just been dealt a bad hand by the make-up gods. And, then there is all the online speculation about  Doe Deere being a copy cat who re-sells product from other companies. As far as that rumor goes; I can only find a bunch of blogs circulating it. Anyone can write a blog. 

I am a little hesitant to purchase anything more from their website (Although they promise to have fixed their online security) and would prefer that their items were available from my favourite online makeup stores. However, that doesn't change the fact that these are actually quite decent products with awesome packaging and interesting colours. I will definitely repurchase some of these items when they run-out, recommend them to friends and one day give Lime Crime's online shop a second chance...

LIME CRIME VELVETINES:

I have previously reviewed and swatched the shades 'Red Velvet' and 'Suedeberry'. Because I liked them so much, I was thrilled that Lime Crime started to release new colours and I have wanted to try nearly every one (except Black Velvet, but only because I think I'd be too pale and sallow for it). I ended up purchasing 'Pink Velvet', 'Utopia' and 'Wicked'. 'Salem', 'Riot' and 'Cashmere' are all on my wishlist.

The newer products are not quite the same as the old ones. The packaging is considerably different. I actually prefer the old packaging, because I think it suits the brand more and looks a bit classier. The only real benefit to the new packaging is that I can read the  colour name a little easier, but why does that even matter when the shade can easily be seen through the frosted tube.

I don't know if you can really tell in this picture, but the applicator is different in the new packaging. The stick is slightly shorter and the doe-foot tip is also slightly smaller. The spongy bit also seems to have longer fibres on it which makes it a bit messier to apply. I usually use a lip liner on the edges first to make sure the edges are neat. if the lip liner doesn't match I use a lip brush to apply to the outline of my lips. 'Wicked' and 'Utopia' seem to be especially messy as they are not as opaque as the other colours.

Here is a swatch on my arm of the colours I own. From top to bottom: 'Wicked', 'Red Velvet' Suedeberry', 'Pink Velvet' and 'Utopia'.

I thought that the difference in some of the formulas might have been because some colours are newer than others, but the 'Pink Velvet' formula seems to be quite similar to 'Red Velvet'. I'm starting to find over time that my 'Suedeberry' one takes ages to dry, as does 'Utopia'. 'Wicked' starts to flake pretty early on and can be quite patchy to apply. All of these have no smell except for 'Utopia' which smells like Play-Doh. 

I am wondering if the difference in formula is due to the pigments used to create the different colours, the way that some pastel lipsticks don't last as long or go on as dark as a wine colour might? I have found that applying a Lime Crime lippy underneath can make the colour last longer and stop my lips from drying out too much. 

My favourite shades are 'Red Velvet' and 'Pink Velvet'. Those are the only shades I would repurchase if mine ran out. 

~Here is a picture of me wearing 'Red Velvet'

~Here is a picture of me wearing 'Pink Velvet'

~Here is a picture of me wearing 'Suedeberry' (5th Picture in post)

I don't have pictures of me wearing the other two shades as they are so difficult  for me to wear. They need to be applied quite thick to avoid streakiness and then they don't last and flake off (because they are applied thick). If you apply them too thin they dry and settle in the cracks of your lips. 

LIME CRIME LIPSTICKS:

I have had two goes at Reviewing and Swatching my Lime Crime Lipstick collection. I have purchased three more shades since that post, but decided I wouldn't swatch all of them again, just the three shades I bought and three shades that might be thought similar. There is nothing new about these shades and I believe they have been a part of the Lime Crime range for some time. I think in the future I might like to branch out even more and try a nude like 'Babette' or a bright pastel pink like 'Countessa Fluroescent'. 

The three shades on the left are the newest ones in my collection. I only swatched the ones on the right for comparison purposes. From top to bottom, left to right: 'Airborne Unicorne' (new), 'Poisonberry', 'Geradium' (new), 'Centrifushia', 'My Beautiful Rocket' (new) and 'Cosmopop'.

I really like these three shades, though I don't wear them as much as my three favourites 'Retrofuturist' 'Glamour101' or 'Centrifushia'. I like to mix 'My Beautiful Rocket' and 'Cosmopop' together to create the perfect orange colour and I like wearing 'Geradium' only when my outfit can handle such a bright lipstick being worn with it. It is the fluro barbie lip colour I dreamed about as a child... I love 'Airborne Unicorn' however it is a bit "Out There" and you will get strange looks by passers by...

~Here is a picture of me wearing 'Airborne Unicorn'

~Here is a picture of me wearing 'My Beautiful Rocket (2nd Picture in Blog post)

And for some reason, no photos yet of 'Geradium'. 

I would definitely repurchase these three shades if they ran-out but I don't use them that often so they probably won't run out too soon...

I also found a way to overcome my problem with finding lipstick on a busy morning. I just store them in a set place in my lipstick holder so I can get used to where that colour is. I also have all the lipsticks in the holder in a colour order system. Front to back is light to dark, And left to right is warm to cool. I have two of these holders with more lipstick hiding in my other make-up storage. 

I hope this swatch and review post was helpful.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie