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

Updated Review/Swatches: LimeCrime Lipsticks

I've been looking at my LimeCrime collection lately and thinking that I would like to talk a little more about this product as I have noticed a few more things since my earlier review which was one of my first beauty reviews. I also wanted to do a swatch of the new additions to my collection so I thought I would include the other shades so that you can compare. 

A bit of a disclaimer: I tried to get these to look as close to what they do in real life in the photos by using flash and no-flash, but I didn't have the best lighting so I apologise. I have tried to describe the colour the best I can underneath and call out inconsistencies in the photos. I also noticed that this isn't the neatest application. This is because these lip colours can stain and because applying colours and then wiping them off can get messy!

PACKAGING: 

I do love the light purple coloured plastic and the holographic unicorns, however the only indication of colour is the writing on the bottom of the tube, so I tend to find this a bit frustrating in the morning when I am trying to get ready in a hurry and I have to pick up each individual colour and read the bottom to find the one I am after. So as much as I love the packaging the fact that there is no colour sticker on the top or indicator of colour anywhere on the outside (except the bottom of the tube) means that the there isn't a real incentive to buy more colours if it means you are going to have difficulty finding the one you want in the morning. A suggestion for Doe Deere: maybe put some coloured roses or something around the unicorn in a co-relating colour?

The packaging is so-far pretty sturdy as is the lipstick inside. I am a pretty clumsy person and I haven't cracked a lid or broken a lipstick yet. I think pretty highly of what I have tried by this brand and love the colours and packaging of this product. It enables me to please my inner child and feel real classy and adult at the same time.

^Here is a picture of swatches without flash. Top to bottom: Poisonberry, Glamour101, Retrofuturist, Centrifuschia and Cosmopop.

 ^Here is a picture of swatches with flash. Top to bottom: Poisonberry, Glamour101, Retrofuturist, Centrifuschia and Cosmopop.

APPLICATION:

These colours go on very creamy and become opaque with two swipes. they do apply very smoothly and layers are not obvious. Cosmopop and Poisonberry are a slightly different consistency to the others so they are a little unforgiving compared to the others. Those two colours are a little more streaky and can cake if you apply too much.

STAYING POWER:

Like I said in my first review, they don't last through a large meal especially if it involves ice cream, chocolate or some kind of greasy food. They do stay on through most drinks though and quick snacks. Both Poisonberry and Cosmopop tend to come off a little more quickly than the others. These lipsticks can leave a bit of a stain if worn all day. Most of the colours do appear quite creamy/glossy to begin with but they do dry out a little over the course of wear. Colours also bleed a little over the course of wear and look good with a nude lip pencil.

^This is taken with flash after I rubbed the colours off. As you can see they leave a stain.

^Here is Cosmopop. Picture taken with flash. 

^Here is Cosmopop. Picture taken without flash.

COSMOPOP:

This is a pastel orange/peach. I think this colour has a sixties "nude lip" look. This colour doesn't last as long as the others or apply as easily and for that reason I don't wear it much. I also find that the colour is a bit pale. I have fairly pale skin and the colour only just looks dark enough for me too wear, so if you are not very daring and have tan/dark skin I would probably give it a miss.

^Here is Centrifuschia. Photo taken with flash.

^Here is Centrifuschia. Picture taken without.

CENTRIFUSCHIA:

The photo with flash is a more accurate representation of what this looks like in real life. The colour is a very bright purple-pink. It's kind of a medium tone lip colour. If you have really blue undertones in your skin this might make you look a little washed out. I have fairly sallow looking skin and this one seems to look okay on me.

^This is Retrofuturist. Picture taken with flash. 

^Retrofuturist without flash.

RETROFUTURIST: (sorry the pics are so messy!)

I LOVE this colour. It is a pinkish-red and it is quite a light red. I like this colour for a classy retro red.

^This is Glamour101. Taken with flash.

^This is Glamour101. Taken without flash.

GLAMOUR101: 

This is a maroon/brick red with a hint of brown. I love this for a vintage daytime look. It's such a classic colour. This colour wears really well.

^Here is Poisonberry. This picture was taken with flash.

^This is Posinberry. Picture taken without flash.

POISONBERRY:

This colour is a very dark purple with bluish tones. I suggest looking up swatches on google, because these didn't really photograph accurately. This colour can be a little difficult to apply as it is a bit more sheer than the rest and it can go a little streaky if you put on a few coats. It also comes off more quickly. I think this colour is great for people with dark skin tones. On me this colour is a little outrageous and probably not a colour that is suitable for the office. 

WHERE TO BUY:

I have bought these from ModCloth, the LimeCrime website and the Crush Cosmetics websites before. There are plenty of other sites where you can get these, but just make sure you are getting the legit thing as there are counterfeit versions out there.

Overall, I absolutely adore these. I think these lipsticks are pretty good quality and the range of colours is unbelievable (seriously, if you want a  green lipstick they have it). These lipsticks are pretty long-lasting for how creamy they are and they are not drying like most lipsticks, which is perfect if you have dry lips. I would definitely recommend these to a friend.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

P.S. Please note that I am also having issues with Google friend connect. I have been meaning to follow a few of you guys, but everytime i try to sign on there is an error. Will keep trying...

Beauty Review: Lime Crime Lip Velveteens

Hi Guys,

I have been meaning to do this beauty review for a while now, so here it is. 

I heard about the lovely Lime Crime Lipsticks which I tried and loved through one of my favourite blogs. After reviewing the lipsticks, I decided to go back to the site for a look at what else they had that might interest me and I purchased one of these. I purchased another at a later date from Crush Cosmetics Website (but I only chose this store because they had a 20% off sale). I was hoping for two nice reds that would be long-lasting and matte.

The colour I am wearing in the above picture is the SUEDEBERRY shade and the colour I am wearing in the picture below is called RED VELVET. The Lip Velveteens are a liquid lipstick. You apply it like a gloss and it dries into a matte finish. It looks a little bit like face paint, but it doesn't crack as much.

THE PACKAGING:

Like other Lime Crime products, the Lip Velveteens have some seriously cute packaging. The lid has a unicorn on top (as shown above) and the other end has the name of the shade written on it. 'Lime Crime' and 'Velveteens' is written on the sides of the lid which has a pretty design also. It came in a pretty box which can be unfolded to reveal instructions for make-up removal. I see that they have since changed the packaging on the lids to rosettes (still cute).

THE COLOUR:

These colours are pretty accurate with the pictures on the Lime Crime Website. My pictures don't really do the colours justice. The SUEDEBERRY colour is definitely more vivid in real life. SUEDEBERRY is a peachy-red or tangerine-red and RED VELVET is a darker deep red. If I were to compare these to the Lime Crime Lipsticks I would say that RED VELVET lies somewhere between Glamour101 and Retrofuturist, while SUEDEBERRY is lighter than Retrofuturist (more pink) and has a bit more orange in it. 

APPEARANCE:

This liquid lipstick is accurately named as it looks velvety and matte.

APPLICATION:

If you don't have a steady hand, this product is not something I would recommend to you. It's the sort of product that stains a bit so if you mess-up it's going to be a pain to remove in a hurry. The applicator is a standard lip gloss wand as shown in the picture below. It only needs to be applied  in one or two coats for a vibrant colour.

STAYING POWER:

The lip colour does stay on for a long time, except for when drinking or eating. This lipstick (like most) cannot withstand greasy foods and will need to be reapplied after eating. It only really comes off on the top part of the bottom lip. The only problem with reapplying is that it gets a bit difficult to reapply it after a while, because the product just won't stay after you've applied it that many times. I don't know why this is, but this is late in the afternoon after wearing the product all day and I know most people would probably choose this sort of product for a night-time event where you probably wouldn't need to reapply more than twice anyway.

MOISTURE:

This product is actually quite drying. I wouldn't use it on cracked lips and I would suggest using a nourishing lip balm after removing the product. 

REMOVAL:

While a bit of colour on the bottom lip will come off after eating something greasy, the rest of the Lip Velveteens will stay on and might stain your lips a little bit. You will need to use some cooking oil or make-up remover to remove the rest of the colour.

Overall, I really like this product. I think it gives a very classic look and I really like the colours. A pink velveteen has been released on the website, but I was hoping that they will keep on releasing new colours. I haven't purchased the pink yet, because I have something similar by another brand and I didn't want to duplicate. I would recommend this product to someone who wants a classy vibrant matte lip colour to wear on a night out.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Lipstick Review: Cosmopop and Glamour101 (Lime Crime)

^This is my first ever purchase, use and review of a Lime Crime product. I couldn't decide between the two colours 'Glamour101' and 'Cosmopop' so I decided to get both of them. I have heard great things about Lime Crime and I think I'm in love! The packaging is pretty sweet too!

I tried Glamour 101 first. I wore it to work on Thursday over a thin layer of Nivea lip balm. I've decided in this review to break my thoughts up into the categories that most lipsticks are judged on: colour, appearance, moisture, staying power, an overall summary and a wearing suggestion or two. Glamour101 made me feel like snow white and was the sort of colour that would be appropriate for any setting.

COLOUR:

The colour is not as red as it looks, just like everyone says (though it can show up a bit red in pictures (taken with a flash) so I can see why people would think it is red. It's actually got a bit of brown in it and the colour starts out as a bit of a middle tone and gets darker with another one or two layers (becomes more of a dark red).

APPEARANCE:

The lipstick is a bit glossy upon application but after an hour or so dries to more of a matte finish. It is not a very thick lipstick (even if it is applied in three coats!), however, it's not see-through either. 

MOISTURE:

This lipstick is very dewy and moisturising when first applied, but does eventually become drier, so I do recommend wearing a lip balm underneath. 

STAYING POWER:

Glamour 101 stayed on all day. Through morning tea, lunch and even a hot chocolate (though some of that did wear off slightly). I did reapply at lunch though because like another reviewer said; it feels weird not having to reapply at lunch time. It didn't last through a cold chocolate drink though and it certainly didn't make it through dinner. I'm impressed with it, because most lipsticks won't last through a fully fledged meal (especially if it is a bit on the greasy side or has sauce) and this one did last most of the day. It's almost like a stain in some ways. For intense colour, high-shine and lots of moisture I would reapply more often though. 

OVERALL:

I love it. It isn't an invincible lipstick and it may need re-applying, but it does last well and the colour is perfect for me. I would love to get more cosmetics from this brand in the future. 

LOOKS:

I think this lipstick looks fine on it's own with lots of face powder like Courtney Love in the 90s or like Snow-White. I also think it looks sweet with a faint hint of blusher and a shimmery sweep of bronze eye shadow.

I've taken some pics below of what Glamour 101 looks like on.

And, below are some pics of me wearing 'Cosmopop'. The colour didn't show up as bright in the pictures as it looked in real life. I really like this colour, I think it's a bit 60s looking and I adore it. The colour is a light orange that really made my lips 'pop' I'm not sure how the colour would go with darker skin tones. I blotted this because it looks thick and shiny where as 'Glamour101' is not a thick lipstick.

Here are a few pictures of me wearing the lipstick:

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie