So, first things first. ColourPop is a super affordable mail-order only brand. How cool would a ColourPop store be? Can you just envision that? It’d be a party for the eyes I’m guessing! J Anyway, the range currently consists of Eye Shadows & Pressed Pigments, Lippie Stix (aka lipsticks), Lippie Pencils (all coordinating of course!), Ultra Matte Lips (aka liquid lipsticks), Blushes, Highlighters and Bronzers. Basically all the fun color products! They are constantly releasing seasonal sets, collabs with prominent beauty vloggers and bloggers, new shades, new finishes and, yes, new products. How they keep coming out with more and more and more is mind boggling…and wallet killing! J But then again, the products start at $5 each and nothing tops the $8 mark! Plus they offer free shipping over $30. Well executed ColourPop – just perfect to keep me hooked and always convince myself why not just add that extra item or two to get free shipping, right? J Great products, amazing on-trend shades and super affordable. That’s ColourPop!
Now for the part I dread – trying to describe the formula of the potted products. ColourPop’s Shadows, Pressed Pigments, Blushes, Highlighters and Bronzers are all packaged in little white pots with screw-top lids. They need to be sealed tightly so that the product doesn’t dry out. Bear in mind, they aren’t liquid nor are they really a cream or even a mousse. They have a strange solid play dough kind of consistency that doesn’t make any sense. They are definitely not powder, but they aren’t really wet or greasy or anything else. The best way I can describe them is a dry cream with an almost mousse-like consistency. You really need to feel one to understand it.
Though the potted products are really pigmented, I don’t find that brushes are the best way to apply them. I just find it difficult to pick up the product with the brush. You can do it, but I’m always overly delicate with my makeup so I find it tricky. Besides, you really get fantastic impact when using your fingers. That’s my preferred method of using them. If I’m feeling fancy or like I need more precision, I will apply with my fingers and blend with a brush. I do this the most with the cheek products…and I should add that I haven’t tried any of the bronzers.
As for the colors, they all look super intense in the pots. And they can in fact be applied that intensely if you want. The blushes and highlighters sheer out easily though so that neon orange you see in the pot is probably not what you’re going to see on your cheek – unless you actually make an effort to achieve such a look. The eye shadows and pressed pigments are pretty much intense right away, but depending on the finish they are not necessarily as deep as that blackened green sparkle in the pot. Speaking of sparkle, what intrigued me initially about ColourPop were a lot of the initial reviews that claimed they had no fall-out with the glittery shades. I had to find that out for myself, and it actually is pretty much true. You may get a random sparkle here or there, but if you’re applying a sparkly gem with your fingers, fall-out is pretty much non-existent. How in the world that is possible is beyond me, but so is the whole texture, pigment, blendable-ness of it all!
1 light swipe of the Super Shock Shadow in "La La"
Time to move along or this is going to take 20 years! Lip products. The Lippie Stix are ColourPop’s answer to lipstick. They have quite an array of finishes these days and a crap ton of shades. Everything from nudes to greens to purples to pinks to red to browns and, well, you get it. They have a lot to choose from! The finishes available are sheer, glossy, hyper-glossy, crème, satin and matte. All are incredibly comfortable though I think the glossy finishes that I have tried look terrible. The hyper-glossy looks fine, but the glossy shades I have make my lips look horrible for some reason. Maybe it’s the shades (they’re all on the lighter neutral side). All the Lippie Stix come in a skinny tube that is surprisingly easy to apply precisely. All of the finishes, including the matte shades, are comfortable and non-drying. They do have a vanilla scent that smells artificial to me – and it seems to vary in strength from batch to batch. Most, but not all, of the Lippie Stix have a coordinating Lippie Pencil, which is especially useful for the more unusual shades. I don’t often wear lip liners, so I don’t have a lot to say about the ColourPop versions, but they seem good. They’re creamy and glide nicely on the lips without fading quickly. All of these lip products are only $5 each, so if you love to try new shades and finishes, ColourPop is for you!!!! A lip junkie’s dream! J
Lippie Stix in Flawless, Peacocky, Trixie, Brunch & Contempo; Lippie Pencils in Fighter, Julep & Monkey
More recently ColourPop added their version of a liquid lipstick called Ultra Matte Lips. I’m not a big liquid lipstick person so I don’t have a huge basis for comparison, but they are much like most liquid lipsticks. They dry down and look a bit dry, feel a bit dry, but don’t budge until your eat or come in contact with some kind of oil. The light shade I have (called “Solow”) looks terrible when applied direct from the tube, so I found a trick to help with the crinkled, wrinkled lip problem that actually occurs with many liquid lipsticks. If you’re curious, check out that post here. Again, they have a huge range of colors and they are only gonna cost you $6 to try out. Definitely worth a go! J
Ultra Matte Lips in Solow, Avenue, Ouiji & Creeper
I think I’ve covered all of their current types of offerings. Well, a brief overview at least. I will probably try to do more in depth reviews of different products or my favorite shades or something of the sort at some point, just not today. Basically ColourPop is an amazing brand (check out their website). They make spectacular products that are unique in texture, superb in performance with spot-on shades at an affordable price. They are cruelty free, made in the USA, so many products are vegan that they only list what is not vegan in their FAQ section. It’s like crack for the makeup addicted! J And knowing the makeup junkies that can’t get enough, they are constantly releasing little capsule collections here and collabs there to keep you hooked and coming back for more. We know what you’re doing ColourPop…and we love it! J
