Colourpop
Colourpop Review and Swatches | Kathleenlights Quad, Blush, Lippie Stix
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Pretty sure everyone knows about the brand Colourpop now, since it has been making its rounds with many of the US and Australian youtubers. In a nutshell, they're a new up and coming brand that sells good quality makeup on the cheap with a vast array of color options and finishes.
One of the youtubers I watch, Kathleenlights, has recently collaborated with them to come out with an eyeshadow quad, which, after seeing the colors, I decided I had to have. I also added a blush and Lippie Stix (their pencil lipsticks) because why not, right? I'm still pretty miffed that I couldn't get more shades and variety because I had to ship it to my friend in Australia, then have her ship it to me and it was such a hassle. ):
Lippie Stix - Frenchie (neutral bright red with pink undertones, matte finish)
Super Shock Shadow - Kathleenlights (bright, golden copper, pearlized finish)
Super Shock Shadow - Glow (creamy vanilla with slight pink undertones, matte finish)
Super Shock Shadow - Blaze (dark burnt bronze with yellow-gold glitter flecks, metallic finish)
Super Shock Shadow - Cornelious (warm caramel with slight orange undertones, matte finish)
Super Shock Cheek - Cheerio (medium berry, satin finish)
In my opinion, what makes Colourpop stand out is the formulation of
their products, namely the eyshadows and blushes. They aren't exactly
your typical powders, and are instead of a bouncy, fluffy texture. The
closest comparison I can think of are the Clinique Cheek Pops or the
Maybelline Bouncy cheek blushes, except that Colourpop is softer and
more mousse-y.
There isn't any fallout and they have
great pigmentation, lasting the entire day on my oily, hooded eyelids
without a primer. This would sound fantastic, right? However, the catch
(there always is) is that you can only apply them with your fingers to
get that high pigmentation and color. Brushes don't pick up the product
well so the only use for a brush would be to blend harsh edges out.
May
not seem like a big thing but for poor me with Asian eyes, without a
prominent socket, brushes are our best friend. Caucasian eyes would do
well with these as you have a larger movable eyelid space. You could
wear these colors in a mere 30 seconds by just tapping them on with your
fingertips to your eyelid and you're good to go!
Left to right: Glow, Cornelious, Kathleenlights, Blaze, Cheerio, Frenchie
All these apply like a dream, with Kathleenlights and Blaze being harder and less mousse-y than Glow and Cornelious. I'm attributing this to the finish but it doesn't affect the application at all!
Glow is a little too light for my liking, almost coming off a stark white on my skintone, so medium and dark skintones should probably watch out for that! Cornelious comes off quite orange on my eyes, slightly more so than the swatch on my hand. It is pretty similar to Caramel from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette [read my review here]. These two shades are pretty standard and common so that's something to consider if you're thinking about buying this quad.
Blaze and Kathleenlights, however, are really different and unique, and are also the reason I bought this quad. I just can't leave the poor babies in the store like that, since it's summer all year round in Singapore! *grins sheepishly*
As for the blush, Cheerio, boy is this color gorgeous! This gives me that 'just been out in the cold and the wind was stinging my cheeks' look. And I know I say this about almost all my berry blushes but THIS blush is different, I swear. With nothing on the eyes except a good lashing of mascara and a tinted lip balm, this blush is perfection.
Frenchie is the first (but not the last, I assure you) Lippie Stix I've tried from them and can we just talk about the color for a moment? When I saw this on the website, it was love at first sight. It is a bright pinky red and of a matte finish, this applies with full-on in-your-face color with the first swipe. I didn't even need a lip pencil because it's so skinny! This can be a little bit drying, and I'd compare this to MAC's regular matte finish.
That's pretty much it. Even though these few products are my first purchase from Colourpop, it has left me hungry to try more! Next on my list are definitely the highlighters and bronzers!
Indoor lighting
In sunlight
Have you tried Colourpop? What are your favorites? I'd love to try some of them!
First off, something you should all know about me. Green tea is my favorite - and the best, in my opinion - scent in the history of scents. It's just so refreshing, rejuvenating and revitalizing. Fresh, flowery but not perfume-y. Wow I sound like I'm advertizing for a spa but honestly! Almost half of my skincare routine consists of green tea products.
Naturally, when I caught wind of the new green tea range from The Body Shop, I immediately knew I had to have it. Smelling it in the shop sealed the deal for me and I came out a very happy girl. I got the body wash and body butter, which is a product I use every night. I slap it on like nobody's business so I guess the purchase was justifiable, right?
Let me start with the body wash. It comes in a longer bottle than their permanent range of body gels, with a press-cap (??) nozzle, which I really prefer over the flip cap ones. Definitely more sophisticated looking. It contains 250ml of product, same as the others, but costs £2 (about SGD 4.30) more. Their washes are of a gel consistency and don't lather as much as I'd like them to.
I'm going to be completely honest and state that their body washes don't do anything for my skin. And by that I don't mean they dry my skin out or have any adverse effects. They just... don't do anything. I don't feel particularly clean or extra-moisturized. However, I usually use them with my Body Shop Bath Lily in Argon Blue so I always feel properly scrubbed and clean, no matter which body wash I use.
If you're someone who likes that squeaky clean feeling and doesn't use some sort of sponge, you might wanna give their body washes a miss. The pros about it is that the (amazing) scent stays on for quite some time and it provides great aroma therapy. The sleek bottle with the press-cap is pretty nifty as well! Fits nicely in a travel bag as it's neither bulky nor heavy.
Their body butters are a savior for the dry skin on my legs. My legs get itchy every time I get out of the shower or after I shave, but everything's fine and dandy after I slather this baby on. I also wear sheer stockings a lot for work and this prevents any discomfort from the stockings constantly rubbing against my skin!
The one thing I dislike about this is the tub and the amount of product I get. It's not too little per se, but 200ml is just not enough. Maybe it's because I use these every day but I always see the bottom peeking through every 2 months. I do wish they came in those monster bottles with an equally big pump (think Vaseline or Cetaphil)! BODY SHOP, DO YOU HEAR MY CRIES?
The body butters are not for someone with severely dry or sensitive skin, though, because it is heavily scented and also not formulated specifically for healing conditions such as eczema. It is just a nice treat, especially after a long day. After a long and trying day, have a good warm shower with their body wash, smooth this on and you'll find yourself so much more relaxed and calm!
Ultimately, I think The Body Shop products are nothing too spectacular to write home about, but their scents are so out of this world it's difficult not to be tempted to grab every single product from every line! The green tea range is definitely my favorite out of all the other scents I've tried (which is almost all of their permanent range) and MOST DEFINITELY worth a sniff next time you pass by The Body Shop! (;
A big hellooooooooo to everybody! I'm back after a what, year-long (well almost) hiatus! So many things happened since then, I don't even know where to begin! Let me start off by saying how good it feels to be blogging again.
I had to take a break because I was starting my internship and since I am studying hotel management, of course my internship would be at a hotel and I'm pretty sure everybody knows hotel staff have CRAZY schedules. Shifts change every week and I'm working 9.5 hours a day. That coupled with a total of 2 hours of commute and having to balance my social life and family, I barely have time to sleep! My internship hasn't ended yet, but I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (14 August)!
So much has happened since I started, namely the passing of my very beloved dog, Echo. She's been sick for a year and a half or so, and there was a time where she almost died, but managed to pull through and seemed fine. But because she suffers from chronic liver disease, she had a relapse last month and the vet found her all her organs slowly failing, one by one. We all knew it was only a matter of time when it would reach her heart, and when it did, the hospital did their best to resuscitate her but to no avail. ): What they say is true - the worst part about losing someone is not the fact that they're gone, but the memories. I remember when she'd come to me to snuggle, or fall asleep on my lap. I lost one of my very best friends. BUT her ashes are now cremated in our garden in a lovely shady spot.
Next, internship. There were so many ups and downs, so many bad experiences and good and I met so many different kinds of people. Considering that the hotel I'm posted to is a five-star luxury business hotel, generally we'd get business men and women a lot more than leisure travelers. Business guests are very rush-y touch-and-go people who don't like to faff or wait around and can be very difficult to deal with. I have encountered foreigners as well who are just... difficult people. There was a group of them who even yelled at me in the hotel lobby, but that is a story for another time. (;
Beauty-wise, I have since discovered so many new products and brands and I have so many things to share. I can't wait! Because my job requires me to wear makeup (and a lot of it) but still stick within a specific look (eyeliner, very rosy cheeks, red lipstick), it presented a challenge to me to experiment with looks that vary in different aspects but still keep within the same theme. Of course there were times when I woke up and really dreaded doing my makeup because I was so tired and honestly couldn't give two hoots about how I looked, but I had to and I did, but it has never made me lose interest in makeup and beauty.
There were definitely some (very) rough patches that I've pulled through these few months with the help of a few uplifting songs and I thought I'd share them with you all!
1. Roads - Chris Mann
This is by far one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. It will make you cry, but will also fill you with strength and hope; that one day, soon or in time to come, everything will be okay.
2. Whistle (While You Work It) - Katy Tiz
This one is definitely more upbeat and 'happy' sounding that the first. So much sass and attitude she exudes! The message of this song is great as well. 'Got haters or people who just want to watch you burn? It's okay, just take it all in stride because you're strong, independent and most important of all, mature. '
3. After The Storm Blows Through - Maddie & Tae
The importance of having a strong, deep and healthy friendship and having someone to just be there for you is conveyed beautifully through this country ballad. I love this song because it's applicable not only to friends, but family as well, and their gorgeous harmony is the cherry on top.
4. The Sun Is Rising - Britt Nicole
I first heard this song on the film The Other Woman and the scene it was played in was so beautiful! I think the most important message I took from this song is that no matter what you're facing, 'even if you can't imagine how you're ever going to find your way out,' 'the night can only last for so long.'
I hope you give these a listen and that they brightened your day just a bit. See you in my next blog post! (;
