Hello everyone!

The rise of social media has prompted trends to move faster than ever, pushing brands to be more adaptive and innovative with the styles, options and products they offer to consumers. But unfortunately, this also means that we have to constantly update our stash of makeup in order to keep up with the speed of change, and doing so can certainly take a toll on our wallets. In this regard, drugstore brands are our saviours – but, admit it, they may not always yield the most satisfactory results.

Hence, to fill the void of affordable yet reliable (and cruelty-free!) cosmetics on the market, Seed Beauty – the same mastermind behind Kylie Cosmetics – developed ColourPop which has been positioning itself as the Forever21 of makeup to enable anyone to follow the latest beauty craze and indulge in quality beauty products without breaking the bank. But as a full-fledge cosmetics company, I’ve always found it strange that ColourPop didn’t have its own line of traditional bullet lipsticks (if you don’t consider the skinny Blotted Lip products as one) – a staple in most makeup bags – until recently when it finally decided to launch the Lux Lipstick range!

With over 40 shades to choose from in Crème (creamy-matte) and Matte (velvety-matte) finishes, ColourPop instantly puts established brands that offer far fewer variety to shame. Designed to appeal to our obsession with all things cute, these lipsticks are encased in a star-printed rose gold plastic cylindrical tube (which feels hollow and cheap but I guess that is a trade-off most of us would be willing to accept for affordability) with starry details debossed on the bullet as well.

On top of that, they are also enriched with a wholesome medley of antioxidant-rich extracts such as açaí, jojoba and pomegranate seed butters in the Crème formula, and pomegranate, goji fruit and green seed in the Matte to protect the lips against environmental stressors and premature aging. What’s more, at only US$7 each, you will hardly feel the pinch even if you fill your cart with every shade of the lipstick. So, who says you can’t get A-grade yet non-toxic makeup on a budget?

Note: All swatches (with the exception of comparison swatches) were done with at least 3 passes for opacity check.

Maxed Out

Maxed Out is described as a vibrant fuchsia with a matte finish. Contrary to the dry and gritty texture of the bullet (which, I admit, kinda made me suspicious of the result at first), this cool-toned darkened pink actually provides a smooth and even coverage across the lips without stripping away the natural moisture. It has a minimal sheen to it (almost appearing flat), and one swipe is all it takes to give an opaque payoff that doesn’t emphasise the lip lines. This lipstick (as well as the other Mattes I’ve gotten from this line) does smell slightly plasticky when I take a whiff directly from the bullet, but thankfully it dissipates as soon as I apply it to my lips.

Getty

Getty is described as a deepened teal, and it is the only one in this review with Crème finish because I hadn’t planned on getting anything from that category until I spotted this unusual shade as I was looking to add another shade to my cart to satisfy the minimum order requirement for free international shipping. Scanning through the swatches on the ColourPop website, I had my reservations about how it wears, but this turns out to be one of my best buys from the brand.

Apart from being absolutely stunning with a faint chocolatey scent, the slip of this bluish-teal is fantastic. Gliding on like a dream, it delivers a full, even coverage with a lustrous appearance which reflects light, making imperfections less visible while moisturising the lips. If the sheeny wet look isn’t your cup of tea, it can be blotted off without taking too much intensity away from the colour or cause it to look blotchy. It does, however, settle deep into the lip lines and leave a subtle blue stain upon removal, so I would advise against using this anywhere else besides the lips. In terms of longevity, this definitely doesn’t last as long as the Mattes.

And no, your eyes didn’t play tricks on you – this lipstick really is longer than the Mattes by about 0.3 cm even though they have the same net weight.

Trill Seeker

Trill Seeker is described as a true periwinkle with a matte finish. This mid-tone lavender blue has a powdery smooth texture which goes on pigmented and evenly on the lips without any causing any patchiness or drawing attention to the lip lines. The payoff is slightly sheer on the first swipe, but it is buildable to full opacity upon the third. It contains the right amount of wax and oil to create such flat yet non-drying effect. However, the colour tends to skip on smaller surface so it was a bit challenging for me to line my cupid’s bow and inner corners.

Confetti Cake

Confetti Cake is described as a vibrant teal with a matte finish. Like Trill Seeker, this cool turquoise isn’t for the faint-hearted but if you’re feeling a little ballsy, this will turn out so gorgeously on the lips, especially when blended into Getty! Non-drying with just a hint of sheen, it evenly deposits a soft and smooth layer of product on the lips without emphasising the lines. This shade also effortlessly gives a highly pigmented and opaque coverage which makes achieving clean, crisp lines around the lips a cinch.

Mind Trick

Mind Trick is described as a brick red with a matte finish. A superb alternative to boring reds, this warm orangey brown lays down a load of pigment in just one swipe, providing a smooth and even consistency that remains hydrating over time. Creamy and velvety in texture, this shade has an opaque coverage which, even though feels like a lot of product, sits comfortably on my lips without gravitating towards the lines.

Money Moves

ColourPop takes a leaf out of Cardi B’s book to produce Money Moves, a medium reddish-brown described as a muted terracotta with a matte finish. In case you’re not in tuned with pop music, this lipstick is named after the lyrics of her (no offence) awfully-sounding chart-topping single “Bodak Yellow”. But as much as I hated that song, Money Moves is another shade I have to sing praises for because of how smoothly it applies across the lip to give a rich and opaque colour payoff. Lightweight and long-wearing, this shade has a creamy and velvety texture like the rest of the lipsticks mentioned in this post, and works fabulously well on all skin tones.

Wow.. just wow. I don’t know how ColourPop does it but the formula for the Lux Lipstick line is beyond ah-ma-zing for the price. I have no particular favourite from this haul because practically every one of them (especially the more unconventional shades since I’ve had terrible experiences with similar ones by other brands in the past) has exceeded my expectations. The Mattes took me by surprise their non-drying yet insanely pigmented finish, and the colours on the lip are true to the colours in the tube. And at only US$7 each for all the R&D involved in formulating these gems? I’m starting to wonder if ColourPop is deliberately making a loss to save us from the overpriced makeup out there!

What are your thoughts about the Lux Lipsticks? Let me know your views in the comments below or take a quick poll!

Thanks for reading!

ColourPop Lux Lipsticks are now available on ColourPop.com.

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