This brand, with the exceptions of MAC and Anastasia Beverley Hills, is the one I come across most on Instagram. I’ve been intrigued by it for months and obviously, dying to try. They’re US only and don’t ship so I had to wait for my lovely friend Gemma to head to California and order some up for me before I could do a review. I totally see what the fuss is about. Above is Super Shock Cheek in Birthday Suit, a light peachy pink. The formula is that bouncy, almost moussy texture – I really thought it was going to be a powder, but no – it’s a bit of both powder and creme. It reminds me of the Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura blush that I was really fond of but has exactly the same down-side – what you see is not totally what you get. That will become apparent.
It’s the Super Shock Shadows (above in Millionaire) that really create a buzz though. They’re off the scale shimmery with a lighter than air texture that feels almost cool or damp when you apply it to your skin.
One of the most consistent complaints I’ve seen is that the shadows break up easily. Admittedly, mine had to come all the way from the US to the UK in Gemma’s luggage, but I think this is a known problem. You can also see from this breakage that in context with the packaging, you get a tiny, tiny amount of shadow. You don’t need a lot – these are pigment-mad – but nonetheless, this is a prime slack fill example where your eyes are fooled into believing you are getting more than you actually are. Deep pot, shallow product. The shade above is So Quiche. These colours are so multi-dimensional and reflective that I don’t quite have the words!
The golden shade looks as though I have foil stuck to my arm, but put a light over Millionaire and you get multiple light catchy elements.
Color Pop CosmeticsI also got hold of a couple of the LippyStix – the paler shade is Crunch and the red is Peacocky. These are okay – not nearly as special as the eye shades and horribly vanilla-ish in taste and smell. They’re both in a sheer formula but they’re too matte for me.
Everyone has eyes on this brand and it’s just one more reason that I predict that luxury beauty brands have reason to be jumpy. When budget brands are this good (both eyes and lips shown here are $5 each – yes, really) and the current generation of beauty consumers have such an immense choice and selection at affordable prices, £30 lipsticks look less and less appealing.
Literally, beg, beg and beg anyone you know heading to the US to snap some of these up from the online site, which is HERE.
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