Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick Lip Swatches and Review

I Purchased This Gift

When it comes to this brand, Performance Colors, I'm honestly a little surprised that they aren't more popular or talked about on blogs considering how many sales they have on Etsy. I actually didn't get introduced to the brand until Ivy of Rock, Roll, Glam! posted about them. Compared to other brands, they're rather nondescript though maybe they don't need flash; after all the brand is inexpensive and there's a great variety in the products and colors available.

I purchased samples of their undereye concealer, a full size cream eyeshadow, and samples of their semi matte lipsticks (which I'll be reviewing today). I received extra samples from each of the rest of their product lines and will eventually be reviewing the once I really like. and today I'm swatching seven out of the eleven colors available in the Semi Matte Lip Color formula. 

Performance Colors Semi Matte Lip Colors


Where to purchase: Performance Colors
Price: Samples aren't available individually but come in a set of three (each having 1 gram of product) for $3.00. Full sizes are $5.00 for one with 5mL or you can take part in their lipstick special of three lipsticks for $10.00.
Do they test on animals? I do believe they do not test on animals. 
Packaging: The sample comes a small clamshell and the full size comes in a chapstick-style twist up tube. The clamshells were a bit fiddly to get open.
My Thoughts on the Formula

These are not vegan as the formula contains beeswax.  When you first apply the lipsticks, they have a somewhat shiny finish that dries down into a satin/semi-matte finish after about twenty minutes. These are firm yet creamy with immediate and heavy coverage right off the bat while still being comfortable on the lips. They aren't sticky or heavy and I didn't find them to be drying. There is a hint of vanilla in the formula, though I do think there is a slight generic lipstick scent. 

I'm not too fond of the chapstick-style packaging though it didn't give me too much trouble with application (I still preferred applying with my fingers or a lip brush). I do think that combined with the softness of the formula, you can get a little heavy handed with the lipstick on the lips. You'll have a better wear time and look to the lipstick by smoothing the lipstick down with your fingers or a brush afterwards to better meld it to the lips. For better precision, you can definitely use a lip brush. Wear time with the lipsticks was surprisingly good and relatively resilient through eating and drinking. I got about four hours of wear (even though an oreos and milk session).


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lip Colors

Swatches

The lipsticks were applied using my fingers. All swatches were photographed in natural daylight with no flash.

Buff

Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Buff

Buff: "Highly pigmented opaque flesh color" Against my skin tone, I think it is too light for me but lighter skin tones might find it more flattering! You do have to be careful to get this to look opaque because it is slightly milky.

Desert Rose


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Desert Rose

Desert Rose: "Highly pigmented opaque light neutral coral brown" This will stain your lips though it's a bright pink stain and not a neutral color like the lip product. I think I like this color so much because it reminds me of MAC Strawberry Blonde. I don't think it's close and of course I lost my depot of it so I'm out of luck for comparison's sake. Oh well, it's still a pretty coral brown. I think this is my third favorite color of the bunch.

Hibiscus


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Hibiscus

Hibiscus: "Highly pigmented opaque full force bright happy warm red" This is a bold and bright strawberry/raspberry bright something color. I thought this looked similar to Milani Flamingo Pose but this is brighter and less milky. I don't really like the fruity scent in Flamingo Pose so I like Hibiscus instead.

Pink Choco


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Pink Choco

Pink Choco: "Highly pigmented opaque neutral brown pink" This also stained my lips afterwards. I wasn't a fan of this color but I can't really put my finger on why, I think it may just be a little too milky for me.

Posh


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Posh

Posh: "Highly pigmented opaque toned down coral color" This is more of a brighter orange-y coral type.

I thought that Desert Rose and Posh were really similar so here's a side by side so you can compare the colors. Posh is every so slightly darker while Desert Rose is a bit more pink. It's not necessary to own both in my opinion so pick whichever one you like better!


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick Desert Rose vs Posh

Valentine


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Valentine

Valentine: "Highly pigmented opaque full force deep dark and mysterious classic valentine blood red rose" I think this was my second favorite color. It's a beautifully berry red with a slight hint of transluence. It's not terribly unique but still, I do love berry reds.

Vertigo


Performance Colors Semi Matte Lipstick in Vertigo

Vertigo: "Highly pigmented opaque dark violet brown color" I saved the best for last. The first time I wore it I got an immediate compliment so it's for sure worth getting as a sample. I have such a weakness for wine colored rose creams. I think wine tinged colors are such an easy way to wear purples without being in your face about it.


Final Thoughts

I always like trying new indie brands, especially ones that offer lip products. These are definitely very wearable colors and I'm so enthused about Vertigo, the surprise wine lipstick that I've been searching for. Compared to other lipsticks, these are softer but there's incredible payoff and a great variety of colors. I feel like most indie lipsticks have a somewhat shinier finish so the semi-matte finish is a little different. For only $5.00 each, they are worth a look  and if not, the three pack of lipstick samples is only $3.00! 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Are you thinking about scoping out Performance Colors on Etsy?

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I've finished my finals and I've officially graduated from university! I'm so thankful to be done and I've got the summer off before I start grad school in the fall (only 2 1/2-3 years until I get my Masters degree >> ) I'll be attending Generation Beauty next week (a new beauty event held by Ipsy) so if anyone is going then, do tell me! If you're still in school, I hope for the best when it comes to finals week!

Disclaimer: I purchased three samples (Buff, Hibiscus, and Vertigo) and received the other four samples for free. I wasn't compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own.

Kiss My Sass Cosmetics Matte Eye Primer Review

I Purchased This Affiliate Links

(Finals are this week so I'll be radio silent until after next Thursday then I'm graduating on the Wednesday after that! Good luck to everyone who has finals too!)

Can I admit that I'm an eye primer addict? Even when I've found a good one to use, I'm always interested in finding another one. I recently tried to do some sort of primer compilation with nine (excessive I know) and got way too overwhelmed. That never prevents me from getting another. With my recent Kiss My Sass order, I got the Ivory and White Matte Eye Primer. Not many indies make an eyeshadow primer so I was curious to see how it compared to my current favorite, Darling Girl Cosmetics' Primped and Primed Eyelid Primer.

Kiss My Sass Matte Eye Primer

Where to purchase: Kiss My Sass*(affiliate link) 
Price: The sample is $2.50 for 0.5 grams/.01 oz, the mini is $5.00 for 5 grams/.17oz, and $9.00 for 10 grams/0.35 oz. 
Do they test on animals? They do not test on animals. 
Packaging: The sample and mini come in a 5 gram jar and the full size comes in 10 gram jar.
My Thoughts on the Formula

The primer has a different texture than most creamy primers available, this has a dense yet soft and slightly smushy airwhipped mousse-y texture (a lot of adjectives for one primer!). It   You should check out Ivy's review of the primers as she does a really good job showing what the primer's texture looks like, it was difficult for me to capture. Compared to other eyeshadow primers I have, it doesn't grip the sparkles in loose eyeshadows quite as well because the primer dries to a very smooth finish so the sparkles don't have anything to really stick to. 

I actually really liked this for matte eyeshadows and pressed eyeshadows. Shimmery loose eyeshadows do good with this but sparkly eyeshadows, not so much. This does do a good job at intensifying colors. If you like to use a glitter fixative like Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy or Darling Girl's Glitter Glue along with your eyeshadow primer then this is definitely a primer that would combo well. 

Here's Fyrinnae's It Beautifies! dry on the left and over Kiss My Sass Matte Eye Primer in White on the right. You can see that the color is more intense over the primer.


Kiss My Sass Matte Eye Primer Comparison


Between Ivory and White, you really can't tell a difference when the eyeshadow is on top. Both apply relatively translucently so you don't need to worry about them not working with your skintone. I haven't tried Light, Medium, or Dark so I can't attest to how translucently those apply.

Wear Time:

For posterity's sake, I did do a wear test on both primers just in case there was any difference and there's not. Wear time with the primers is excellent, I got about 11 hours of wear with only the beginnings of creasing (I tested it using an MUA Pressed Eyeshadow and and Urban Decay Eyeshadow with no difference). Again if you want to wear a sparkly eyeshadow with this, use a glitter fixative.

Here's how the Ivory Matte Eye Primer performed

Kiss My Sass Ivory Matte Eye Primer

and here's how the White Matte Eye Primer performed.

Kiss My Sass White copy

Final Thoughts

If you're into wearing pressed eyeshadows and you're in search of an indie primer, you'll really like this. I wish it did a better job gripping sparkly eyeshadows but it redeems itself by having an amazing wear time. If you use a glitter fixative, this primer is worth picking up to combo for your loose eyeshadows. 

The amount you get for the price you pay is about half relative to mainstream primers. I did want to say that considering how much you get in the mini 5 gram jar, I'd honestly spring for that over the sample because for twice the price of the sample, you get a ton more in the mini.


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I'm curious, what brand of eyeshadow primer do you use? Too Faced and Urban Decay are the heavy hitters but I would love to hear about other ones you've liked (to build up my shopping list for the next set of primers I buy >>)


Disclaimer: I purchased the primers myself. All opinions are my own. The link marked with an asterisk is an affiliate link that gives me a commission based off your use of the link when you make a purchase. Feel free to use a non affiliate link, the affiliate links just help support me and the blog when you do so!

Sugarpill Cosmetics Not A Holiday 20% Off Sale!

Affiliate Link

Sugarpill* (affiliate link) tends to be a brand that's a creature of habit, they usually only hold a sale in February for their birthday and in November for Black Friday. For one day only (until May 8th 12am PST), they're deviating from their habit to hold a "Not A Holiday Sale" for 20% off their pressed and loose eyeshadows (excluding the palettes and trios!)

sugarpill not a holiday sale

My favorite picks from the brand are Goldilux (loose), Flamepoint (pressed), and Love+ (pressed).

Are you thinking about picking something up from the sale?

Disclaimer: The picture and the link marked with an asterisk contain an affiliate link that gives me a commission based off your use of the link when you make a purchase.

Silk Naturals Chromatic Cream Eye Color in Gotham: Swatch, Review, and Photos

I Purchased This

It seems like every purchase I make lately has been fueled by a fellow blogger and this is no different. Silk Naturals's new Spring 2013 Collection came out with a new product called the Chromatic Cream Eye Color, basically their take on a cream eyeshadow. Not many indie companies make a cream eyeshadow so I was super intrigued. I purchased Gotham after hearing raves about the formula from Phyrra. I'll show my swatch of it first then my thoughts on the formula, followed by a photo of my wear time test.

Silk Naturals Gotham Chromatic Cream Eye Color

Where to purchase: Silk Naturals
Price: $4.99 for 4.5 mL.
Do they test on animals? They do not test on animals. 
Packaging: The chromatic cream eye colors are packaged in a lipgloss-style tube with a doefoot applicator. The bottom of the tube is clear so you can store them upside down to see which color is which.
Product description: Chromatic Cream Eye Colors are "luminous, well pigmented, and smudge-proof but not waterproof. No parabens, silicones, oils, or petroleum products. If you have really oily lids, you may still need a separate primer." From what I can tell, all the colors in the line are vegan and gluten-free.

Swatch

Swatch taken in natural daylight with no flash. The swatch on the left is one layer of the color then blended and the swatch on the right is two layers (I did one layer, blended out then did another layer on top). The one layer swatch is a little overblended, it's actually a little more pigmented than it appears in the swatch. I do think it looks best with two layers as the color is more true to tube. (and Silk Naturals does suggest two thin coats for maximum intensity)

Gotham is described as a deep, dirty grey with a hint of brown and the description is spot on. I think with one layer, it looks more brown than grey but with a second layer, it's definitely much more grey. This is a color that will work on everyone in my opinion.


Silk Naturals Gotham Chromatic Cream Eye Color

My Thoughts on the Formula: 

I almost hesitate to call this a cream eye color, its much more reminiscent of a liquid eyeshadow. My first thought was "oh this is kinda liquidy, is it gonna be sheer and take forever to dry on me?" but it's actually quite the opposite. Despite the liquid texture, you have to work quickly to blend the color before it dries down. The time it took for me to apply and to blend it out with your fingers before it dried was about 25 seconds. Although it comes with a doefoot applicator, I think fingers are best for blending the color out; I found it wasn't as even looking when I used the applicator to apply it.

Once it has dried, it's locked down and doesn't have a heavy, tacky, or sticky feeling on your eyelids. Gotham blends out beautifully and there's no "hard edge" between the eye color and your skin. This is one of those products that looks like you put more effort into it than you really did (which I'm always a fan of).

The best and worst thing is that it removes easily with water. No joke, you don't need a fancy makeup remover for this, water on a cotton pad is enough. That being said, it's not the best for someone who gets watery or teary eyes from allergies and the like. I would agree that it's smudgeproof but if you smudge the inner corner and your finger gets a little wet from your eyes, you will remove the color.

The biggest deterrent? Simply put, its shelf life of six months once opened. I don't think it's a big deal for the neutral colors like Gotham or the highlights which are so wearable that you'll reach for it often. However for the bolder colors that you might not wear every day, it might potentially be a problem. 

Wear Time Test

The surprising part for me was seeing how well it lasted on my lids despite the fact that it removes so easily with water. The two qualities almost seem mutually exclusive. After seven hours on my double whammy hooded and oily eyelids with no primer, Gotham had only begun to crease. I think you could go six hours without any creasing at all.


Silk Naturals Chromatic Cream Eye Color Wear Time copy

Final Thoughts

I'll easily recommend Gotham, after all it's only $4.99 and you'll be hardpressed to find another indie liquid/cream eyeshadow that's so easy to apply, lasts well, yet removes so easily. I'm a little less hesitant to recommend some of the brighter colors only because I'm not entirely sure how often you as a consumer will use them before the shelf life is up.

If I could make a suggestion, it'd be great to have a manufacture date on the tubes. I think most consumers would use and open the tube right when they purchase and for the forgetful types (like me), it'd be an easier way to keep track of when six months is up. If not, maybe an option for consumers to write in a "opened on" date. Oh and I'm personally not fond of the sticker on the packaging. I've had my tube for less than a week and the sticker is already starting to lift off the tube.

I'm so sold on this, I just love the idea of a product that lasts so well yet isn't a pain to remove. Are you thinking about picking this (or any of the other eighteen shades) up?

Disclaimer: I purchased this product myself. All opinions are my own. None of the links in this post are affiliate links.