LIME CRIME - VELVETINES: CUPID, BEET IT, TEDDY BEAR & POLLY

You either love Lime Crime or you hate it. There seems to be no in-between these days. Sure, the brand is not without its controversies but let's take a moment to thank Lime Crime for giving us the original liquid lipstick and creating a huge sensation amongst the makeup world.

I am, obviously, a Lime Crime supporter. Have you seen their range of colours? I'm so weak.  I'm only human after all.

And they keep coming! This isn't even the complete list of Lime Crime Velvetines that are currently available.

Makeupnet had a huge sale on everything Lime Crime a few months ago, and I couldn't help but add some new pretties to my collection. Again, I'm weak. In my defence though, I rarely ever pay full price for any Lime Crime products. I'm all about those sales!

I managed to score the very last Cupid, along with Teddy Bear, Polly and Beet It.

'The first Velvetines lead the way in the hugely popular liquid to matte lipstick trend'.

Packaging

Each liquid lipstick is boxed in a beautiful red Velvetine cardboard box, with the brands name featured on the front and the colour of the lipstick identified by name and colour on the top lid of the cardboard packaging.

The lipstick itself comes in a clear tube, with the lid matching the cardboard packaging. Each colour is identified by name at the bottom of each tube. The wand is a small applicator which works well to line and fill the lips.

Shades & Finishes

All Velvetines apply wet and dry matte in under five minutes.

Something to note: You cannot re-apply Velvetines on top of pre-existing dry coats, as the product will become very patchy and dry.

NW10 and pale babes: liquid lipsticks look different on everyone due to skin tones. Although colours such as Teddy Bear may look like soft purple-brown tones on other people, Teddy Bear look veryyyy dark on pale girls. And Cupid is not the soft pink that I was hoping it would be on me. Buyer beware. Make sure you check-out some swatches on similar skin tones to see if the shades you're in love with are right for you. 

From T - B: Cupid, Polly, Beet It, Teddy Bear

Formula & Pigmentation

Lime Crime, by far, offer the best range of colours available on the market. There is no other brand with the calibre of LC's creative team. You name it, they have it. 

The pigmentation of each of these Velvetines is good, however it does take a few swipes of the brush to apply an even coat of product to ensure there are no sections of your lips where application appears sheer.  

I find that thin formulas, such as Velvetines and Jeffree Star, often tend to be the ones that crack, flake and feel very drying on the lips. For  lipstick lover this is always a huge disappointment. However with the addition of Lanolips, I've been able to improve the formula of my liquid lipsticks which in turn has increased their durability and gotten rid of any flaking and cracking. Check out my Pro Tip section on How To Get The Most Out Of Your Liquid Lipsticks.

In terms of durability the Velvetine range are not  food or drink proof, and you will need to reapply often. However they are make-out proof, which earns every boyfriends tick of approval.

'All Lime Crime products have been cruelty-free since its inception in 2008, while many products were also vegan from the very beginning. In 2012, Lime Crime reformulated the rest to meet vegan standards'.

Ingredients & Accolades

Lime Crime meets some crucial beauty standards that us make-up lovers swoon over. All Lime Crime products are vegan and animal cruelty free which is always a big plus.

Affordability & Retailers

Velvetines currently retail for $29.00 AUD or $20.00 USD. I like to keep my eye out for sales, so I can purchase as many Velvetines as possible or at least cash in on free postage deals. Lime Crime products can be purchased for many stores, including Pepper Mayo, Makeupnet, Dollskill and Lime Crime.

Final Verdict

The range of colours is amazing, and when on sale the price of Velvetines is pretty reasonable. Are they worth $29.00 AUD? No. But I'm always keeping my eye out for a good sale. 

Now that I've added Lanolips to each of my Velvetines I find them a lot more wearable and will wear them most days of the week, for either a everyday work look or a dressed-up weekend look. I'm still a huge Velvetine lover at heart.

Stay Updated

New product reviews are uploaded every Sunday in Australia, while Pro Tips are uploaded on the first Sunday of each month.

- B x0

LIME CRIME - VELVETINES

Good news everyone! Lime Crime is finally back in Australlia, with a partnership having been established between Lime Crime and Makeupnet.

There has been some controversy surrounding Lime Crime over the past few years, most famously the credit card hacking incident. I have a lot of friends who ceased their relationship with Lime Crime following this incident, and were too afraid to purchase unicorn goodies from the retailer via credit card or paypal for fear of their information being stolen by hackers. It was around this time that Lime Crime also severed all of their ties with their Australian retailers which left us babes high and dry, and fighting over Lime Crime sale items on sites such as PepperMayo and Princess Polly. Those were dark times.

Thankfully, it was announced a few weeks ago that Makeupnet would now be stocking all of the Lime Crime goodies here for us in Australia. Yay! Now we can shop freely with little fear of another hacking. So of course, that calls for a review of some of their much loves liquid lipsticks, known as the Velvetines.

My favourite Velvetine - 'Riot'

What I really like about the Velvetines, which only Jeffery Star Cosmetics has been able to match recently, is the colour diversity and Lime Crime's boldness to produce statement shades. Velvetines come in every colour of the rainbow! It's insane.

I am a big Velvetine lover. BIG. Just look at my stash.

I don't know if you've realised, but sometimes I get a bit carried away with my purchases and try to buy everything.

'Velvetines liquid matte lipstick dries to a touch-proof velvet finish'.

A very quick shout out to my biggest blog fan, who also happens to be my boyfriend. You know you've found a keeper when he buys you Velvetines for Christmas. 

Packaging

The packaging is super cute and the product smells really nice too.  The brush applicator is easy to use, and excess product can be wiped off back into the tube.

The only issue I have is that sometimes the tube appears to not have been completely filled. This is just the way the liquid lipstick moves around inside of the tube and is nothing to be concerned about.

'The first Velvetines lead the way in the hugely popular liquid to matte lipstick trend'. 

Shades & Textures

Lime Crime offers an amazing range of shades, and I only own a small potion of the Velvetines available. 

Have a look at what I mean:

L- R: Suedeberry, Pink Velvet & Utopia

L - R: Cashmere, Bleached & Faded

L - R: Shroom, Pumpkin, Riot, Wicked & Salem

And some swatches:

Formula & Pigmentation

The colour range that Lime Crime offers in the Velvetines range is remarkable, and pigmentation varies depending on the colour, Like all liquid lipsticks, you cannot re-apply liquid lipstick on top of pre-existing liquid lipstick as it will become very patchy and noticable. 

All Velvetines become matte once dried completely. You can add gloss, however this will kill off any staying power the Velvetines had. 

I do however have a few issues with the Velvetines. I find that they quick to dry, which means quick and precise application is a must! They are not food or water proof, and unfortunatly touch-ups end up looking blotchy. So you will need to completely re-apply after food and drink as the product starts does start to crumble and flake.

On a positive note, they are make-out proof which earns the boyfriend tick of approval.

'All of Lime Crimes products have been cruelty-free since its inception in 20008. While many of the products were also vegan from the very beginning. In 2012 Lime Crime reformulated the rest to meet vegan standards'.

Ingredients

Lime Crime does meet some crucial beauty standards that make us make-up lovers swoon. All Lime Crime products are vegan and animal cruelty free with is always a big plus. Unfortunatly their products do still contain parabens.

Affordability & Retailers

Velvetines currently retail for $29.00 AUD, or $20.00 USD. I like to keep my eye out for a sale, so I can purchase as many as possible or cash in on free postage deals. Since re-establishing distriution rights within Australia, Lime Crime products can be purchased from Pepper Mayo & MakeupNet as well as directly from Lime Crime.

Final Verdict

I think that if the Velvetine forumla were to improve, to avoid that crumble and flake feeling, then I would buy every colour under the sun and wear them daily. However due to their high maintenance, I find that these lippies are reserved more so for the weekends.

If you still haven't given Velvetines a go, please do so. The colour range just can't be beaten. Plus, who doesn't look good in a Velvetine. Check out #limecrimevelvetine on Instagram to see what I'm talking about.


- B xo