Monday 8 September 2014

REVIEW: Lime Crime Velvetine in UTOPIA + Swatches!

Love 'em or hate 'em, Lime Crime really do have the goods when it comes to their lip products. 

Especially their iconic Velvetines, which are renowned for their gloss to lipstick formula, incredible staying power and crazy strong pigmentation.

Today's post is all about the second addition to my Velvetine collection (I already own and adore Red Velvet!), the latest shade from Lime Crime, Utopia.



Packaging


Before we jump right in, let's just take a moment to admire that packaging! Let's be honest here, Lime Crime really do get it in terms of product design. What beauty loving girl (or boy) wouldn't adore that super cute rose-adorned box and matte bottle design?




Applicator


Each Velvetine comes with a sponge-tip wand applicator with a slightly tapered end for precise application. I would prefer a slightly firmer applicator as the Velvetines really do require precision when you put them on (as they're not the easiest to remove!), but it still feels soft on the lips and one dip into the bottle gives you enough product for an opaque coat of colour.


Colour & Pigmentation


Speaking of colour, how gorgeous is Utopia? It's a bright, almost fluorescent hot purple that would look incredible on all skin tones. I'm a big fan of simple eye makeup (usually just winged out liner) plus a colourful bold lip, so I was immediately drawn to this shade when it was released.

Bonus points for the colour? It's a cool tone, so it will even make your skin and teeth appear whiter!

Below you can see two swatches - on the right is a fresh swipe of Utopia, and on the left is a swatch that has been left to dry for a minute or so. You can see that freshly applied, the Velvetine looks like an opaque gloss, whereas after a few minutes it has turned to a matte finish.


I really love the formula for that reason, because bold lip colours generally show application mistakes more than less opaque formulas, so I love that the wetness of the initial application allows you to clean up any edges before it sets. 


Application Tips


Here you can see how the application looks after one coat of Utopia. It was a little bit sheerer than Red Velvet, so I would recommend applying a second coat after it dries for a more intense look.

Also, as with most matte lip products, the Velvetines tend to cling to the lips which can emphasise any lines or creases. It's noticeable close up, but from a normal distance, it really isn't obvious. However I would definitely suggest that if you have dry or chapped lips, to exfoliate them and apply a hydrating balm before popping on a matte product like this. 


Below you can see the colour after two coats, and WOW is it explosive! The purple really pops against my skin and looks super vibrant. In the below images it looks slightly more pink than it does in real life, but the colour is pretty true. 


Longevity


When it comes to staying power, here I've vigorously rubbed the swatches I took earlier to see if the colour would budge. As you can see, the rubbing didn't smear the colour, but instead began to wear it away. Note that I was really forcefully rubbing, and it is still very much intact!


And below are photos I took after wearing Utopia for a few hours. Since applying it, I had gone out for dinner and throughout the night I checked to see how it was holding up, and I thought it did a great job. However I noticed after oilier foods, Utopia tended to come off, which makes sense, especially as most makeup removers are oil based. 

It especially wore off in the centre of my lips, but overall, I think if you steered clear from oily foods, this could definitely last through both eating and drinking without wearing off or transferring. To remove, all you need is a regular makeup remover (I use Bioderma Crealine H2O Cleanser and Makeup Remover, which works really well at taking it off) and it comes off pretty easily with a bit of gentle rubbing.


Final Impressions


All up I'm loving this product! If I'm going to wear a bold lip, I don't want to be worrying about whether it has transferred all over my face if I'm eating or drinking! It's definitely the kind of lippy that I would very comfortably rely on for a long day or event. It's also consolidated my love for the Velvetine range as a whole, and I think the next one I purchase will be Black Velvet or Wicked!




Want one for yourself? I bought mine from Lady Petrova boutique in Melbourne for $24.00 and you can check out more from Lime Crime at her online store.

#TryingToBeALimeCrimeGirl #heehee

Disclaimer: This product was bought with my own money and all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.


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3 comments

  1. I love the colour on you *0*
    So beautiful and the packaging is so cute too!!
    I'll check it out ^^ Wonder if they ship internationally? ^___^

    恵美より ♥
    www.emi-doll.blogspot.jp

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  2. This looks amazing on you! I'm kind of afraid to try purple on my lips but you've made me start to think about it a bit more :)
    Meghan
    Today's Beauty Obsession

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  3. Today's post is all about the second addition to my Velvetine collection (I already own and adore Red Velvet!), the latest shade from Lime Crime ... llimecrime.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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