TOUCHING CLOUDS: A REVIEW OF COLOURPOP COSMETICS

The products you must have, but don't need to invest in.

My OG readers: remember 'Typed In Style'? I was reading some of the posts I had published on that blog – well, technically just this blog re-named – and cringing my ass off. Thank god those are hidden. 

But one good idea I had, which I've run away from like the plague since my blog has become 'ESTRAINGE', is to review products I genuinely like. I enjoy reading these posts when written by other people, but for some reason I grew to view my own as a contradiction to the 'theme' of my blog. Which is stupid... because there IS no theme to my blog. 

I recommend products all the time to my friends, people I've just met, and work colleagues too. For a very long time now, I've been raving about ColourPop cosmetics to all those people. Think it's time I included you guys in that list?

I discovered ColourPop through Jackie Aina (QUEEN) and her multiple tutorials featuring the brand. I always loved the way they looked on her "chocolate" skin, and while I am lighter in tone than her, I find it very difficult to find eyeshadows that will swatch well. Most of the time, the colours would be chalky, dull or generally unimpressive when applied, even if they were upper-end brands. I used to use a few MAC, Pixi, Inglot and Too Faced eyeshadows – all in palettes – to create any looks I'd need, and even some of those failed when applied on the eyelids, even though they swatched reasonably well.

However, on Jackie, I noticed the shades she was using from ColourPop would always stand out. I thought they must be well overpriced (as dark skin-friendly products usually are), but one day, I decided to check out the website.

Hooooooooooly shit, I was wrong. Everything was literally between $5-$8 USD. I couldn't believe that products of such a high quality could be so affordable. I bought a SHIT TONNE of things – not just that day, but over the course of a few months. The only caveat at the time was the price of the shipping, but even that was okay, because once I split it up across the number of products I was able to buy, each product was still in the realm of drugstore prices. Today, I believe they have free international shipping when the order is over $50, which is even better.

Over the months, I've picked out my favourite products from my huge collection of ColourPop products. Seriously – I have stopped using eyeshadows from other brands altogether (apart from a black Inglot shadow) because nothing else matches the quality of ColourPop.

EYESHADOWS

The ColourPop eyeshadows are honestly so unique....i cry everitime.... The formula isn't powder or cream, but rather, a really strange, velvety soft texture which leaves powder on your fingertips. For this reason, they are presented in single pots (so as to prevent drying out). Jackie Aina's main complaint was that they did dry out, but GIRL I've had mine for almost a year now and they haven't even showed signs of drying! All depends on the personal care with which you treat the products, which she too said. While Colourpop has recently released panned eyeshadows and palettes, general consensus agrees that they aren't as good as the original single formula – though I'm yet to try them.

I've found that the eyeshadows generally do apply best with the finger where possible. That's not to say they apply badly with a brush – dip in a few more times or spray the brush with setting spray and you'll be all g.

CRENSHAW
Karrueche collaborated with ColourPop for eyeshadows and liquid lipsticks, and this is one of her shades. I was interested in her collection because she shares a similar skin tone to myself, so I knew the shades would work well on my skin. Crenshaw is a subtle matte brown – perfect for a transition shade for lighter eyeshadows like golds or peaches. It would also work well with cooler blue shades. 

BANDIT
Bandit is my favourite transition colour – an orange-tinted matte brown that works very well with blacks, reds, purples, YOU NAME IT!!! It even works on its own on those days when I can't be bothered putting too much effort. When I'm after a matte look, I'll put Bandit in the crease for either Central Perk or Doe-A-Deer. Works maaaaarvellously dzarling. 

EROTIC
Erotic is one of ColourPop's fluoro range eyeshadows. When I ordered it, I thought it would be a vibrant true red, but it's more of a pink-red with gold sparkles. Because I am not a fan of pink on my eyes, I was a bit reluctant to try it at first, plus it's really bright and I thought it would be hard to create a nice look. But I paired it with Paradox in the crease and I was pleasantly surprised! This combination creates a vibrant red eyeshadow look which is great even without eyeliner. Wear with the 'Rooch' liquid lipstick for a badass red makeup look.

PARADOX
The image doesn't quite show Paradox correctly: it's a satin burgundy/red shade with vibrant pink undertones – looks like more of a shimmery plum colour in the photo. This eyeshadow is stunning in the crease with Erotic on the lid. 

DRIFT
One of the first three shades I EVER purchased from ColourPop. It's got a bit of shimmer (not sparkle) to it, and is very similar to MAC's Cranberry – in fact, it's replaced Cranberry altogether for me. Drift looks best on the lid when Central Perk is in the crease. Looks even better with winged eyeliner on top too!!!!!!!

CENTRAL PERK
A dark matte red. Central Perk looks great either on the lid with Bandit in the crease, or in the crease with Drift on the lid. Either look is very put together and can be worn during the day or night (for night, I'd suggest layering more of Central Perk in the crease to darken it up). 

DOE-A-DEER
A gorgeous matte dark purple. I usually wear Doe-A-Deer on its own, opaque on the lid and blended out through the crease. It looks best with Teeny Tiny on the lips, since they bring out each other. 

LIQUID LIPSTICKS

ColourPop make a range of lip products, but I have to say I'm the most impressed with their liquid lipsticks and the lip liners that they offer with each lipstick. The 'Lippie Stix', which are a different lip product, are also great, however it was the Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks that blew my miiiiiind. They are insanely pigmented and dry relatively quickly (tip to make them dry faster: use the doe foot applicator to scrape excess product back into the tube and then apply). Because they are matte finishes, they do settle a little bit into the cracks, but aren't thaaat drying if you have exfoliated your lips beforehand. They don't really budge unless you are a messy eater. Another thing: they are so hard to remove! I'd recommend using a micellar water solution; the Garnier one works really well. 

LAX
The swatch makes this look like a lighter colour than it actually is: in reality, LAX is an almost-black red. I find myself wearing this shade more often in colder months, and with mascara and my eyebrows done, paired with a turtleneck, 'I'm a bad bitch, ya can't kill me'.

KAE
One of Karrueche's collabs with ColourPop. This is a cooler brown (and also lighter) when compared to Limbo, so I find it works really well with more types of eye looks.

LIMBO
Warmer and deeper than Kae, Limbo is a gorgeous traditional chocolate colour. As with LAX, when I wear Limbo I tend to keep the look simple: eyebrows, eyeliner and mascara is enough to carry the rest of the look.

ROOCH
This is another of Karrueche's collabs – and one of my favourites on this list. The colour shown in the photo is pretty accurate, and it works amazingly on my skin tone. I usually pair this with a combo of either Drift/Central Perk, or Paradox/Erotic. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH RED!! 

TEENY TINY
Probably one of the most unusual but wearable colours I own tbh – a dull mauve colour. Goes perfectly with Doe-A-Deer and mascara. This is a versatile shade that can worn with a day or night look. 

HIGHLIGHTERS

Much like the eyeshadows, the ColourPop highlighters share the same bouncy texture. Also like the eyeshadows, these apply most vibrantly when you use your finger. I've found the best technique is to apply the highlighter directly onto your face with your finger and then blend it out with a brush.  

MOST NECESSARY
An intensely rosy gold. I usually use this highlighter when my eye makeup is predominantly red-based, as it brings out the warm colours while giving the face an even glow. In terms of the level of glow, this isn't going to make your face sparkle from a distance (although, it is buildable). This highlighter looks best if you're after a soft glow. 

WISP
My most used highlighter. It's a versatile gold - not too warm and not too cool, and will go with any look I create. It's perfect for events where I want an intense glow, because like Most Necessary, it is buildable. A soft glow can also be achieved with a light hand, but I believe this highlighter works insanely well as a highlight to be noticed. 



I wanna know your thoughts on ColourPop/other high quality (but low priced) products! MAKE ME SPEND MY MONEY!! ✦