Bobbi Brown Lipstick - Raisin Berry - No Longer Cruelty-Free

I used to love Bobbi Brown's lipsticks when I was in junior high, but unfortunately, it seems as though quite a lot has changed since then. I bought this lipstick after reading the name of its color because I had a flashback from back in the day, when this was the only lipstick that I had finished - a few times. Because I had read somewhere that Bobbi Brown was also cruelty-free, I felt better about spending almost three times what I had paid in my youth for this lipstick. However, I have since read that Bobbi Brown is no longer cruelty-free because they have decided to sell products in mainland China, where animal testing is required.





My Naked Lips (for reference)



Raisin Berry

Once I saw Raisin Berry on Sephora, I knew I had to have it, because I remember wearing it non-stop in junior high and the beginning of high school, and I remember actually going through a few tubes of it, which never happens to me. Alas, I was a bit disappointed, not only by the price of the lipstick, compared to what it cost back in the day, but also because of its texture. It has a strangely sticky texture that almost reminds me of a lip gloss. Since I hate the sticky feel of lip glosses, you can guess how I feel about the texture of this lipstick.

Sadly, I will not be wearing this lipstick bullet down to the nub, as I did in days of yore, but maybe I can find a good home for it because it is a nice color if you don't mind the texture. I will not be purchasing any more products from  Bobbi Brown, not only because I don't like this one, but also because of their animal testing policy.

Disclaimer: I received no financial or materials for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Website with info about Bobbi Brown and other companies testing on animals abroad: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3127995/The-cruelty-free-cosmetics-make-brands-testing-animals-abroad-ones-trust.html 

NICOLET Beauty Lipsticks

NICOLET Beauty is a cruelty-free indie makeup company that started on Etsy and now has its own website.The lipsticks are unscented, and they are available in a wide variety of unique colors that have either a satin or a matte finish. I am not sure if the colors rotate over time or if a couple of mine have since been discontinued, but it looks like only Lodi is available on the websites currently. However, just in case the other two become available again, I am showcasing all three here.

Packaging

(without flash) L to R: Batelle-Lodi-Ellensue


(with flash) L to R: Batelle-Lodi-Ellensue
The bullets are fairly standard plastic black. They are made of sturdy plastic, and I have not had any issues with them coming apart in my lipstick bag, which is not something that I can say of all of my lipsticks (ehem Kat von D).

As an aside, I am not sure why Lodi looks so pink in these pictures, since it is not at all pink in real life. It looks more lilac-taupe-greige in the tube than anything close to pink.


Arm Swatches (sunlight)

L to R: Batelle-Lodi-Ellensue

Arm Swatches (indoor lighting)

L to R: Batelle-Lodi-Ellensue
The swatches are much truer to life than the pictures of the bullets.


My Naked Lips (for reference)



Lodi

This is a beautiful lavender-taupe-greige color, and it seems to a bit more creamy than the other two, which makes it a bit easier to apply and reach full opacity.This is my favorite color of the bunch, and it seems to still be available for sale.


Batelle

Batelle is a beautiful grey color that is a bit stiffer than Lodi. For that reason, it applies a bit streaky or patchy, but this can easily be fixed by applying more layers or by cancelling out your lip color with a concealer/primer or a liner. Because this is a rather bold color, a liner is recommended anyway to help keep lip lines crisp.

Ellensue

Ellensue is a gorgeous color that I am not sure how to describe... I'm not sure if it is a bright blue that leans slightly purple or an extremely blue-based purple. I suppose it is a bit similar to one of my favorites - Illamasqua's Kontrol - but Ellensue is even bluer.

When I saw swatches of it online, I thought it was simply a bright blue, which is basically what it looks like in my swatches, too, but the picture here seem to pick up on the purple more than those that I had seen before purchasing Ellensue. Because I missed out on Melt's DGAF, I thought this might be a nice alternative. Although the color is not the same as DGAF, the texture and pigmentation are better than some other blue lipsticks I've tried (ehem Illamasqua's Disciple), and this is just a really unique color that is more wearable than a straight-up blue. Like Batelle, Ellensue is also a bit stiffer, so it applies a bit streaky or patchy, which could be fixed by applying a base layer of lip liner or by cancelling out your lip color with a concealer/primer.

Overall, these are great lipsticks, and although all of mine are matte in texture, they are not as drying as many matte lipsticks over time. Because they are unscented, there are no issues there for people with sensitive noses, and these are available in a large variety of unique colors.



Disclaimer: I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Related Websites:
NICOLET Beauty Website: http://www.nicoletbeauty.com/
Etsy Website: https://www.etsy.com/people/nicoletbeauty

LunatiCK Cosmetics Labs Lipsticks - Calabaza and Bruja

LunatiCK Cosmetics Labs is a cruelty-free indie brand that offers a modest variety of lipsticks and eye shadows in unique colors. The theme of the company reminds me a bit of Halloween, since some of the eye shadow pallets are shaped like coffins and the website has stitches and a creepy eye that stares at you when you go to browse through the shop.

The Apocalipstick in the bullet form runs for $15 USD a piece for 3.5g, which is a fairly good deal, considering that the lipstick will probably last quite a while.

Below are swatches and descriptions of the two lipsticks that I have from LunatiCK. In each of them, I am wearing the lipsticks without any primer or liner so that you can see how the lipsticks look when applied alone.

Bullets

The bullets look like bullets - how creative :) I suppose you can't tell here, since they are opened, but the bullets are made of metal and feel like they are of decent quality.

Arm Swatches

From L to R: Calabaza and Bruja

My Naked Lips (for reference)



Calabaza

Calabaza is a beautiful rusty-colored orange/red that is creamy and applies fully opaque in one swipe. My only issue with this color is that my lips seem to be reacting to something in the lipstick itself, because my lips itch whenever I wear this for more than a couple of minutes. If I did not have to take off the lipstick after such a short time each time I put it on, it probably would last a fair amount of time.

Bruja

Bruja is a beautiful lilac greige color that applies fully opaque in one swipe. Its texture is very creamy, and I would describe it as comfortable, except for the fact that it seems to make my lips itch. I suspect that there is some kind of wheat or other gluten-containing ingrediant that bothers me, since my skin sometimes reacts to certain products with gluten, especially wheat. However, I cannot verify whether that is the real reason for my lips' reaction, since I can't identify any names for "gluten" in the lists of ingredients.

Overall the lipsticks are creamy and highly pigmented, and they reach opacity in one swipe. The colors are beautiful, and there are more that you would not find everywhere. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who doesn't have any sensitivities or allergies, since other than the reaction I have to them, they are great lipsticks.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any material or financial incentives for this review. All opinions contained herein are my own.


LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs' Website: http://www.lunaticklabs.com/

Lip Bar Lipsticks - Amaretto Sour and Cocoa Cooler

The Lip Bar is an indie lipstick company whose founder was featured on Shark Tank for her business venture idea. The orignal idea behind this company was to create lip products for women of color. When I bought these lipsticks, they were $19USD a piece, but the price has been reduced to less than $11USD because the founder wanted to make her lipsticks more affordable for a wider range of people, which struck me as a uniquely socially conscious business move on her part. While many people whose businesses are thriving would be more likely to raise their prices to create a more exclusive customer base, she decided that it was more important for her brand to be inclusive, which I thought was admirable.

Many of these lipsticks are named after alcoholic beverages, in keeping with the bar theme at the Lip Bar. The colors seem to rotate, and so only a select few are available at any given time. The packaging is artistic and classy, which is not something that can be said of many types of lipstick tubes, especially not from indie brands, which may seem more cheaply made, presumably due to restricted budgets.

These lipsticks are very creamy and comfortable to wear, and they are buildable to full opacity. Because of their creamy texture, they cannot be described as long-lasting, but the lipsticks are available in a variety of unique colors.

Packaging

The packaging of these lipsticks is incredible. I adore the almost stained-glass-window look that the lipstick tubes have, and the velvetine pouches that they come in are not only fancy-looking, they are quite practical for ensuring the integrity of your lipstick when in transit. It assures that the lipsticks stay closed and protects them from potentially being broken by heavier object, if you happen to put your lipsticks in suitcases or the like for transport.

Arm Swatches




My Naked Lips (for reference)



Amaretto Sour

Amaretto Sour is the first lipstick that caught my eye from the Lip Bar, and even though I was unsure about whether I could pull off this color or whether I would ever wear it, I had to have it. It is described as a "cool camel" color, which is not really how I would describe it, but the description is creative, nonetheless. Although this one takes a bit of work to build it up to full opacity because it has a bit of slip to it, it is a gorgeous mustardy golden yellow that is much more wearable than most yellows. I love that this is a gold color without any shimmer or glitter because I am not a fan of either. Even though I have to admit that I do not wear this color very often, I can say that it was well worth it to purchase this color to add to my collection, since I do not have any other colors that compare to this one.


Cocoa Cooler

This one was described as a "90s brown," and that seems to fit well. Unlike Amaretto Sour, this one is not incredibly unique, but I was on a brown lipstick trip when I bought it, and it is a very nice color. It is a bit stiffer than Amaretto Sour, but it is still very creamy.

Overall, I really like these lipsticks, as well as the business philosophy of the founder. The packaging is top, and Amaretto Sour is a fabulous color for trying a more bold look. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for unique, high-quality, cruelty-free lipsticks at an affordable price.


Disclaimer: I did not receive any financial or material incentives for this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.


Lip Bar website: https://thelipbar.com/innerpage/barmenu