It’s been a while since I’ve posted a haul on here but don’t be fooled into thinking that I’ve been good by saving my pennies like I keep telling myself to. I’ve just not gotten around to sharing anything on here especially when it’s one thing here and another thing there. And as I can’t wait to start using my new makeup, I forget about making a collective haul. Bad blogger! After seeing a few tutorials and Instagram snaps featuring Kathleen Light’s recent collaboration with Colourpop in the form of the Lippie Stix and Pencil in “Aquarius”, it has been on my wish list for weeks. Unfortunately, Colourpop isn’t available in the UK nor does it ship to the UK. I’d heard of a company called Shipito which provides you with a US address, which is where your purchase is delivered and from there, Shipito will transport your goods to the UK (or wherever in the world you are). Intrigued, I thought I’d give it a go (see 3rd paragraph for the actual Colourpop product review).
So I made a small Colourpop order. I decided to pick up the Aquarius Lippie Stix and Pencil, the Lippie Stix in the shade “Brink” and one of the Supershock eyeshadows in the shade “Truth“. The order came up to $20 at $5 a piece, plus $5 shipping to the US address. It took approx two weeks for Colourpop to deliver it to my designated US address which is a pretty long time, to be frank, but I won’t dwell too much on that. Once it arrived, Shipito sent me an email to notify me of my parcel’s arrival with instructions to choose my shipping method to the UK. This included adding a breakdown of the products contained within the parcel which was pretty straight forward. When it came to actually selecting the method of shipment, I was quite alarmed at how much the shipping was as I was positive that when I initially looked at the costs prior to ordering, that it looked relatively reasonable. You can pay something ridiculous like $40+ for fast shipping that is tracked, which is more than the cost of order itself, or you can risk selecting a cheaper option as I did, and select USPS First Class International Parcel which cost $25.27, the same amount as the order itself, and which isn’t tracked. What it didn’t tell me at the point of paying for the shipment was that it could take up to 42 business days for it to arrive. That is a hell of a long time! Fortunately, it took less than a week for it to arrive from across the big pond. So all in all, I paid $50 for four items to be shipped which is around £35, making each item come in at just under £9, whilst in the US it would cost you less than £4, so essentially you are paying more than double!
In terms of the products themselves, I was more than happy with what I had ordered. The Aquarius combo is just beautiful. A rosy, browny nude that is perfect for every day for that super polished look. I love the texture of the Lippie Pencil as it is so soft, it literally glides onto the lips. It’s a tad deeper than it’s Lippie Stix counterpart and one that can easily be worn beneath any nude or pink lipstick, as it’s a super versatile shade. The Lippie Stix in Aquarius is a creme finish lipstick so it imparts a definite sheen on the lips when compared to the more matte formula. As a result, it feels lovely and nourishing on the lips. They also seemed to have changed the scent of the Lippie Stix and for the better too. It’s a sweet, slightly caramel scent that tastes almost good enough to eat. Although it’s a creme formula, the colour does hang around for a while which is great but my only downside to the product is that after a few hours of wear, it does leave behind a slight white rim on the inner part of your lips. Not an attractive look and the only way to overcome this is to take it off completely, maybe after you’ve eaten, and reapply with a fresh coat. It’s not a total deal breaker for me because I love the shade and formula so much, and the packaging is just so easy as it’s a skinny, twist up kind of stick.
The Lippie Stix in “Brink” on the other hand is a matte finish and is a neutral, brown based pink (very Kylie Jenner). I actually contemplated between this shade and Button previously, before deciding to go with Button, but I think I much prefer Brink as Button was just a bit too peach and light for me. As a matte formula, Brink wears for hours without the need to touch up. However, because it’s part of the older lineup, the scent is slightly funky and smells rather cheap. Mind you, it doesn’t hang around for too long though so again not a massive issue. I found that this left behind less of a white rim, barely, but maybe because it’s a slightly deeper shade. Who knows.
As for the Super Shock Eyeshadow in “Truth”, described as “neutral light beige eyeshadow with a warm satin finish”, this was an enabled purchase by Teni Panosian who featured it in a recent tutorial of hers. It looked from the video to be a really subtle colour that imparts just a hint of a sheen for that perfect, easy, everyday look. Day to day, I love wearing a neutral satin shade all over the lid paired with a mid-tone matte shade in the crease and on the outer corners to define the eyes. The shade in real life is more of a warm, soft muted gold with a satin finish so has a slight sheen to it but nothing sparkly or glittery. On the lids, it’s not too far off from my skin tone but definitely adds a touch of interest to the eyes and makes them look fresh and awake. The formula is lush. If you’ve not ever experienced the pleasure of finger planting a Super Shock Eyeshadow, it feels like a cream which bounces to the touch but when applied to the skin, it’s gives off a soft powder finish without any tackiness or fallout. It lasts ages on the eyes.
So would I use Shipito again? Yes. Until Colourpop starts shipping to the UK or is made available in the UK (a girl can dream). It was very easy to sign up and have a US address designated. I think my only confusion was when it came to shipping the goods to the UK. It isn’t very clear how long it will take and if I had known prior that it could have taken that long, I think I would have been inclined to pay a slightly higher premium, another $20 to be precise (although feeling very resentful at the same time). At £9 a pop including shipping, whilst it doubles the cost of the actual product, doesn’t end up being unreasonable especially when you consider the actual quality of the product. So if you are desperate to get your hands on some Colourpop goodies then I’d say give Shipito ago. You won’t be disappointed when the products arrive!
*Update – Colourpop now ships to the UK!