ColourPop’s Lippie Stix in Payton

I thought this would be more of a mauvey-rose, or at least a bit more neutral. It does pull a little bit warm - not warm enough to veer into coral territory, but there are definitely warm tones.

Aromaleigh v2.1’s Sultry Bloom

If you want the pink color of this one…you’ll want a different eyeshadow. On the other hand, it’s kind of cool to have a strong highlight with a non-sheer base color!

Aromaleigh v1’s Pure Hue: Suede

Zoya’s Lake

A slightly greyed pastel blue. A little bit less greyed than Mystic Slate, and a little bit lighter too. This is definitely a spring shade. It doesn’t put me in mind of bleached-wood beach houses. The formula is a little better than average, for Zoyas. It applies evenly and spreads well, and it’s thick enough that you don’t see every little imperfection in the nail. I got full coverage in two coats.

Zoya’s Charming collection

This spring collection was released at a time when I was paying less attention to Zoya, and more to CND. (Vinylux polish just works better for me - it’s much more durable, and it stays on longer.) This collection is half creme finish, half shimmer finish. The colors are mostly purples, with one medium-light blue and one medium-light green.

Aromaleigh v2.1’s Ceres

The coverage is even and solid, but this is a very soft shade - suitable, because it was created as a multipurpose color for face, lips, and lids. I can’t reliably tell if it would pull a bit ashy on deeper skintones, or if the gold shimmer would just be a bit more apparent.

Beauty from the Earth’s Wildfire

For me, this works best as a highlight or effects-layer over cream shadows. It’s semi-sheer, which softens the color a little bit; and while it’s buildable, applying extra layers means more of the shimmer-particles which either need to be carefully removed before they can become fallout, or they need to be held in place with a sealant. I would have preferred better color payoff in the base.

NYX Cosmetics’ Simply Red lip cream in Russian Roulette

Used by itself, it’s a brighter, more saturated red than I’m personally comfortable with…but I have a different definition of “killer red lipstick” than most people. The formula is on par with the other Simply Lip Creams, and - like all of the reds - this color does stain a little bit. I get the best use out of it by applying, blotting away almost everything but the stain, and putting on a sheer top gloss.

Meow Cosmetics’ Pom Pom

Depending on the light, the finish can look more gold than silver, and the undertone color can look slightly more sooty than green. I have used this as a highlighter and a liner, and liked the results both ways. I don’t like how this looks as a standalone color on me; but I do like it as an accent.

Dawn Eyes Cosmetics’ The Fire Within

I bought this because it was on DEC’s Bestsellers page. It’s a softer interference color that makes a good highlighter or effects layer; but the formula isn’t markedly superior, and it’s not unique in my collection. It’s similar to some of the holographic highlighters available from many indie brands and, recently, companies like NYX.