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Inside the Brand

Inside the Brand: ColourPop

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Inside the Brand: ColourPop Pinterest Image

This is a guest post, written by my dear friend and fellow makeup aficionado, Alexanna.

About Alexanna:

I first met Alexanna my freshman year of college at CU. Even though she wasn’t in my sorority, she was at our sorority house and our events so much that she became like a sister to me (plus, she didn’t have to pay! smart lady). We roomied together (is that a word) and then after graduation have remained close friends ever since. In college, we both worked so hard amidst our studies so that we could have extra spending money for makeup. We worked at the mall together and she worked right  across from where I worked at Gap Body.

She worked for a  a mineral loose powder makeup company, all of which was stackable…long before BareMinerals took over that space. Anyways, I was so jealous because she got to play with makeup for work and I had to fold underwear. Lol. Nonetheless, Alexanna has continued her makeup obsession like me well into our thirties (ok, not WELL into but you know what I mean). She is always sending me awesome promotions, new product launches, and asking me questions about brands I don’t really know much about. She sent me a ColourPop eyeshadow as a gift and it was so pretty and so unique. So before I go on about ColourPop, I’ll let her share her story.


I started wearing minimal makeup in high school. Mascara. Liner. Shadow. Shadow. Man do I love eyeshadow.

It’s very apparent when looking at my makeup collection that eyeshadows dominate.  I have an entire drawer dedicated to them. MAC Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Kiko, Nars, Urban Decay, theBalm, BareMinerals…the list goes on.

 


 

About Colourpop

Around the 2014 holiday season, I started hearing buzz about a new (and extremely affordable!) online brand called Colourpop Cosmetics.  A Los Angeles based company (go USA!), Colourpop burst onto the beauty scene with their unique, and innovative, Super Shock Shadows.  I use ‘unique’ and ‘innovative’ because no other brand has created what Colourpop has, a fascinatingly textured cream-to-powder shadow. If there is one product that this brand is known for, it’s these shadows.

Colourpop Eyeshadows

Now, cream-to-powder shadows are nothing new in the cosmetic world. However, Colourpop’s shadows almost feel wet to the touch and apply on the lids like a soft, buttery powder. It’s the weirdest feeling and it’s so hard to describe on paper.

At $5 each, here’s what’s awesome about the eyeshadows:

  • Highly pigmented
  • Great color payoff
  • Easy to blend
  • Awesome shade range (seriously, it’s insane)
  • Different finishes (satin, matte, metallic, ultra-metallic, pearlized, pressed pigment)
  • Cheaper than some drugstore brands! Colourpop allows you to dabble in their world without feeling guilty for spending a ton of $$$

Don’t have eyeshadow brushes? Just use your fingers! Colourpop suggests this as the best method to apply its shadows, especially the more metallic, glittery ones.

Darn! I dropped my shadow on the floor and now it’s cracked and broken… don’t worry! Simply mold the shadow back together with your finger, problem solved! No need to throw in the trash or pine over using rubbing alcohol to mend it.

The Best ColourPop Eyeshadows For Olive Skin & Brown Eyes

Now to some swatches (all descriptions from Colourpop website):

Smash (neutral medium warm beige with a soft golden satin finish)


Hammered (a smoky olive with tons of gold glitter and a soft sprinkle of multi-colored sparkles in a metallic finish)


I Heart This (cool-toned silvery taupe with multi-colored glitter)


Plunge (Metallic rose gold with multi-colored multi-dimensional glitter)
(No longer available at this time–see pic in above gallery)

The Best ColourPop Blushes

Since its inception, Colourpop has launched more products to their range including blushes (created with the same texture as the Super Shock Shadows), lipstick, lip pencils, eyeliners (pencil and gel), and it’s newly released brow products (pencil and pomade). I can only speak for the blush and lip products but like the shadows, these are also wonderful.

Prenup Blush (a mid-tone plum pink in a satin finish).

I have worn Prenup a handful of times and the application is easy (I apply with my fingers) and the color is just gorgeous.

Best ColourPop Lip Products

Colourpop Lippie Stix

Colourpop Lippie Stix come in a variety of finishes (crème, satin luxe, sheer, satin, glossy, matte, pearlized) and the brand has since launched liquid matte lipsticks and liquid satin lipsticks. However, my favorite color is Lumière. This color is right up my alley and it’s creamy, pigmented and very long wearing. Another good feature of this lip product is its size. Unlike most lipsticks that come in bullet form, these Lippie Stix are tall and slim, making it stand out among your other lipstick favorites.

Lumière Lippie Stix (a dusty mauve pink in a matte finish).

Lumière Pencil (a dusty mauve pink). I usually line my lips and fill them in with the pencil, then go over top with the Lippie Stix. The ONLY downside to this pencil is that it’s not twistable; you’ll have to sharpen it like a traditional lip liner. For me, this isn’t an issue, but I know some people prefer the twist-up kind.

Colourpop Customer Service

 

To further toot Colourpop’s horn, when your order arrives in the mail, the lovely reps at Colourpop always provide a handwritten note thanking you for the purchase (see left).  Need I say more? When most companies slack on Customer Service, Colourpop shines.

Colourpop has also collaborated with celebrity makeup artists (Jamie Greenberg-MUA of Kaley Cuoco, Rashida Jones), YouTube stars (CoffeeBreakWithDani & KathleenLights), and celebrities themselves (Jamie King, Kelly Ripa).  It’s nice to see popular and successful people collabing to bring us lowly folk great and affordable makeup!

 

Colourpop Collaborations

 

All in all, Colourpop can do no wrong in my book. I haven’t sampled all of the products they offer, but the ones I have, I adore and use on a daily basis.  You just can’t beat the quality of the products for the price!

Before I end there and because I posted about dupes — before you go out an spend $$ on Kylie’s lip kit… take a look at ColourPop’s lippies… There’s a ton of controversy surrounding Kylie’s kit striking a nearly identical color scheme as CP.

Are you a ColourPop fan? If so, let me know your fave product and color in the comment section below.

 

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Beauty is about perception, not about make-up. I think the beginning of all beauty is knowing and liking oneself. You can't put on make-up, or dress yourself, or do you hair with any sort of fun or joy if you're doing it from a position of correction.

kevyn aucoin