Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics: Lip Tars

photo: occmakeup.com

I received the (currently sold out) Pro's Picks Lip Tar Set by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) and the Clear Lip Tar Primer for my birthday.

The set comes with 5 Lip Tars in the shades:

• Pretty Boy
• Melange
• Vintage
• Stalker
• Grandma

While the set may be unavailable at the moment, each colour is available individually:

In addition to being available on Amazon, these are also available from occmakeup.com, Sephora.com and Sephora.ca.

All Lip Tars are vegan meaning that none of the ingredients used were tested on or derived from animals. They all have peppermint oil which gives them both a minty taste and scent. They come in a variety of colours and are meant to be mixed to create colours of your own. The Lip Tars in this set do not contain shimmer or glitter.

Instructions on the back of the packaging.

Lip Tar shades (L-R): Pretty Boy, Melange, Vintage, Stalker, Grandma, Clear

Lip Tars (L-R): Clear, Melange, Grandma, Pretty Boy, Stalker, Vintage
The Set came with a full-size lip brush while the Clear Lip Tar (and all single Lip Tars) came with a mini version.
I arranged the Lip Tars from lightest to darkest in this photo and in the folowing swatches.

Clear Lip Tar
According to OCC: "Prime lips with OCC 'clear' Lip Tar and allow to absorb. Dab the tiniest bead of Lip Tar onto the tip of the brush. Apply Lip Tar to the center of the lips and blend outward to the lip line. Top with 'clear' Lip Tar if additional sheen is desired."
'Clear' is mint-flavoured.

Melange Lip Tar
This is the most 'wearable' colour in the set. It's a couple shades darker than a nude colour and has a bit of a peach tone.

Pretty Boy Lip Tar
Pretty Boy is a hot pink and a bit darker than the signature 'Barbie' colour. 

Stalker Lip Tar
Stalker is a bright cherry red that is more pink than a true red.

Grandma Lip Tar
The name for this Lip Tar is perfect! It's a colour that I can see almost any grandma wearing. It's a pinky coral colour, almost salmon.

Vintage Lip Tar
Vintage is a vampy dark red with hints of burgundy and brown. 

I put varying pea-sized amounts of each lip tar on my forearm to demonstrate the pigmentation of these Lip Tars. From left to right: Melange, Grandma, Pretty Boy, Stalker, Vintage and Clear

As you can see, these are very pigmented! Everything you've heard about only needing the tiniest amount is definitely true. These swatches were thick and could have been blended further if I had more arm space. 

I definitely recommend any of these Lip Tars if you are interested in trying them. They seem like a lot of money at $16.00US/$19.00CAD but because you only need to use a tiny amount, one will last you a very long time.

I don't think that the Clear Lip Tar is necessary, but it is a nice product. I will say that exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub (or some sugar and a bit of olive oil) is necessary (as chapped lips will look more pronounced while wearing a lip product). Remember to apply lip balm after exfoliating, too. This will essentially work the same as applying the Clear Lip Tar.

As for the longevity of Lip Tars, I tried them out a few days ago and after applying a little too much of Pretty Boy, I wiped it off with some tissue. While much of the brightness disappeared, I was left with just a tint of pink, which is what I was trying to achieve. That being said, these will stain your lips (or anywhere you swatch them) so I'd recommend applying them with care.

I did notice that when I wore the lighter colours, the colour faded significantly after eating and drinking.

Will I purchase more Lip Tars? Probably! They've just come out with a new Metallic line of Lip Tars.

photo: occmakeup.com

Maybelline Color Sensation The Porcelains Lipstick

I found these at Meijer in the US for around $6.99 each.

The packaging is frosty and has a rubbery feeling to it.

Afternoon Tea

Flawless Fuchsia

Afternoon Tea, Flawless Fuchsia
(without flash)

Afternoon Tea, Flawless Fuchsia
(with flash)

These are matte finish and have a pleasant vanilla-ish scent to them. In certain lights, they have a tiny bit of shine/gloss, but for the most part, they are matte. Afternoon Tea is quite natural on the lips if you have darker lips to being with.

They're not opaque after applying one layer, so these are good if you want just a hint of colour, but they can be built up to be opaque.

I'd say these are of average quality. They can be a bit drying, so I'd recommend applying a primer/lip balm a few minutes beforehand.

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Colors

L-R: Coral-Line, Cherry Picking, In the Flesh

At roughly $2.85 CAD, these are a steal. I got these at WalMart on a whim as I wanted to try bright lip colours, but didn't want to spend a lot of money in case it didn't work out. I chose a bright berry red, a coral and a dusty rose colour.

965 Cherry Picking, 912 In the Flesh, 909 Coral-Line

965 Cherry Picking, 912 In the Flesh, 909 Coral-Line

These are matte lipsticks that are soft and rich in colour. I can't believe they were under $3 each and I think I'll get some more. However, I discovered that I'm not really into bright colours as In the Flesh is my favourite of the three. Using the other two lightly gives a hint of colour, which I like.

As they are matte finish, they can be drying, and so applying a thin layer of lip balm before can help keep your lips moisturized.

Cherry Picking, In the Flesh, Coral-Line

Cherry Picking, In the Flesh, Coral-Line

If you're looking for inexpensive lip colours with a wide range of shades, give Wet n Wild a try. If you don't have access to Wet n Wild products, a good dupe for these are the E.L.F. Studio Matte Lip Colors which are $3 each and available online.

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Colors Available on Amazon:

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Lip Colors from Performance Colors

I received these samples from Tiffany at Performance Colors to test and review. Performance Colors is an Etsy store which also carries ColorPots (cream eyeshadows) that I reviewed last summer.

Top: Full size Lip Color in Coral Kiss
Bottom: l-r samples of: Cool Pink, Iced Mocha, Gingerheart, Lovepoem

l-r: Cool Pink, Iced Mocha, Gingerheart, Lovepoem

These are very pigmented and similar to the Revlon Lip Butters that came out several months ago.

They can act either as a tinted lip balm (when used lightly), or a lipstick when applied a bit heavier. This means that they are buildable so you can achieve as much or as little colour as you'd like. 

They are moisturizing and have a nice vanilla scent. They are quite close in texture to the Revlon Lip Butters and come in a wide range of colours.

Swatches: l-r Coral Kiss, Cool Pink, Iced Mocha, Gingerheart, Lovepoem
Photo taken in natural light.

You can purchase 3 samples for $3 or one full size Lip Color for $5.

Click here to view: Coral Kiss, Cool Pink, Iced Mocha, Gingerheart and Lovepoem

Performance Colors also has semi-matte lip sticks!

Make sure you check out the Performance Colors shop as Tiffany now carries pressed eyeshadows and gel eyeliners! 

Pressed eyeshadow in Rhapsody $5
*Photo from PerformanceColors

Gel Eyeliners
$5 for 5 samples
$5 for 1 full size
*Photo from PerformanceColors

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Lancôme 2012 Promotion Review and Swatches

I recently took part in the Lancôme Promotion at Sears (Canada). All I needed to do was spend at least $34 before taxes and I was given the gift set upon checkout.

I bought two single eyeshadows, one for myself and one for my sister. That brought the total to $44 (I was trying to get as close to $34 as possible).

This promotion allows you to choose between a nude lipstick and nude eyeshadow palette or a pink lipstick and a blue eyeshadow palette (as far as I know, you can't mix and match). You also have your choice of 2 out of 3 skin care products. I chose the neutral pair and the cleanser and makeup remover (the third option was Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector). The other items are the makeup bag, three travel-sized brushes and a case, a travel-sized Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara and a small sized version of Rénergie Lift Volumetry Cream.

The makeup bag.

Rénergie Lift Volumetry Volumetric Lifting and Reshaping Cream

Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

Brush Case

Travel Brushes

Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara (travel)

Color Design Lipstick in Sugared Maple (Sheen)

Eyeshadow Quad

Top left: Designer
Top right: Pink Pearls
Bottom left: Exhibition
Bottom right: Lava

(without flash)

(with flash)

This is the single eyeshadow that I purchased for $22. I got another one which I gave away as a gift.

Swatches of the eyeshadow quad (left to right): Designer, Pink Pearls, Exhibition, Lava

Swatches of Designer. The one on the left is from the quad and the one on the right is from the single eyeshadow. A dupe for this colour is located in a Revlon Color Stay Quad called Adventurous.

Swatch of the Sugared Maple Lipstick

I think this was a very good deal! I haven't tried anything from Lancôme before so I was waiting for a promotion like this that would allow me to try a variety of products.

Although I haven't tried everything yet, I love the eyeshadow in Designer. I also really like the makeup remover. It is one that you have to shake to activate (because it is one part water, one part water-based). It works really well and you only need a little bit of it for it to be effective.

The lipstick isn't a colour I would normally wear, but I think my mom would love it. I also really like the mascara, but I've only worn it once so far.

It was only after I got the gift that I realized that Designer was included in the quad. Although I kind of wish I had purchased a different colour, I thought it would be interesting to compare the one in the quad and the one in the single form. The texture of the one in the quad is a bit more 'gritty' while the one in single pan form is a lot smoother. For that reason, I'm glad I bought it in full-size. I think the eyeshadows in the quad are slightly less pigmented and not of the same quality as the full size eyeshadows, but they are certainly decent for being part of a free gift.

Overall, I think this is a great deal. I like that I can try all these products without having to spend a lot of money. If it turns out that I don't like a certain product, I can give it away to a friend.

If the products in this promotion aren't ones that you think you will like, Sears has these types of promotions several times throughout the year. They advertise in their flyers and online, so be sure to keep an eye out for something you'd like!


This promotion ends on February 20th, 2012.

Available on Amazon: