Thanks to Makeuptalk, I have recently taken the leap into indie cosmetics. I really should stay off of that website - I am waaaayyy to easily led into spending money - haha.
One of the posters on the "Down the Indie Rabbit Hole" thread mentioned they really loved Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte lipstick - count me curious as I love matte lipsticks. I don't think I even finished reading the posters sentence before I was browsing Impulse Cosmetics' website.
On the website, the lipsticks can be purchased in either bullet, palette or sample form - which I think is a great idea as it encourages people like me to order up and try different colours without making the commitment to a full size product (mind you, full size is only $6.99USD, which is really inexpensive by Australian standards).
Anyway, I purchased sample sizes of Platonic, Pretty Please, Two Timer, Dementia, Dahlia, Medusa and Pandora. The samples are packaged in a clear plastic clam shell, with the name written on top. You get a decent amount of product in the samples, which retail for $2.45USD.
Everything I purchased was a sample size, so its possible that the full size product may perform differently to the samples (like mascara samples always seem too!). I can't speak to wear time for any of these colours, as I applied them, took a picture, and removed them straight away. However, from the way they felt on my lips, I am sure they will have a decent wear time - they aren't the least bit slick or slippery.
Just a note on how I swatched these: -
- Applied with a lip brush to bare lips;
- No lip liner was used - which is kinda obvious lol;
- Each colour was applied, removed, and then the next colour was applied, so by the end my lips were getting chapped, and there was a little bit of colour bleeding around my lips.
- All photos were taken in the shade under my patio, because it seemed to give the most true-to-colour result, except two timer which was in sunlight.
L - R Platonic, Pretty Please, Two Timer, Dementia, Dahlia, Medusa & Pandora
Platonic
Platonic is a lovely muted neutral pink shade. It applied easily with my lip brush, and was nicely opaque with a single application. This product felt creamy on the lips, and had a slight sheen. B+
Pretty Please
Pretty Please is a blue-ish based red, which looked absolutely beautiful in the shell. I had a hard time loading my brush with this colour, as the formula appears to be quite dry. It took multiple layers to reach full opacity. Though the lipstick felt creamy once it was on my lips, it did feel very heavy. Although the formula definitely felt drier, I don't think it emphasised the fine lines on my lips. I love the colour, but I'm not in love with the formula. B-
Two Timer
Two Timer is a more neutral based red, which once again looks beautiful in the shell. Two Timer was creamier, easier to apply, and more opaque than Pretty Please. The product felt creamy, though heavy once applied. A
Dementia
Dementia is a purple based red - though it looked like a pink leaning purple in the shell. The consistency of Dementia is much the same as Two Timer. Dementia was easy to apply and was opaque in a single layer. Once again, the lipstick felt heavy and creamy once applied. A-
Dahlia
Dahlia is a brick red. Similar to Pretty Please, I found this lipstick to be quite a dry formula, and multiple layers were required to get full opacity when using a slip brush. As with all the others, this lipstick felt creamy any heavy on the lips, and had a slight sheen. B-
Medusa
Medusa appears to be a brown-based red in the shell, but applies more maroon. Medusa applied easily with a lip brush, and was opaque in a single layer. Creamy and heavy with slight sheen A-
Pandora
Even though I was a teenager in the 90's and did the whole dark brown lipstick thing, the colour of Pandora in the shell scared even me. It looked VERY dark brown. However it applied a blackish purple - completely not my colour, but I won't hold it against it!
This was another colour with a dry-ish formula, but unlike the others that built to full opacity, I found Pandora remained quite patchy. Once again, it felt creamy and heavy once applied. C
The Verdict
Overall, I am really impressed with Impulse Cosmetics Opaque Matte lipsticks. The heaviness and dryness of some of the colours doesn't particularly bother me, as that seems to be par for the course with most matte formula's (such as Wet n Wild Mega Last). Your lips need to be in good condition, or the formula could be problematic. None of the colours, to me, were a true flat matte, with most having a certain amount of sheen.
As I mentioned above, these lipsticks may perform differently in the full size, as I only purchased a sample sizes - particularly in relation to dryness.
I can see myself buying full sizes in Two Timer, Dementia and Dahlia once I'm through the samples.
Available from Impulse Cosmetics.
