cargo cosmetics – Beauty Playbox

Lip Monthly April ’15.

I’ve got half a year of Lip Monthly subscription bags to catch up on, woo hoo. The reason I haven’t been writing about them much was because I felt disappointed in the products at first glance, and it continued for a while. But then I actually sat down and spent time with these, and found out that my first impressions were incorrect in many cases.

City Color Cosmetics Be Matte Lipstick in Cammi

Didn’t like this shade in the tube. No, that would be wrong. I loved the shade, but since I’m so pale, I thought it wouldn’t look good on me and came up with a list of friends with darker skin tones to whom I could pass this on. Didn’t even want to open it at first, but then curiosity kicked in, I swatched it, and what do you know: It looks great on my lips. It’s a very autumn/ winter shade. The longevity is OK. It’s a true matte, but it’s not very drying. I can see this getting a lot of use during the next couple of months.

L.A. Girl Lipstick in Last Night

My first reaction was, wooooo bright bright bright. I thought I wasn’t going to keep it, but then it grew on me. The quality is decent. The formula is very creamy. One of the things I didn’t like about it was that it stains. Although the colour is intense, you can turn it down a notch if you just pat the bullet on your lips and then go in with a brush to even things out. It’s a very spring/ summer colour. I might bring it out in the dead of winter to brighten things up, though.

Cargo Cosmetics Essential Lip Gloss in Sahara

Can I just stop for a second and say how I love Cargo Cosmetics packaging? I’ve previously received their eye shadow, and both the box it came in and the tin the shadow is in are so pretty, I can’t even.

Haven’t yet used this gloss yet, but in the tube it looks similar to the Milani gloss I received via Lip Monthly not long ago, perhaps a bit lighter. I’m weird about lip glosses, as in I really don’t like using them for longer than a certain amount of time after opening. So I kinda want to go through at least two other glosses I’ve got going before I open another one.

Other reviewers posted about a Cargo gloss in Anguilla, and I have to be honest here, I wouldn’t have minded getting that shade instead of this one. On swatches it looks like this really pale milky kind of pink, and it’s something that I’ve been looking for for ages now. But ah well, I suppose Sahara is a more universally flattering shade.

Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil

Once again, I have yet to use this one, but the colour, a cool-toned medium brown, looks like a match, and I really enjoyed using all the other Ofra products I received via Lip Monthly. Their Laguna Beach is one of my favourite lipsticks.

OFRA, City Colors, and LA Girl swatches. The City Colors lipstick looks streaky, but it really isn’t. It’s just my mad swatching skillz on display here.

Lip Monthly subscription is $12.95 + shipping (outside US & Canada – I live in Europe, and it’s $5). Each box contains 4 products, usually full-sized. The products come in a make-up bag.

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Lip Monthly February ’15.

Let’s skip the part where I lament how late I am with these (there’s a reason for it this time around) and get to the products.

be a … bombshell Lipgloss in hooked

The coverage is amazing. It’s more of a liquid lipstick than a gloss, really, except that it’s glossy and doesn’t last very long. Loved the colour. I can’t think of a single occasion where this one would be out of place, at least with my colouring. I find myself quite … hooked. *ba-dam tss*

Cargo Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Green Bay

A lovely, lovely metallic eye shadow. The camera picked up more gold tones, but it’s more of a warmer light green with gold undertones, if that makes sense. For some reason I haven’t really worn it since swatching and trying it out once, so I can’t properly comment on longevity. The pigmentation is good, and the application felt smooth enough. I also love the packaging.

So Susan Lip Dome Plumping Lip Tint in black currant

Mmm, lip crayons. I’m obsessed with these and want to own them in abominable quantities. This is a wine-coloured balm-like crayon. It feels good on the lips, and the stay power is pretty decent. Not drying. A touch on the sheer side, but gives enough colour as it is and can be layered a bit. Retractable. Cruelty-free.

So Susan jelly pong pong Supermodel Stain lip & cheek pomade

Let me just say how cute the thing is. I love these tiny palettes. The brush is safe to discard as it’s low-quality. The colours are sheer and are more of a tint. I haven’t tried them on the cheeks, because cream products and my face don’t get along. I’m in love with every single colour, but my product has dried a little bit. It still works, though, and it’s a great everyday palette. Small enough to carry around with you. It’s not drying, but it’s not moisturising either, so it’s best to use a tiny bit of a sheer balm under. Cruelty-fee.

Eye shadow, lip dome, and lip gloss swatched. See how the lip gloss (above) is less sheer than the lip crayon? Amazeballz. The shadow is a touch layered in the intersection, which immediately improves the colour payoff, but since it’s so light and bright, I see no problem with one layer either. Looks great with my brown eyes.

This has been one of the best Lip Monthly boxes for me. Every colour worked, and every product was quality. I wish this trend stuck, but alackaday and fuck my luck.

I’ll be writing about the March one next.

(This post contains an affiliate link.)