For those who adore vibrant colours, Lime Crime makeup offers an exciting range of lipsticks that are truly the stars of the show. This US-based brand, owned and run by Doe Deere, is renowned for its eyeliners, lip glosses, eye shadows, and glitter pigments, but its lipsticks stand out in a spectrum of eye-popping shades.
Lime Crime Lipstick Packaging and Presentation
The standard Lime Crime lipstick box shares the same distinctive purple hue as the tubes themselves, prominently featuring the brand's signature unicorn graphic on the front. A second, special box design was introduced for limited edition lipsticks released during LC's birthday celebration. These special edition tubes also boast a purple aesthetic. One design showcases a full-sized unicorn, while another features two unicorns back-to-back. The latter design is often preferred for its slightly more mature yet still cute appeal, offering an alternative to the classic black packaging commonly found with brands like MAC, which some may find too understated.
Individual Lipstick Reviews
Geradium
Geradium is described as a coral pink with a unique neon quality, making it unlike any other pink shade. While the colour might appear slightly muted on some lips, potentially due to individual skin chemistry, it remains a gorgeous pink that effectively brightens the complexion. Unlike many current pink shades that lean towards fuchsia, Geradium offers a refreshing alternative. However, a notable downside is its chalky texture, which can make achieving a smooth, even application challenging. As a matte lipstick, it is naturally more drying. For the best results, a combination of a lip brush for the base layer and direct application from the bullet for the top layer is recommended. Geradium has a decent staying power, though it can bleed slightly without the use of a lip liner, such as OCC's Anti-Feathered Clear Primer Pencil. Overall, Geradium receives a rating of 7/10.
No She Didn't
No She Didn't is a striking, bright blue lipstick that stands out as a favourite among the reviewed shades. Its appeal lies in its light blue hue, a departure from the typically dark blue shades found in other blue lipsticks. While this bold colour may elicit curious glances in public, its stunning appearance makes it worth the attention. In natural light, the shade appears even lighter, resembling a baby blue. Among the four reviewed lipsticks, No She Didn't is the creamiest, allowing for effortless application directly from the bullet. It's an excellent choice for those wanting to experiment with unconventional colours, even on days when lips are not in their best condition. Despite being matte, it possesses a subtle sheen and offers impressive longevity without the need for a lip liner. It resists smudging, even around the cupid's bow, and endures eating and drinking with only minor fading. A testament to its staying power, a kiss on the cheek left a significant amount of colour, though it did transfer slightly to the other person's cheek.
Airborne Unicorn
Airborne Unicorn is a captivating candy/lavender/violet purple that defies simple categorization. This cooler-toned purple has the surprising effect of making teeth appear whiter. While beautiful on pale skin, it also pops dramatically on darker skin tones. A subtle grey undertone is noticeable against lighter skin, adding to its unique character, but those seeking a more straightforward purple might find it different. It has a notably wet appearance, which is unexpected for a matte lipstick, but this contributes to its ease of application. Applied without a lip brush and with a lip liner, it demonstrates good staying power. While not as creamy as "No She Didn't," it is considerably more moisturising than other matte formulas, such as Poisonberry.
Serpentina
Serpentina is a dark, metallic forest green that evokes a sense of "witchy fun." Application on the bottom lip can be challenging, particularly when lips are dry, potentially irritating conditions like eczema. The colour is deep and vampy, offering a striking contrast against pale skin, making it ideal for occasions like Halloween, though it can also be worn for everyday activities. This shade is sheerer than the others, requiring multiple layers for full opacity, which can lead to increased product consumption and a less impactful application. While not excessively drying, Serpentina is prone to bleeding, even with a lip liner, which can be quite difficult to manage, especially with darker shades. Considering these application challenges, Serpentina receives a rating of 5/10.
Exploring Lime Crime Velvetines (Liquid Lipsticks)
The Lime Crime Velvetines line offers a range of liquid lipsticks known for their matte finish. The brand is celebrated for its "out of the box" shades, appealing to those who seek unique and bold colours. The packaging of the Velvetines is also noteworthy, featuring a metallic red box with a cutesy floral print. The matte effect is a key selling point, though colour intensity can vary by shade. Shades like Pink Velvet and Jinx are noted for their deep and vibrant hues, with Pink Velvet leaning more towards red than pink on some wearers. However, Lime Crime Velvetines can have a synthetic smell, and some users find them very dry on the lips, potentially accentuating lines and crevices. Availability in stores can be limited in some regions, such as the UAE.
Comparison of Wish.com Fakes vs. Authentic Lime Crime
A comparison was made between a Lime Crime Velvetine Lipstick purchased from Wish.com and potentially authentic counterparts. The Wish.com version, costing $1 with $1 shipping, was compared to the original Lime Crime price of $18. While some users find that makeup bought from China can be nearly identical to the originals, this review highlights significant differences. Swatches showed that shades like Salem (burgundy/brown) and Zenon performed best, while Alien and Teacup were streaky after a single swipe. Zenon, despite swatching well, proved streaky on the lips and came off easily with natural lip moisture, requiring multiple coats and behaving more like a cream lipstick. Yellow shades, like Zenon, are notoriously difficult to formulate, with even a yellow cream lipstick from MAC reportedly having poor colour payoff. Another shade, Alien, applied thinly and was super streaky, not adhering well to the lips. Teacup, despite streaky swatches, applied more smoothly and uniformly on the lips, with subsequent coats improving coverage and not reacting negatively to lip moisture. Overall, darker colours seemed to perform better than lighter ones like Alien and Zenon. The review suggests that darker colours and neutrals are preferable when purchasing these budget versions, while brights and neons should be avoided. The overall rating for these budget lipsticks was 2 out of 5, with expectations set high due to the positive experience with the shade Salem.
Lime Crime Velvetines: Performance and Shades
Other users have found the Lime Crime Velvetines to be a favourite liquid lipstick formula, praising the pigmented mattes that glide on effortlessly and feel comfortable to wear, almost as if nothing is on the lips. They are reported to last all day, even through a 12-hour shift, and fade naturally without leaving an unpleasant ring. The metallic shades have also impressed, with Lime Crime's metallics being noted as superior to those from other brands, offering good pigmentation and a beautiful sheen. However, the shade Posh, a dark purple metallic, can be difficult to work with, requiring two to three layers to avoid patchiness. Other shades typically achieve full pigmentation in a single swipe. The packaging is highly praised for its aesthetic, featuring a metallic red cap with pink roses and clear tubes that reveal the shade. The standard doe-foot applicator facilitates easy application. The brand offers an extensive shade range, with approximately 45 Matte Velvetines and around 9 Metallic ones, catering to diverse tastes, skin tones, and makeup looks, including nudes, reds, purples, and brights like lime green.
Specific Velvetine Shade Experiences:
- Posh: A dark purple metallic that can be patchy and difficult to apply, requiring multiple layers.
- Unnamed Rose Pink Metallic: A rose pink metallic shade.
- Unnamed Light Pink Metallic: A mini metallic light pink shade with gold reflects.
- Unnamed Matte Nude: A mini matte nude shade, slightly darker than the wearer's skin tone.
- Unnamed Bronze Gold: A mini true bronze gold shade.
Lime Crime Perlees and Diamond Crusher
The Perlees line is described as comfort-wear metallic mattes that provide a soft sheen of dusted pearls. They feature a full-coverage, creamy formula designed for prolonged wear, with rosemary extract for protection and moisturization. Some users report a crayon-like smell, which dissipates once applied. Despite being marketed as hydrating, some find the formula very dry and setting into lip lines. However, extended wear has not been fully tested by all users. One specific shade, a deep, rich plum hue, is highlighted as perfect for the bold and daring.
The Diamond Crusher is an iridescent lip topper in a mauve hue. Its lightweight, water-based formula is infused with light-reflective iridescent shimmers that create a glistening effect. It can be worn alone on bare lips or layered over lipstick to enhance its appearance. For optimal application, smoothing the product with a finger is recommended to prevent chunkiness and ensure the glitter does not bleed outside the lip line. This product is considered a standout purchase by some, especially when bought during sales.
Lime Crime Lipstick Sale Experience
One reviewer recounted purchasing several Lime Crime Velvetine lipsticks, one Perlees lipstick, and a Diamond Crusher during a significant sale (up to 75% off). The total order cost $59.95, including $10.95 postage, with no additional tax or customs fees. The same order would have cost $182.95 under normal pricing, highlighting substantial savings. This experience underscores the value of purchasing during sales events.
Specific Shade Experiences and Patchiness Issues
Some users have noted that shades shown online can differ significantly from their real-life appearance. For instance, a shade advertised as deep red appeared more brown on one individual. Several darker and purple shades have been reported as patchy, which is unexpected for lipsticks priced around $20. The shade 'Fetish', a purple, was described as patchy, though less so than another shade, 'Dream Girl'. Practice in application might improve the look of these patchy shades. The reviewer noted that a similar colour, 'Vintage' by NYX, performed better. Another shade, initially placed in a drawer due to dislike, was revisited and found to be quite appealing, with a current sale price of $16 making it a more justifiable purchase. Despite the issues, the reviewer acknowledged that these lipsticks might work better for others.
Lipstick Bundles and Value
A bundle containing multiple lipsticks was purchased for $10 during a sale, with all lipsticks being full-sized. This was considered a fantastic deal. Within this bundle:
- Saint: Described as the absolute favourite, an amazing shade of brown that the wearer wouldn't typically choose but ended up loving. It wears well, even with hot drinks, and requires minimal touch-ups throughout an 8-hour day.
- Cupid: Considered the least favourite from the collection, a slightly too peachy-toned nude, but still wearable when matching makeup and outfit.
- True Love: A very bright pink/orange shade, likened to a pink/orange highlighter in lipstick form. While super fun, it's a bold colour that might require confidence and specific occasions for wear.
- Polly: Similar to the wearer's usual berry shades but slightly darker and more purple. It is not patchy and is considered very pretty.
Ethical Considerations and Overall Value
All Lime Crime lipsticks are PETA verified vegan and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, containing no animal-derived ingredients and undergoing no animal testing. Despite this ethical stance, some users might not repurchase unless there is a significant sale or they run out of favourite shades, as the quality can be hit or miss, especially with darker and purple colours exhibiting patchiness. The reviewer emphasizes that experiences may vary, and the lipsticks might perform better for others. They also note that the appearance of products on social media, particularly Instagram, does not always align with real-life experiences.
Discontinued Soft Touch Lipstick
A review mentions a discontinued Lime Crime Soft Touch lipstick, noting its cute packaging and vibrant blue colour, reminiscent of the OG shade 'Cry Baby'. It swiped easily on the arm and had a pleasant minty vanilla scent. Described as one of the brighter blue lipsticks in the collection, its intensity was highly appreciated and it was incorporated into the wearer's weekly lip rotation. The reviewer also posed a question about discontinued products that users wish would make a comeback.
