little white truths

I picked these up in the FB Violet Box Swap Group. I did originally receive one of them in my December 2013 Violet Box, but since I had so many lipsticks and balms at that point in time, I ended up including it in a Christmas present to a friend without trialling it. 

When I saw these on offer in the FB Violet Box Swap group, I snapped them up - exchanging them with a couple of lovely ladies for products I didn't need. Yay to swaps!

I'd heard quite a bit about these online before swapping: apparently they have a lasting power that's similar to Lime Crime lipsticks. So I had high hopes for these, particularly because they cost around half as much as a Lime Crime lippie. Gotta love that!

SweetPea & Fay claims/product details:

SweetPea & Fay describes itself as 'girly, quirky yet edgy, pushing the limits of what is typically pretty and bringing to the table a different view on traditional makeup.' I like the idea of that : )

The consistency of these two colours is quite different - Mermaid Kiss is more chalky/drying and sits in my lip lines a bit more. This means it needs more prep work (buffing etc). Paper Cut is much more creamy and, to me, a better consistency. It doesn't need extra work and I don't feel the need to apply gloss over it. 

Having said this, I prefer the actual colour of Mermaid Kiss - it's prettier I reckon, and perfect for that pastel pink pout look that's coming in for spring. I wouldn't go out and buy both these colours though - they're quite similar so I'd stick to just one.

Do these live up to SweetPea & Fay's claims? Yes and no. They are indeed pigmented and Paper Cut is rich and creamy, but Mermaid Kiss isn't - as mentioned, it's a bit on the chalky side. I've read that a few of the lighter colours have that kind of consistency and can also be hard to squeeze out of the tube (I didn't experience the latter issue).

As for longevity, as mentioned, a lot of bloggers etc have commented on the superior lasting power of these lipsticks. I didn't experience this: while they did last longer than some, the staying power wasn't brilliant and they came off on my mug like any other product.

Would I recommend these? With the $13 price tag, yes I would - particularly if you want to pick up a couple of seasonal colours that you mightn't get a massive amount of use from. If you want to spend a bit more on a better product, I'd look into eg Lime Crime and Shanghai Suzy.

Still, decent products at a good price : )