FREE Super Fruits Eye Balm with $130 or more purchase

Friday 21 December 2012

Veracious Product Review: OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet

Today's post features a product from a brand that I've been dying to try for some time. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics has long been on my makeup radar because of their unique packaging, vegan and cruelty-free ethic and, of course, their cult-status product, Lip Tars. When my local Sephora started carrying the full range of Lip Tars last month, I was incredibly stoked (do people still say 'stoked'?) to try them out!

Picking a shade to purchase was difficult for a couple of reasons. First, I own a ridiculous amount of lipsticks, so it can be hard to find a colour that would be unique in my collection. Second, these little gems come in so many incredible shades, it was hard to narrow it down! Ultimately, the shade I chose was Strumpet, which the brand describes as a "deep red burgundy". I was enchanted by the name (later I was reminded that a strumpet is essentially an old-fashioned british prostitute; I was still enchanted, if not more ;) and was instantly struck by the boldness of the colour!

OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet

All Lip Tars come packaged in a thick plastic sleeve that includes the tube of lip colour, a mini lip brush, and a cardboard sheet that features instructions on how to apply the product correctly.




The instructions suggest that you use the Lip Tars in conjunction with their Clear shade (which apparently acts as a base and a topping gloss); I haven't yet purchased this, but I'm curious!



Onto the swatches! In the photo below I have swatched Strumpet in a thick line straight from the tube, blended out slightly, then blended quite a bit so you can see the texture of the product and how the pigmentation changes as it is sheered out.

OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet (L-R) Straight from the tube, sheered slighted, and heavily blended

As you can see, Strumpet is a gorgeous deep pinky berry shade with slight reddish undertones. When I first tried it on, it reminded me slightly of MAC Rebel lipstick, so I decided to swatch it alongside Strumpet to show the similarities and differences between the shades. Rebel is swatched on either side of the Lip Tar swatches, acting as "bookends" so you can compare it to Strumpet in its full and sheered-down state. 


Rebel is definitely a similar shade, but it has stronger purple/violet undertones than Strumpet does. What do you think- is it worth having both?

And here are a couple of pictures of me wearing Strumpet, followed by my thoughts about the product!

Me wearing OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet

Pros:

  • Incredibly pigmented! A little goes a very long way, so I can see this product lasting forever!
  • Vibrant, yet wearable shade that isn't overly warm or cool. I think this would be flattering on a majority of skin tones.
  • Extremely long-wearing! I ate a full meal (and even had a beer or two!) and my lips were still left with a nice berry stain. The colour had faded for sure, but was nowhere near disappearing!
  • Very handy that it comes with its own portable lip brush.
  • Relatively affordable. At $19 CAD this doesn't break the bank, especially since this product should last forever.
  • Vegan and cruelty-free. Always bonuses in my book!
Cons:
  • Because this is very pigmented, it is easy to apply too much of the product. A tiny drop is really all you need!
  • This did dry out my lips slightly throughout the day, which isn't the most welcome effect during the cold winter months.

Overall, I am incredibly happy with this product. It really lived up to the hype, especially in terms of the incredible pigmentation and long wear. Plus I'm smitten with the shade! I was a bit disappointed in how the formula dried out my lips, which may make me a bit hesitant to wear Lip Tars frequently during the wintertime. I think these would be ideal for the humid summer months, though! There were definitely a few other Lip Tar shades that really caught my eye (especially Grandma and Super NSFW), so if I pick any more up I'll be happy to share my impressions with you!

Has anyone else given OCC Lip Tars a go? Any favourite shades?

As always, thanks for reading! :)

30 comments:

  1. i can't wait until my sephora carries them!
    www.sparklethiscity.blogspot.ca - check it out? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, they're definitely worth checking out! And I'll definitely visit your blog soon :)

      Delete
  2. Hahah an old British prostitute- I kinda like the tar even more now because of it too ;) I think it's a very fun pop of color. It's bold but isn't too overpowering; it's eye catching *just* enough. And it is really close to that Rebel shade, but I think it'd be worth to have both, because I know how just a slight difference in shade can make or break an outfit haha. And that's so awesome it lasted through a dinner and a few beers! I'm very impressed :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, the formula and shade really are something special, and the name is definitely endearing in an odd way. Glad you liked it too! ;)

      Delete
  3. That is one gorgeous color! I love how it looks on you x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Coco! I really am loving the shade so far :)

      Delete
  4. Love this colour - this looks great. Good review!

    Christina x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Christina! Glad you found it helpful :)

      Delete
  5. Yay you got one! Lovely colour!

    http://kitschsnitch.blogspot.com.au/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did! All of your Lip Tar reviews definitely inspired me to finally pick one up! Super NSFW, Grandma, and Radiate are definitely on my wishlist as well :)

      Delete
  6. That's a great colour, it really suits you. I've never heard of lip tar or this brand (like the sound of their ethics though!) so I may have to investigate! Great review! :)

    http://www.youremyfavouriteflavour.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks very much! Glad you found the review helpful! You should definitely give OCC Cosmetics a try :)

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Yes, I'm totally in love with the colour! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment :)

      Delete
  8. I would love to give these a try but the pigmentation/opacity scares me a little, so I'm not entirely willing to go out and spend money on them! Maybe a Sephora giftcard Christmas present would give me the extra push though ;)

    Great review!

    Erica
    abundanceoferica.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh, a Sephora gift card is always a good excuse to try something new! They are definitely quite opaque, but easy to get a hang of. And there are shades a lot less bold than this one, so they may be a good place to start :)

      Delete
  9. I've had my eye on the lip tars for a while now... I think I'd like to try Starling. It looks like a gorgeous deep red. I do love Strumpet as well!

    simplyskindeepbeauty.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're definitely worth checking out! I'll have to give Starling a peek :)

      Delete
  10. Wow, this color is gorgeous on you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ahhhhh i want to try one of these so badly! i saw a few last time i was in sephora but none really popped to me

    stephanieslook.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for leaving a comment, Stephanie! Hope you can find a Lip Tar shade that works for you :)

      Delete
  12. Replies
    1. Thanks! It really is a lovely shade. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment :)

      Delete
  13. Great post! I really want to check the OCC tars out, specifically black dahlia and vintage. I wonder if the nude/lighter shades pack as much of a punch? Thanks for a great review, will definitely be trying now! xo

    Makenzie
    www.willworkforlipstick.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Makenzie! Glad you found the review helpful! I'd be curious about the lighter shades too- keep me posted if you try one :)

      Delete
  14. Such a lovely colour on you! I really need to get around to trying some of OCC Lip Tars! Great post! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Samantha! Glad you enjoyed the post- you should definitely check out the Lip Tars. They're super unique :)

      Delete
  15. Jen that looks amazing on you-I definitely want to try one! Thanks for leaving a comment on my BABW haul post, I've just spent half an hour reading your blog and am now following-its fab!!! I love all your swatches although I fear it may lead to further (unnecessary)lip purchases!

    Stacey xxxx

    expatmake-upaddict.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Stacey, for following and for the kind words! Yes, that can definitely be a downfall of reading lots of blog entries- a tired wallet! ;)

      Delete

All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)