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! :)