Product Review:Lime Crime Makeup

One late, late night years ago, while searching for inspiration, I stumbled across a website called Lime Crime. Run by a color-loving slashie (musician/model/makeup artist) named Xenia, I found looks after my own heart: original, bold use of colors in a "there are no rules" kind of way. This was back in the day when MAC artists were busy perfecting the glam-goth look and if you wanted red eye shadow, you used blush.

Lime Crime was a savior to me when I felt like no other makeup artists were leaning my way. One day, I went to check in on Xenia and she was gone. Crestfallen, yes, but I knew I had to move on. Deep inside though, I always knew that such a vivid soul couldn't be underground for long, and thankfully, I was right! One day I Googled "Lime Crime" and there she was. She wasn't alone though, she had brought friends. Vivid, shimmering pots of glee, as she would call them. Ladies (and gentlemen?) I'd like to introduce you to Lime Crime Makeup.

As a professional makeup artist, I couldn't wait to get my hands on some Lime Crime. When I contacted Xenia to welcome her back, she generously offered to send me a few colors to try out. Knowing that bold is her forte, I chose 2 of her Magic Dusts: Circus Girl (a shimmery bright lemon yellow) and Siren (an intense, slightly warm red shimmer). I also couldn't resist trying one of her glitters; I got Unicorn, an ultra-fine sapphire blue .

In my trials, I've come across some pigments that pack an amazing color punch, but are so opaque that blending is almost impossible. Lime Crime's pigments have amazing color payoff and supreme blending ability. The shadows apply evenly with very little fallout, and are extremely long wearing. I applied mine over Urban Decay Primer Potion and it stayed on for- no joke- almost 24 hours! (Yes, this does mean I slept in them- you can slap my hand the next time you see me!) Not only did the color stay on forever, it didn't seem to fade a bit. I actually took a trip to Sephora and MAC during hour 12 and got numerous compliments from both makeup artists and customers.

I should tell you, I rarely use eye glitters. I even shy away from sparkly shadows and eyeliners because of the inevitable migration that takes place- though I may have only applied glitter to my lash line, 10 minutes after application, everyone in the house looks like a disco ball! I experimented applying Unicorn glitter over liquid and pencil eye liner, black creme shadow, as well as with a mixture of water and glycerin. To my delight, I found that Lime Crime's glitters were so fine and gave such good coverage that adding a liner underneath was an extra step I didn't need- I simply sprayed my brush with glycerin solution and patted on the glitter. Incredible! Though I can't say there was no fall out from the glitter, there was little enough that a pat of de-tackified painter's tape was enough to lift the errant flecks away.

I had high expectations for Lime Crime Makeup, and I will say that when evaluating Lime Crime as stand alone products, I was not disappointed. Yes, you can find cheaper dupes out there, but if you love the Lime Crime ethos and don't mind spending more money to support an independent brand, then why worry? I should also mention that some of the product swatches on the website seem to be pretty far from the mark. The rust-red Siren is pictured on the company's website as a vibrant, true red. It was still a nice shade and I certainly can't fault it for looking different on my skin. In fact, one of the benefits of Lime Crime Makeup's website is the fact that each of her 25 Magic Dusts and 10 glitters are shown applied on a real human (I assume) eyelid. I should also mention, my favorite part of the site: the wonderful fairytale descriptions of each color, which give not only a literal description but also give a feel for the spirit of the color. You can truly tell that Xenia has put her heart and soul into Lime Crime- these are HER products and it shows!

I'd give these products a 7 out of 10. The pigments are very bright and opaque, and they apply evenly and blend well. I honestly appreciate the fact that Lime Crime shades aren't loaded with glitter and different shades of interference. I often find that complex shades like that can be a pain to blend without muddying, and even with a professional eye, can take some work to coordinate. I did, as a matter of good conscience, have to take off a few points for the plain fact that the shades are so easily dupable, but aside from buying wholesale, Lime Crime pigments are a better value for the price than most indie companies.

*UPDATE*

Unfortunately, since this review was first published, Lime Crime has discontinued their glitters. They have since launched a super-cute new range of lipsticks which includes 10 shades.

Pros:
- Highly pigmented powders give great color-payoff
- Pigments are extremely easy to blend without losing depth or vibrancy of color.
- Extremely long wearing and smudge-proof
- Did not cause any sensitivity, itchiness or watering on my eyes (many pigments I've used do.)
- Pigments are multi-use and can be blended into lip gloss, hair products, etc...
- Reasonably priced, fast shipping.
- Lime Crime's website features step-by-step video tutorials by unaffiliated makeup aficionados as well as inspiration from Xenia herself.

Cons:
- Shaker-style sifter jars can be messy (especially the glitter)
- Limited availability- SpaceNK locations in the US and Canadian Urban Outfitters carry the lipstick line, Magic Dusts remain available only via website
- Because of the reflective quality of some of the pigments and glitters, the web site's photographs may not represent colors with 100% accuracy (though this is an issue with all makeup websites, certainly not just Lime Crime)