Product Review: Geek Chic CosmeticsJoySticks & Geek Gloss

OK, so I'm gonna start this post out by admitting that I kinda suck. Months ago (I'm pretty sure there was still snow on the ground!) the lovely ladies at Geek Chic Cosmetics sent me a few of their products to try out. If you're not familiar with Geek Chic, the name pretty much says it all. Self-proclaimed lady-geeks Chantel and Deb own their gaming, sci-fi loving personas and proudly emblazon it on their unique creations. With shade names like Element Zero, and Captain Tight Pants, there's a little chic for every kind of geek out there. Though Geek Chic's selection is smaller than many indie retailers, what they do, they do with love, and it shows.

To be honest, (which my fiance always says you shouldn't say, because it implies you're not normally honest!) as much as I love the idea of indie cosmetics, there's only so many loose pigments that a girl can really make use of, so I was thrilled to see two of the Geek girls' lip products in my package.

My Little Pwny is one of the brand's "JoySticks", described as "sheer, semi-opaque lavender with oodles of glitter".

Geek Chic calls "Geek Gloss" in Mana Potion "a sparkly, opaque, soft china blue lip gloss...a frosty blue with a sprinkle of rainbow glitter!"

I found both descriptions pretty apt, though I will say that I didn't notice tons of glitter in either formula, though it is more visible in My Little Pwny.

I'm also a little confounded by the description of Pwny as both sheer and semi-opaque. I think what Geek Chic is saying is that the lipstick can be applied sheer to semi-opaque, not both at the same time. Maybe? The lipstick is quite buildable, though I will say the color had a tendency to gink up a little in the corners of my mouth when I layered it heavily.

Applied in one coat, Pwny is what I would classify as a semi-sheer, neutral lavender. It covers enough to get a good representation of the color in the tube, but you'll still get a good amount of natural lip showing through. This means that the color will look a little different on everybody, and it could quite well be why it's probably the most flattering purple shade I own.

As you can see, on my lips Pwny appears much pinker on my lips than it appears in the tube, which is due to my natural lip color showing through. On my ::ahem:: much less pigmented arm, you can see the shade on it's own appears to have more of a blue undertone.

Yes, I swear those are the same lipstick! If you prefer the in-the-tube shade of My Little Pwny more, like I said, the product does build intensity as you layer it, and as such, you'll get a more accurate representation of the color you see in the tube.

Now, of course, glitter is a biznatch to photograph, but it is definitely there in Pwny. You can see tons of it in the tube, and I could definitely feel it going on as well. Once the lipstick was in place though, the feel was smooth and just a little creamy- not at all gritty like some glitter formulas. I did expect to see more sparkle on my lips, but wasn't necessarily disappointed that I didn't. If you're looking forward to the "oodles", a bit of clear gloss or balm will bring the glitz out a bit.

Overall, I liked My Little Pwny; it's a unique shade that's still very flattering (especially so when worn semi-sheer), and I agree with Geek Chic's assertion that this would be great on pretty much any skin tone. Since I waited so darn long to post this (I lost my camera! I was potty training my daughter!!!) I should mention that the formula has been slightly tweaked to make it a bit more moisturizing and help it glide on better. While the formula I have isn't drying, more moisture is always better in my opinion!

Now on to Geek Chic's gloss offering, which I tried in Mana Potion. Geek Gloss is a cushy, almost balm-like formula. China blue is a great description, though again, I didn't notice the sparkle so much- I'd say Mana Potion is more metallic than shimmery or glittery. The gloss has a satiny, soft gloss finish.

There is a slight bit of tack to the formula, but I still found it very comfortable on my lips (FYI, I have a very low tolerance for sticky lips). The thing that impressed me the most about Geek Gloss was its level of pigmentation and opacity- it easily could be labeled a liquid lipstick rather than a gloss. Again, I did notice the color pooling in the corners and inside the lines on my lips, but it didn't travel outside my lip line one bit. A gloss that doesn't bleed on my lips is pretty much unheard of, so this was a nice surprise.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the wear time for Geek Gloss. I didn't notice fading until after the 3 hour mark, and even then the color was still very visible. The wear was also very even- no ring around the lips- even the pooling I noticed at first had disappeared. BTW, based on my experience, I'm betting that the pooling/settling effect I mentioned would probably be less noticeable in more "natural" shades. Guess I'll just have to try a few more to test that theory, right?

Luckily, though procrastination isn't generally seen as a beneficial trait, there is a bright side to the fact that it took me months to get this post up: Geek Chic is in the process of switching over from traditional tubes to slimlines, so right now, all JoySticks are on sale for just $5.99 (reg. $7.99). Geek Glosses aren't on sale right now, but with a retail price of just $5.99, they're a great way to get your geek fix!

The products featured in this review were submitted for promotional consideration by a representative of the company. What does this mean? I didn't pay for them. My commitment is to you- my readers- and to myself (it's called integrity, I like to have it). The opinions expressed on Outinapout.com are my own, based on my own research and experience; I am not paid in any way nor is the final outcome of the post influenced by any outside party.