Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Product Review: Geek Chic Cosmetics
JoySticks & 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.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow cool!
I love the colors and the packaging!

LisaOrestea said...

I went to order my little pwny after seeing this and changed my mind after seeing that the postage charge to the UK was $14!!! That's more than the lipsticks :|

I was gonna get this and Newb but I can't afford to be spending that much on postage i'm afraid.

ShinkenRed said...

@Lisa:

I'd send Chantel and Deb an e-mail. If you're only getting a few products they may be able to work with you on shipping. I know when I only ordered 1 or 2 full size shadows, they kindly let me choose the bubble mailer option for shipping which helped out greatly. Not sure if they can do this for the lippies but I'd talk to them and see what your options are.

Deb said...

@Lisa - Like ShinkenRed said, we do occasionally make exceptions, especially for internationals that only want to order like one or two things. We try not to make it a practice, as it will end up with everyone trying to stuff as much in the bubble mailer as they possibly can.... anyways, shoot us an email: pwnage@geekchiccosmetics.com and we may be able to work something out.

dull_flame said...

I NEED more Geek Chic stuff. I'm absolutely in love with the shades I have- Mana Potion, Tentacle Grape, Happy Ending, and Gold Farmer, as well as one shadow in It's-A Me!, and I use them all pretty frequently.

I've been dying to try the Joy Sticks, but I just can't swing it, being an unemployed (currently looking) student.

Cydonian said...

The color of Pwny is so confusing, lol! Is it purple? Is it pink? Who knows. Anyway, great review!

Sarah! said...

I just order Toxic Unicorn and Hipster Ariel during this little "sale". I can't wait for them to get here.

Unknown said...

ShinkenRed & Deb,
Thanks for the info! I know I have a lot of international readers so this is great to know.

Also, for other readers you might check around your social networks and see if you can find someone in the states to send the package to you, if that's more economical, or combine orders with someone close to you!

Dull_Flame,
You should totally put up swatches on your site! If you do, pop back & leave a link- I know lots of people would love to see them!

Cydonian,
I know the pics look a little odd. The shade itself is lavender, but it goes on sheer enough with one swipe that your natural lip shade will show through and alter the way the lipstick appears. I have a decent amount of pigment in my lips, so it definitely makes Pwny lean pink. Either way, a very pretty shade!

Unknown said...

Sarah!,
Can't wait to see what you think. I hope you'll come back & share your opinion!

Deb said...

BTW, I love the post! Great swatches! Not many people have reviewed our lippies... lip gloss occasionally, but rarely the lipsticks. Worth the wait! :)

Sarah! said...

The hipster ariel was awesome. Same with toxic unicorn. The toxic unicorn went on a tad patchy for me, but it could have been me and not the lipstick's fault.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...