ColourPop Can't Be Tamed Lip Duo Review & Swatches
Can't Be Tamed
ColourPop Can’t Be Tamed Lip Duo ($11.00 for 0.21 oz.) includes a sheerer, medium pink gloss with faint gold sparkle paired with a rosy mauve liquid lipstick that dried to a very flat, matte finish. The gloss was comfortable and easy to wear, though not the longest lasting (but as expected), while the liquid lipstick was drying, less forgiving, and ended up more pigmented than marketed.
Can't Be Tamed
$16.00.
Well Nested
Well Nested is a light-medium pink with subtle, warm undertones and flecks of gold micro-sparkle throughout. It was supposed to have a sheer tint with a shiny finish, and it had both of those things; the coverage was sheer to semi-sheer, softened my lip lines, and had a dusting of sparkle. The sparkle seemed to distribute fairly evenly thanks to the plusher, gel-like texture that spread well. It stayed on nicely for three hours and was hydrating over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Hack (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Laura Mercier Sophia (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop No Joke (P, $8.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Pinch Me (P, $18.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Naked (P, $20.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Belladonna (P, $30.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Fu$$y (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop JJ (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Bite Beauty Pink Pearl (DC, $22.00) is more shimmery (85% similar).
- MAC Nutty & Naughty (LE, $20.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.11 oz. - $90.91 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "hi-shine" with a "non-sticky" texture that "feels amazing" and includes five finishes "from 3-D pearl to sheer tinted colour." They are designed to be a sheerer formula, so many shades are sheer with a smattering of shimmer or sparkle and then a few are more tinted with sheer to semi-sheer coverage but no shimmer. Each gloss has a short, brush-type applicator, which worked better than I expected and didn't leave streaky results behind (in general). They had a sweet, vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
The "Tinted" finish ("glass-like shine with tint of sheer colour and no shimmer") was the least consistent--sometimes prone to unevenness and getting into lip lines, particularly with deeper/richer shades, whereas Pearlescent ("glass-like shine with subtle shimmer") and Prismatic ("glass-like shine with floating multi dimensional pearl and glitters") are sheer to translucent with the major difference being finer shimmer in the Pearlescent finish and larger, more glitter-like particles in the Prismatic finish. Both finishes tended to look plush and more smoothing on my lips. The Creme finish is a "medium-coverage gloss with a creamy finish that does not contain any pearls or glitter." The Metallic is described as a "full-coverage gloss with a mix of pearl and metallic finishes."
The wear time varied by shade but the sheerer ones tended to wear between two and three hours as the formula was, indeed, non-sticky and smooth, which made them lighter-weight and comfortable to wear but shorter wearing. A lot of the sheerer shades ran together, so I would recommend just picking up one or two rather than several as the differences are likely to be lost! Also, keep in mind that sheerer lip colors can look different from person to person due to much of the natural lip color coming through.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip (Discontinued) swatches.
Well Nested
LELimited Edition. $10.00.
Cloud Chaser
Cloud Chaser is a muted, medium-dark rosy mauve with neutral-to-cool undertones and a matte finish. It took awhile to dry down on my arm (hence the still-drying swatch), but it dried down very quickly on my lips and appeared a bit lighter applied. The texture was thin, watery, and spreadable, but it looked dry and powdery on my lips with a tendency to emphasize lip texture/flakes. It had good color coverage (but not the medium coverage marketed) in a single layer that stayed on decently for four hours but faded unevenly after that. The formula felt lightly drying over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- L'Oreal Le Mauve Indomptable (P, $13.99) is darker (95% similar).
- Jouer Blush (P, $18.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Too Faced Freshly Baked (LE, $21.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Naked (P, $18.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Dusty Rose (P, $20.00) is darker (85% similar).
- Makeup Geek Proper (P, $15.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- L'Oreal Le Nude Admirable (P, $13.99) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Backtalk (P, $18.00) is darker (85% similar).
- Pat McGrath Divine Rose (P, $30.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Anastasia Trouble (P, $20.00) is darker (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.1 oz. - $60.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "medium coverage" and yield a "soft, diffused just-blotted look" that "dries matte, doesn't bodge, and feels soft and comfy on the lips." From the shades I've tried, the effect is exactly as described -- "a soft, diffused just-blotted look" with a matte finish. The consistency is thin but almost a little velvety as it spreads and dries down; it didn't feel as "wet" as most of their Liquid Lipstick formulas have. The formula dries down quickly and sets to a matte, transfer-resistant finish. The coverage varied from medium to semi-opaque, and the wear time was anywhere between four and six hours. The issue I have with them is the thinner, matte formula is more prone to emphasizing imperfections on my lips and lip lines. The formula is neither drying nor hydrating on me.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Blotted Liquid Lipstick (Discontinued) swatches.
The gloss is really quite beautiful and pillowy! Buuut, I hate the way the liquid lipstick in this set looks. Just dry and chalky looking. Hard pass.
Cloud Chaser is slightly deeper and more purple toned on me – I find the blotted lips formula slightly more forgiving that the ultra mattes but I still slap some Bite Agave on first!