ColourPop Fake Love, Sorry Not Sorry, Alchemist Velvet Blur Lux Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches
Fake Love
ColourPop Fake Love Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick ($7.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a bright, neon fuchsia pink with cool, blue undertones and a semi-matte finish. The pigmentation was medium in one layer, and it was buildable to semi-opaque coverage in three layers. The lipstick had a thin consistency that felt velvety and smooth, but it was prone to separating along my lip lines rather than smoothing them out (as it was supposed to do). It wore well for five hours, left a bit of a pinkish stain behind, and was slightly drying to me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Be Silly (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Sundae (LE, $6.50) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Anastasia Orchid (P, $18.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever M201 (DC, $22.00) is lighter, more muted, warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Backstage Bambi (DC, $21.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Electric Pink (15) (P, $55.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
- MAC Quick Sizzle (LE, $19.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Pop Babe (LE, $18.50) is lighter (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady (P, $19.00) is darker, cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Pop-arazzi (606) (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.12 oz. - $83.33 Per Ounce
It's supposed to have a "soft focus, blurring effect" with "buildable" color that can deliver "high impact colour" with a "silky, velvet soft texture" that "smooths over fine lines and imperfections" without "drying out your lips." They have a velvety slip to them, as they're packed with silicone, and so they have that smooth feel as they go over the lips but have a lightweight, almost powder-like finish that makes me think of a "soft matte." From a normal viewing distance, like at a glance in a mirror or another person viewing you while having a face-to-face conversation, as opposed to checking one's lips close-up in the mirror, I saw the "blur" effect--soft, slightly understated color with a matte finish. The lack of opacity in some of them gave them a "softer" appearance to my eye.
That being said, I didn't experience any smoothing, and I haven't personally found that the more silicone-heavy lipstick formulas go that far in smoothing my lip lines; I'd actually feel like they're more likely to emphasize imperfections as the lipstick caught on flakes and settled into lip lines. There were some shades that applied more unevenly and were more prone to settling noticeably in my lip lines than others, and there were a few that applied evenly and were flattering with respect to texture on me as well. As always, I do my best to ensure that I exfoliate my lips regularly and keep my lips hydrated when not testing lip products (at night and the like) to try and have a "good" canvas for lip colors.
The coverage varied from shade to shade with most shades offering medium, buildable coverage, though some of the deeper and more vivid shades were more semi-opaque to nearly opaque in a single layer. The color faded a bit more readily from the center of my lips compared to the outer edges but was fairly even in how they wore down. Only the very deepest/more red-toned shades stained my lips (and only slightly) after wearing them. They seemed mostly non-drying but a few felt a little more drying to me. The formula has a sweet, burnt sugar scent but no discernible taste.
Browse all of our ColourPop Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Zeolite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrated Silica, Flavor, Saccharin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract; MAY CONTAIN: Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Fake Love
PPermanent. $10.00.
Sorry Not Sorry
ColourPop Sorry Not Sorry Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick ($7.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a medium magenta with cool, blue undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had buildable color payoff that ranged from medium to mostly opaque (three layers). The lipstick had a smooth, velvety texture that made it comfortable to apply as it glided easily across my lips. It didn’t slide around and felt thin and lightweight, but it did not smooth out my lip lines; there was some color that deposited in my deeper lip lines and pulled away at subtle texture on my upper lip. It lasted for four and a half hours, left a bit of a stain behind, and felt non-drying.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Drive In (LE, $6.50) is darker (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Party Girl (P, $12.00) is darker (85% similar).
- Too Faced Tropical Punch (LE, $21.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Crank (DC, $18.00) is darker, glossier (85% similar).
- NARS Candy Stripper (P, $26.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Buxom Ultraviolet (P, $22.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Estee Lauder Stronger (P, $32.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- KVD Beauty Susperia (P, $20.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- MAC Have Your Cake (LE, $19.00) is darker, glossier (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Wavelength (P, $22.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.12 oz. - $83.33 Per Ounce
It's supposed to have a "soft focus, blurring effect" with "buildable" color that can deliver "high impact colour" with a "silky, velvet soft texture" that "smooths over fine lines and imperfections" without "drying out your lips." They have a velvety slip to them, as they're packed with silicone, and so they have that smooth feel as they go over the lips but have a lightweight, almost powder-like finish that makes me think of a "soft matte." From a normal viewing distance, like at a glance in a mirror or another person viewing you while having a face-to-face conversation, as opposed to checking one's lips close-up in the mirror, I saw the "blur" effect--soft, slightly understated color with a matte finish. The lack of opacity in some of them gave them a "softer" appearance to my eye.
That being said, I didn't experience any smoothing, and I haven't personally found that the more silicone-heavy lipstick formulas go that far in smoothing my lip lines; I'd actually feel like they're more likely to emphasize imperfections as the lipstick caught on flakes and settled into lip lines. There were some shades that applied more unevenly and were more prone to settling noticeably in my lip lines than others, and there were a few that applied evenly and were flattering with respect to texture on me as well. As always, I do my best to ensure that I exfoliate my lips regularly and keep my lips hydrated when not testing lip products (at night and the like) to try and have a "good" canvas for lip colors.
The coverage varied from shade to shade with most shades offering medium, buildable coverage, though some of the deeper and more vivid shades were more semi-opaque to nearly opaque in a single layer. The color faded a bit more readily from the center of my lips compared to the outer edges but was fairly even in how they wore down. Only the very deepest/more red-toned shades stained my lips (and only slightly) after wearing them. They seemed mostly non-drying but a few felt a little more drying to me. The formula has a sweet, burnt sugar scent but no discernible taste.
Browse all of our ColourPop Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Zeolite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrated Silica, Flavor, Saccharin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract; MAY CONTAIN: Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Sorry Not Sorry
PPermanent. $10.00.
Alchemist
ColourPop Alchemist Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick ($7.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a deep, reddened berry with subtle, cool undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had buildable coverage from semi-opaque to opaque coverage, but it was definitely one of the more pigmented shades (in one layer) in the range. The texture felt smooth and velvety, so it didn’t have any wet or cream-like feel yet still glided easily across my lips to lay down a thin, even layer of product. This particular shade seemed to stay out of my lip lines for the most part, which was an area that other shades struggled with. It wore well for five and a half hours, left a very faint stain behind, and was neither drying nor hydrating on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Plucked (LE, $10.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Milani I Am Powerful (P, $6.99) is cooler (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Rocker Chick (P, $12.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Smashbox Jam On It (P, $21.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- NARS Endangered Red (P, $27.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Chanel Muted Fuchsia (124) (P, $40.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Loud Speak'r (LE, $20.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
- ColourPop Doin' Fine (LE, $7.00) is warmer (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever M501 (DC, $22.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Smashbox Femme Fatale (P, $21.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.12 oz. - $83.33 Per Ounce
It's supposed to have a "soft focus, blurring effect" with "buildable" color that can deliver "high impact colour" with a "silky, velvet soft texture" that "smooths over fine lines and imperfections" without "drying out your lips." They have a velvety slip to them, as they're packed with silicone, and so they have that smooth feel as they go over the lips but have a lightweight, almost powder-like finish that makes me think of a "soft matte." From a normal viewing distance, like at a glance in a mirror or another person viewing you while having a face-to-face conversation, as opposed to checking one's lips close-up in the mirror, I saw the "blur" effect--soft, slightly understated color with a matte finish. The lack of opacity in some of them gave them a "softer" appearance to my eye.
That being said, I didn't experience any smoothing, and I haven't personally found that the more silicone-heavy lipstick formulas go that far in smoothing my lip lines; I'd actually feel like they're more likely to emphasize imperfections as the lipstick caught on flakes and settled into lip lines. There were some shades that applied more unevenly and were more prone to settling noticeably in my lip lines than others, and there were a few that applied evenly and were flattering with respect to texture on me as well. As always, I do my best to ensure that I exfoliate my lips regularly and keep my lips hydrated when not testing lip products (at night and the like) to try and have a "good" canvas for lip colors.
The coverage varied from shade to shade with most shades offering medium, buildable coverage, though some of the deeper and more vivid shades were more semi-opaque to nearly opaque in a single layer. The color faded a bit more readily from the center of my lips compared to the outer edges but was fairly even in how they wore down. Only the very deepest/more red-toned shades stained my lips (and only slightly) after wearing them. They seemed mostly non-drying but a few felt a little more drying to me. The formula has a sweet, burnt sugar scent but no discernible taste.
Browse all of our ColourPop Velvet Blur Lux Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Dimethicone, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Zeolite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrated Silica, Flavor, Saccharin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract; MAY CONTAIN: Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Colourpop Lux formulas just don’t go with my lips. I love their lippie stix and I am kind disappointed they seem to be discontinuing them for the Lux ones.
Alchemist is gorgeous, but I have a dupe for it, so for now, I will pass. I’m a little confused by this formula– I saw them say somewhere that it’s like “lux meets blotted lip”, and it’s supposed to smooth lines, but from your description of performance, it seems to ultimately be failing in that goal? They look beautifully soft from afar, but the disparate experience between afar and close-up is…interesting? Many question marks because I am confused! haha.
As a FYI, Blotted Lips doesn’t really smooth out my lip lines either!
Alchemist is very nice, but I don’t need it. The other two are just too bright for my face. And I really dislike the name “Fake Love.”
I believe “Fake Love” is a reference to the BTS song of the same name!
Oh, ok, thanks. I’m not familiar with BTS.
Loving how Alchemist looks compared to many of these! This is also very much in my wheelhouse, taste wise, too!
Too bad that Sorry Not Sorry isn’t a little bit deeper and of better quality, or I’d have been all over it!
I bought fake love, alchemist, and sorry not sorry and received fake love and alchemist. I find that alchemist in terms of color is very close to MAC kiss powder in burning love and the formulas are also fairly similar. I like the color range with the lux lipsticks more and haven’t experienced the color settling into my lip lines yet but I will be looking out for that. I tend to put a lip balm on my lips when using any lip product because I like to keep my lips moisturized and with an spf so that might help with it not settling into my fine lines. So far I really love this formula. I am enjoying the powder/velvet finish. It’s really lightweight and feels like I have nothing on which I love and doesn’t really feel drying like a matte.
I was excited for these, but I’m very disappointed how they don’t blur, and do pull into lip lines. Sad.
Christine, have you noticed an odd smell coming from this formula? I picked up all 3 of these as a set plus one additional and I noticed some of the colors (Sorry Not Sorry & Mesmerize, in particular) had that similar rubbery scent like the MAC Powder Kiss lipsticks. It’s not the most pleasant smell in the world, just wondering if this is unique to me or if others have the same experience!
I smelled mine when I originally swatched them all but didn’t notice any of that rubberiness I did with MAC (I specifically smelled these looking for that, lol). I’ll have to go back and see if any of them have changed since using/testing.
Hmm maybe it’s just me! The scent goes away after a minute, but that first whiff is strong.