Makeup Geek Foxtrot, Jitterbug, Tango Showstopper Crème Stains Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Foxtrot
Makeup Geek Foxtrot Showstopper Creme Stain ($12.00 for 0.19 fl. oz.) is a medium, peachy pink with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque color coverage that didn’t look too patchy, but it was noticeably streaky, even after it had fully dried down. The consistency was thin, watery, and dried down very quickly, so it was hard to correct any mistakes. It lasted for four hours on me and was slightly drying.
The Showstopper Creme Stain formula is supposed to be “long-lasting” and “highly pigmented and offers effortless, buildable coverage.” Highly pigmented and buildable make it confusing what the coverage actually is, since something that is buildable means that it is less pigmented but can be layered for greater coverage. The majority of shades were medium to semi-opaque in coverage, hard to build as they often pulled up the first layer and shifted color around. The formula rarely applied well; it was streaky, dried so fast that there was no time for corrections (and attempts to correct just made it worse), and clingy. I found the applicator rougher, and the packaging made it seem that sometimes it was more like I wasn’t getting enough product on the wand to even coverage half of a lip (it seemed like the opening was wiping away too much product from the doefoot applicator). For every single swatch, I had to dip and pull the wand two to three times just to get enough product to cover my lips (it was impossible to stretch out the product very far as it dried as I was spreading it). It did dry to a transfer-resistant finish, but it did not survive eating well (most liquid lipstick formulas have survived better for me). Though transfer-resistant, it remained slightly tacky for one to two hours–and if you use more than one to one and a half layers, it often lifted and separated the color.
The brand’s swatches and lip swatches showcase a seemingly opaque product, but I could not achieve opaque coverage with several shades, even trying four or five layers, and the result after five layers of product was uneven, patchy, and cakey. The wear was average–four to six hours with significant fading from the center, which is more what I’d experience with a typical lipstick and a liquid lipstick–and surprisingly, little staining, even with deeper shades. So far, they have been slightly drying to somewhat drying. There are so many high-performing liquid lipsticks on the marketplace already, so I was caught off guard by the poor application and performance of this formula.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS Maria Carla (LE, $27.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Bolero (P, $27.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Mathilde (LE, $34.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Muneca (P, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Milani I Am Awesome (P, $6.99) is lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop L'Auberge (LE, $9.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Laura Mercier Coral Nu (P, $32.00) is cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- NARS Skin Tight (LE, $27.00) is more muted, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Little Darling (LE, $19.00) is cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- ColourPop Electric Feel (LE, $7.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$12.00/0.19 oz. - $63.16 Per Ounce
The Showstopper Creme Stain formula is supposed to be “long-lasting” and “highly pigmented and offers effortless, buildable coverage.” Highly pigmented and buildable make it confusing what the coverage actually is, since something that is buildable means that it is less pigmented but can be layered for greater coverage. The majority of shades were medium to semi-opaque in coverage, hard to build as they often pulled up the first layer and shifted color around. The formula rarely applied well; it was streaky, dried so fast that there was no time for corrections (and attempts to correct just made it worse), and clingy.
I found the applicator rougher, and the packaging made it seem that sometimes it was more like I wasn’t getting enough product on the wand to even coverage half of a lip (it seemed like the opening was wiping away too much product from the doefoot applicator). For every single swatch, I had to dip and pull the wand two to three times just to get enough product to cover my lips (it was impossible to stretch out the product very far as it dried as I was spreading it).
It did dry to a transfer-resistant finish, but it did not survive eating well (most liquid lipstick formulas have survived better for me). Though transfer-resistant, it remained slightly tacky for one to two hours–and if you use more than one to one and a half layers, it often lifted and separated the color.
The brand’s swatches and lip swatches showcase a seemingly opaque product, but I could not achieve opaque coverage with several shades, even trying four or five layers, and the result after five layers of product was uneven, patchy, and cakey. The wear was average–four to six hours with significant fading from the center, which is more what I’d experience with a typical lipstick and a liquid lipstick–and surprisingly, little staining, even with deeper shades. So far, they have been slightly drying to somewhat drying. There are so many high-performing liquid lipsticks on the marketplace already, so I was caught off guard by the poor application and performance of this formula.
Browse all of our Makeup Geek Showstopper Crème Stain swatches.
Ingredients
Polybutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyethylene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Microcrystalline WaxCera MicrocristallinaCire Microcristalline, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Octyldodecanol, Dicalcium Phosphate, WaterAquaEau, Alumina, Tin Oxide, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Bronze Powder (Ci 77400), Carmine (Ci 75470), Copper Powder (Ci 77400), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Orange 5 (Ci 45370), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 (Ci 15850), Red 21 (Ci 45380), Red 27 (Ci 45410), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), 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.
Foxtrot
LELimited Edition. $12.00.
Jitterbug
Makeup Geek Jitterbug Showstopper Creme Stain ($12.00 for 0.19 fl. oz.) is a bright, medium coral-orange with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that applied unevenly and had noticeable streakiness. After it dried down, it looked “cracked” when I smiled, and this one flaked off within an hour of wear. There were just large chunks of product that came away, and I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, so it was unexpected. It wore for two and a half hours before it had just looked horrendous, and it was extremely drying and tight to wear.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Bite Beauty #068 (P, $18.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Too Faced Feelin' Myself (P, $21.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Smarty Pants (P, $12.00) is glossier (90% similar).
- Sephora First Date (70) (P, $14.00) is more muted (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Julia (LE, $20.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Joyride (LE, $26.00) is darker, cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty L'Ecole des Femmes (DC, $21.00) is brighter, cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- Smashbox Pinch Me (P, $21.00) is darker, glossier (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever Explosive Peach (302) (P, $23.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- MAC Rich & Restless (P, $21.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$12.00/0.19 oz. - $63.16 Per Ounce
The Showstopper Creme Stain formula is supposed to be “long-lasting” and “highly pigmented and offers effortless, buildable coverage.” Highly pigmented and buildable make it confusing what the coverage actually is, since something that is buildable means that it is less pigmented but can be layered for greater coverage. The majority of shades were medium to semi-opaque in coverage, hard to build as they often pulled up the first layer and shifted color around. The formula rarely applied well; it was streaky, dried so fast that there was no time for corrections (and attempts to correct just made it worse), and clingy.
I found the applicator rougher, and the packaging made it seem that sometimes it was more like I wasn’t getting enough product on the wand to even coverage half of a lip (it seemed like the opening was wiping away too much product from the doefoot applicator). For every single swatch, I had to dip and pull the wand two to three times just to get enough product to cover my lips (it was impossible to stretch out the product very far as it dried as I was spreading it).
It did dry to a transfer-resistant finish, but it did not survive eating well (most liquid lipstick formulas have survived better for me). Though transfer-resistant, it remained slightly tacky for one to two hours–and if you use more than one to one and a half layers, it often lifted and separated the color.
The brand’s swatches and lip swatches showcase a seemingly opaque product, but I could not achieve opaque coverage with several shades, even trying four or five layers, and the result after five layers of product was uneven, patchy, and cakey. The wear was average–four to six hours with significant fading from the center, which is more what I’d experience with a typical lipstick and a liquid lipstick–and surprisingly, little staining, even with deeper shades. So far, they have been slightly drying to somewhat drying. There are so many high-performing liquid lipsticks on the marketplace already, so I was caught off guard by the poor application and performance of this formula.
Browse all of our Makeup Geek Showstopper Crème Stain swatches.
Ingredients
Polybutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyethylene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Microcrystalline WaxCera MicrocristallinaCire Microcristalline, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Octyldodecanol, Dicalcium Phosphate, WaterAquaEau, Alumina, Tin Oxide, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Bronze Powder (Ci 77400), Carmine (Ci 75470), Copper Powder (Ci 77400), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Orange 5 (Ci 45370), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 (Ci 15850), Red 21 (Ci 45380), Red 27 (Ci 45410), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), 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.
Jitterbug
LELimited Edition. $12.00.
Tango
Makeup Geek Tango Showstopper Creme Stain ($12.00 for 0.19 fl. oz.) is a bright, medium coral-red with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque color coverage that applied decently, though there was a bit of streaking and some unevenness–the brightness of the color helped distract from those things, though. The texture was thinner, very quick to dry, and clingy on the lips. This shade lasted for five hours and was drying over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Chanel Fleur de Lotus (830) (P, $45.00) is lighter, more muted (95% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Unattached (P, $24.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel La Favorite (43) (P, $45.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
- NARS Flame (LE, $26.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Eclosion (134) (P, $40.00) is more muted (95% similar).
- Lisa Eldridge Velvet Rain (P, $36.00) is darker, more muted (95% similar).
- NARS Famous Red (P, $27.00) is darker (90% similar).
- MAC Ablaze (P, $19.00) is cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- Bite Beauty #070 (P, $18.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Bloombox (LE, $19.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$12.00/0.19 oz. - $63.16 Per Ounce
The Showstopper Creme Stain formula is supposed to be “long-lasting” and “highly pigmented and offers effortless, buildable coverage.” Highly pigmented and buildable make it confusing what the coverage actually is, since something that is buildable means that it is less pigmented but can be layered for greater coverage. The majority of shades were medium to semi-opaque in coverage, hard to build as they often pulled up the first layer and shifted color around. The formula rarely applied well; it was streaky, dried so fast that there was no time for corrections (and attempts to correct just made it worse), and clingy.
I found the applicator rougher, and the packaging made it seem that sometimes it was more like I wasn’t getting enough product on the wand to even coverage half of a lip (it seemed like the opening was wiping away too much product from the doefoot applicator). For every single swatch, I had to dip and pull the wand two to three times just to get enough product to cover my lips (it was impossible to stretch out the product very far as it dried as I was spreading it).
It did dry to a transfer-resistant finish, but it did not survive eating well (most liquid lipstick formulas have survived better for me). Though transfer-resistant, it remained slightly tacky for one to two hours–and if you use more than one to one and a half layers, it often lifted and separated the color.
The brand’s swatches and lip swatches showcase a seemingly opaque product, but I could not achieve opaque coverage with several shades, even trying four or five layers, and the result after five layers of product was uneven, patchy, and cakey. The wear was average–four to six hours with significant fading from the center, which is more what I’d experience with a typical lipstick and a liquid lipstick–and surprisingly, little staining, even with deeper shades. So far, they have been slightly drying to somewhat drying. There are so many high-performing liquid lipsticks on the marketplace already, so I was caught off guard by the poor application and performance of this formula.
Browse all of our Makeup Geek Showstopper Crème Stain swatches.
Ingredients
Polybutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyethylene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Microcrystalline WaxCera MicrocristallinaCire Microcristalline, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Octyldodecanol, Dicalcium Phosphate, WaterAquaEau, Alumina, Tin Oxide, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Bronze Powder (Ci 77400), Carmine (Ci 75470), Copper Powder (Ci 77400), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Orange 5 (Ci 45370), Red 6 (Ci 15850), Red 7 (Ci 15850), Red 21 (Ci 45380), Red 27 (Ci 45410), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380), Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200), 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.
Since Tango is such a pretty shade, albeit with terrible quality issues, I sure am glad to have MAC La Vie En Rouge and UD Tilt (Revolution formula)!
Jitterbug sounds like something out a very, very bad nightmare! Yes, I actually have makeup dreams and nightmares, but I’m just weird that way! LoL!
LOL! I’ve had a few makeup dreams in my time 😉
Wow, an F for Jitterbug! Your poor lips look shriveled
Some of these were just so bad :/
Oh boy 🙁 this is just saddening!
Agreed!
Yikes!
🙁