Rave: I love how affordable they are, that they’re on-trend, and they aren’t afraid to release colorful or less traditional shades. Rant: I wish they had a stronger core range of products that stuck around more permanently; even things that are “permanent” seem to disappear after a few months–some shades ARE timeless!
— Christine
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RAVE: Great quality, great range of choices, great price! The products are inexpensive enough that I don’t mind taking my chances with shades that are outside my comfort zone. Out of all the CP products I’ve bought, I’ve had only a few misses. CP has easily become one of my favorite brands for eyeshadow and, just recently, blush and brow color.
RANT: They sell out of shades pretty quickly sometimes and it takes forever for them to become available again. That’s about the only thing negative I can say (except that I haven’t been able to get onto their website from work for the past week, although I can access it from my phone and home computer. I don’t know who’s at fault, but it’s pretty annoying!).
the internet at your workplace might block certain sites
I’ve been there for years, and it just started happening last week. And no other similar sites are blocked that I know of. It’s weird.
Some cos restrict sites you visit X times. I can get Temptalia page 1, no further and no click overs. We are restricted from our main personal email. They won’t let photos through on the business email, and you can’t access sites that you need for professional info. That’s why I bought an iPad, inability to access, say, normative data for my slp evals. I need pix; I do communication plans for autistic individuals, amongst others. You KNOW it became a dedicated Temptalia machine! But the bottom line is you should bring a personal laptop or tablet to work. Big Brother is reincarnated as the IT dept, and you WILL be punished!
Like the prices, like the pressed powder products. Hate the swatches on their website, hate their lip products, hate how much repetitive stuff they churn out.
I agree – their swatches are SO inaccurate! It’s astonishing how bad they are and how they don’t try to improve them even though they get a lot of feedback that the colors aren’t true.
My rant is that they’re not available in store….if they had a bricks and mortar store presence anywhere near me, I’d be all over the brand (especially their eyeshadows but plenty of other wonderful products too). I prefer shopping in person and actively dislike ordering online so that’s been the barrier for me.
I thought about putting this as a rant, but then I realized that if all of their products were available in a local b&m store, I’d probably be buying too much, too often!
Yes, but they’re so affordable that for what you’d pay for a duo or quad from the prestige brands carried at Sephora or The Bay, you could buy a lot of Colour Pop and still not break the bank (well, that’s what I’d tell myself, anyway!)
That they AREN’T in a brick and mortar store is one of the things that keep their prices down.
RANT: Their swatches are completely unreliable and the descriptions don’t match the swatches and sometimes don’t even match the product. I also find that any time I really love something it gets cycled out. Some of the orange/coral lip colors leave a hot pink stain (which a lot of cheap makeup brands tend to do on me) so that is disappointing and it means I just don’t get those shades from CP anymore. The Lux lipsticks are amazing, but they need to come out with more rosey vs warm or super bright tones. I wish they would stop putting the pressed glitters into smaller palettes. I wish they stated what glosses had a doe foot vs a brush applicator because I hate the brush and would avoid them if I knew ahead of time that is what it would be. A lot of the products marketed as shimmery are straight up glitter so without Temptalia I would have a hard time knowing what I should try (no visible glitter for face products but shimmer is ok for me personally). They note glitter levels on the super shocks so I know what I am getting into with those.
RAVE: For the most part CP is a total rave. At least sometimes they cycle back in products that got discontinued. They are on the forefront of creativity and I appreciate that they look try to create innovative products… even though they aren’t always hits at least they try to do something different. I know that Fourth Ray is more of a sister brand sold through CP, but I absolutely love their skin care. I love that the super shocks are a great way to add a punch of color.
I don’t mind one iota that there are no refunds because out of my orders (I always hold off on purchases until I can get free shipping – and I don’t just willy nilly throw items in my bag… I wait until it is all things I really want) because there is rarely a time when I don’t like 90% of what I get in my order. Even if I don’t love a shade, most of the time the quality is there so I can find a way to make it work for me.
Rant: They come out with new collections every 5 minutes and it’s so hard to keep up with their new releases. They discontinue products relatively quickly as well, so if you have a product that you love, you may not be able to find it again.
Rave: So affordable and trendy! Lots of different colors and finishes in all of their products. Really good quality. I love their super shock eyeshadows so much and they are the brand that started my make up collection.
Rave: They’re fun, inexpensive and most importantly, good to great quality.
Rant: Stop with the constant stream of new releases! I think they have a new palette release every Thursday and I always get hooked in to purchase.
Rave: Price, quality, color selection. I don’t have an issue with the LEs (so far…) because I rarely use things up.
Rant: Inability to swatch. I really want some of their foundations, bought a couple I thought would be a good match and they are so far off…
Had this question been asked a couple of weeks ago, I would have honestly had no opinion either way, other than the fact they aren’t as readily available as I personally like products to be. However, I recently stumbled upon an article that really rubbed me the wrong way. It seems the brand is owned by a couple of siblings who happened to inherit a makeup lab, and decided to create the brand. I have nothing against seizing on an opportunity to start a business, turn a profit, and create jobs, but when it comes to makeup/fashion, I really prefer to buy from brands that have a real passion for the product… Say what you will about Kat von D & Doe Deere, but at least they bring some life to their brands, and makeup is an obvious part of who they are. I guess there was always a part of me that felt ColourPop was just a money grab, but the article clinched it. In an already oversaturated industry, I just don’t feel there’s room for any brand that doesn’t bring anything unique to the table…
While I can see where you’re coming from, claiming that because they got started the way they did means they don’t bring anything unique to the table is a logical faux pas. They’ve been considered unique from the beginning for for products, choices, and prices; this was before anyone knew their origins. Retroactively laying a filter of uselessness over them because their origin story doesn’t resonate with you isn’t quite fair. If uniqueness is defined by problematic personalities, I’d argue that we could use a lot less “uniqueness” in the industry.
“I guess there was always a part of me that felt ColourPop was just a money grab,” but yet compared to Kat von D & Doe Deere, ColourPop’s prices are so much less expensive. So how could it be that ColourPop is in it for the money, but they’re not? Just wondering…
Rant: I would actually like them to slow down a bit on production. It seems like they are constantly releasing new products and it is frustrating to place an order and the next day they release something new that you want. I could be placing orders every other day for new products. I have avoided their website unless it is something that Temptalia reviews and it looks like something I want and need but otherwise, I find it too tempting to go and look without a specific product in mind.
Rave: Just about everything is a rave. I love the formula’s overall. I think their price point is exceptional given the quality. I love that a lot of the SSS can be used as one and done eye looks. They offer a wide range of products in a wide range of shades. Their customer service has been excellent the times that I have had to reach out to them. I have to do a lot of my shopping on line and I always feel like I can take a chance on a product shade because it isn’t going to break the bank.
I actually never purchased anything from ColourPop, I don’t have a strong opinion on the brand… but my rant as a beauty content consumer is that they release too many things. 😆 It’s like everyday I hear about a new palette… and it makes me feel like the brand focuses more on quantity than quality. My image of ColourPop is that it’s the make-up equivalent on fast fashion…
I guess my other rant is that they are not available in physical stores (or even in the online stores I make purchases at). Since I never tried the brand, I would want to test / swatch something in stores before making a purchase; even if it’s cheap, it’s still a waste of product and money if I don’t like it.
Admittedly, a lot of my rants are likely related to my aging out of their target audience. CP is a brand I would have LOVED when I was 20, but am just merely in strong like with currently.
RAVE: Inexpensive – which also means I feel less guilty taking a chance on things I might not normally chance and taking a risk online, Innovative – they have some really nice formulas not readily available elsewhere, Quality – they are reasonably consistent across the board, and Variety – they tend to have a pretty good range of cool and warm tones.
RANT: There is a heavy focus on glitter – a lot of the super shock shadow colors I like are just complete glitter bombs and outnumber the other finishes. 20 year old me would have been all over the glitter. Office worker me can’t pull off that much glitter. They also have a lot of releases and collaborations and it just seems overwhelming and too much. At a certain point I have a hard time keeping track and with things being limited or discontinued so frequently it’s really disappointing to no longer find a product I liked. I get that there is usually a certain amount of new releases/discontinuation in every line, but it seems excessive here. A younger version of me would have enjoyed the chaos and shiny newness of everything, but I like reliability.
Rant: I’ve had some trouble with the packaging not being very good — I bought one of their liners for a friend and it broke on her, which was sad. Also, I had to unsubscribe from their emails because it was a constant deluge of FOMO-based marketing!
Rave: I think they make a lot of good products at an approachable price point. I really appreciate their line of monochrome palettes — I personally only wanted the green one (which I have and am very happy with), but I think everyone should be able to have a fun palette focused on their favorite color.
Omg the quantity of emails. I wanted to be in the loop. But daily emails were just too much for me too.
I am trying to only buy what I need and this was too tempting.
RAVES: I love CP. They have lots of product and color variety. The quality is usually really good, and it’s hard to beat the prices. They offer a complexion products for a wide variety of skin tones. Their pressed powder shadows are excellent, as are the Ultra Satins and Lux Lipsticks. They seem to try to listen to their customers: Bringing back brighter shades, making an all-purple palette, reformulating the Ultra Mattes (I haven’t tried the new formula yet), and improving their shipping times. They do an excellent job packaging items so that they don’t break (better than most high end brands!), and add in a freebie product automatically if their shipping gets behind. Customer service has been great in my experiences. I love some of their collaborations, such as Designer Disney Princesses, Disney Villains, and My Little Pony. They’re cruelty free.
RANTS: Items sell out really fast, and they’re usually pretty slow restocking. I often end up never able to get items I want, even if they’re permanent, because popular items are always sold out as soon as they come in. They started putting non-eye safe glitters in eyeshadow palettes. They are always discontinuing products, and even “permanent” shades seem to get ousted regularly. I especially hate when they do this to quality, hard-to-duplicate shades such as Petit Four and Marshmallow. They put out too many warm-toned neutral palettes. The colored mascaras were a disappointing mixed bag of quality.
Rave: Their creativity and imagination is many times next level! Especially when they *first* started out with the SSS followed up quickly with their SS for cheeks and Lippie Stix. Exciting, innovative and so very much on trend. Sometimes even creating a trend!
Rant: They churn out new stuff WAY too fast. I mean, give us a moment to savor your last collection/collaboration before shoving more on us, please! A little time to enjoy one before throwing another one at us would be so appreciated. We don’t need something new every few days to a week!
RAVE: Great quality makeup for great prices. They’re always coming out with new stuff and aren’t afraid to take chances with new colors and busting out bright and otherwise colorful products.
CONS: The turnover rate is fast so even their permanent collection isn’t really permanent. Sometimes they drop new products back to back so no matter how we time our orders, something new is dropping almost every week. They also only have a small amount of products carried through Ulta, so if we want to shop in person, there’s a minimal amount carried. That may not be on ColourPop though so I’m not going to complain too much there.
Although their products are very affordable and they seem to be of a good quality, I’ve never been able to bring myself to order from them for some reason.
What I dislike though, is that they seem to be applying the fast fashion model to beauty, and this is less appealing to me personally.
Agreed – fast fashion is an excellent metaphor for CP!
Rave: I love how affordable, cruelty free and generally of good quality they are. Their lux lippie range is fabulous and most of their singles are stunning.
Rant: Like you Christine, I wish they didn’t discontinue shades so quickly as there are a few that I would like to have eg Snakebite. Some of them are timeless, I agree.
I also find a lot of their palettes have a sameness to them as well.
I’m so excited for this palette! I’m collecting all of the monochromatic palettes from them. This is so pretty!
I just commented on the wrong post ???I love all things colourpop! I’m a big fan of almost all the colorful things they bring out. No complaints!
Rant: I enjoy some of the Supershock shadows and the unique formula of the cream type blushes. The shimmer/metallic powder eyeshadows are also good. It’s nice that Ulta is now carrying some Colourpop in store at a good, low price.
Rant: I don’t enjoy the Colourpop matte powder formula. They tend to stick where I place them and are hard for me to blend. I can only recall one palette, Fame, that had a neutral-cool enough shade range for my taste. The cream shadows dry out faster than any other I own, even with tightened lids. Ulta never seems to carry the Colourpop item/shade that I am interested in. Like ELF, before it, i tended to put lots of things in my cart to avoid the shipping fee, defeating the purpose of purchasing a low priced item. (I can justify paying $5 for a $60 product but just cannot get my head around paying $5 shipping for an $8 item.) Not really a rant but I feel that the Colourpop esthetic is directed at a younger crowd and I tend to ignore their releases, although I do look over the Ulta display sometimes-and the latest cream stick blushes have gotten my attention. More because of them being a cream formula than being Colourpop though.
Rave: they’re probably the best brand out there right now not named Pat McGrath. I feel comfortable enough buying a product without checking reviews (but I usually come to Temptalia just to be sure!)
Rant: the Super Shock Shadows tend to break easily and make a huge mess! I also don’t like their liquid lipsticks.
Rant: Too many releases that look similar to past (or even current) products. Waaay to many Super Shock Shadows that are ultra glitters, instead of metallic or satin finishes. Swatches on the website are awful, and are usually completely wrong. Anytime I find a new favorite product, it always seems to get discontinued a month or so later. The majority of their nude lipsticks pull very orange or very purple on me for some reason. Most of their brown eyeshadows pull orangeish on me. Why do they still offer bundles that include products that were discontinued like a year ago? Why cant they have singles of all the shades from individual palettes? Why is it that every time I check their site, prices have risen again?
Rave: Most of the time, the quality is good. Single shadows are great, and the satin and metallic super shocks are amazing. Frequent sales on the website. They stay on trend with what the “next big thing” is. Things are cheap enough to where I don’t feel bad giving stuff away if it doesn’t suit my coloring.
WOW – so weird to see people annoyed by new offerings and bigger selection. I LOVE that something new is always popping up! Especially from an affordable brand with great quality! This is my favorite brand at the moment and buying a $6 super shock is replacing the $20 moondust single shadows I’d have on my wishlist and purchase sparingly. LOVE COLOURPOP! no rant.
“WOW – so weird to see people annoyed by new offerings and bigger selection.” No.
What people are annoyed by is the combination of constantly rolling out products and fast drops — this means either buying weekly, or waiting to buy four things you’ve seen recently that you like and finding the oldest of those four items (which might have been introduced a month ago!) has been dropped by the time you get around to buying. They’re not annoyed by choices, they’re annoyed by the feeling that they’re being whipped into a frenzy of buying by CP’s marketing tactics combined with their discontinuation and turnover policy.
Rant – the constant onslaught of releases is a huge turnoff for me and makes me want to ignore them. It’s been like this for a few years now. I wish they’d slow down releases and discontinues so we could take a moment and actually enjoy the new products and not worry about stuff being DC’ed constantly.
Rave – same as everyone. They make mostly good quality products and on-trend fun things for a really great price.