With as much makeup as I have tried, it’s not every day that a new company piques my interest. But when I stumbled into Tinsel Cosmetics on Instagram, I was instantly entranced. A small, vintage inspired and woman owned cosmetics company?? Yes please!
Janie, the founder and owner of Tinsel Cosmetics has been a long time lover of fashion, beauty, vintage, and performance. She wanted to create decadent shades that could keep up with her busy lifestyle, or any woman’s lifestyle! So in she came with her lipsticks to save the day.
And not only are they pretty shades, but they are long wearing and formulated to nourish your lips and keep them from drying out. They are gluten free, vegan, and perfect for those with sensitivities. Honestly, those are some pretty big claims to make! So I was eager to see if they were accurate. I have some tried and true products to compare to.
So without further ado, here are all my thoughts on Tinsel Cosmetics lipsticks…
Products
Currently on the website, there are ten different shades of lipstick to choose from. Usually with makeup brands I can instantly pinpoint 2 or 3 colors I am attracted to, and am ambivalent towards the rest. With Tinsel Cosmetics, I honestly didn’t know which ones to choose!
Out of the ten shades, there are six “main” colors (all bright and pinup-y), and then one red that’s a collaboration with a tour group There are three shades in the lingerie collection that’s more moody and vampy. Let me tell you I had no idea what I wanted. Because I wanted to get a good overall view of the brand, I chose the bundle with the six original colors.
Even with only ten shades, I do feel that this is a good range, especially if you’re into vintage. Different shades would be ideal for different looks and decades(which I will elaborate on below). In talking to Janie, she revealed to me that she will be releasing some new spring colors later this month! Ooh la la!
Shipping & Packaging
With the current world events, you never know how long shipping is going to take, but I was very pleased with the time these took to arrive! I ordered on a ——— and then the package arrived on ——–. Not bad at all if you ask me! I’ve found that sometimes smaller companies take a bit longer but that wasn’t the case here.
The lipsticks came packaged int his adorable red holographic padded envelope. On brand, and I appreciated the the minimal packaging. Besides the envelope there was one small card saying thank you and then the lipsticks themselves in their boxes. A+ on the shipping packaging!
I also really liked the actual packaging on the lipstick too. It is obviously well made and luxurious, but it doesn’t feel gaudy or overdone. It’s clean, simple, and elegant, with gold text on the clear tube. I love when it isn’t a sticker! Mainly, I just love that it all feels very glamourous without being too explicitly so.
Colors
In the set I chose out, there are six colors with a gloriously wide shade range! I wanted to swatch each of them individually and give my thoughts on each because they are all very deserving of it.
Rockabilly Red
This is the signature Tinsel shade. It’s as true red that will suit any skin tone, no matter what your undertones are. I really enjoy this one and have found myself wearing it quite frequently. There are lots of red lipsticks out there, but very few have this richness and depth! This is perfect for 1940’s looks.
Burlesque Berry
Burlesque berry is the darkest shade in the set, and as its name suggests is a deep berry color, which I would style for a 1920’s look. I will be honest, I am not a fan of how berries look on me personally,it is a beautiful and high quality lipstick that I would recommend if you like shades like this.
Pinup Pink
Pinup pink is the pink shade every girl who loves the 1950’s needs. It’s almost neon, and the vibrancy doesn’t come across in pictures. It is surprisingly versatile, but I feel that it would look fabulous with a beehive and some winged liner.
Cabaret Crimson
I am deeply in love with cabaret crimson! It is very deep, dark red color. What I love about it is that it is dark without turning purple-y! It retains its red hue and is a lovely burgandy shade. I think this one is my favorite out of all of them and know it will get some major wear come Autumn. This shade screams 1930’s to me!
Revue Rose
If you like red but don’t want something as intense as the others, Revue red is for you! It’s more of a muted, brick red shade that gives me major 1970’s vibes. It’s a lot more wearable for everyday looks.
Nipple Tassel Nude
Nipple tassel nude (what a wonderful name)is the one nude shade in the bunch. It has very warm, orange undertones, and I adore this one! Usually I really am not a fan of nude lipsticks but this one is ROCKIN. If you put some gloss over the top and a big cut crease in your eyeshadow, you’ll be right out of the 1960’s.
These do have a very thin, liquid consistency. Which is not an issue, but something to be aware of. What I have learned is that they go on the best if you use a very very thin layer and go slowly. Don’t worry about not having enough coverage, because there is more than enough pigment inthese babies!
Quality
When it comes to quality in a lipstick, the gold standard for me will always be the Maybelline Superstay Matte Lip Ink. These guys will not move and can even last multiple days. Unfortunately, they really can leave my lips feeling dry and worn out. So I was hoping that in Tinsel I would find something equally long lasting, but good for my lips.
I did my usual wear test and took a picture right when I applied it, and then at the very end of the day. And trust me, I put this lipstick through its paces! One of my rules is that I don’t touch it up, or prime my lips as I usually would. I wore it for the better part of 12 hours, with a mask, and ate wings without reapplying. As you can see, obviously there was some wear. But on a “normal” day, where you can touch up and make sure it looks good, it would do very well.
Something to note: I have worn these lipsticks many times since writing this originally, and on days where I am not wearing a mask, and purposely trying to eat the messiest greasiest foods ever, they last amazingly well!
Lip Care
As stated before, Tinsel Cosmetics strives to be an inclusive brand that is safe for those with allergies, sensitivities, and people who are vegan. Heck yeah! While I personally am none of these things, I do appreciate that these products are good for lots of people. Something I also love is that there is no claim of “natural”, “clean”,or “chemical-free”. If you want to know why I hate that, you can go read here.
Janie is just transparent about what she puts into her products and I respect that a lot! What makes the lipsticks nourishing to the lips is the addition of coconut oil, argan oil, and vitamin E. All awesome ingredients to have! I won’t exaggerate and say that these were the a cure all for dry lips. BUT. After I took the color off, they felt very refreshed for having had a liquid lip on all day!
Which is totally not normal. Usually after taking lipstick off I am in major need of some lip balm, but not with Tinsel Cosmetics. My pout felt perfectly fine and ready to go. Even after taking pictures for this post and applying/removing six shades in rapid succession, they still felt fine. So ringing endorsement on that! I you want more pro-tips on lip care, take a look at this post!
Overall Thoughts
Each individual liquid lipstick is $20 (par for the course for a prestige brand, not to mention a small business). In the full set, you get all six for $99, which means you are saving $21! I definitely recommend that, unless you are only interested in getting one or two colors.
I really love these and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone interested! Full transparency, they do not stay as well as my beloved Maybelline Superstay Matte Lip Ink. However, those leave my lips feeling wrecked afterwards. The Tinsel lipsticks have most of the staying power, and none of the uncomfortable dryness. And for that reason, these are some of my new favorites!
In addition to that, I find this color range to be stunning. I don’t know what exactly it is or how, but these lippies have such a depth of color that is very difficult to find. (And trust me, I studied painting for many years. I am very picky about my colors.) Once you factor in that this is a small woman owned business, and that Janie a fantastic person… HECK YES.
These lipsticks are 100% Aphrodite approved and I would love for you to all head over the website and try out whichever color speaks to you. My one critique is that I just want more colors! So thank goodness for the new range coming in the near future. Possible collab, anyone? I would love to create some new beautiful lipsticks.
So what do you think of these beautiful creations? I know that I definitely want to try out the Lingerie Collection, and the new spring shades when they come out. Which shade stands out to you? Make sure to subscribe, and let me know in the comments! Until next time.
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