Thursday, January 19, 2012

Review and swatches: Silk Naturals Kisser Slickers

I decided I needed some sort of balm-lipstick hybrid for work – something extremely moisturising, fairly long-lasting that would impart a bit of colour but wear off evenly. Tall order, I know! I decided to try out Silk Naturals Kisser Slickers. These come in a selection of both vegan and non-vegan (which I think contain carmine? Ah, no, a quick peek at the ingredients list on the product page tells me the non-vegan ones contain beeswax.) The colours are separated into vegan and not, which makes browsing really simple! At time of posting Silk Naturals offers 48 non-vegan colours and 16 vegan ones. There's a butt-ton of brand 'colour clones' i.e dupes available as well.

The first one I ordered was called Nectar, which is apparently a dupe of Clinique’s Black Honey. I’ve never owned it but have read Joeybunny’s ode to it, and it sounded like just the thing. It does indeed look a bit not-work-appropriate in the tube, but goes on SO NICE.

The Kisser Slickers (I am so sorry Silk Naturals but I really, really dislike the name of theses! I’m going to abbreviate it to KS from now on) have this incredible formula that feels just like a really good balm. They’re soft and slippy without being runny or waxy. They’re so incredibly moisturising and the colour descriptions are extremely accurate! Don’t be fooled by the tube, the colours are sheer enough to be flattering, but have enough colour that you can justify owning several different ones. After using and loving Nectar I purchased two other colours AND the clear version to wear to bed at night. Yes, the formula IS that good! The other two I purchased were deeply tinted, non-shimmery so I have a few shimmery ones on my wish list to buy next. These also work with a little gloss over the top if you do want to add shimmer – I have layered Venomous Cosmetics glosses over these without a problem, though it does knock down the moisture factor a little bit.

The only downside to these wonderful balm/glosses is the packaging. Don't get me wrong - I adore the slimline tubes and I think that the labels are just the right mix of simple and cute. However, once you have more than a few of them...



You have to actually pick them up and search for the name to tell them apart. If I could change ONE thing about the KS's it would be to add something to the packaging to make them easier to identify.

A lot of these are ‘dupes’ for high-end products, none of which I own, but for and considering how wonderful the KS’s are to wear, I plan on buying a whole lot more ‘dupes’ AND original Silk Naturals colours.


My lips for comparison (with the Clear shade on, to show you the shine level, and also because I thought it would be funny to 'swatch' the Clear shade... man I need to get out of the house more).


Nectar, "Sheer deep red/brown".


Shh... don't tell the others but I think this is my favourite shade (so far).
Berry Nice, "Sheer raspberry" (a dupe of Bobbi Brown's Raspberry Lip Gloss).


Helloooo sloppy application!
Rare Berry, "Strawberry red".


Hand swatches for more direct colour comparison!
And tube shots, just because.



So now down to brass tacks (what a weird saying. What would be modern version be? "Get down to business?" Because that always sounds a bit dirty to me): the price. Indie lip products can vary all over the shop (snort) in price and sometimes for me, trying out a new product can be scary, not only because of the price but also because shipping to Australia can sometimes take over a month, what with postal madness and indie TATs combined. I am happy to say that Silk Naturals proved to be one of the faster shippers I have dealt with. I'm even happier to tell you that the KS's will set you back $4.50, or $4.25 for the Clear version. YES, FOUR DOLLARS FIFTY CENTS U.S WHICH MEANS SOMETIMES IT'S CHEAPER FOR AUSSIES.

BRB, compiling a massive wishlist of colours.

8 comments:

  1. Nice. You should get a coffee coloured one to wear to work, hehe. Geddit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Silk Naturals has been the fastest shipping to Australia for me. I was super impressed.

    I have Nectar and Black Dahlia. I'm totally in love with both and want so many more :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have Nectar and I really like it! I need to get me some more SN :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Em: except I wouldn't be allowed to wear it there!

    Corner Ghost: I was surprised and delighted with how fast the shipping was. The KS's are a bit addictive, aren't they?

    Robyn: I really want to try their gel liners!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great review! Silk Naturals is an awesome company. Also, if you are looking for a nice tinted balm type of thing for work, Maybelline Baby Lips are fantastic! I am not sure if they are vegan though or if they would be available in Australia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll keep an eye out for them next time I go shopping :)

      Delete
  6. You should consider trying the other lines as well. The ALG, Black Label, and Butter Cream formulas are to die for. Their skin care line is exceptional as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely have my eye on some of the ALG colours, they sound lovely. I have actually just finished my bottle of their Hemp Moisturiser and I use the Apricot Cleansing oil to remove my eye make-up in the shower :) Silk Naturals are really versatile!

      Delete

PLEASE don't leave your blog URL in your comment unless you're linking to a relevant post. Thanks!