Launched: Butter London Bespoke Colour Cosmetics!

Salutations!

I am pleased to bring you a review of Butter London's first ever make up collection that is available for purchase starting TODAY! Butter London is a world-renowned beauty brand that celebrates "all things rock 'n' roll, Great Britain, and fashion." After launching its first nail lacquer collection circa 2005, the company quickly solidified its presence in the cosmetics world with a specific interest in bold beauty and carcinogen-free products. The expansion of the line to include cheek, lip, and eye products seems only natural. Butter London sent me a kit chock full of new products from their line that is launching today and I am happy to review them here.* I have great respect for these products due to their high quality and exceptional branding. The company has done a great job of hooking me with their lovely, whimsical aesthetic and cheeky lacquer names. 

Thank you, Mr. Postman!

First things first, the packaging of this collection is sharp. The black boxes have an almost rubberized feel, which make the products look very chic and edgy from the get go. I like that the company chose to continue the floral patterns and incorporated birds and branches on the boxes as well because it ups the cohesive element of the line. These products are unmistakably Butter London products. And SURPRISE! The organic patterns line the inside of the boxes! This is a very nice, delicate detail and a good contrast to the initial edge of the packaging.

3-Free Nail Lacquer in Inky Six
I am a massive fan of the Butter London polishes and Inky Six made for an awesome addition to my collection. This is a semi-opaque, deep blue polish with blue and green glitter particles. Inky Six shade reminds me of a rock 'n' roll mermaid! That is the best description I can think of for how this polish makes me feel. This usually lasts on my nails for about 4-5 days without chipping if I use a good base- and topcoat. (Retail $15.)

Cheeky Cream Blush in Honey Pie
I must confess that I am a newbie when it comes to cream blushes and this is actually the first cream blush I have ever tried. I have combination/oily skin, so the thought of placing another creamy product on my face is something I usually steer clear from. That all changes now, though, because I adore this blush! Honey Pie is a peachy pink blush that has a slight sheen when applied. The formulation is not thick, but very creamy and settled on my cheeks quite nicely, sheering out to a nice flush when I applied it using a small stippling brush. Why has it taken me this long to try cream blush?! This blush is expensive, but does rival other high end blushes in quality and longevity, so that's something to keep in mind. (Retail $20.)

Lippy Tinted Balm in Abbey Rose
Adorable name. Definitely conjures up the iconic Abbey Road cover in my head. Well done. Also, it is beautiful! This lip balm is a tinted rose cream with a consistency much like a lip butter and less like a traditional tinted balm as the pigmentation is formidable. Honestly, what surprises me the most about this product is how buildable it is. I could definitely see the color become more opaque as I layered it. While this is a good quality product, I think it is too expensive for the market and I would probably pay $12-$15 for it. (Retail $20.)

Lippy Lip Gloss in Dandy Bubbles
Also totally adoring the name of this product (they get me every time)! The color of this gloss initially struck me as a tad too light to use on its own since I felt it might wash me out, but it turned out to be very wearable. It's definitely one of those colors that would be useful in softening the intensity of another lip product such as a lipstick. I LOVE the scent as it is light and sweet (like a cupcake) and I actually prefer the brush tip applicator that it comes with as opposed to doe foot applicator seen in most lip glosses. I would place the stickiness factor of this gloss smack (ha!) dab in the middle of the spectrum, as it is not too thin, not too gloppy. In the end, this was a nice gloss to use to sheer out Abbey Rose. I have the same comment about this gloss as I had with the tinted lip balm with regard to price as I think it is too expensive and the $12-$15 range would be more appropriate. (Retail $20.)

Wink Colour Mascara in Brown Sugar and Inky Six
I am a huge proponent of brown mascara, so I was happy to snag Brown Sugar. And oh, colored mascaras! I have to say that I love the look of colored them. I remember purchasing a purple mascara from a recent (within the last year, maybe?) drugstore collection and feeling deflated when it was barely noticeable on my lashes. Needless to say, I do hope the colored lash trend rises in popularity. I would describe Inky Six as a shimmer cobalt mascara and my brown eyes were very pumped to try it out. I think I have an initial hesitation when I try such brightly colored beauty products for fear that they will look garish, but I think the effect of the mascara is so different that it actually works. The wand on the Wink Colour mascara is not so unique to set it apart from others and the formulation is definitely on the drier side. While I didn't see an effect in the curl of my lashes, the mascara did add length and a lot of volume. I was able to actually notice the blue on my lashes after about 3 or 4 coats of this mascara. Interestingly enough, if you look at my lashes head on (see photos below), the blue is not as noticeable as it is from other angles. I think the price on this product is fair given the fact that there are barely any other accessible color mascaras on the market with similar performance. (Retail $20/piece.)

Wink Eye Pencil in Inky Six and Union Jack Black 
I tend to gravitate toward shadows and creams as eye liners since I usually fumble with pencil liners. The formulation of these is not as soft as I expected it to be and while it wasn't painful, I did have to apply medium pressure to get good color pay off with the Inky Six shade. I had to run the shimmery cobalt blue liner over my lash line twice to get a solid line. When I swatched Union Jack Black, a jet black cream , however, I found it to be more pigmented than Inky Six and I did not have to apply as much pressure when applying it. The price is also fair on these when comparing them to high end liners. (Retail $18/piece.)

Wink Cream Eye Shadow in Inky Sky
I don't think I have ever worn baby blue eye shadow, so this is definitely outside of my make up comfort zone. While I still don't find it very wearable personally it does sheer out to a thin, silvery wash if that is a look you are going for. This was the product I was probably least excited about and I also found it to be too expensive. (Retail $18.)

Swatches for all!... 

Top-Bottom: 

Eye Shadow in Inky Six, Eye Pencil in Inky Six, Eye Pencil in Union Jack Black, Mascara in Inky Six, Mascara in Brown Sugar, 

Lip Gloss in Dandy Bubbles, Lip Balm in Abbey Rose, Blush in Honey Pie, Nail Lacquer in Inky Six

I decided to try out a simple look using Eye Pencil in Inky Six, Mascara in Inky Six, Honey Pie, Abbey Rose, and Dandy Bubbles (Also, kudos to my mom for helping me through the ever-embarrassing process of taking photos of myself!).

Aerial shot.

I quite like the smudgy, grungy liner look!

Definitely blue.

Okay, okay.

In conclusion, Butter London have released a strong first make up collection and I appreciate the emphasis on COLOR even as we head into the tail end of summer and welcome the autumn months. The stand outs of this collection were undoubtedly the Wink Mascara and Cream Blush for their individuality and quality. The packaging is spectacular and instantly recognizable. The Bespoke Colour Cosmetics collection has the potential to really increase the momentum of the brand and I definitely hear Butter London's barbaric YAWP as it continues to assert itself as a bastion of beauty.

Which of these products looks good to you?

Cheers!
-Victoria




*Disclaimer: Butter London personally mailed me this kit, however, I was under no obligation to review it and this is not a sponsored blog post. All reviews and opinions are expressed using my 100% candid voice.