If you’re an avid reader of Instep you’re well aware of the fact that we’re quite beauty obsessed and identify as make-up junkies. We buy more make-up than we can ever probably use and stand around our beauty station admiring our collection everyday, the way a mother gazes adoringly at her sleeping progeny. Which means that when we find a brand that offers high end quality at wallet friendly prices, we tend to splurge so indulgently that when our haul arrives we think to ourselves, "What have I done, I’m a monster!" Only fleetingly though.

The latest brand to have this effect on us is an American label, Colour Pop. We came across their ultra matte liquid lipsticks at a make-up exhibition and have been hooked since. During a recent offer on the brand’s website we ordered a variety of products that we spent an entire day swatching. To review for you, promise. Here’s how it went.

Super shock shadows

We, like magpies, love shiny things.  You can imagine how terrible for our wallet this season with all its glitter galore must’ve been. But  when we first laid eyes on the shimmering, dazzling pots of eyeshadow on the Colour Pop website something in our heart cried out, "I must have this!" Considering that the pots are about Rs. 550 a pop, we ordered eight and each shade was more stunning than the one we tried before. Our favourites? The pressed pigment in Erotic, a super bright orange that looks great on both tan and fair skin; Stereo, a metallic finish burgundy that the brand promises will have someone blast music outside your house as their declaration of love; So Quiche, a delight olive infused with highly reflective gold and pink micro glitter that makes our heart beat faster at its sheer sight and last but not least, Flower Shop, a green that will make everyone else turn the same shade in envy. We found these shadows to have an extremely high colour pay off and by introducing a drop of Inglot’s Duraline shadow fixer we ensured that they didn’t budge out of place even once.

Creme gel colour

Over the years we’ve begun to eschew liner in favour of softly smudged shadow but that didn’t stop us from ordering what are essentially Colour Pop’s liner pots. Though we didn’t go to town while ordering the liner pots the way we did with the Shadows but each shade we ordered turned out to be a winner. They appear to be much lighter and metallic in photos on the website but the formula itself is quite dark, dense and smudge proof. They go on easily but you have to be quick to work the product into shape and ensure that you don’t use more than necessary. We definitely love the colour but since we haven’t used them even once yet (other than while swatching) we doubt we’ll order more.

Ultra matte liquid lipsticks

What can we say about these that we already haven’t said before? They’re available in a  plethora of colours ranging from nudes that suit every skin tone under the sun, super bright neons in wacky blues and greens to an entire collection of shades that are the definition of a 90’s throwback (which, by the way is closer to thirty years ago now, as are we). We love More Better, a gorgeous plum shade that epitomises autumn and Pacific, a neon orange that you can rock as a bold lip, if you’ve got the heart.