Flower Cosmetics: Review & Swatches

Flower Cosmetics first came into stores about a year ago, and it's the brain child of Drew Barrymore. Being the curious individual I am, I figured I'd pick up a few items to test out. She has a full range of products available, which is rather amazing for a new product line. I just stuck to a few eye and lip products. These are available only at Walmart as far as I know.

To continue reading the review and see swatches, click the link below.



Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color in Sweet Peony is one of the lipstick formulas that are available. This is the shinier formulation (vs. Velvet). It has emollient oils to help keep the lips moist. The packaging of all the products are very chic. This is a nice black packaging with rose gold details. It even shows the color of the lipstick on the end.

Packaging aside, this is the product that I didn't like at all. It smells like you're putting a clay/play-doh mixture on the lips. The smell lingers as well. Also the application of this is horrible. It's very patchy and doesn't give an even opaque color. The actual formula is on the emollient side (I do admit), but that's not enough to make up for lack of quality. The other issue I have with this product is that the color guide on the packaging is very misleading. This indicator appears to be the actual lipstick on the bottom of the package. With that in mind, this lipstick should be a yellow-toned medium pink, when in fact the color of the product is more of a mid-toned orangey-coral. You can see the difference in the picture below.

Luckily the next lip item I got didn't have the same issues. The Shine On Lipgloss in Iris I could Fly is a medium bright pink. This is a non-sticky formula that's semi-opaque. It feels nice on the lips, and it doesn't feel drying.  The packaging still has the attention to detail with metallic trimming and white lid. It comes with a doe-foot applicator. It's an easy gloss to wear without much thought, and luckily this doesn't settle into lip lines. There is a rather prominent floral smell to it as well. It doesn't linger to long, that it's much easier to wear.

Color Play Creme Eyeshadows come in a glass container, with you guessed it, rose-gold trimming. It also comes with an inner lid to keep the product from drying and getting messy (see pic below). As products go, this has an interesting consistency. It's a little like a mouse, but spongey at the same time. Maybe like a mixture of silly putty and "gak" from back in the day. It contains vitamin E and antioxidants. It applies shear at first, but it is buildable to a certain extent. It feels a little cool on the lids when you first apply it as well.

Color Play Creme Eyeshadow in Time Willow Tell is an olive green with a golden/khaki sheen. This is slightly sheerer than the other shade I bought.

Orchid-ing Around is a darkened greyish-purple with a slightly silver sheen. This is easier to build up in color.

Swatches

Hand swatches below without any primer. Color Play Creme Eyeshadow in Time Willow Tell on the left and Orchid-ing Around on the right. With each color set, the concentrated swatch is towards the left, and the blended out sheer swatch on the right. Both colors have high shimmer factor without being chunky glitter. It's an interesting textured product that works on the lids. It's hard to only use this product for a complete look. It's best to be used as an sheerer all-over lid color. If you're looking for opaque color, you need to look elsewhere.

Hand swatches of the lip products below. On the left: Shine On Lipgloss in Iris I could Fly. On the right: Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color in Sweet Peony. For whatever reason, the hand swatch doesn't show the patchy texture of the lipstick.

Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color in Sweet Peony. If you look (especially on the lower lip), there's a weird texture to the lip color with patchiness. It's so weird. I tried multiple times and occasions to apply this, but it never worked on me.

Shine On Lipgloss in Iris I could Fly. It imparts a decent amount of noticeable color without being fully opaque. You can see some of my lip freckles.

Bottom Line: I would avoid the Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color (at least in Sweet Peony). The Shine On Lipgloss in Iris I could Fly, on the other hand is a must. If you're looking for a quick sheer wash of color on the lids, the Color Play Creme Eyeshadow would be worth your while. If you're going to only get one of these products, pick the gloss. Overall, I'm intrigued enough to try some other products from the line.