NP Set Lipstick | Review & Swatch

Talk about being late on the band wagon! After months of seeing and passing this collection at target, I finally decided to pick up a NP Set product to try out. No surprise here, I picked up a lip color!

The NP Set line is the brainchild of Napoleon Perdis, an Australian makeup artist, who created this affordable collection exclusive to Target stories (I believe this collection is US exclusive as well...?). Truth be told, I had no idea this collection belonged to a big time makeup artist since the products weren't over saturated with his name like typical high-end to low-end lines. Bonus points for that. 

The packaging reads: "These long-lasting, lip-loving lipsticks compliment all skin tones. Time to perk up your pout!" Pucker up, I guess! The color I eventually decided on was Marseilles, which looks far more intimidating in the tube, but is a sheer but buildable deep coral-pink. It retailed for $12.99 at my local Target.

PACKAGING:

Again, the design of these lipsticks is very simple. It is a sleek white tube with a clear top that displays the color inside. It also came in a box with this cute palm tree detail. Okay, Napoleon!

Two slight problems with the packaging though. While the plastic itself feels sturdy, the closure for the cap is very weak. It is definitely not a lipstick I'd feel comfortable leaving at the bottom of my purse to roll around - it would 100% uncap. In addition, the color indicator on the closed bullet doesn't match the color of the actual product in the tube, although both colors are achievable.

COLOR & APPLICATION:

Light Swatch - Top. Heavy Swatch - Bottom

The lipstick applies very smoothly and evenly. In fact, it goes on almost like a lip balm would - very light and effortless. It almost felt moisturizing on the lips. Marseilles was the only lip color in the collection that had this texture, based on what I swatched in store, so my experience with this lipstick may not be universal to the whole line. 

As you can see from the swatches, the color builds very well, which is what I think NP meant when he said the "lipsticks compliment all skin tones". You can easily get a sheer wash of color for a daytime look, and layer on the product to get a much bolder color for night.

In referencing to the packaging color discrepancy, it looks like a light application matches the color displayed on the bullet, while multiple layering of the product will give you a color closer to that of the actual lip stick.

Edit// Wonderful Milena pointed out to me that the color indicator is actual a tube of (supposed) corresponding lipstick! Turns out, my indicator and actual lipstick don't match - fancy that! Thanks, Milena! Check out her blog here: 
 https://www.blogger.com/profile/07932730816859757013
WEAR:

This lipstick in particular has a nice balance of color and shine, although I'd still say the texture of the shine is one you might get from a moisturizing lip balm vs a lipgloss. It does cling a little bit to dry areas, as you can see, so I'd be careful of that with some of the more pigmented colors in the line, as you don't have as much of the moisture to hide the cracks.

The packaging claims that these are long lasting, and I'd have to half-way agree. These do not have the complete staying power of a stain like product, but I would say they do stay on longer than a typical drugstore lipstick.

 I did the transfer test on the back of my hand, and while some color did transfer, most of what transferred was the shine of the product. After a little bit of time, blotting, and eating, I found that the shine was almost non-existent, while the color was still very visible on my lips (though not as even and smooth as when first applied). So the longest lasting lipstick I've ever seen? Not really. But pretty long lasting for a lipstick? I'd say so.

VERDICT:

I expect a lot from a 13 dollar drugstore lipstick, and I'm satisfied with the results I got in terms of color and wear. The color is great for spring to summer, and is versatile for both day and night wear.

I know a lot of the price is attributed to packaging, and it's a little disappointing that the cap is not more secure on the product, but you've got to pick your battles right? 

Overall, I like the lipstick and I'll definitely get good use out of it - but there are definitely a lot of other lipsticks that the drugstore offers for a fraction of this price. If you want to save a penny, this isn't a product everyone needs to own in their collection, but if you've got some change laying around, feel free to try it out and don't plan on being too disappointed with !

- =)