It's a word play on the popular meme "me gusta". It embraces the spirit of sticking true to your style and identity even though it may be strange and different. Remember to follow me on Instagram (@megoosta) for regular updates!
The Beauty Crop is an indie brand so if you haven't heard of them, you're not the first. I accidentally stumbled on them via Instagram and fell in love with their packaging. Their products sound really yummy too so I couldn't resist when they had a set of five matte liquid lipsticks for sale.
Their website isn't very easy to navigate on desktop but on mobile, you should be able to find their 'about' page to read more about the company. They supposedly use natural ingredients and they are cruelty free. These GRLPWR Liquid Lipsticks were created to empower women and promote love and support for each other. Each one retails for USD$14.95 or you can get the Girl Gang set which contains five of their original colors for USD$56. Signing up for their newsletter gives you 10% off. They recently launched another five colors to their liquid lipstick line. You get 4ml of product in this so that's $3.73/ml - not exactly drugstore, but they are formulated in Italy. Expiry is 18 months after opening.
The illustrations are really cute and they definitely make a statement. It is made of cardboard but it's still pretty sturdy. It has a magnetic flip closure and a mirror on the under side. Mine keeps falling off so I'll need to glue that but it also says a lot about the quality. The mirror kinda scratched the interior of the box during shipping so it's a tad torn and broken inside.
All the liquid lipsticks are packed in an individual box so that is nice. I do find them to be so tightly packed with the lipstick bottle that it is kinda hard to open the box. I ended up ripping one of them in my frustration.
This is how the tube and sides of the box look like. These are vegan and cruelty free. There are a lot of claims on performance on the box but they don't really live up to them. I'll get to that in awhile. The tubes are a frosted plastic with gold decorations and a golden cap. It doesn't feel as expensive as it looks.
The applicator is a typical doe foot but the tip is slightly longer and more pointed so it's easy to line your lips.
The texture of these are like a creamy lipstick in liquid form. The applicator doesn't pick up too much product so it's easy to apply a thin amount on the lips. Pigmentation is pretty good. I only needed one coat for the colors. However, if you look up real close, you might notice that it is slightly streaky. The two dark colors don't really layer well because the color darkerns with a second layer and that can create problems if you just need to touch up one area. It dries down to a true matte transfer proof finish with no tackiness or stickiness.
They are pretty comfortable to wear. I had a total of 7-8 hours of wear with this and no touchups. I didn't find myself licking my lips are feeling thirsty while wearing these. They did not tighten on my lips and they did not flake or crumble off. So, the claims on the box indicate that these are "lifeproof with some serious staying power" but they will most definitely come off with food. I found a lot of wear on the inner center of my lip and in random patches all over, so that didn't look cute.
Pigmentation: 4.5/5 (slightly streaky if you look up close)
Application: 5/5 (great applicator)
Comfort: 4/5 (dries to a powdery matte which I'm not exactly a fan of)
Longevity: 4/5 (does not flake/crumble but it does come off with food)
Overall: 4.4/5
Che Guava is a mid tone blue based pink. It's cute and fairly pigmented and even in color.
Greige Expectations is a light pink nude although the name suggests that it is a grey toned beige - whatever you like to call it. Every brand has this kind of neutral everyday nude color so you don't really need it.
Peach Please is a bright coral red with orange undertones. It is pretty neon so it is also quite streaky. Not a fan of this color but if it's your thing then go for it.
Date Night is a rustic mauve with a reddish brown tinge to it. This is my favorite color in the line. You definitely need to make sure that the liquid lipstick is evenly spread out on this one because chunks could cause it to look darker once it's dried.
Imma Bawse is a deep cranberry red. It is quite neutral so it will suit all skin tones.
The colors are not unique. I managed to find pretty close dupes for all of them in my collection. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are the shades that are closest to The Beauty Crop's liquid lipstick colors. I personally think my dupes are quite spot on except for Greige Expecations. So, I don't think you need to get The Beauty Crop ones if you already own the dupes. Honestly, I prefer the dupe versions over TBC too. I mean, why pay $15 when you can get the same quality, pigmentation and color for $6?
Below is my personal ranking for all the liquid lipsticks that I have tried so far. They are weighed against the price, some pros and cons. Those marked with * indicates that they are not necessarily transfer proof / satin liquid lipsticks (they will naturally be more comfortable).
Personal Overall Ranking:
Wet N Wild Liquid Catsuit $4.99 - $0.83/g, comfortable, pigmented, long lasting | dark colors are patchy
ColourPop Ultra Matte $6 - $1.875/g, pigmented, long lasting, wide color range | some shades are drying
*ColourPop Ultra Satin $6 - $1.875/g, comfortable, pigmented, long lasting, wide color range
*NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream $6 - $0.75/ml, comfortable, wide color range | streaky
