Lime Crime is mostly known for the lipsticks. I don’t find them drying at all and I love the creamy consistency of them. I find they’re actually pretty opaque and I love the smell.
The things I don’t like about them is the pretty packaging tends to crack. Of the 19 I own (yes that’s all of them) 8 have cracked lids and that’s happened by them just being in storage. Some have cracked in my bag but one came cracked and the others have cracked just by taking the lid on and off the tube.
I also find Posionberry tends to bleed when applied without a lip liner but that’s the only one. The other issue with the lipsticks is the swatches, they’re much more accurate than they used to be but they’re still not good.
As for the glosses we have the same issue with the swatches. They started off terrible but have gotten better over time. However they’re still not a great representation of the actual product. They’re certainly not as opaque as the swatches. You need several layers to make them that opaque and that makes the product goopy and unwearable.
They stain and I like that but some people won’t. The fact that the glitter particles are so big can make it quite scratchy but that’s not a huge issue. I like the stubby brushes and the control that gives me but they do tend to fray.
I adored the uniliners. I find them super easy to apply and the brush makes it easy for me to make a sharp angled point. Now I used the past tense for a reason.
When I started using them I knew the brightly coloured ones were not as opaque as they could have been. It wasn’t too much of an issue I just went over it again. That’s not the problem. Neither was the fact the bristles on the brush tend to flare out and need to be clipped so they don’t cause stray marks. They’re also not smudge proof or waterproof despite claims to the contrary. Quill is simply awful when taking it off. I’ve never had panda eyes like it with any other product.
The serious issue I have is they start to make my eyes sore by the end of the day. It was only when I started using them on a regular basis I noticed how sore my eyes were. I stopped using them and it went away. This could be a couple of ingredients that are used in the liners but I can’t be sure which ones.
The eye shadows have various issues. First off the swatches are terrible; really really don’t go by those on the site. You need to check out fan swatches. The alchemy shadows are the worst for this. None of them looks like that in person. They’re not even close. Speaking of the alchemy shadows, they’re not duochome at all. They’re more like shimmer shadows. Video review here.
The quality isn’t great for the huge price you pay. The lighter and matt shades are chalky and as a result when you put them on your eye then end up a lot darker than they are in the tin. I’ve also found mixing medium in them. Not a great show of quality.
The zodiac glitters are lovely. I have very little bad to say about them but they aren’t cut for use on the eyes. They’re very irregular shapes if you look closely. Don’t use them on the eye area.
The primer is amazing. It holds colours well and lasts all day. It now comes in a squeesy tube for ease of use. The original primer in the round pot contained beeswax (not a vegan ingredient). When they reformulated it they gave it a new tube. I find the current primer much better then the original. It’s slightly less sticky but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t keep eye shadow on all day.
The nail polish is no longer available in the UK but I did manage to get it before it vanished. I do like it. The colours are unusual and I can’t really find good dupes for them. They’re 3 free and in my experience they’re chip resistant. However they suffer awfully from separating issues and need a good mix before using. The only other issue with these is Pastelchio. I love this colour but it stains your nails. Even with a good base I was left with yellowy stained nails that made me look like a life long smoker.
Finally Velvetines. This is the product that turned me onto long stay matt lipsticks. While I like these it is overly expensive for what it is and it doesn’t even stay put properly. It might be touch proof but it’s not smudge proof. It’s also only touch proof as long as it’s not applied over lip liner or lip balm. There are much better versions out there for a whole lot less (Sleek, MUA, NYX).
I am also not assured that it was vegan. The formula has recently changed and it removed the offending ingredient petrolatum. This also seems to have had a side effect of making it less opaque but does seem to make it more smudge proof.
So that’s my personal experience with Lime Crime products. I hope you found some of this useful.