Stila vs. Lime Crime: The battle of liquid lipsticks

Any lipstick lovers out there have surely heard of the infamous Lime Crime Velvetines, and you might be curious about other options such as the Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick. (I'm still on the lookout for the Hourglass Liquid Lipsticks, but at the moment I have my fair share of liquid matte lip products.)

Comparison + swatches:

(L to R) Stila Beso, Lime Crime Red Velvet; Stila Carina, Lime Crime Suedeberry; Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(One swipe of each, no extra coats)

As you can see in the previous picture, all of them are very opaque. However, I have noticed a bit of patchiness with both coral offerings, but nothing a second thin coat or a lip liner can't fix! However, if I were to choose, I would go with Suedeberry over Carina, because Carina tends to get into the creases and look quite cracked when it mattifies.

Close-up picture for texture reference. 

(L to R) Stila Beso and Lime Crime Red Velvet

In terms of texture, Stila's liquid lipsticks are more creamy, whereas Lime Crime's are a bit more watery. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage... you're probably thinking I'm crazy right now, so let me explain.

• As you can see in the picture, Lime Crime tends to bleed a little, but only when it's still wet (1 minute approx.) That means that if you mess it up, you can go over with a lip brush and clean it up or buff it for a less PERFECT lip. This also ensures that it mattifies quicker than Stila's, which is quite nice when you're in a rush (however, it does require the same precision, so maybe if you're running out of the house you should skip liquid lipsticks all together.)

• On the other hand, Stila's is quite creamy which some people may prefer, however I find that you can't press your lips together for some minutes in case it dries weird or creases, at least with Carina. Beso, and I guess other darker colours are easier to use. (I also have Aria, but I forgot about it altogether when taking the pictures.) *I think Beso is a great colour and it's quite long-lasting, however Carina has cracked my lips and gotten into the creases VERY FAST, which isn't pretty at all. 

Lime Crime Pink Velvet, Lime Crime Suedeberry, Stila Carina, Lime Crime Red Velvet, Stila Beso

Now, what about the colour?

I can assure you Carina and Suedeberry are ALMOST exact dupes [Suedeberry is a bit lighter and orangy-er], and the creamy texture of Carina is more comfortable to apply, although it sets into the creases and feels plastic-y once it has dried down.

Red Velvet and Beso also looked like exact dupes (they're REALLY close in shade) but Beso is a TINY bit warmer than RV. 

I can't say if Pink Velvet will be similar to Stila's Fiore, because I don't own Fiore (and seeing how similar these are in shade, I don't plan to anytime soon.)

And, last but not least, their packaging and price:

Stila has a sleek shiny tube, which holds 3ml or 0.1 fl.oz, for the price of $22 

(Millilitre per $ = 0,1363ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0045 fl.oz.)

Lime Crime houses their liquid lipstick in a frosted glass tube, with a very pretty flower motif on the lid. This tube holds 2.6 ml, or 0,088 fl.oz, for the price of $20. 

(Millilitre per $ = 0.13ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0044 fl.oz.)

This, of course, means that you're getting a little less for every dollar you spend on Lime Crime, in comparison with Stila's. However, it's not a big difference, in my opinion.

Lip swatches:

Lime Crime Red Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Suedeberry

(1 thin coat + lip liner* MAC Dynamo)

*You can skip the liner, but you'll have to go back with Suedeberry to reapply where needed.

Final scores:

LC Suedeberry: 8.5/10 

LC Pink Velvet: 9.5/10* 

LC Red Velvet: 9.5/10*

(*I took 0.5 for the price, even though it's not a huge con, it lowers the scores)

Stila Beso: 10/10 

Stila Carina: 7/10

Are you planning on buying any liquid matte lipsticks? Which brand do you prefer? 

What did you think about these?

M.