Lipsticks This Good Should Be Ill-Eagle

I am so super excited to share my order from Preen Cosmetics with you! Preen is a brand-spanking new company operated by the lovely Jenn, and it currently consists of five lipsticks and three lip balms (with two more lipsticks on the way!). Since this is a new company, I'm going to take a lot more time in talking about the company and products.

Preen Cosmetics has a running bird theme, inspired by Jenn's love for ornithology. The aesthetic of the shop is beautiful, and the packaging is lush and feels very well thought out. My order came with two clamshell lipstick samples, and a Ghirardelli Caramel Chocolate square. Jenn knows the way to my heart.

Everything was just pristine. The business card is printed on linen, which has a luxurious feel to it. My products were wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a paper bow. It's very simple, but sweet. Inside the tissue paper was a ziploc closed and folded over with a Preen sticker, and inside were my lipstick tubes, my free samples, and the business card. Both tubes were closed tightly and secured with little strips of bird-printed washi tape. The clamshells weren't secured with tape, but they close very snugly and feel sturdy over all. The lipstick tubes are pretty light, but feel very substantial when opening and closing. Both twisting mechanisms turned smoothly.

More details on the packaging and the products inside! My Mourning Dove lipstick was a little smooshed in the tube, but these lipsticks are so creamy that one application smoothed it out just fine. As for the clamshells, I'd guess you could probably get about ten applications from each sample. The formula makes it easy to use a lip brush. No sticking these in your bra to warm them up! Overall, the lipstick formula is creamy, moisturizing, and holds up well. They're also very pigmented, and reach full opacity in one swipe. Frigatebird left a bit of a stain, but it would work well for those mornings where yesterdays' lip stain is todays' lip color. Alright, onto the swatches!

All products were purchased in full, and all opinions are my own. Quoted descriptions are taken directly off Preen's Etsy page, found here. Lip swatches are taken over exfoliated and moisturized lips.

Mourning Dove: "peachy-toned nude"

Oh lordy, I finally found my perfect nude. Not too pink, not *too* peach, but just right. I love this color on me because I can pair it with just about any makeup look and it'll fit right in. It has a semi-matte finish that reminds me of Kae Q's balms.

Rose Robin: "slightly neutral-leaning purple/pink with a little bit of shimmer"

This would make a great MLBB for those with pinker lips! It's a subtle pale lilac with a hint of shimmer to it. Rose Robin doesn't dry as matte as Mourning Dove.

Bullfinch: "orange-red with the slightest yellow sheen"

The site swatches make this look more true orange than it is. For me, it looks more like a metallic brick with a yellow sheen. This one doesn't dry down as much as the others, and smudges a little easier.

Frigatebird: "red as the day is long"

Damn, that's a sexy color description. This is a beautiful true red that may leave a bit of a stain. It dries the same as Rose Robin- somewhere between semi-matte and creamy.

Welp, that wraps up my review of Preen Cosmetics! I'm totally head over heels for this new brand, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't taken the indie lipstick plunge yet. What kind of post would you like to see next? :)