Review&Swatches: Lime Crime Carousel Glosses

This is going to be a review of Lime Crime Carousel Gloss lip glosses.

This is NOT GONNA BE a review of the company, company's owner(s) or how they handle problems with customers or anything.

I'm aware of all the drama, and if you want to know more about it, use google or go to Ana's blog.

I've been really interested to review and swatch these babies since they came out, but couldn't get them in my hands until now.

"Carousel Gloss boasts semi-opaque coverage combined with bursts of nebulesque sparkle that comes alive in indoor lighting. Cruelty-free/vegan formula glides on smoothly on bare lips or over your favorite lipstick. Each gloss arrives in a sumptuous purple foil box resembling an antique merry-go-round."

So let's again start with the packaging.

The box looks quite big because of the hexagonal shape, but the gloss is tightly secured inside because of the small cardboard piece inside:

Each gloss has it's name labeled on the top of the box:

Here's the ingredient list from the side of the package:

(They have also listed the ingredients on their website:
Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tridecyl Stearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Microcrystalline Wax, Ozokerite, Trihydroxystearin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethyl Hexyl Salicylate, Phenoxyethanol, Capryl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Vanillin, Silica, Tin Oxide [+/-] Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Yellow #5 Lake (CI 19140), Red #7 Lake (CI 45410 :2,C115850:1), D&C Red #6 (CI 15850), Blue #1 Lake (CI42090:2). (Source))

The glosses have the Lime Crime trademark unicorns on the top of the tubes:

The containers are spiral-shaped, like good carousel gloss should be.

Anyway, let's move on to glosses:

Candy Apple:

"Deep ruby-red with crimson glitter. Semi-opaque coverage; swatches shown on bare lips. For intensified effect, layer this shade over Glamour 101!"

Candy Apple is my favourite of these glosses.

It's almost opaque red with slightly blue undertone, so it fits my skin color. It also has bright red glitters in it that sparkle in sunlight, and they are clearly visible in indoor lighting too.

Sunlight

Indoors with flash

It doesn't really stain my lips, it applies nicely, and it looks gorgeous!

Video of application and removal:

Loop-de-Loop:

"Deep sapphire-blue with iridescent sparkle. Semi-opaque coverage; swatches shown on bare lips."

Loop-de-loop is quite exactly what it says in description: "Deep sapphire-blue with iridescent sparkle".

It's quite opaque, but applies a bit unevenly. Maybe not your everyday color, but great for photoshoots, for example.

Also beautiful if layered over dark colors!

Sunlight

Indoors with flash

Video of application and removal:

Golden Ticket:

"Warm metallic gold. Semi-opaque coverage; swatches shown on bare lips."

Golden Ticket is warm yellow gold.

It's also quite opaque, but I think it's on it's best when used to bring a bit of depth to for example red lipsticks (used at the middle of the lips). (Check out the end of the post to see what I mean!)

But I guess this could look quite stunning with darker skintones on it's own!

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Sunlight

Indoors with flash

Video of application and removal:

Kaleidoscope:

"Plum-purple with turquoise sparkle. Semi-opaque coverage; swatches shown on bare lips."

I found this one to be the hardest to work with. I don't know if it's less opaque than the other glosses, or because it's kinda darker color, but it was really hard to apply evenly.

This really is best when layered over dark colors, such as Styletto or similar black / dark lipstick. (Check out the end of the post to see example!)

Video of application and removal:

Cherry On Top:

Maraschino-cherry pink with rainbow sparkle. Semi-opaque coverage; swatches shown on bare lips. For intensified effect, layer this shade over Retrofuturist!

Cherry on top at quick glance looks similar to Candy Apple, but they really are different. Candy Apple is more classic deep red, where Cherry On Top is more bright pink.

It has teeniest tiniest pink glitters in it, which are extremely difficult to capture on camera. I was afraid that this would stain my lips, but for my huge surprise it didn't do so.

Sunlight

Indoors, with flash

Video of application and removal:

Overall:

They have been claimed to stain on lips, but they didn't stain mine.
However, my friend got a mild skin-reaction when swatching Cherry On Top on the back of her hand. Not anything massive, just a red, itchy patch, but still. So if you're prone to skin-reactions, be cautious.
I don't own anything like these, so they are pretty unique. And gorgeous. I really do like them!

There has also been quite a lot of discussion about the prices - $16.99 per piece is quite a lot, considering how much product there really is. Here's some comparison of lipgloss prices:

NYX Megashine 15ml / 0,53fl.oz / US$5.50

MAC Plushglass 4.2 ml / 0.14 fl oz / US$19.50

MAC Dazzleglass 1.92 g / 0.06 US oz / US$19.50

MAC Pro Longwear 1.92 g / .06 US oz / US$19.50
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre 8ml / US $6.00

Lime Crime 3,5g / 0.12oz / US$16.99

Since the actual size of the glosses is quite big, I really don't know how it can hold so little product compared to other lipglosses: