Kosas Cosmetics Lipsticks, $24 each
I might be the poster girl for the antithesis of makeup minimalism (makeup maximumism?).
No, seriously, I carry like 12 lip products in my bag at any given time…or maybe 15, because I love ALL TEH COLORS, so it’s funny to me that I fell for Kosas Cosmetics, a line all about makeup minimalism.
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Lipsticks ON POINT
Kosas, an up-and-coming luxury natural makeup line out of LA, is also the Sanscrit word for sheath. Their first products, a line of eight semi-matte lipsticks, launched last year in shades of pink, rose, red and plum ($24 each).
Girl, these lipsticks are absolutely and completely on point. ON. POINT. based on these, I can’t wait to see what else this brand comes up with.
Hello, pretties!
It’s all about the basics
Founder Sheena Yaitanes, who happens to be a painter and a chemist, said that she wanted to create a line of products edited all the way down to the basics — no unnecessary or redundant colors or chemicals.
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Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Stardust
Flattery will get you everywhere…
Sheena drew upon her background in painting when she was working and experimenting to develop her lipstick colors. In painting, when you’re mixing up colors to paint skin, you use a lot of reds, blues and yellows, and Sheena purposefully picked these undertones for her lipsticks, which encompass some very flattering colors.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Rosewater
I’ve been playing with all eight shades, and I don’t think there’s a funky one in the bunch, which is pretty unusual. I try a lotta lipsticks from a lotta lines, and there’s normally one or two that I’m like, “Nope!” about.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Royal
Like a $54 Guerlain Rouge G for $30 less
Not only are these Kosas colors spot on, but they feel luxuriously fab. The formula reminds me of the $55 Guerlain Rouge Gs. They have a similar texture, creamy finish and comfy, non-drying formula.
If you’re wondering, what’s the catch? Do they smell like strong peppermint eucalyptus or seaweed?? Nope, they’re actually unscented and unflavored.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Undone
So smooth…
It’s nearly unreal how smoothly the colors apply. Every single shade! None of them go on patchy or clear up into my lip lines, which is also pretty unusual for a pigmented lipstick formula like this. Thet start out at medium coverage, by the way, but you can easily build them up to full opacity in a single layer.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Thrillist
Wear time
And the wear time isn’t bad, either, especially for a natural lipstick formula. I can apply my favorite shade, Rosewater, in the morning, have a couple of snacks, then lunch, and still see some color on my lips. total wear time: about four hours.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Electra
Plenty of plant-based oils and extracts
I always like when I can actually comprehend a list of ingredients, and this one is easy to read. I see lots of plant-based oils and extracts, but it isn’t a vegan formula, for the record, because it does consist of beeswax.
INGREDIENTS:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (derived from coconut oil), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelila Wax), Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Octyldodecanol, Lanolin Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) leaf Extract, Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Extract, Tocopherols, Microcrystalline Wax, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Rosa Muschata (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Vanillin, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol
May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 22 Lake (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Manganese Violet (CI 777742), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Carmine (CI 75470)
They don’t consist of parabens, pthalates, fragrances, mineral oils or petrolatum, and they’re made without gluten, egg or soy. They’re also cruelty free.
Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Fringe
HIGHLY recommended
Word on the street is that Kosas is getting ready to expand the line with blushes, mascara, foundation and concealer, which I’m incredibly stoked about. I think Kosas is a very promising brand, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them carried at high-end stores and counters like Barneys and space NK soon.
If you’re as interested as I am, you can find them online now at kosascosmetics.com and aylabeauty.com.
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Karen
P.S. Whew! cross Monday off the books, babe. I hope you had a good one.