Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

The New Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Tarred + Feathered Lip Balm Duo Gives Your Lip Products Wings

May 28th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Wearing multiple layers of Feathered, the white shade from the new OCC Tarred + Feathered Lip Balm Duo ($18)

That moment when you realize you want to wear a lip product solely because you think it might match your nails…

Your opaque white nails.

Priceless. 🙂

OCC Tarred + Feathered — That’s Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt on my nails…

Yeah, I think I crossed over into uncharted makeup territory this week — uncharted for me, at least, since I can’t recall ever wanting to wear white lipstick before.

Like, ever.

Sure, I realize that it’s not exactly a super wearable look (RIGHT?!), but I got it into my head a few days ago, and whenever that happens… You know me! 🙂

Say hello to the new $18 Tarred + Feathered Lip Balm Duo by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Weird and wonderful at the same time, it comes with two lip balms in white and black.

In calling it “new,” I should put the “new” in air quotes because this duo actually first appeared 10 years ago. It was the very first product OCC ever released. They’re reissuing it meow for their 10th anniversary.

So, what’s the deal? Well, both moisturizing halves of the balm contain hemp seed, pomegranate and avocado oils, and they’re made to moisturize AND function as color correctors to either brighten or darken any lip colors you layer on top.

Feathered, the white balm, works to cancel out your natural lip color, making any colors you wear on top of it appear truer.

LOL! No, it normally doesn’t look quite as scary as it does in the first two face pics because I built it up with a lip brush for those shots to see how close I could get to making my white lips + nail tips fantasy come true (pretty close, but not really, since the balm ends up looking patchy when I build it up in layers).

If I just apply a thin layer instead, like I would with most any other lip balm, I think Feathered actually looks fairly wearable.

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OCC’s Creamy, Intense Cosmetic Colour Pencils Just Might Inspire Hue

January 24th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Colour Pencils — The new Cosmetic Colour Pencil line by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

I feel like I’ve been battling with liner all winter long, like this is Westeros and they’re the White Walkers north of the Wall, but it’s mostly just that my skin has been drier than the Atacama, and it’s getting sooo old.

I haven’t been able to wear the long-wearing gel liners I was wearing and loving last spring and summer (they’re too drying), and the only pencils my lash and water lines are tolerating have been the MAC Eye Kohls…

Until now.

These soft, creamy Cosmetic Colour Pencils by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics actually remind me a lot of my beloved MAC Kohls. They glide along my lash lines like gold medal figure skaters across fresh ice.

Ah…

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Colour Pencils from the left: Anime, Grandma, Hoochie, Pennyroyal, Pool Boy and Sybil — From the left: Anime, Grandma, Hoochie, Pennyroyal, Pool Boy and Sybil

These pigmented pretties, some of which are approved for use on lips and body, while the others are for lips, body and eyes, come in 12 shades, all of them matte. The triple threats (eyes, lips and body) are clear Anti-Feathered, peachy brown Pennyroyal, blackened midnight brown Sybil, true black Tarred, true white Feathered and aquatic blue Pool Boy.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Colour Pencils from the left: Anti-Feathered, Black Dahlia, Feathered, NSFW, Tarred and Trick — From the left: Anti-Feathered, Black Dahlia, Feathered, NSFW, Tarred and Trick

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Colour Pencils Swatches of the shades you can wear on your lips, eyes and body (left to right): Anti-feathered, Pennyroyal, Sybil, Tarred, Feathered and Pool Boy — Swatches of the shades you can wear on your lips, eyes and body (left to right): Anti-feathered, Pennyroyal, Sybil, Tarred, Feathered and Pool Boy

Warm beige Trick, vibrant neon pink Anime, true red NSFW, blackened red Dahlia, coral Grandma and vibrant magenta Hoochie are the ones that just like lips and body…

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Colour Pencils Swatches of shades you can wear on lips and body (left to right): Trick, Anime, NSFW, Black Dahlia, Grandma and Hoochie — Swatches of shades you can wear on lips and body (left to right): Trick, Anime, NSFW, Black Dahlia, Grandma and Hoochie

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The New Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Plastic Passion Spring 2014 Collection, and an Important Announcement

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Wearing OCC Pool Boy Lip Tar, one of six new shades from the spring 2014 Plastic Passion collection

It is with a heavy heart that I must share some sad news…

The OCC Plastic Passion Spring 2014 collection

I learned today, moments after swatching the Plastic Passion spring 2014 collection by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, that I am not nearly cool enough to pull off bright blue matte lips.

And worse still, I probably never will be. 🙁

I introduce exhibit A — a picture of me smiling while wearing Pool Boy, one of six new Lip Tar shades in the release.

I look like a demented clown plotting ways to season and eat a small child for lunch, LOL! I feel like a citizen of the Capitol in Panem…

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Say Auf Wiedersehen to Boring With the Six 1920s Berlin-Inspired Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Moderncraft Collection Lip Tars

September 27th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

OCC Sebastian Lip Tar — Uh…that’s Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Sebastian ($18)

Should you ever get the sudden urge to wear a plummy mauve matte lip on a Friday night, don’t over-think it. Just GO WITH IT!

Aw, come on! Why not? It’s only makeup. If it doesn’t work out, you can always wipe it off.

Heck, and you never know what’ll work out. Sometimes it’s the products you least expect that end up being holy grail. Maybe Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Sebastian ($18) will be a perfect fit for you.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I liked the swatch, so trying it on my lips seemed like the next logical step.

Granted, the reason I liked the swatch was because it reminded me of a rug I want to get for my office, but still… Details, details.

As soon as I tried it on, I was like, “Sweet! Not nearly as cray as I thought it would be.”

Well…it looks a little cray, but I actually expected it to look even more cray (crayer?).

It’ll be perfect for scaring my neighbors! 🙂

Sebastian is one of six intriguing Lip Tars in the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Moderncraft collection for fall, the inspiration for which was 1920s Berlin.

Sounds a little like something Illamasqua might do, yeah? In fact, some of the colors even remind me of Illamasqua, which might be why I like them so much.

Four of the shades are in the regular Lip Tar formulation (so pigmented, and they last all day long), and two are Lip Tar Stained Glosses (sheer and lightweight, with a three-hour wear time). All of them have a lovely, light minty flavor and fragrance that fades fast.

Popping any one of these on your lips with cat eyes is a surefire way to kick your look into fall.

OCC Moderncraft Collection — From the left: Anita, Black Metal Dahlia, Dekadent, Mein Herr, Role Play and Sebastian

OCC Moderncraft Swatches — From the left; Mein Herr Stained Gloss, Dekadent Stained Gloss, Sebastian lip Tar, Anita Lip Tar, Black Metal Dahlia Lip Tar and Role Play Lip Tar

OCC Role Play Lip Tar — Role Play Lip Tar, a deep, metallic maroon with red pearl

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) Lip Tars

September 3rd, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

Guest blogger Celia San Miguel wearing OCC Lip Tar in Anime

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Celia San Miguel of sickathanaverage.com. You can also find Celia on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The word “tar” might not conjure up beautiful imagery, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking out Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics’ range of oh-so-sexy Lip Tar shades ($18 each). Introduced in Fall 2008, OCC Makeup’s Lip Tar coats lips with super-saturated, astoundingly opaque pigments with a satin-y finish. The formula, meanwhile, incorporates several beneficial botanical ingredients — chiefly hemp oil, which is rife with nourishing and softening omega fatty acids; peppermint oil, which has a cooling effect and also boasts antimicrobial properties; and antioxidant-rich vitamin E, which protects lips from free radical damage and prevents premature skin aging.

Swatches of some of my favorite Lip Tars: Anime, Lovecraft and Electric Grandma

Each 100% vegan lip color is packaged inside a tiny, pocket-sized tube that, although small, will last surprisingly long given that you’ll only need a bead-sized amount for each application. Ideally, you should use a lip brush when applying the Lip Tar shade of your choice since the color saturation is almost mind-blowingly high, and you’ll want to be precise when smoothing the color onto your pout (and that goes double if you choose an ultra-bright shade like Beta, Anime, or Demure).

There is literally no product on the market that compares to OCC’s Lip Tars in terms of consistency, texture, color payoff, or longevity. Each Lip Tar shade packs a mighty punch in the opacity department, balking at the notion of wimpy sheer hues and instead embracing a bold, flamboyant, adventurous and bodacious approach to color. Pigment saturation aside, I find the Lip Tars to have a delightful texture — they’re not sticky or tacky like some glosses nor do they have the clump-prone creaminess of a lipstick; instead, they have an almost oil-like feel, though their consistency is by no means runny or watery.

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Just in Time for the Hottest Days of Summer, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cranks Out Six New Shades of Their Multitasking Creme Colour Concentrate Line

July 11th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Creme Colour Concentrate — The new $20 Creme Colour Concentrates from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

G’morning, friend. I hope you had a nice night. Things are just OK on my end…but I’m hangin’ in.

Yesterday Tabs let me bail early because I was bummed and little use to him in the afternoon, so I sat on the couch, cried, ate ice cream and watched chick flicks on TV — What to Expect When You’re Expecting (not great, but better than I expected) and Playing for Keeps (sooo unbearable that I couldn’t even finish it).

It was a very Liz Lemon-y afternoon. Muy therapeutic.

Despite his reputation as the Naomi Campbell of the plus-size kitty modeling world, Tabs can actually be pretty understanding sometimes. Your nephew took good care of his heartbroken human. He even slept next to me the entire night, which he never does.

Thanks again for the hugs yesterday. I really needed ’em.

SO! Today is a new day, and if I suddenly burst into tears and go off on tangents in my posts, I apologize. I’ll do my best to stay positive and focus on happy thoughts, like all of the good memories I have of my pretty puppy girl, but no guarantees. I think that’s how these things work.

Now, makeup, because like good medicine, it usually helps me feel better. 🙂

I’ll be doing some traveling over the next few months, and these six new multipurpose creams from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics couldn’t have come at a better time.

These new shades in OCC’s 100% vegan and cruelty-free Creme Colour Concentrate line, a collection of long-wearing, satiny creams for eyes, lips, cheeks and basically wherever you want long-lasting, intense color (I just put a little on my ankle for fun, woo-hoo!), have a thin, lightweight formula and a smooth texture that reminds me a lot of Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Creams.

OCC loaded them with moisturizing vitamin E, aloe leaf and cocoa extracts, something my dry lips enthusiastically support.

Choose from opalescent pink Pleasure Model, pale peachy Newt, golden Icarius, silver Mercury, teal Beholder and dark greenish gray Dark Matter.

OCC Mercury Swatch — Mercury, a true silver

OCC Pleasure Model Swatch — Pleasure Model, a pearlescent pink

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Wander Into the Garden of Long-Wearing Liquid Lipsticks With Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and the Garden Collection Lip Tars

April 24th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

Wearing Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Belladonna

Gardening. I’m obsessed with gardening. But not the botanical kind, at least not today. Today, I’m obsessed with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, and the new Lip Tars from their Garden collection.

It’s easy to get lost in this garden because it’s filled with psychotropic plants, dude (like Kava Kava). And poisonous ones (like Belladonna).

obsessive compulsive cosmetics the garden lip tars
Lip Tars from the left: Pennyroyal, Kava Kava, Ophelia, Digitalis, Belladonna and Chlorophyll

For their spring and summer 2012 Garden collection/harvest, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) is growing six new Lip Tar shades for the company’s permanent line, and all of them are named after plants.

No, not roses and daisies. 🙂 Not this time. You won’t find any ruffles and bows here. This Garden is wicked! — as you can tell by the color names, but most of the shades themselves, which range from pinks, browns and corals to a smattering of edgier purples and greens, are actually pretty wearable.

OCC has a full range of 100-percent vegan and cruelty-free makeup made without parabens and preservatives, but the Lip Tars are probably their most popular product.

Sticking with the botany metaphor, if you crossed a long-wearing, full-coverage liquid lipstick with a gloss, and then squeezed it into a tiny tube, you’d get a Lip Tar, tada! Opaque coverage and out-of-this-world wear time makes them special.

Just squeeze out a tiny bead, and spread it over your lips with a lip brush or finger (yea!). They start out glossy but dry down to a satin finish.

SO pretty!

Of this bunch, I think I like brown Pennyroyal and coral Kava Kava the most. I think they look the most natural/wearable, but some of the others also look fun.

obsessive compulsive cosmetics pennyroyal
Pennyroyal

obsessive compulsive cosmetics kava kava
Kava Kava

So how long do they really last?

We’re talkin’ hours and hours. They’re total long-wearing rock stars. On my lips, they start looking sketchy after about six hours, when a visible line of product begins to build up along the inner part of my lower lip. No biggie — I just scrape it off.

It’s only after about six hours when they start to fade, slowly and evenly, until they eventually disappear between hours 8-10.

They even last through meals, beverages and repeated kitty kisses (“Give mama a kiss, mwah!“) without migrating or fading at all.

More details…

Texture: So lightweight and comfortable! Sometimes I forget I’m wearing anything on my lips at all.
Packaging: On the one hand, the tubes are great. They make it easy to precisely control how much product I use, cutting down on waste, but they aren’t the most elegant products in terms of presentation… Still, I think it fits their personality.
Flavor and scent: It’s faint in both cases. A combination of peppermint…and wax. I don’t mind the peppermint part so much, but the wax? I could do without. Thankfully, both are very faint and fade in under a minute.
Hydration: I wouldn’t call them exceptionally moisturizing, but at least they don’t make my lips drier and worse, which is good for a such long-wearing product.

Now, if you’re looking for something funkier than Pennyroyal and Kava Kava and don’t mind a bit more work, Belladonna (a bright grape), Digitalis (a pinkish violet), Ophelia (a pink) and Chlorophyll (a bright green) might be more your speed. I find that I get better results when I use a brush to apply all four of these.

NOTE: The lighter pastel colors appear to slightly emphasize the vertical wrinkles in my lips, and the green shade, Chlorophyll, applies a little patchy.

obsessive compulsive cosmetics ophelia
Ophelia
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This Garden’s a Trip! The Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Garden Collection for Spring and Summer 2012

April 11th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

obsessive compulsive cosmetics the garden lip tars
Lip Tars from the left: Pennyroyal, Kava Kava, Ophelia, Digitalis, Belladonna and Chlorophyll

There’s something wicked out in the garden, and it’s cosmetics!

“A different shade of floral” — that’s how Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics describes their new spring/summer Garden collection of colors inspired by psychotropic and poisonous plants.

Yep, these aren’t your usual pastels and dainty florals. The color palette, with its nearly-neon hues and earthy neutrals, reminds me of the time I unwittingly ate one of my brother’s “special” brownies before going grocery shopping (he left them out on the counter at home without a warning/explanation).

I must have stood in the Safeway veggie aisle for 15 minutes, just fondling the eggplants and oranges, and marveling at how smooth and shiny everything was.

Man, what a weird day…

An indie makeup line out of New York, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) carries a pretty wide range of makeup, tools and nail polishes, but they’re probably best known for their lightweight Lip Tars — intensely pigmented lip products with the texture of a gloss and the longevity of a lipstick.

The company also prides itself on their 100% vegan pledge and cruelty-free formulas that steer clear of parabens and artificial preservatives.

The Garden collection features six Lip Tars ($14 each), five Loose Colour Concentrate pigments ($12 each), six Nail Lacquers ($8 each) and one Cosmetic Glitter ($12), and all of them are bound for OCC’s permanent line.

I’m still getting to know the products, but I’m already intrigued by the Lip Tars and Nail Lacquers, in particular Ophelia Lip Tar and Chlorophyll Lacquer.

The brand isn’t widely available yet, but it looks like they’re expanding (here’s a list of places that carry it).

obsessive compulsive cosmetics the garden lip tars 1
Lip Tars from the left: Ophelia, Digitalis and Belladonna
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