Around August marked the date when McKenna Kaelin, otherwise known as cozykitsune, released her own lipstick line, the "Kitsune Collection." The launch provided beautiful autumnal colors that I just had to try! So I purchased the whole collection awaiting how her lipstick line will look.
The colors released were very warm and cozy, perfect for the fall season wear! Promoted to be cruelty free and vegan, I really wanted to support small business and also write out my first review to share my thoughts about the lipstick line. I am, by no means, a beauty guru or a makeup expert, but what I will be looking for in these lipsticks is the consistency of the product, if there is any transference, and the overall quality of the lipstick and packaging.
The collection was released as "The Autumn People" which consistent of four shades in total:
October, a vibrant orange shade; Salem, burgundy with brown undertones; Cafe au Lait, a pale nude shade with slightly brown undertones; and 1995, of burnt orange shade to complete the collection set.
When the website launched, there were no poc models who tested out the shades to see how each color will look on different skin complexions which made me curious to see if the shades released will flatter me. As of now, there has been little reviews of women of color that I was able to find who had tested the colors out, one of which was Youtuber, Lalunette ( her video review here ). But having more reviews of different skin tones is helpful for anyone out there who is thinking of purchasing McKenna's line to help anyone make a decision as to which lipstick shade to purchase!
Without further more to say, let's get started with this review!
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(from the top to bottom: October, Salem, Cafe au Lait, 1995)
When I swatch the colors to test how they look against my complexion, I noted the lipsticks has different consistency from one another.
First, October had a nice consistency while Salem and 1995 has similar consistencies. The application was not even and you can see the brush strokes of the lipstick wand. Finally, I was the most worried for Cafe au Lait, it had a very thin consistency, very watery, and very see-through.
Although once dried, there was minor to some smudging. I also tried the waterproof test where you try to rub off the product with water and I was quite pleased with the results! All but one succeed the water test. Cafe au Lait was the first to go and Salem was the one which was hardest to remove. I also noted how Salem and October left color stains against my skin even after taking the product off with soap. I had to use a cleansing balm to remove any left over stains.
Based on the initial test, I wondered how the lipsticks will test out once I actually wore them out. I worried for Cafe au Lait consistency, if it would be hard to apply given how wet the liquid was or to see how October and Salem will really last given how hard they were to remove.
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First is the shade October, which is a very soft shade of orange. As expected, it was a tad difficult to apply. The lipstick will smudge if I wanted to build the color up or reapply to any areas that needed extra application. Though, once set, I had no issues with it!
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The shade looked lighter than how it looked on the bottle or when I swatch it on my arm which is something I did not expected. Also I noted that it has a thin consistency and I was hoping it would be slightly darker, but nonetheless, I am still happy with how it looked on me!
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The next shade is Salem. This shade did gave me the most witchy vibes! I actually do not wear darker shade of colors that much so I was not used to how it looked on me. As darker shades does create the illusion of smaller lips. Although that is not to say that I did not liked it, I did! This was also difficult to apply but for a whole different reason than it was for October. When applied, the lipstick will easily stain my teeth so I recommend being careful when applying it.
That said, I also noted that I did not see noticeable brush strokes when applied, which I was quite pleased! So I will give this one a nice score!
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Cafe au Lait is next in line. This shade is described as a nude color and it really holds up to that description! The color blended against my skin which gave the illusion of not wearing any lipstick at all. I am not sure if I liked this shade as usually there is a natural red or pink tint when you are not wearing any makeup. I feel like this is the shade that I will use to blend or try to be creative with than to use standalone.
As expected, the consistency was to light and too thin which made it the hardest to work with out of the collection. For a positive note, I think it can work as it can allow you to control how much you apply to your lips. That is, after waiting until the first layer dried completely or you might risk brushing off the product once you do.
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Last but not least is 1995 and I have to say, hands down, it is my favorite lipstick out of "The Autumn People" line! It is a beautiful color and one where I will wear out often. The color shade has a striking similarity to October which can be hard to tell apart initially without looking at the labels. It also has a similar consistency when applied as October, but perhaps, slightly better. That said, 1995 is darker than October which I liked as I believe the shade compliments me the most.
The color was not thin and was easy to apply too! When dried, I did not notice major transference issyes which is always a plus! Overall I am happy with this shade!
My final thoughts? I like the collection. The "Kitsune Collection" has nice colors, with October and 1995 being similar in shade, but are still quite pretty. Being a new business, it leaves room to grow and improve. To start, I paid $77 when the collection first launched and a few weeks later the website provided a bundle discount for all four lipsticks. Also, the lipsticks are quite expensive retailing for $18 each. I expected better consistency of the formula throughout each bottle but there were some mishaps. Either being too runny or colors being transparent and thin while showing brush strokes. Also another note is the packaging as it is very minimal. It is cute, don't get me wrong, but for the price I would had liked more attention to detail to justify the expense.
All in all, I will give these lipsticks a 3/5. I would categorize them as pharmacy level lipsticks (there is nothing wrong with that!) but either the price should reflect the quality that it is currently or improve to match it. I have no regrets supporting small businesses so I am still happy with my purchase, but as an added note to the "Kitsune Collection" brand, I think that they should check their lipstick's formula. That is my biggest note and once they do, I will be happy to try any future releases!
At that note, this marks the end of my review, I hope you all liked my review. So now I ask, have you purchased from the "Kitsune Collection" lipstick yet? What were your thoughts on it? I will love to hear them!
with much love,
jennie
