Makeup Geek Giddy, Candid, Witty Iconic Lipsticks

Giddy

Makeup Geek Giddy Iconic Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a bright, medium coral with warm, orange undertones and a glossy, cream finish. The Iconic Lipstick formula is supposed to be “highly pigmented” and that seems to be the end of the claims made. Giddy had good pigmentation, nearly opaque but the amount of slip in the formula made some areas more translucent (particularly around the edges). A little bit of color pulled into my lip lines after an hour of wear, though the creamier formula made it easier to smooth out the color while worn.

The formula was comfortable to wear, a touch hydrating but mostly non-drying, and lasted for four hours on me. There appeared to be no added scent, but there was a faint smell of waxiness and something else at times (wasn’t consistent across all shades) but no taste.

Top Dupes

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MAC Make Me Gorgeous (LE, $17.00) is brighter, lighter (90% similar).
MAC Vegas Volt (P, $17.00) is less glossy, warmer (90% similar).
Colour Pop Topanga (P, $5.00) is more muted (90% similar).
Guerlain Geneva (48) (P, $55.00) is darker (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Matthew (LE, $35.00) is brighter, more shimmery (90% similar).
Urban Decay Wired (P, $17.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Givenchy Brun Createur (103) (P, $36.00) is less glossy, warmer, more muted (90% similar).
MAC Toying Around (LE, $17.00) is brighter (90% similar).
Bite Beauty #006 (LE, $36.00) is cooler, lighter (90% similar).
Make Up For Ever C303 (P, $22.00) is warmer, more muted, lighter (90% similar).

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipstick Giddy

Giddy

Temptalia

B+

Permanent

8.5

Product

9.5

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

Longevity

Application

88%

Total

The brand’s owner recently addressed the price point of the brand via video (also features the announcement of their lip products), for those curious. Per the video, they are not trying to compete with “drugstore prices” but fill the space between that and high-end. These lipsticks have a higher price particularly because of the packaging, which the brand customized, and one of the “features” of the lipstick packaging is the “color indicator” on the cap. I mention this because I felt that several really were not well-indicated by the color on the top, so it left me wishing they hadn’t made that move and offered a more compelling price point on the formula. They also opted for a slim-style lipstick tube, which almost always results in a reduction in quantity (across all brands), and the same is true here–there is 0.07 oz. in each, and the average lipstick is closer to 0.10 oz. to 0.12 oz.

Mid-end is a tier of brands that is hard to define as often mid-end and lower high-end are muddled together–many will put MAC, Urban Decay, and Dior all in the same tier, even though there is a fair difference between price points between those three. In general, MAC used to define the space between drugstore and high-end well, but some of their products have increased enough in price that they started to compete with brands like Urban Decay and NARS (which were more firmly in the high-end realm). The $15 price point of the Iconic lipstick formula is definitely what I would consider mid-end. Here’s how the pricing per ounce compares to some mid-end to (lower) high-end, popular lipstick formulas:

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipstick: $214.29/oz. ($15 each)
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick: $210.00/oz. ($21 each)
Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick: $210.00/oz. ($21 each)
Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick: $183.33/oz. ($22 each)
MAC Liptensity Lipstick: $175.00/oz. ($21 each)
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick: $173.33/oz. ($26 each)
MAC Lipstick: $170.00/oz. ($17 each)
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick: $154.55/oz. ($17 each)

There aren’t that many slim-style permanent formulas by the mid-end/lower high-end tier; you have to start going into true high-end (NARS, Shiseido, Givenchy, and so forth) to really find them, and then you’re looking at closer to ~$30 each, so the Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks are much cheaper by the ounce compared to those brands. I appreciate they’ve clarified that they’re not trying to compete with drugstore prices, given some of their recent releases and price points. I would like to see them adopt some of the perks of some of the mid-end brands they’re competing against, like returns and free shipping. I know that I had always thought of Makeup Geek as a brand that was trying to offer a more affordable price point (higher than drugstore but not mid-end) with emphasis on product vs. packaging, so I’ll be adjusting my perspective and comparing their pricing to mid-end brands going forward!

[Please note: all comparisons are made against U.S. pricing. Pricing in other countries can vary a lot due to markups, where a drugstore lipstick can be under $10 in the U.S. and closer to $20 in Australia.]

Candid

Makeup Geek Candid Iconic Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a subdued, medium brown with a hint of plum paired with a creamy, glossy finish. It had good color payoff–though not quite opaque–with a creamy, light-medium weight texture that was easy to apply and comfortable on the lips while worn. This shade had a tendency to pull into lip lines after two to three hours of wear, but the color could be smoothed back out. It lasted for four and a half hours and was lightly hydrating.

Top Dupes

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Tom Ford Beauty Evan (P, $35.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
Make Up For Ever C107 (P, $22.00) is less glossy, lighter (85% similar).
MAC Spirit (P, $17.00) is less glossy, lighter (85% similar).
MAC Double Shot (P, $17.00) is warmer, darker (85% similar).
MAC Half 'n' Half (P, $17.00) is lighter (85% similar).
Tarte Crop Top (P, $20.00) is less glossy, darker (80% similar).
Urban Decay 1993 (P, $17.00) is warmer (80% similar).

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipstick Candid

Candid

Temptalia

B+

Permanent

8.5

Product

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

Application

88%

Total

Witty

Makeup Geek Witty Iconic Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a deep red-brown with warm undertones and a glossy, cream finish. It had rich, opaque color coverage with a soft, melt-on-your-lips consistency that glided on easily and was comfortable to wear. While it had a definite sheen, it didn’t seem overly slippery, so I didn’t have any issues with the color moving on the lips or feathering over time. This shade lasted for six hours, left a stain behind, and was slightly hydrating overall.