Here comes another review of OCC Cosmetics’ Lip Tars!

To quickly recap what OCC Lip Tars are (for those who know, or read one of my previous posts, you can skip this bit and head on to the review of this set after the jump). OCC stands for Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and Lip Tars are quite possibly the product that they are best known for. They are liquid lipsticks that apply like a gloss, going on slick and moist, but drying down to a satin or matte lipstick-like finish. They come in dozens of colors, and can be mixed to create custom shades. They are vegan, free of cruelty, and gluten-free. One thing to note is that they do contain peppermint oil for preservative purposes, so if you are sensitive to that oil or its scent, keep that in mind. Being Queen of Sensitive Skin over here, I can say that for me they did not cause any sort of reaction, other than being a bit drying.

That said, let’s get on to the review!

This set is the Pro Picks Lip Tar Set v3.0. This is the third edition of three Sephora-exclusive Pro Picks sets, all of which contain 5 full size (0.33oz) Lip Tars for $49.00.

As with set v1.0, v3.0 is still quite the deal, when you consider a single tube retails for $18.00. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now; you truly only need the tiniest dot of product to cover a full lip, so these full-size tubes may just last forever. I foresee leaving them to the grandkids in my will.

So, the shades included in this set are Clear, Femme, Electric Grandma, Authentic, and Radiate. As with the other Pro Picks sets, it includes a full sized Precision Lip Brush. This set is probably the most “out-there” of the Pro Picks sets, as the majority of the colors are bright and/or metallic shades. Personally, I really liked the selection they put together here–while these aren’t colors for the faint-hearted (or what I would consider “everyday” shades), they are fun punches of color that really make a statement on the lips.

Swatches

 

Clear – colorless (gloss finish)

Clear is exactly what it says it is: a clear, glossy lip tar. On the OCC website they say: “A LIP TAR™ fan’s best friend, ‘Clear’ is a triple threat that preps and primes the lips as well as maintains hydration during wear time. Composed of a blend of organic essential oils, ‘CLEAR’ LIP TAR™ not only prepares the lips for LIP TAR™ application, it also revitalizes the look of LIP TAR™ during wear.”

I’ve used this both as a primer, before colored lip tar application, and as a topping gloss. I like it better as a primer, personally. The way I use this is to apply it on well-moisturized yet dry to the touch lips. I let the clear sink in for ten minutes or so while I do the rest of my face. I then blot my lips and apply the lip tar color I am using for the day. This seems to help me get a more even application than if I had just applied to dry lips.

I don’t often use this on top of my lip tar, as I find it adds just a bit too much shine/slickness and it inhibits the color from drying down the way I like it to. However, I also have used a tiny bit of the Clear as a refresher during the day, when my lips are looking too dry. I very lightly dot this across my lower lip (which is the one that dries/flakes first), then press my lips together to gently distribute the product. This helps resettle the color a bit, and adds just a hint of glossy sheen.

Femme – true baby pink (matte finish)

This color is my least favorite in the set. The color is pretty; it is a very cool, bugglegum-y baby pink. Its fun and playful; a young and innocent kind of color that makes me think of springtime. Its not the color I dislike; I actually like it very much!

Unfortunately, there is a milkiness to the formula of this color that doesn’t work on me. No matter what I do, it really settles into my crevices and highlights every little dry spot on my lips. I applied it very lightly in the lip swatch shown here; if I try to layer on anymore than that, in an effort to make it more opaque and build it up to the true baby pink that it swatches as on my arm (above), it gets far too milky and unflattering. ::sadface::

Electric Grandma – Classic coral frost (metallic finish)

Man, I don’t know whose grandma they modeled this one after–I sure can’t picture either of my grandmothers wearing this one!

Like their regular, matte finish Grandma, this color is a strong coral shade. It is a cool shade with orange-y undertones. Unlike their original one, this one has a metallic finish. There is very noticeable golden glitter strewn throughout this color, and while I find it very pretty, those darn golden flecks are hell to get off the lips! After the color is removed, they remain stuck to my lips like glue (especially in those little lines I’m pretending I don’t yet have). I even found some stuck to my chin afterwards. Ugh.

I have a love-hate relationship with this shade; the color is gorgeous and it looks great on me. The metallic finish lip tars seem to do a better job of hiding the imperfections of my lips (you know, those dry/flaky bits), but I wish that glitter wasn’t such a pain to get off afterwards!

Authentic – bronze copper frost (metallic finish)

Authentic actually looks better on the lips than I expected from its deep, metallicy bronze look in the tube. On the lips, its sheers out a bit more and more of the copper color comes out, giving it an orange/copper color with golden shimmer. Again, the metallic finish–while very shimmery–is more forgiving to dry lips and wears really well.

This color is rather dark for someone as fair as I am, yet I think it is still wearable. Also, I did not find the glittery sheen as hard to remove as I did the one from Electric Grandma; this shade had more of a metallic shimmer than actual flecks of glitter in it.

Radiate – electric coral red (matte)

Holy crap, do I love this red!

Obviously, this is not a demure red. There is nothing natural about it; nothing subtle. It is bright, it is bold and man, do I love the almost neon quality of it! Its a cool, pinky-red that looks amazing on my fair skin, though I am sure this one will suit a wide array of skin tones. While certainly not an every day color, this is a great shade for those times when you’re feeling a little wild and want a bold, statement lip.

This shade was my hands-down favorite in the set.

Verdict

Will I sound like a broken record if I say just how much I adore OCC Lip Tars one more time? ‘Cause I do; I really, really do. Not every color I have tried has been a winner for me straight out of the tube, but the ability to mix them in with other colors to create my own means none of them are every a waste. I have yet to find another lip product as fun and flexible as these Lip Tars, and I can’t wait to try out more colors from them in the future!

Also, you might be wondering why my first Pro Picks review was for set v1.0 and now this one here is for set v3.0. There was a Pro Picks v2.0 set available (containing Iced, Kava Kava, Lydia, Hoochie and Pretty Boy), but I had already purchased three of the colors in that set from OCC directly. I also did not see that particular set for sale when I did a quick search on Sephora today, so I am not sure if it has been discontinued or not. Either way, I will not be reviewing the set v2.0 selection, en mass, here.

Separate reviews for each of the all the single Lip Tars I own will be forthcoming (and that number grows frequently!), so stay tuned for my thoughts on those shades!