MAKEUP LOOK | SST Cosmetics #Facetime Collection Review & Swatches

We all have favourite makeup companies that we revisit for new collections, colours and products, but I tend to make an exception when I get introduced to new Canadian makeup companies because that’s the kind of patriot I am. SST Cosmetics is aptly named after makeup artist and founder Sharon Sharpe-Titus and is a Canadian company focused on creating quality colour cosmetics without any harsh ingredients that will make any gal look nothing short of fabulous! What caught my attention about SST’s newest makeup collection was the humour behind it. The #Facetime Collection is all about hashtags, products worth tweeting about and looking Facetime ready in a flash! As a child of the early 80s, I still find it so fascinating that social media and technology dictate so much of our lives that now there is even a makeup collection with a hashtag in its name! Though I digress, I am an Android user so I don’t specifically use Facetime, but I have been on many Skype sessions where I do feel the urge to make myself look just a little better for the camera. For the purposes of this particular collection, I didn’t style my hair and tried to put a decent look together in 5 minutes for my “phone call”!

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Review Swatch (2)

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Review Swatch

SST Facetime Collection  SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Skin Perfecting Balm with Tea Tree

The Skin Perfecting Balm with Tea Tree*($47.94 CDN/24g) is from the Black Label Collection and was the most interesting product in the group as it is somewhat multipurpose and can be used by both men and women. It is a weightless balm, made without silicones, that smoothes away fine lines and gives skin a textureless, matte finish. It is a fairly solid balm that can be used as a primer or patted on top of makeup to take away excess shine. For men, this can be used to soothe skin after shaving. It also has the subtle, characteristic scent of tea tree oil which I adore.

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Hydrating Lipstick in Drama Queen Review

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Hydrating Lipstick in Drama Queen Review Swatch

From the Signature Series, the Hydrating Lipstick in Drama Queen*($23.94 CDN) while not necessarily a colour I would wear, was beautifully pigmented, but not as hydrating as I would have expected. Infused with grape seed oil vitamin E and cocoa butter, you would think this would feel moisturizing, but it felt quite thick on my lips. Like that feeling you get when you KNOW you’ve got lipstick on. This formulation is something I would have to pass on.

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Power Stay Shadow Stick Review

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Power Stay Shadow Stick Review (2)

I received two of the Power Stay Shadow Sticks ($33.90 CDN) with one shade from the Signature Collection in Water Lily* and #OMG* which is from the new #Facetime Collection. Shadow sticks have made my life so much easier and you can see from the swatches above that both shades are metallic and nicely pigmented. I assumed that they were quick-setting like most waterproof eyeshadow sticks so I worked fast to blend these two shades over my eyelid. Advice: don’t do that. You have time! As soon as I started blending, the shadows lifted and I had to reapply so wait a couple of seconds before doing anything! They were very smooth and did not budge once I left them to set.

GET THE LOOK!

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Review Swatch (3)

Face:

SST Skin Perfecting Balm with Tea Tree*
Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm

Brows:

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow in Medium/Dark

Eyes:

Apply SST Water Lily* on first half of lid up to brow bone.
Apply SST #OMG* on outer half of lid and blend with Water Lily.
Line lower lash line with same shades to mirror upper lid.
Line lower waterline and upper lash line with Essence Gel Eye Pencil in Cocoa Bean*
Apply Marcelle XTension Plus Mascara


Cheeks:

Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

Lips:

SST Hydrating Lipstick in Drama Queen*

SST Cosmetics Facetime Collection Review Swatch (5)

Final Verdict: My favourite items were the skin perfecting balm and the shadow sticks for sure! One thing that surprised me was the prices. I found the pricing to be much more than I had expected and I am somewhat at a loss for why. The packaging is fairly average and ingredients fairly standard. There aren’t any parabens, but nowadays that’s pretty common. The only price that I could have justified was the $24 lipstick, but $34 for an eyeshadow stick or almost $50 for the balm? Maybe I’m not familiar enough with the brand as this is the first I have heard of it, but as good as the products were, the pricing was hard for me to come to terms with.

Have you heard or tried SST Cosmetics before?

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