Review: Depixym Cosmetic Emulsions

I'm no stranger to colour. I adore a good rainbow look or simply smearing something bold all over the eye. So seeing all of these wonderful artists online posting fantastic graphic liner looks got me thinking that maybe I want to give that a go. But more than just eyeliner, I wanted a product that would to it all, that I could safely wear all over the face, eyes, and lips for whatever colour I wanted that day. Anywhere from looking like a straight up clown to a lovely monochromatic dream. So I found Danessa Myricks Colorfix. They're silicone based and tested for all-over use. But they're also pricey. So I waited and thought and then came across Depixym, a recently launched (2018?) UK brand from two product developers who wanted to break the rules around makeup. They also offer sets for a slightly reduced price. Winner. Still pricey though so I hum and haw and eventually they offer a sale. That's where this review begins.

I would describe this product as all bark and no bite.  So much potential that the product sadly does not live up to.  First the purchasing process: I ordered directly from Depixym when they had a buy 2 get 1 free promo (I got 6 colours- the starter kit 2 and clear), so I luckily paid less than normal price for what I got ($163.64, saving $68).  I ordered on 28 August, received shipping notice on 5/9 and actually got my product on 24 September.  I live in Australia so the 2.5 weeks to get here is a reasonable timeframe. UPDATE: The owners contacted me and refunded my shipping costs.  

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Now the product.  I adore the concept and the creators seem lovely.  I will attest to the fact that you can mix together any of the colours to create a custom shade.  Unfortunately that's where my praise ends.  

Application:  I find these emulsions really hard to work with.  I struggle to get them to mix together, and using the tiny wooden spatula provided is a lesson in futility.  It’s much easier to use a flat brush to mix and apply and then a clean blender afterwards if such a look is desired.  Once mixed there is maybe 90 seconds of truly usable time before the product starts drying down and becoming thicker and tacky.  You can still just barely pick it up to place more down, but blending time has ended.  Now that short time span would be fine if the product performed really well... but it doesn't... it's okay at best.  

The texture and patchiness you see on the yellow gives the best idea of what I'm experiencing when I use the cosmetic emulsions on my face.  I'd also like to add that the smudges you see between the blue and black come from a thin fluid that came out of the black when I was swatching it.

Appearance and pigment:  Once dry, the texture is noticeably unpleasant from a 15cm distance, sort of patchy, dry, and not a consistent pigment load, despite me meticulously trying to spread out an even layer on either lips or eyes.  The shades are off too.  The primaries aren't primary, the red is orangey, the blue verging on aqua, and the yellow very deep, pulling golden orange.  In and of themselves perfectly fine colours, but when the marketing involves promising endless possibilities I struggle to see how that’s possible with off shades (in case my reasoning isn't clear colour theory shows us that mixing shades which aren't truly primary will result in unexpected shades because you're actually mixing tertiary colours which are close but not quite pure).  The black I find weak; despite loading my brush a dozen times, I can't get a truly black wing even on my small eyes, where I’m not trying to cover a lot of ground.  The white is equally lacking, though I personally never intended to use it other than pastelising the other shades, which it does reasonably. 

I've included here some swatches of products that I would consider 'true' primaries so the difference is clearer.  Note the depth of the yellow, how the red pulls orange, particularly in the patchier areas, and how the blue, despite being much deeper, is also much warmer.

Wear/lasting power:  As for the emulsions' staying power, well, I find that to be lacking too.  It isn't awful.  But it isn't the hardcore, budge-proof water-tight superstar I expected.  I have hooded, oily-ish lids and after 7 hours it is significantly creased and faded, whether worn all over the lid, or even as liner.  I can get them to last equally well to regular shadows (10+ hours) if I prime and set my lids.  Equally disappointing performance on the lips with significant fading and noticeable dryness after only a few hours. 😠

Overall I don't recommend the cosmetic emulsions, they're very expensive little buggers that don't deliver on colour, pigment, longevity, or ease of application.

1.5 out of 5