OCC Lip Tars Pros Picks Portables review

OCC’s Lip Tars are one of those cult products that really do live up to their hyped reputation. I had my first proper experience with them at last year’s IMATS show in London and since then, they’ve become a bit of an addiction for me.

Lip Tars are essentially a liquid lipstick, but these really aren’t like all the others – they’re super pigmented, stay on for hours at a time and are completely vegan and cruelty free. What I really love about them is the fact that you can blend multiple shades together to create your own custom one – perfect if you’ve never been able to find quite the right shade that you’re after.

The Pros Picks Portables Test Tubes set* is an amazing set of 12 mini Lip Tars in an array of shades from nudes to seriously hot pinks. These have all been hand selected by the top OCC makeup artists and together form a kit that should work to create almost every shade you could ever need.

Interlace, Zhora, Annika, Cha Cha, Grandma, Vintage

Harlot, Nylon, Hoochie, Digitalis, Sebastian, Lovecraft

Included in the set are:

Interlace (Palest créme peach)

Zhora (Peach with pink shimmer)

Annika (Pale peach neutral)

Cha Cha (Pale tangerine)

Grandma (Clean classic coral)

Vintage (Deep burgundy)

Harlot (Neon popsicle red)

Nylon (Neon bubblegum pink)

Hoochie (Vibrant magenta)

Digitalis (Pink-tinged lavender)

Sebastian (Plum-toned taupe)

Lovecraft (Pink with lilac shimmer)

Each tube contains 2.5ml of product, which might not seem a lot when you compare it to the usual 12ml of the full sized ones, but trust me when I say that you really only need a tiny drop per application, so these will last you really well. It’s also a great way to try out the brand and the formula if you’ve not had much experience with them before or want to try a few shades before investing in the larger sizes.

My favourites from this pack are Nylon, Digitalis and Lovecraft – I do love a vibrant pink and Nylon is so flattering on the skin. I love the fact they’ve included a mix of finishes – some are matte, others have more of a sheen to them, but they all do not budge once applied. You’re easily looking at 5-6 hours of wear time minimum, with a little more for some of the bolder, matte finish shades.

I’d recommend applying these with a fine lip brush (a decent one is included in the set) to get the most precise finish (and to avoid staining your fingers!) and use a matching lip liner underneath to help them stay in place even longer and stop any potential feathering around the edges.

At £43 for the set I think this is fantastic value. As much as I love my full-sized ones, I’m unlikely to ever finish them before they expire (around 1 year-18 months for creams/lipsticks) so the smaller size is perfect and I love the variety of shades.

You can find the OCC Pros Picks Portables online from lovemakeup.com.

What do you think of this Lip Tar set? Have you tried OCC before?

*PR sample