Subtle blackberry from Morgana Cryptoria

Last month, I finally got my first (and also second) Morgana Cryptoria lipstick. For those of you who don't know, Morgana has earned a cult-like following for the fantastic range of lipsticks and glosses offered at the shop - anything from traditional colors like pink to way-out-there colors like yellow with purple duochrome (seriously)!

Morgana Cryptoria 1920s collection lipstick in Speakeasy

After battling my jealousy of everyone's gorgeous Morgana lipsticks for about a year, I finally caved and placed my first order during a sale. The 1920s collection was discounted, so I happily ordered Speakeasy, a "creamy raspberry" according to the item listing.

Back-and-forth swipe of Speakeasy on otherwise bare skin; direct sunlight, no flash

Ohhhhhhh my ... what a beautiful color (albeit different from the color shown in the promo pics). However, it is a bit tricky to apply. It's very firm in texture, so you have to either apply more pressure, or multiple layers, to get full opacity. Having never tried Morgana lipsticks before, I was a bit surprised by that, but it's not really a big deal! It just means that you have to be careful with your application or it will look streaky/ patchy. There's also a bit of a scent (almost like homemade playdough, or something), but it doesn't linger on your lips.

Naked lips for reference; direct sunlight, no flash

Speakeasy applied straight from the tube to otherwise bare lips, lightly blotted and fixed up; direct sunlight, no flash

As you can see, the color pulls a bit less purple and more raspberry on the lips - and it can get patchy, especially if your lips are a bit dry, as mine were that day. But oh, it is worth it! Because of the firm texture, Speakeasy looks almost matte on the lips, making it more versatile than a creamy lipstick - you can apply gloss over it for a more shiny look, or leave as is if you prefer matte lips.

L-R: Back-and-forth swipe of Vino, Speakeasy on otherwise bare skin; direct sunlight, no flash

And if you thought the color looked familiar from the hand swatch, it's because this lipstick is almost like an indie version of my other favorite lipstick, Vino by Victoria's Secret! The difference is that Vino is more opaque and more glossy, so you can get the look of a lip stain with Speakeasy or an easier application and less matte look with Vino. Probably most normal people wouldn't need both lipsticks, and Speakeasy is less expensive and more versatile than Vino, so that's the one I'd recommend!

Buying info: Speakeasy is regularly priced at $10 on the Morgana Cryptoria website, but I got it on sale for $7. There is a $15 order minimum and shipping is about $5 flat rate, or $7 with insurance, for domestic orders. To keep up with sales and promotional offers, Like the Morgana Facebook fan page, where they are normally announced in advance!