Penshoppe Pop Beauty lipstick in Russian Doll vs herbench/ paint box lipstick in Orchid Pop

I'm really fond of trying out make up from local companies that don't just sell make up. Take clothing brands bench/ and Penshoppe, for example. The products I've tried from them so far are actually of decent quality, sometimes even better than Pinoy brands that focus only on make up.

Russian Doll is a slightly purple-ey red, and is one of four lipstick colors that Penshoppe offers. (I've only ever seen 4 at the branches I go to; do let me know if they have more~) Their lipstick's packaging is fun to hold because it's so smooth and metallic. Kinda reminds me of the anodized aluminum Apple uses to make iPod Nanos, really.

Russian Doll looked somewhat familiar when I swatched it, so I went digging into my lipstick drawer to verify this. True enough, its color was VERY near rival brand bench/'s paint box Orchid Pop lipstick! (Russian Doll to the left, Orchid Pop to the right.)

I wouldn't call them dupes, because Russian Doll is more sheer than Orchid Pop. The difference is barely noticeable on the lips, though. Here's how RD looks like:

And here's Orchid Pop:

Visually, all Orchid Pop has over Russian Doll is the "creamy" finish, and that's pretty much it. However, if smell were a factor, bench/ definitely trumps Penshoppe. The former's sugary dessert scent easily defeats the latter's icky waxy smell. It's super effective! (Props if you get the geek reference. 8B)

What of bench/'s packaging, you ask? Well, it's certainly very pretty to look at,

but I still think Penshoppe's is more fun to hold.