makeupbox:

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color (Crush and Lovechild swatches and Review)

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I was recently gifted two of the new Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors by some wonderful friends at work, and I’ve got to say - these are so fun. 

They picked out the only two that did not contain frost or sparkles (good choice, J), along with some other things I’ll write about soon. 

• Lovechild - Muted mauve that’s almost an MLBB (My Lips But Better) shade. I hear it’s already sold out at some Sephoras in Singapore.
• Crush - Traffic-stopping, saturated hot pink creme

Format / Packaging

These lipsticks come in chubby-stick form, like fat pencils, and contain 2.8g (0.10 oz)of product each, which is slightly less than a typical lipstick (0.12 - 0.13 oz usually).

They aren’t twist-up, so you will have to sharpen them once the nubs are worn down.

Texture

Lightweight compared to most lipsticks and very much like lip balms. These aren’t as soft and smushy as I would have expected. They’re firm like regular lipsticks and easy to apply, and there isn’t much of a scent that I can detect or notice after application.

In fact, they are quite similar in consistency to MAC Casual Color Lip and Cheek Colors, but in pencil form so you can slip them into a bag or a pocket and not worry about things melting or breaking easily. 

Appearance / Consistency

These go on medium-sheer, but you can build up the color very easily for more opacity. Many chubby-sticks look like weak, tinted balms, but these definitely don’t. It might be a bit of a stretch to call them “super-saturated” despite the name though. They aren’t all that saturated compared to most lipsticks.

Shine-wise, don’t be too surprised or disappointed if they don’t look shiny when just applied. The formula causes the product to stay firm at room temperature. A minute or so after application, the heat of your lips will melt it and bring out a soft, glossy sheen.

Wear / Tenacity

Quite good. I could wear these for 3-4 hours without touching up. The problem is that these are so light and balm-like that I tended to forget I had anything on my lips at all, and just chewed/licked/smeared everything off within 1-2 hours. 

They definitely keep their original appearance better than tints or stains, which either fade or lose their sheen quickly, but because it’s quite creamy, you can’t expect them to stay on like matte or long-wearing glosses and lipsticks.

Price

Honestly, not cheap at US$19. Especially if you consider that these contain less product than the typical lipstick, and that you will always lose some product when you shave them with a sharpener. 

One thing UD can do to improve these would be to make them in a twist-up format so there is minimal waste. (Then again, if they do that, I expect they will just pass the extra cost to the consumers by charging us more for each stick.)

Verdict?

If you love the texture and finishes of MAC Casual Color pots, but don’t like dipping your fingers in or bringing a lip brush around, then these would be a good alternative. 

I have not tried any of the Revlon Balm Stains (the local drugstores need to bring these things in faster!) so I can’t do a comparison, but from what I’ve seen, the UD Lip Colors will be much more opaque and intense, and won’t provide that stain effect. 

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Note: Urban Decay cosmetics are vegan and cruelty-free.

(via victoriialee)