Today, I welcome you to the Ince arena, where the world’s most prestigious lipsticks will battle it out for ultimate supremacy.

As a self-diagnosed lipstick connoisseur, I have tried and tested a plethora of lipsticks in a venture to find the perfect contestant in every formula and shade. From this, I decided to start a series of nit-picky, unapologetic reviews of the lipsticks that make up the bulk of my collection and give you my thoughts to help you decide whether or not to spend your precious pennies.

Before we begin however, I must give you a bit of a disclaimer.

I am not a makeup artist. I do not have any formal qualifications in this area. I have zero knowledge in the area of manufacturing or formulating cosmetics. I am simply an average consumer who’s day is instantly transformed once makeup is applied. These products will be reviewed in line with personal experience and preferences that I have built up over time. Please keep in mind that if I do not enjoy a product, by no means does this guarantee that you will not like it either (and vice versa).

Kylie Cosmetics is easily one of the top makeup brands on the market today, with Kylie Jenner bringing her fans a vault of lipsticks, eye palettes and highlighters which promise to help them achieve the perfect Kylie look.

As an OG Kylie fan, I lusted after these the moment they hit virtual shelves many moons ago. For quite some time, ordering was quite the struggle; with the majority of products selling out in a matter of minutes- and in some cases, seconds.

Now that the brand has gotten it’s foot in the door of the competitive high end cosmetics market, ordering is easier than ever before. The brand’s cult favourite products are almost always in stock, and shipping has become much faster. If you would like to hear my first impressions of Kylie’s glosses and metals, as well as an in depth recount of my first purchase experience, click here.

 

Over time, I have collected two glosses, one metal matte lipstick, four matte lip kits, and one of the velvet lip kits- which I will now take you through. Stay tuned ’til the end where I’ll break down the formula and give you my final thoughts.

Colours

Charm

Kylie describes Charm as a “dusty rose pink”. On my MAC NC20 and Nars Deauville skin tone, I would say that this description is fairly accurate. It’s quite cool toned on me, and is the perfect colour to pair with a subtle glam look.

It also makes your teeth look super white so that’s always a bonus!

Candy K

Candy K is the quintessential Kylie colour and one of the brands most popular shades. Kylie’s “warm pinky nude” is a crowd favourite and is suitable for a variety of different skin tones; for me, this is the perfect rosy nude that goes with almost any eye look.

Dirty Peach

Dirty Peach is described as a “mid tone yellow peach”. I was convinced that this shade would be a great everyday choice for me when I ordered it, but it shows up quite a bit darker and fairly orange on me in comparison to Kylie in the promo photos. It can be a bit of a struggle to make it work on most days, but when I’m especially tanned it’s definitely a winner!

Dolce K

And now for my top pick from the collection, Dolce K- Kylie’s signature “deep beige nude”. This is a cool greige/brown shade which I find super easy to pair and quite unique in the liquid lipstick market. It delivers the perfect 90s deep nude that still proves to be a major trend and in my opinion, is the most universally flattering shade that Kylie offers.

Love Bite

Love Bite is one of those mysterious colours that is somewhat hard to come by, but is a staple choice in my Autumn/Winter lipstick wardrobe. Kylie describes it as a “rich plum brown”, and I would say that it’s an extremely dusty, ‘meet-in-the-middle’ of brown and purple. Although I don’t wear it often, it’s definitely a favourite and once again, is very universally flattering.

Formula

Now that the colours are out of the way, it’s time to see if these will soar or tumble through my rigorous tests.

Test 1: Pigmentation

The key advantage to liquid lipsticks over traditional lipstick bullets, is the ability for a much higher dose of pigment to be pumped into the formula. From this, it’s almost a prerequisite for every liquid lipstick on the market to be packed full of colour.

In Kylie’s case, the lip liners and matte liquid lipsticks both rate very highly on the pigmentation scale. I have found that love bite can be slightly patchy, but only if care isn’t taken in the application process.

But where the pigmentation really shines, is in the velvet liquid lipstick formula. Oddly, I find Charm to be even more pigmented than the mattes and not once have I found it patchy or uneven.

Test 2: Texture

Kylie’s lip liners have received continuous praise for their texture, as they are renowned for being super smooth and gliding on like butter. Of the few liners that I have tried, I most often find myself reaching for Kylie’s- simply because the texture makes them incredibly easy to apply.

As for the mattes, the texture upon application feels quite glossy and they glide on fairly evenly. Once they dry down (very quickly, might I add!), the texture is quite similar to paper- it is COMPLETELY matte but feels fairly smooth. Thankfully, they don’t feel ‘powdery’ or chalky though as this is a lot of lipstick lovers’ worst nightmare.

The velvets are definitely my favourite in terms of texture and finish. I would describe them as having a matte finish with a subtle sheen, but because they don’t actually dry down, they add volume and look extremely smooth.

Test 3: Comfort

As far as the mattes go, the comfort varies between shades for me. Personally, I do find them all to be quite drying, and Dirty Peach is the biggest culprit for me.

But while they are drying like any other liquid lipstick on the market, it isn’t all doom and gloom. They are extremely thin and lightweight- and for me, this helps to counteract the dryness. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they feel like nothing, but they’re definitely more comfortable than other liquid lipsticks I’ve used.

The velvets? I can honestly say that this formula is the most comfortable I have ever used. It is hydrating, smooth, and buttery, but doesn’t smear all over the place and your hair doesn’t stick to it on a windy day- it’s a yes from me!

Test 4: Longevity

I’m pleased to report that the mattes have my seal of approval. I find that I never have to reapply these- even on my longest university days where my makeup has to last from 6:00AM to 8:00PM. They’re also completely transfer-proof so they will never smear or smudge.

Oily foods can pose a small threat, but I’m generally not a fan of the ‘liquid lipstick meets oily food’ combo so I can’t say I’ve tested this too thoroughly.

As for the velvets, I find these to be acceptably long lasting given the finish. If you’re expecting these to last 14 hours through eating and drinking; look elsewhere.

A cream textured lipstick is never going to last as long as a matte liquid lipstick- that’s just a given. They aren’t transfer proof so while they don’t smear, you will see an imprint of your lips on your sandwich without a doubt. So if you’re someone who hates touching up lipstick, these are definitely not for you.

Bonus Points

1. All Kylie Cosmetics products are cruelty free, and all Kylie Lip Kits are vegan.
2. The liquid lipsticks have an intense, sweet scent.
3. High quality packaging.
4. Colour range with shades to flatter every skin tone.
5. Smooth order and shipping process.
6. New products and collections are released frequently.
7. Free shipping for international orders over $60 USD.

Battle Wounds

1. Pricey: Velvet lip kits are $27 USD (Approx. $35-38 AUD) and Matte lip kits are $29 USD (Approx. $36-40 AUD).
2. Shipping costs $14.95 USD for international orders (Approx. $18-20 AUD).
3. Colours can’t be tested before purchasing, as the kits are only available from kyliecosmetics.com.
4. No returns.
5. Some colours are easily dupe-able.

Final Thoughts

My Kylie Cosmetics products have quickly become staples in my lipstick collection.

While I’m not someone who wears makeup on a daily basis, when I do wear it it tends to be on the more dramatic and glam side- the kind of looks that these lip products are truly made for.

However, I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with liquid lipsticks. Sometimes I’m in the mood to wear them and sometimes I can go a month without touching them. For me, they aren’t the most comfortable and they can be a little unflattering if I’m not having a great skin day.

In saying that, while Kylie’s products don’t defy gravity and aren’t overly revolutionary, they’re definitely different to the majority on the market and are really the only ones I enjoy wearing.

So does Kylie take home the lipstick battle crown? For me personally- no. But does Kylie win the liquid lipstick battle? 100%, yes.

 

 

 

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