This week, I participated in the worst form of capitalism: making the rich richer. I’ve never really been a fan of the Kardashians, but when Kylie Jenner’s lipkits went on a buy one get one free sale, I was #millennial and caved. Two lipkits for thirty bucks. I usually wait until Ulta lipsticks go on sale for three for eight dollars and play with all the pretty colors, but in the words of Parks and Rec, “treat yo’self”. I wear lipstick almost every day, so I knew it wouldn’t be the worst investment I’ve ever made (I’m looking at you, doubleheaded giraffe bracelet), and I was curious to see if: 1) the lipkits were actually good quality and 2) if people who aren’t amazing at makeup could still make them look good.
I had honestly forgotten about my purchase until I got a notification of my package. Kylie Cosmetics comes in a black box which is a unique way to distinguish the brand’s packaging, but it confused me on what dark soul of Satan I had ordered from the depths of the internet until I opened the box.
Ah! Lipkits! That’s right. I actually laughed out loud at the postcard of Kylie that came inside, along with an inspiring note–it all felt so extra, I felt so extra, but alas, here we were. Since my order was late (heaven forbid), Kylie Cosmetics included a free gloss in the box which was unexpected and appreciated. Smart move, customer service.
I ordered the shades Leo and Moon because I thought they were a good contrast. The boxes the lipkits come in look as cool as they do in pictures. But before I tried either of them, I studied the labeling like the good business student that I am. Honestly, Kylie needs to decide whether she wants to be “Kylie Cosmetics”, “King Kylie” or just “Kylie”. All three were listed on various places throughout the order. Also the “Kylie” logo on all of the products should be viewable when the product is laid flat. Otherwise, the company has trouble getting a good picture for marketing, and the logo is not completely visible when fans of the product put it on their social media, but that’s just some food for thought.
“PEOPLE PAY THIRTY DOLLARS FOR THIS,” my friend Jackie Amber yelled.
Me, as my wise newly-found makeup guru self, “Jackie Amber, people pay thirty bucks for lipsticks alone.”
Now, onto the fun(ish) stuff. I’m not great with makeup; I’ve only probably seen two Youtube makeup tutorials ever. I can do one face and one face only. You’ll see the same makeup on me for day-to-day activities, birthdays, weddings, etc. I had also never used a liquid lipstick before. Quite honestly, the whole liquid texture thing freaks me out, but college is about trying new things, right? So after I applied all the rest of my makeup, I took on the Leo lipkit. “Kylie’s tips” say to apply the lip liner to the entirety of the lip, and then apply the liquid lipstick.
Me: lmao this is uneven. Oh well, I’ll just cover it.
Oh crap, I overdrew my lips. I don’t want that. I don’t even know how to do that.
When did that get there.How do I fix this.
****too many minutes and a lot of q-tips, foundation fixing, and an outfit change later****
Okay, okay…not bad. Not great, but not bad.
Overall, Leo produced a smooth and rich color, and it dried quickly. Honestly, my smirk has never been better. It definitely produced a darker color than shown in the bottle, but the color lightened in the sun. I was impressed with the longevity and staying power of the color (let’s face it, my Ulta lipsticks don’t do so hot in that department), but I would definitely still carry around the tube all day. Slight smudging after a while. Although it was a PAIN to remove, even with makeup wipes-I looked like the Joker for a while.
Me, running late to my playwriting class, but look at that color! Leo for the win!
I tried Moon the next day. I had a presentation and thought the color would be a good basic neutral. I absolutely adored this color. Leo (DiCaprio) may have my heart, but Moon was a such a fun neutral that you can dress up and down. It is my new favorite. After wearing it all day, there was less noticeable smudging than with Leo (and it stayed through me eating BBQ and pizza), but I would still carry around the tube.
So am I a fan of Kylie Jenner Lipkits?
*quietly mutters yes*
Would I pay the full thirty dollars for the lipkit though? Well, not unless I want to purchase a house in the future.