Hi everyone! I’ve finally had the chance to review the very popular Kylie Cosmetics brand created by Kylie Jenner. This brand has faced some criticism for not being developed to appeal to minority raced consumers (especially darker skinned consumers) because many of the colors and shades seemed to be more fitting for lighter complexions ( not much darker than the Kardashians w/ a tan). I’ve also noticed that there are not a ton of reviews from minority social media influencers so it really can be difficult for a person of color to know if this product is for them. I’ve waited to do this review until I was able to try items from a variety of collections in order to get an overall feel for the quality of the brand. My review will cover my experience and opinions of the lip kits, lip gloss, eyeshadow and the matte and creme lipsticks.
The Kylie Lip kits come in a wide range of shades from nudes and pretty pastels to deep plums and dark chocolates. Whether you’re looking for an everyday look, special occasion or just feeling adventurous, Kylie will probably have a lip kit for you.
Pros: long-lasting, a variety of shades to choose from, good pigment, not sticky, and a good amount of product for the money
Each lip kit comes with a lip liner pencil and the liquid lipstick. The thing I love most about these lip kits is that the color STAYS! The lip color is transferable, however, it also remains on your lips with minimal smearing. As a teacher, I don’t have time to keep re-applying my lipstick throughout the day. I need something that I know will stay on through my snacking and lunch at work and this has proven to be one of those products! I can usually make it through the day without having to touch up my lips unless I eat something that requires a lot of mouth wiping. Even with that the color does somewhat stain your lips so it’s still visible but I like to touch it up to keep it looking fresh, but if I didn’t touch it up, my lips would still be colored with product and be presentable. For best results, I line my lips and also shade in my lips a bit (especially in the center where it’s most impacted by eating/drinking) with lip pencil before applying the lipstick. I usually just do one coat on my top and bottom lip and it dries down within a few seconds. Another tip is to exfoliate your lips before applying ( I use the Satin lips exfoliator by Mary Kay). This will help improve the application of the lipstick and give even better results. I will say I do not do that on a regular basis ( I normally exfoliate at night) and still have great results.
Cons: can be drying, can be hard to tell which shades work for certain skintones, access to product
My biggest negative for Kylie’s lip kits is that it can be hard to tell what a particular shade looks like. If you go on the Kylie cosmetics website, you will see models (sometimes Kylie or one of her sisters) wearing the lip colors but not always models of people of color. It seems that her newer lip kits include minority models, but some colors do not. This makes it hard to determine what the color will look like on certain skintones. I’m fortunate that Kylie’s products are also sold at Ulta beauty stores so I can go in and swatch some of them on myself to see if it is what I want, however, Ulta stores do not have EVERY color in store, nor do they have the newest collections right away. As of now, the only place to purchase the makeup is from the Kylie cosmetics website and Ulta stores and website. From my experience, the colors do not always look the way they do online so you will be playing a bit of a guessing game when you order. If you are unsure about the colors but want to try the product, I would suggest going in store at your local Ulta or ordering a basic color that you know will look nice such as a red.
Another negative about this product is that it can be drying on the lips. I am someone who tends to have dry lips so I always make sure I keep them moisturized with some lip product. My lips do not tend to feel dry while wearing the product, but sometimes after removing it at the end of the day they may be a little flaky. Exfoliating at night tends to solve that problem so this is not something that I think should be a deal breaker. This is also an issue with most liquid lipsticks so for me, not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Price: $26-29
Matte and Creme Lipsticks Review
Pros: goes on smooth, feels very moisturizing, good color selection, decent price, good pigment
I was pleasantly surprised by the lipsticks. I ordered 4 of them during a sale on the Kylie cosmetics website. All the colors went on smooth and my lips felt moisturized while wearing them. The most impressive was the black lipstick in the color “Nightfall”. I have tried black lipsticks before and they were either patchy or needed several coats build up the color. This was not the case with Nightfall. One coat gave a good covering and if I wanted the ultimate black lip a second coat would be perfect! I can’t wait to wear it again as part of a regular look. “Woods” was from the collaboration collection between Kylie and her bff Jordyn Woods. It was a good neutral reddish-brown that would look good on almost any complexion and could be used as a daily lip color for any occasion. “Lovestruck” was an automatic favorite because my favorite color is purple and anything in the purple family is a win for me! Overall, these lipsticks were very impressive and they stay on pretty well. Without eating or drinking, the color stays in place and touch-ups would not likely be needed. The color is transferable, so anything that may brush up against your lips is subject to getting a touch of your lip color.
Cons: highly transferable, requires more touch ups throughout the day
Price: $17 (I snagged mine on sale for $10)
Lip gloss Review
Pros: good pigment, can be worn as a topper or alone, not sticky, high shine
I own 4 of the lipglosses from this brand. 3 of the lipglosses are from the regular Kylie line and 1 is from the Koko Collection, which is a collaboration with her sister Khloe. I was surprised, yet pleased with how pigmented the lipglosses were. The color actually showed up on my lips and did not disappear over time like some glosses do. This makes it good as a stand alone lip color ( I love this for a chill day) or as a topper over one of the lipsticks. When wearing alone, adding some lip liner can also help define your look. I paired the lipgloss “Damn Gina” over the liquid lipstick “Bunny” which are both part of the Koko Collection. “Damn Gina” has a pink/goldish tint and “Bunny” is a pinkish/brown nude. The two look great with a dark brown liner. I’ve also worn “Damn Gina” by itself and loved it. I also have “Cupid” which came in a duo set with the liquid lipstick “Head over Heels”, Cinnamon and Juniper. Cinnamon and Juniper are both deeper burgundy-red like colors. I’ve worn Juniper by itself and it was a nice shimmery deep red. These glosses are great to complete a sexy pouty lip. Another plus to these glosses is that they contain Vitamin E and other moisturizing ingredients which keep your lips healthy and kissable!
Cons: many are extremely glittery/shiny, not long-lasting
The glosses are very shiny with glittery specks which I love, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. There are some that provide a rich color and high scene so it’s really up to you if you want to just shine or sparkle and shine! Also, I would describe the shine as a high-shine, so if you just want a subtle shine or sparkle, these may be not be for you. Given these are lip-glosses, you can pretty much be prepared to reapply after eating, especially if you are wearing the gloss by itself. Without eating or drinking, the glosses will stay on pretty well.
Price: $15
Halloween 2018 Kyshadow (Eyeshadow Palette) Review
 |
Right Eye: Bat Shit Crazy (metallic marigold), Nightmare (duo-chrome green and red shimmer)
Left Eye: Freak On (metallic gold), Hex on Your Ex (metallic plum) |
Pros: shimmer colors go great without primer
Cons: mattes were not highly pigmented
Last but not least are my thoughts on Kylie’s eyeshadows. I do want to point out this is the only palette I’ve tried so far, but after reading reviews on the site and seeing a few reviews from Youtube beauty influencers, I’m pretty confident my findings will hold true for any of Kylie’s eyeshadow palettes as my experience mirrored that of many others who’ve tried this product. I tend to prefer prestige brand eyeshadows with Urban Decay being my favorite go-to brand. I will point out that I also own a few BH cosmetics eyeshadow palettes and they do not disappoint in pigment or in staying power.
This particular palette contained 9 shades and as the name suggests, it was released as part of a Halloween themed collection. The colors can be worn anytime, but are a perfect fit for the fall season. I was drawn to this palette for two reasons. The first reason was, it was on sale 😁 and the 2nd reason was because of the colors included. They looked so vibrant and seemed to be ones that would work well with my complexion. There are a combination of matte and shimmery colors which I love and it allows for a variety of looks. The shimmers were everything I wanted them to be. They had great pigment and looked great on my eyes. I will note that I tried these colors without primer ( my go to primer is Urban Decay’s primer potion) just to get an idea of their true pigment. With primer, I know the shimmers will really pop! As for the matte colors…...they were a huge disappointment! 😞 Even the orange, which looked so vibrant in the palette, was a major let down. I think with primer it would stand a chance but I really had high hopes for it! The purple gave me a little life but I think it too would be better served with a primer.
Going back to the thoughts of other reviewers and beauty influencers, many of them commented on the lack of pigment with some saying primers helped. I’ve seen similar comments on some of Kylie’s other eye palettes and so I think it’s safe to conclude that they can be hit or miss. I would probably only buy an eye palette from her collections if they are on sale and contain a combination of shimmers and mattes.
Price: $24-65 (varies based on palette size/collection)
Overall thoughts on Kylie Cosmetics
Based on the products I’ve tried, I’d say Kylie is spot on in the lipstick/lipwear department. All of her lip products are on point! They give you color, moisture and longevity for a price that’s in line with most other prestige level products. The eyeshadows are where she would need to revisit. It seems that the formula may need to be tweaked to address the pigment issue and make sure that the colors transfer to the eye as vibrantly as they appear in the palette. For the price point, the formula HAS to be better! You can not charge prestige prices with dollar store performance.
I did not purchase any of the face products (foundation, concealer, powder, etc.) because these are not things I wear on a regular basis. My daily look includes eyes and lips. I usually only wear foundation and powder if I will be taking photos or for a special occasion (wedding, party, etc).
Overall, I highly recommend any of the lip products but would say you are taking your chances if you choose an eye palette.
