If you have any access to the internet/social media, then you most definitely know who Kylie Jenner is and how she developed her own makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics. I had been very skeptical about this makeup in the past, feeling that it was all just a brand image and that I could get the same quality at my local drugstore for $9. However, on one boring afternoon in August, my opinion on this brand was forever changed.
Why the sudden decision to buy from this notorious makeup line you ask?
Well, it all started when I was sorting through my current makeup collection a few months ago, and noticed many of my lipsticks/glosses were very old and stale. Sigh, I guess that's what eventually happens to the makeup you got as a good-luck-in- college present on your 18thbirthday. Along with this, the useable lipsticks I had left just weren't as effective as I had liked. I've been an avid user of MAC/drug store brands for most of my young adult life but was never fully happy with the quality. Most of these lipsticks dry out quickly and come off/smudge too easily.
Literally, one sip of a drink or bite of food and the lipstick just vanishes from my face. Thus the routine of reapplying commences, and I don't know about you, but when I'm out at the clubs/bars, there's nothing more annoying than having to periodically check if my makeup has smudged or struggling to find the lone, busted up mirror in the far-off corner to reapply. Basically, it was time for a change.
So I was scrolling on Instagram one lazy afternoon and saw a post about Kylie's 21stbirthday lipstick collection. At first, I scoffed. However, I was both bored and somewhat curious, so I clicked the link. I was immediately greeted with a selection of numerous package deals and kits. Most were way out of my price range or too bold.
Then I saw it.
A box collection of 6 matte lipsticks in literally the 6 colors I love and wear the most. A true sign from above, as they say. I was then faced with the ever-so-tough decision: buy the lipsticks and feel a basic bitch feeding into a trend or miss out on a one-stop shop restoration of my lipstick collection. Needless to say, being a basic bitch doesn't feel so bad.
So I added it to the cart while continuously repeating "treat yo' self" in my head to justify the purchase, and then completed the online transaction. The damage had been done. No turning back now.
Two weeks later I came home to a bright pink box on my doorstep. I knew it was the lipstick and felt both excited and slightly anxious as I had no idea what to expect. Opening the box was an experience in itself. Inside lay a bed of styrofoam and the lipstick wrapped in bubble wrap. So… is this lipstick made of glass? Gold? Tears from a unicorn? Time would only tell. There also was a "personalized note" from Kylie Jenner herself, which stated how "happy she was that I bought her product" and that she "hopes I'll buy from her again soon". We'll see about that, Kylie.
The Big RevealMaria Maffucci
So I finally opened the packaging and the lipstick itself was packaged quite nicely in a glittery box that had a big pink "21" on the front. Sigh, this would've been more applicable if I was 21 and not 22. Guess I couldn't keep the box and pretend it was from my own 21stbirthday. Anyways, the lipsticks were each encased in bright, bold-colored tubes, completely different from the actual shades inside. The tubes consisted of a bright blue, white, purple, yellow, orange, and pink. Why these were the tube colors, I have no freaking idea. The shades of the lipsticks themselves, however, matched perfectly to the ones online.
THE lipsticks!Maria Maffucci
Each lipstick smelled like flowers and was inscribed with "Kylie" on the flat side. New life goal: become successful enough to have my own name inscribed on all my makeup, too. Reach a whole new level of extra.
I had plans with friends that night so I decided to try one out. The color remained bold and glided smoothly on my lips. It felt as if I had nothing on at all it was so lightweight. Plus it didn't come off even after taking a drink of water or eating. I was overjoyed and thrilled. This lipstick forever changed my makeup routine (it better also change my life for the amount I spent on it).
After a night of eating, drinking, dancing, and sweating, the lipstick was still intact and looked as if I had just put it on. "Hooray!", I thought once I got home, "the days of lugging makeup around and reapplying it in dingy bar bathrooms are over!" All was well until I actually had to take it off.
I tell you, I used about 5 makeup wipes and the lipstick still wasn't completely gone. My lips were actually stained. For the next three days, it was as if they were dyed. I tried to make a positive out of it, thinking "oh well, at least now it looks like I took time to put on makeup instead of just rolling out of bed."
Eventually, my lips returned to their normal color. But hey, I'm not complaining. I still swear by this lipstick and it definitely was a worthwhile purchase.
So that pretty much sums up my lip service about a lip service. Even after all of this, at the end of the day, I'm still a drugstore makeup kind of girl.
