Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks in 69 & Venom

One of my favorite brands for eyeshadows is Urban Decay. I swear by their Naked palettes, I have both Vice palettes and a few other random bits and bops as well. On international blogs I found that they also launched a range of lipsticks, but I haven’t really seen these on any Dutch blogs I read. So I thought: why not try these. I heard nothing but rave reviews. So I ordered a bright red and a more daring purple color. Meet my new loves: 69 and venom.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick 69 & Venom

Wow! Was the first thing I thought when I opened these up. Doesn’t that packaging look amazing?! It was a pain to photograph though as they are super shiny and if you think it’s my camera that makes things look distorted, then look again: the bullet itself is actually shaped like that.

The lipsticks come packaged in a purple cardboard box. There’s a sticker on the box to indicate the different colors. I bought two of the available 20 shades. Venom is a bright plum whereas 69 is described as a bright red with pink undertone. I selected these shades after reading reviews on other websites such as Temptalia. It seems that the lighter shades in this line don’t wear as well as the darker shades and I just find it really hard to order neutral shades over the internet as Urban Decay is no longer available in stores in the Netherlands. I picked 69 because my lipstick collection was missing a good pink toned red. Venom was my more daring choice. Even though it’s described as a bright plum, I’d say this is more of a deep purple with a blue undertone. You’ll have to keep on reading to see what I mean.

First look at the two colors. Venom is on the left, 69 is on the right. The bullets these lipsticks come in are just stunning. They have a shiny gunmetal look to them with a hint of UD purple in them. The logo is embossed on the top of the lipstick and the full name brand is stenciled into the sides. I like how the packaging isn’t smooth but slightly bumpy. I really like how it makes the lipstick easier to hold in your hands. These also feel very heavy for a lipstick: the packaging is sturdy and feels like it could withstand a bump or two. On to the colors!

69 is indeed a pinky toned red. This is a very juicy red and it reminds me of bright red popsicles I had when I was a kid. The lipstick itself is cut at a slant with no clear tip. Chanel does this too and I find Chanel lipsticks a nightmare to apply on my top lip as I have a well defined cupid’s bow. With these, I find it less of a hassle, surprisingly, maybe because they are a bit thinner than a Chanel lipstick.

Venom looks like a very very dark plum color in the tube, but luckily it is a lot less scary when you apply this than looking at it straight up. The first time I opened this up all I could think was: youza! that’s scary looking! It’s a deep purple color with a clear blue undertone which is what makes this lipstick all the more special in my book. I really didn’t have anything like this yet and so I was super curious as to what this would look like on my lips.

Moving on to swatches. Venom on the left, 69 on the right. Venom looks a tad sheer here, but that was due to the texture upon first application. I found that when I first put these lipsticks on my skin they felt a tad dry but as they glided over my skin my bodyheat warmed up the product which made it glide a lot easier. By the time I swatched 69 I was a bit braver and used some more pressure to apply that swatch, which is why it looks more opaque in the swatch, but as you will see below, both are fully opaque colors on the lips. I put in the picture below to show you how well these lipsticks stay put. That stain was the result of swatch-picture-tissue and voilá: I’m already left with a light stain on my arm. Think of what this will do when you wear this for a few hours!

Time to show you what these look like on. As you can see, both lipsticks are fully opaque. Even though I’m fairskinned I think both colors work for me: they simply serve a different purpose and will go with different looks and occasions. But yes, I’m that type of person who would wear Venom and 69 to work, just because I can and am a tad crazy like that.

As far as the claims go, Urban Decay has done a good job at keeping their promises. At first application they feel a bit rough and dry, but these lipsticks become buttery soft once you’ve warmed them up by sliding them over your lips once or twice. I do think my lips look a little bit fuller than usual, but don’t expect anything too drastic. The pigmentation is great and I can vouch that these things stay on for HOURS, even after drinking and eating. They stain your lips beautifully, but as the top layer wears off I do find that the moisturizing qualities disappear but that is easily solved with adding a bit of clear lipbalm. In any case, there will be no need to reapply these in the course of 6+ hours. The only downside to that longwearing quality is that the lipstick can feel a bit thick and tacky at times, but since that’s the reason why it stays put so well I’m not too repelled by it.

Conclusion: if you’re looking for a great longwearing lipstick that comes in some amazing colors you should check these out. Do keep in mind that with that longwearing quality and great color comes a price tag that is in accordance: these lipsticks cost €19 a piece, which is not cheap. But then again, Urban Decay is not a cheap brand.

Have you tried Urban Decay lipsticks yet? Which one is your favorite?