REVIEW: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

I'm a huge fan of the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks, but their range of colors is a little small for my taste. I decided to check out similar products from other lines. And at just $19 each (versus ORLL's $28 a tube) with a very different assortment of colors, the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks looked like a great place to start.

I decided to try two very different shades: Armageddon, a milky bubble gum, and Bauhau5, a lush berry. The tubes arrived very prettily packaged, with KvD's signature patterned boxes, see-through tubes, and matte-textured lids that make it easy to hold the applicator. Said applicator is a traditional doefoot with a slightly flattened tip.

There is no major perfume that I can detect in this formulation; it just smells like liquid lipstick ingredients. This is my personal preference, because I find most of the extraneous perfumes unpleasant, but some people may not care for the "raw" scent.

Here are the quick swatches I did of both lip colors...and I did them right after a long day at work, so  I look like a total mess. Sorry. :/

First, the positives. These apply exactly as they're advertised: matte and opaque. As long as I didn't press my lips together for a few minutes, I experienced zero patchiness or movement; once they were on, they were on. The formula has a very intense silicone feeling, which makes it apply relatively smoothly and gives it a weightless feeling.

Now for the negatives. While the formula is definitely lightweight, it feels a lot like rubbing powder on your lips. The problem with that? It makes it feel very, very dry, like I just dusted my mouth with blotting powder. I find that, while these are "lighter" than the Hourglass liquid lipsticks, they're also more drying.

Also, I found it difficult to "stay in the lines" with this formulation. You can probably see that my swatch of Bauhau5 is a mess. It's better to use a  lipliner with these, especially the darker shades, to guide you along.

From left to right: KvD Armageddon, MAC Viva Glam Gaga I gloss, KvD Bauhau5, Bite Beauty Quince pencil.

The individual shades are both very pretty. Armageddon is simultaneously pastel and bright, and it looks absolutely horrendous on me, though I can get away with it if I apply a similar-colored gloss on top. Maybe it's just too cool on my skintone...? Regardless, it doesn't suit me, and I'll be swapping it away.

Bauhau5 is definitely more my style. It has such beautiful pink undertones! I think it would flatter many skintones.

Now, for the big test: how does this stuff wear?

I decided to wear Bauhau5 out to dinner with my friend. What did I order, you ask? This delightful pot of handcut fries, mixed with cheese curds and pulled pork, and with a side of gravy.

It was delicious.

It was delightful.

It got everywhere.

But my lipstick stayed pretty well. Here I am after dinner, making another idiotic face because my friend kept making me laugh. As you can hopefully see, there's minimal smearing around the perimeter of my lips, and some very slight fading, mostly at the very center of my mouth. But the actual color stayed pretty well put.

Oh, and we also had frozen yogurt before dinner, since the wait was so long. (DON'T JUDGE ME.)

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I want to keep Bauhau5, since I prefer the Hourglass formulation, and if I want to try more colors. You see, my biggest problem with liquid lipstick formulations is that they never, ever have decent light/nude shades. I'm a brights girl through and through, but sometimes I like a soft pink or a delicate mauve to wear to work. I'd really like to see a liquid lipstick line fill this niche.

Overall, these are very nice, very affordable liquid lipsticks. People who dislike anything drying or difficult to apply will want to steer clear; people who want something more lightweight and more daring than the Hourglass liquid lipsticks should give these a try. As for me? I think I'll stick with what I love.

RATING: 4 out of 5.