Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette ($35.00 for 0.24 oz.) is a limited edition palette that includes 12-pans of lipstick with all shades from the brand’s permanent range of colors. There are two variations available, and between the two palettes, there are three shades that overlap–714, Big Bang, and Firebird. Junkie is slightly cooler in tone (particularly the second row) and includes a few less “traditional” shades. This palette is exclusive to Sephora and should launch sometime in September (I don’t have an exact date).

Value

A full-sized Vice Lipstick retails for $17.00 and contains 0.11 oz., which works out to be $154.55/oz. The palette retails for $35.00 and contains 0.24 oz., which works out to be $145.83/oz. — that’s actually impressive, because it’s just small enough that I thought it might be more expensive by the ounce, but one could easily see the value in having 12 shades for $1.00 more than the cost of two full-sized shades. Another way to look at value is by how many shades there are, which would out to be $2.92 per shade. There is also a twist-up lip brush included in the palette, and there is obviously some value there.

It is important to think about your own habits and preferences, though, because not everyone applies their lip colors with a brush or will take the extra time to do so. It is also less portable than carrying one shade in your bag for touch-ups during the day. I think the palette is small enough to travel well, but it is still a medium-sized palette. If you are the type of person who likes to apply their lipstick with a brush (or doesn’t mind having to do so) and will carry the palette with them/isn’t concerned about touch-ups, it is a great value.

Overview

As I just swatched the 120-shade line a few months ago, I’m not going to be extensively reviewing or photographing these (there are just so, so many lip color releases this year that I’m behind as is and would like to feature other brands and formulas as well!). I would consider this an overview or initial impressions, rather than an in-depth review. I hope you understand!

What I did do was test several shades from the palette, ones that did not perform as well in full-size and ones that did, as well as checking across finishes, for consistency with the full-size shades. In general, the colors, finishes, and application remained the same across the shades. The biggest difference being the texture, as applying directly from the tube yielded more product on the lips than when applying from the pan with a lip brush–this is inherent between the two types of application, as I get a similar weight and feel if I apply the same color from the full-sized, twist-up tube with a lip brush as I did by applying with a lip brush from the pan of color.  Here are the differences I noticed in color/texture:

• Wrath had slightly more slip.
• Vanity Kills had less shine and application improved with a lip brush (compared to from the tube).
• Speedball was slightly less emollient, which made it easier to apply more evenly (but it still was uneven).
• Junkie seemed a smidgen less emollient but still gathered in lip lines.

Below, is a “round-up” of the 12 shades, and the ratings associated with each shade are based on testing the full-sized to give you an idea of the overall quality of the palette. You can also click to read the full review for each shade as well as view all swatches in the round-up.

Glossover Breakdown

See more photos & swatches!

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette

Urban Decay Junkie Vice Lipstick Palette