Urban Decay Pallor, Asphyxia, Oil Slick XX Vintage Vice Lipsticks

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as a “frosted lavender with gray shift [with a Cream finish].” It’s a muted, dark purple with subtle, warmer undertones and fine pearl. It’s an interesting and more complex color due to the “gray shift” in it (less of a shift, more of a dash of color that gives it a more muted appearance), but it doesn’t apply that well. The more slippery texture enabled the color to sit into lip lines from the very beginning, which only worsened as it wore. The pigmentation was semi-opaque, but it was hard to apply this shade evenly (and I later tried with a lip brush with little improvement–it needs a liner). The color lasted for four and a half hours and was lightly hydrating. (No dupes as of the initial posting of this review!)

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as a “soft lavender with blue micro-glitter [with a Cream finish].” It’s a medium, pinky-lavender with warm undertones and cooler, blue and violet shimmer. There are fine bits of blue sparkle, which don’t feel too gritty, but they are more noticeable than the brand’s more pearly/metallic finishes. The texture was smooth, lightly creamy, and emollient, so it didn’t tug or drag when I applied the color directly from the tube onto my lips. The downside, though, was it only had semi-sheer to semi-opaque color coverage and a bit of the shimmer and color gathered in my lip lines. This shade wore well for four hours and was hydrating. NYX Castle (P, $4.00) is less shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (85% similar). Dolce and Gabbana Ametista (LE, $33.00) is less pigmented, warmer (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as a “sheer black with silver micro-glitter [with a Sheer finish].” It’s a muted, soft black with warm undertones and fine silver sparkle. It had sheer coverage–as described (!!!)–that went on fairly evenly but ultimately has the effect of darkening one’s natural lip color. On my lips, it translated them into a blackened plum with strong, browner undertones. I don’t think it darkens other lipsticks as well as the natural lip colors, as it is quite emollient and adds a lot of slip to other products, which makes them uneven. This formula wore well for four and a half hours and was moisturizing but some color gathered in my lip lines over time. Urban Decay Oil Slick (DC, $22.00) is glossier (95% similar). MAC Black Night (LE, $17.00) is darker, more pigmented (90% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Formula Overview

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is available in six finishes, which are primarily distinguished by level of sheen, shimmer content, and coverage. Mega Mattes are the thinnest and have the most “cling” as they are drier and more matte (but most are semi-matte and not a totally flat matte) and can be drying, though they are longer-wearing.

Comfort Mattes are creamier, a little denser, with richer color payoff on average (they are the most pigmented out of the finishes), and have a satin finish that is fairly comfortable to wear, usually lightly hydrating, and longer-wearing. Creams are usually softer and creamier, though not too soft (they don’t mush or break from the base easily), with some being tackier and stiffer in the tube until they warm up against the lips; they have good color payoff, are hydrating, and are comfortable to wear but have more typical wear (four to six hours–six hours for deeper/richer shades like a red).

Sheers and Sheer Shimmers have a more balm-like consistency that feels a little thinner but is wetter/more emollient than Mega Mattes, so ultimately, they feel quite different applied; they have sheerer coverage, though more semi-sheer to semi-opaque than very sheer, and have the shortest wear time at two to fours with light hydration. Metallized is the most shimmery of the finishes, though some of the other finishes have shades that are actually as shimmery (to me), but the Metallized formula has a thinner, more emollient base that isn’t as dense or as cream-like as the Creams; they feel more like the Sheers but a bit heavier and more pigmented (but seem to run semi-opaque to opaque, not always fully opaque) with average wear (four to five hours), light hydration.

The Revolution formula–generally–felt a little more hydrating and pigmented on the lips, but these seem to wear a little longer; some of the shades that were in Revolution and are now in Vice (particularly the Creams, Sheers, and Sheer Shimmers) feel virtually the same on to me. The Comfort Mattes are the only ones that felt largely different–more satiny than matte, less dense compared to Matte Revolution.