PRODUCT SMACKDOWN | Battle of the Liquid Lipsticks: High-end vs Drugstore

Not sure if y'all have noticed, but I've been on a liquid lipstick craze recently. Doesn't help that the drugstore has released several that are comparable to the high end versions. I've done a review on the Rimmel London Provocalips, Show Off Lip Lacquers, and the Show Off Matte Lip Velvets so head on over there for affordable liquid lipstick options. For this post, I'm going to be focusing on the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick  and the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. Also, I'll be showing some drugstore dupes if these are a little bit out of your budget so keep on reading!

First up, we have the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bachelorette. I received a sample of this sometime during the holiday season last year and have been wearing it on and off. The color is described as a dark reddish fuschia. For me, it's just an insanely bright strawberry pink red. Seriously, my roommates could only focus on my lips when they saw me so if you ever need someone to pay attention to what you say, this one is a good option! I really love how intensely pigmented it is. The rich pigment completely covers my natural lip color. Application is smooth without skipping. The rounded doe foot wand isn't the most precise in my opinion but there's time to clean up with a cotton bud before it sets.  Even though it dries to a matte finish, I didn't find it drying or uncomfortable IF I applied a lip balm beforehand and gave it time to sink in, wiping off the excess before I applied Bachelorette. Wear time with eating is about 4-6 hours before noticeable wear, concentrated in the inner lips. On me, I find that it only wears away in the very inner lips but it doesn't give the awkward lip liner ring look. Reapplying it is a breeze as the texture is so light for such a pigmented product--no awkward build up. I didn't get the tight, shrinking feeling as the product dried down to a powdery matte finish. It does emphasize lip lines towards the 4th hour but my lips don't feel dry or chapped until the 6th hour; a little lip balm can take care of that but the matte finish is compromised. 

There's 12 shades in total ranging from a dusty rose to a dark reddish burgundy. The purple intrigues me but knowing my timid side, I'd stick to the dusty rose or deep raspberry at most. Each lipstick costs $20usd for 0.22 oz of product ($90.90usd per oz).

Now for the drugstore dupe: Rimmel London's Show Off Lip Lacquer in Apopcaliptic. Apopcaliptic has the same intensely pigmented color and texture. The difference is that Apopcaliptic remains slightly glossy whereas Bachelorette becomes matte in less than 2 minutes. Bachelorette is also longer wearing on the lips but if you dab Apopcaliptic on lightly and blend it in with your fingers, you can achieve a similar effect. Unlike the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquers, the wand picks up just enough for my lips; neatening up the lip line with the wand isn't impossible but I prefer to do clean up with concealer if I'm diligent.

Urban Decay High Pigment Gloss Stick in Scandal is another similar product. Color is similar if less pigmented. There's also purple shimmers in Scandal but it doesn't show up in person. Scandal is limited edition so if you missed out on it or want an extremely pigmented version, check our Bachelorette and Apopcaliptic! 

The Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso is a very popular true red liquid lipstick. It doesn't make my teeth look yellow but it doesn't clash with my skintone either. Beso is soooo intensely bright that it looks fluorescent. Being such a vibrant color, I was afraid that it would be hard to apply but it was really easy to use. The formula is thinner than the Rimmel ones and the applicator is smaller so it's easier to apply. Despite the doe foot wand, I found it easy to get a precise line. Wear time is quite good--about 4 to 6 hours if I eat an oily meal. If I'm just drinking water, tea and eating salads (no dressing!) it can last up to 8 hours looking just like it did when I applied. Since it is a liquid lipstick, I recommend applying lip balm beforehand and letting it sink in. After 1 minute or so, the finish dries to a very matte but not dry looking, kind of vinyl? 

There's 10 shades in total. Some are shimmer and some are matte so look carefully before you purchase. Each lipstick retails at $22usd for 0.10oz ($220usd per oz). 

Comparing it to the Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer in Big Bang, the color is identical. The only difference is finish and wear time. Big Bang is a glossy finish but if you blot it with a tissue, then you do get a velvety matte finish. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Being a drugstore girl at heart, I can't fully recommend the Stila and the Kat Von D over the Rimmel. Sure, Kat Von D and Stila wear longer and there's no transfer once they set but those are the only selling points for me. With a little bit of effort, the Rimmel ones can achieve a similar effect and last a long time too. The price on the Rimmel, if I didn't mention it before is $4.99usd for 0.18oz ($27.72 usd per oz), making it leagues more affordable than the Stila and Kat Von D. 

If color is your main concern, the Apopcaliptic and Big Bang are spot on dupes in my opinion. The only difference is the finish but as I mentioned before, you can just dab a bit of the color off and add a bit of translucent powder to mattify it even further. I personally like the slight sheen as it doesn't highlight the dryness of my lips as I continue to wear it throughout the day. 

Having said all that, I  might go back for some more of the Kat Von D as Rimmel doesn't have any everyday, natural options. The Stila seems so exorbitant now that I've done the price comparisons...

WHERE TO BUY

Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick // Sephora

Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer//  Drugstore.com / Ulta / Walgreens
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick // Birchbox / Sephora / Stila / Ulta

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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