ColourPop x Kathleen Lights Twinkling Lights Lip Set Review & Swatches
Twinkling Lights
ColourPop Twinkling Lights 4-Piece Lip Set ($20.00 for 0.44 fl. oz.) is a new, limited edition set that includes two lipglosses and two liquid lipsticks. Each shade is also available individually if that method of purchasing is preferred. My favorite was Night Light, which was a very festive shade for the holiday season and offers up an affordable take on a color combo I feel I’ve seen a few times this year. I was surprised that Lucky Star didn’t sit better on my lips, though.
Twinkling Lights
LELimited Edition. $20.00.
Night Light
Night Light is a muted, medium brown base with flecks of pink, gold, and bronze sparkle and glitter. It had medium coverage, which seemed to be in line with how it was intended to be (it was not listed as full coverage, like Etoile was). The gloss had a smooth, lightweight consistency that was plush and spreadable, though I could feel the texture of all of that added glitter if I pressed my lips together, which made me feel like it wasn’t quite as cushion-y as some of the brand’s past glosses. It was very shiny and sparkly and looked more “opaque” than it really was as a result. The color went on fairly evenly and didn’t emphasize my lip lines. It wore lasted nicely for four hours and was hydrating over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- NARS Cape Town (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, less pigmented (90% similar).
- Jouer Tan Lines (P, $16.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Anastasia Alexandria (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Bronze Seductress (P, $30.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- MAC Hey Dad Pizza (LE, $21.00) is lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
- Smashbox Rose Magic (LE, $24.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Jouer Rose Gold (LE, $17.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Dreamscape (P, $30.00) is more shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
- Smashbox Haterade (P, $24.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- MAC Summer Chromance (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.11 oz. - $90.91 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "hi-shine" with a "non-sticky" texture that "feels amazing" and includes five finishes "from 3-D pearl to sheer tinted colour." They are designed to be a sheerer formula, so many shades are sheer with a smattering of shimmer or sparkle and then a few are more tinted with sheer to semi-sheer coverage but no shimmer. Each gloss has a short, brush-type applicator, which worked better than I expected and didn't leave streaky results behind (in general). They had a sweet, vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
The "Tinted" finish ("glass-like shine with tint of sheer colour and no shimmer") was the least consistent--sometimes prone to unevenness and getting into lip lines, particularly with deeper/richer shades, whereas Pearlescent ("glass-like shine with subtle shimmer") and Prismatic ("glass-like shine with floating multi dimensional pearl and glitters") are sheer to translucent with the major difference being finer shimmer in the Pearlescent finish and larger, more glitter-like particles in the Prismatic finish. Both finishes tended to look plush and more smoothing on my lips. The Creme finish is a "medium-coverage gloss with a creamy finish that does not contain any pearls or glitter." The Metallic is described as a "full-coverage gloss with a mix of pearl and metallic finishes."
The wear time varied by shade but the sheerer ones tended to wear between two and three hours as the formula was, indeed, non-sticky and smooth, which made them lighter-weight and comfortable to wear but shorter wearing. A lot of the sheerer shades ran together, so I would recommend just picking up one or two rather than several as the differences are likely to be lost! Also, keep in mind that sheerer lip colors can look different from person to person due to much of the natural lip color coming through.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip (Discontinued) swatches.
Ingredients
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Isopropyl Myristate, Triisostearin, Synthetic Beeswax, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Silica, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Night Light
LELimited Edition. $10.00.
Etoile
Etoile is a medium, rosy copper with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had nearly opaque pigmentation with a smooth, non-sticky texture that spread easily across my lips. The color applied evenly, but there was a touch of product that pulled into my deeper lip lines. From a normal viewing distance, the settling wasn’t apparent, especially as the finish of the gloss was shiny and very reflective. It wore well for four and a half hours and was lightly hydrating over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Makeup Geek VIP (P, $15.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Water Deities (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (90% similar).
- NARS Cape Town (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- MAC Nymphette (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, less pigmented (85% similar).
- MAC Goldieloxxed (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- MAC NUDE (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
- MAC Prancin' Dancin' (LE, $20.00) is darker, less pigmented, warmer (85% similar).
- Anastasia Parfait (P, $16.00) (85% similar).
- MAC Prrr (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$10.00/0.11 oz. - $90.91 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "hi-shine" with a "non-sticky" texture that "feels amazing" and includes five finishes "from 3-D pearl to sheer tinted colour." They are designed to be a sheerer formula, so many shades are sheer with a smattering of shimmer or sparkle and then a few are more tinted with sheer to semi-sheer coverage but no shimmer. Each gloss has a short, brush-type applicator, which worked better than I expected and didn't leave streaky results behind (in general). They had a sweet, vanilla scent but no discernible taste.
The "Tinted" finish ("glass-like shine with tint of sheer colour and no shimmer") was the least consistent--sometimes prone to unevenness and getting into lip lines, particularly with deeper/richer shades, whereas Pearlescent ("glass-like shine with subtle shimmer") and Prismatic ("glass-like shine with floating multi dimensional pearl and glitters") are sheer to translucent with the major difference being finer shimmer in the Pearlescent finish and larger, more glitter-like particles in the Prismatic finish. Both finishes tended to look plush and more smoothing on my lips. The Creme finish is a "medium-coverage gloss with a creamy finish that does not contain any pearls or glitter." The Metallic is described as a "full-coverage gloss with a mix of pearl and metallic finishes."
The wear time varied by shade but the sheerer ones tended to wear between two and three hours as the formula was, indeed, non-sticky and smooth, which made them lighter-weight and comfortable to wear but shorter wearing. A lot of the sheerer shades ran together, so I would recommend just picking up one or two rather than several as the differences are likely to be lost! Also, keep in mind that sheerer lip colors can look different from person to person due to much of the natural lip color coming through.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip (Discontinued) swatches.
Ingredients
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Isopropyl Myristate, Triisostearin, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Silica, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492), Mica (CI 77019), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Etoile
LELimited Edition. $10.00.
Little Star
Little Star is a deep, plummy red with subtle,w arm undertones and a flat, matte finish. It had rich pigmentation in a single layer, which spread evenly across my lips and dried down quickly without emphasizing my lip lines much (just my deeper ones ever-so-slight–apparent in the close-up photo but not so much in person). The consistency was lightweight, very fluid, and was easy to work with. It stayed on well for over six hours but was slightly drying after four and a half hours of wear.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Bite Beauty Chai (P, $28.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Anastasia Stevie (P, $18.00) is glossier (95% similar).
- Anastasia Dazed (P, $20.00) is brighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Tulle (DC, $6.50) is lighter (95% similar).
- Lisa Eldridge Velvet Decade (LE, $36.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
- Tarte Killin' It (P, $20.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Somebody to Love (P, $26.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Softii (LE, $6.50) is warmer (85% similar).
- Sephora Rose Redux (84) (P, $14.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever M102 (DC, $22.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.50/0.11 oz. - $59.09 Per Ounce
It is a long-wearing, pigmented lipstick that starts off glossy and dries down quickly to that super flat matte finish. They have minimal transfer with some of the lighter shades having almost none for the first few hours of wear, but any time you’ve had a meal, they lose that transfer-resistant quality to a noticeable degree. They tend to wear anywhere from six to ten hours with darker shades maintaining better color coverage and wear over a longer period of time.
Some shades get a little drying about two-thirds to three-fourths through the wear, while a few shades have been fairly non-drying even many hours into wear. They fade away evenly with most color loss occurring from the center of the lips if eating a more oil-based meal but the majority of color survives a meal.
Reapplication has been hit or miss and tends to depend on how well it wore away and how easily the shade applies normally, but reapplication tends to emphasize the lip’s natural texture significantly compared to initial application and gives lips a very wrinkled, dried-up look. I’ve layered gloss on top of some shades with moderate success, though it will obviously lose the matte finish and will transfer and I’ll get tiny flakes where the matte lip color has lifted by mixing with gloss but has been pretty minimal. The formula had no discernible taste or scent.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick (Discontinued) swatches.
Ingredients
Isododecane, Alumina, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Nylon-12, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Little Star
LELimited Edition. $6.50.
Lucky Star
Lucky Star is a bright, medium red with subtle, cool undertones and a satin finish. It had nearly opaque color coverage that adhered evenly on my lips, but it was prone to gravitating into my lip lines. The brightness and richness of the red hue made it harder to notice from a normal viewing distance. Nevertheless, I was quite surprised that it didn’t go on more smoothly on my lips. The liquid lipstick lasted beautifully for over six hours without feathering. It was neither drying nor hydrating on me over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Dior Ultra Dior (999) (P, $37.00) is darker, warmer (95% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Goddess (202) (PiP, $30.00) is lighter, brighter, warmer (95% similar).
- elf No Regrets (P, $9.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Lancome Black Prince Ruby (356) (P, $32.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Dior Forever Glam (760) (P, $45.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- MAC Charlotte (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- YSL Rouge Extravagant (01) (P, $39.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Sky Walking (LE, $6.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Guerlain Ruby Red (880) (P, $36.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- NARS Inappropriate Red (P, $26.00) is lighter, warmer (95% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.00/0.11 oz. - $63.64 Per Ounce
It is supposed to be a “lightweight, bold lipstick with a satin finish”liquid lipstick that is “extra intense colour saturation” and “long-wearing,” but the brand is quick to note that it is “not completely kiss proof.” The consistency is very light to lightweight with a thin to mousse-like consistency–they feel a little heavier going on than the Ultra Matte formula, but they don’t feel heavy on. They dry down somewhat, but it isn’t a full, flat dry down like matte liquid lipsticks, and when you press your lips together, there is moderate tackiness there, but I didn’t notice any lifting or separating of color by doing so.
They have been extremely long-wearing and comfortable to wear for the most part–it’s after ten hours or so that I notice my lips feeling a little dry–but six hours into wear and the colors have looked good post-meals/post-drinking. I think if you like the idea of longer-wearing, mostly matte lip color but find most liquid lipsticks too drying or too flat while not needing an ultra-hydrating formula, you might like these.
Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Isododecane, Diisostearyl Malate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Silica Silylate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Night Light reminds me of Huda Shameless on STEROIDS! I totally love both it and Etoile, and could see both being used very often. Etoile for a glossy metallic nude lip, and Night Light for the blingy-est bronze lip!
Very pretty shades and you could easily layer the glossier shades over the matte too. Great colours.