Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gel ($14.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is supposed to be “inspired by gel nail polishes” with an “ultra-light” texture and hydrating formula. My experience with them (across six shades, the other three to be reviewed separately) is that they’re semi-opaque to mostly opaque with a slight translucency that gives them a squishy, jelly-like look. They’re lightweight, comfortable to wear, and mostly non-sticky. I haven’t noticed a taste, but there is a sweet vanilla, almost caramel-like scent (it is a little on the synthetic side, but I don’t notice the scent when I’m wearing it). Despite having a smoother, mostly non-sticky feel, the formula has decent wear time (three to five hours) and is hydrating. All in all, it’s a nice formula that outdoes a lot of the more recently released new gloss formulas on the market–and at a fraction of the cost. One thing to note, though, is despite seeming like quite a big tube of gloss, it contains only 0.11 fl. oz. It also has an interesting hourglass-shaped applicator, where it is curved inversely and can fit the curve of the lip. I also wish Sephora would add actual color descriptions, especially to indicate which shades have shimmer.

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel ($14.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a muted, medium, neutral-to-warm-toned pink with a cream finish. It had semi-opaque color coverage that covered evenly but had some noticeable settling into lip lines. The glossy finish distracts from it overall, but it is an issue. On me, this shade lasted for three and a half hours and was hydrating. Becca Lychee/Topaz (P, $24.00) is more shimmery, cooler-toned. Becca Guava/Opal (P, $24.00) is warmer, more shimmery. Urban Decay Failbait (P, $22.00) is darker. MAC Light English Red (LE, $30.00) is lighter. MAC Bijou (LE, $15.00) is lighter. Dior Tiny Pink (269) (P, $35.00) is brighter. NARS Belize (P, $26.00) is similar. Maybelline Caramel Infused (065) (P, $8.99) is slightly darker. NYX Maple Blondie (P, $5.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel ($14.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a muted, medium-dark pink-plum with cool undertones and fine gold shimmer. It had semi-opaque color payoff that went on evenly and looked fairly smooth. The shimmer is noticeable but doesn’t turn the gloss frosted or metallic, so if you aren’t a big fan of shimmer, you may still like it. It wore well for four and a half hours and was hydrating over time. MAC Domestic Diva (LE, $15.00) is more shimmery, brighter. Make Up For Ever 405P Pearly Plum (P, $19.00) is warmer. Bite Beauty Ten (Watercolor) (LE) is lighter, less shimmery. Maybelline Lust for Mauve (535) (P, $8.99) is warmer. NARS Corsica (LE, $26.00) is slightly more opaque. MAC Seeking Adoration (LE, $20.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Spontaneous (LE, $20.00) is lighter. MAC Private Party (LE, $20.00) is sheerer. Urban Decay Flushed (P, $19.00) is lighter. NARS Oasis (P, $25.00) is sheerer. MAC Richly Revered (LE, $20.00) is darker, less shimmery. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel ($14.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a coral-pink with warm undertones and a lot of lighter golden peach shimmer. It had semi-sheer to semi-opaque pigmentation as the base color blends with the natural lip color a lot, but the shimmer is very noticeable. The shimmer is incredibly fine, so I never felt the texture of it, even as the gloss wore down. It lasted for four hours and was moisturizing. Make Up For Ever 302P Golden Coral (P, $19.00) is less shimmery. Buxom Chloe (P, $19.00) is less shimmery. MAC Water Deities (LE, $15.00) is warmer. NARS Orgasm (P, $26.00) is less shimmery. MAC Flare for Fantasy (LE, $20.00) is less shimmery. Urban Decay Freestyle (P, $20.00) is less shimmery. Revlon Peach (P, $7.49) is similar. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Rose Petal (05) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Deep Rose (06) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel

Sephora Fresh Peach (07) Ultra Shine Lip Gel