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Urban Decay Pallor, Asphyxia, Oil Slick XX Vintage Vice Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick
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. Tom Ford Beauty Lavender Extreme (LE, $57.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). MAC Florabundi (LE, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar). MAC Cold Front (LE, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar). Ciate Cosmic (P, $22.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar). Too Faced Unicorn Tears (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Isamaya (LE, $36.00) is lighter (90% similar). Bite Beauty Opal (LE, $26.00) is lighter, less pigmented (85% similar). NYX Castle (P, $4.00) is less shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (85% similar). Dior Diorstellaire (595) (P, $37.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar). Dolce and Gabbana Ametista (LE, $33.00) is less pigmented, warmer (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Baby (P, $56.00) is more shimmery, lighter, glossier (80% 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. MAC Nightly Ritual (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Pat McGrath Noir (LE, $40.00) is less shimmery, less pigmented (85% similar). MAC Metal Head (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar). MAC Black Night (LE, $19.00) is darker, more pigmented (90% similar). Smashbox Bankrolled (P, $21.00) is more pigmented (90% similar). KVD Beauty Nayeon (P, $19.00) is more pigmented (80% similar). Urban Decay Oil Slick (DC, $22.00) is glossier (95% 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.

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Pallor Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Asphyxia Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Oil Slick Vice Lipstick

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Foundation
  • Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
  • MAC Strange New Worlds & Highly Illogical Trip the Light Fantastic Powder
On eyes:
  • MAC The Naked Time Pressed Pigment
  • MAC Bird of Prey Pressed Pigment
  • MAC Join My League Eyeshadow
  • Sephora Go For a Ride Eyeliner

33 Comments

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Comments on this post are closed.
Katherine T. Avatar

I’m getting Pallor for sure! As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be hard to dupe, love that bruised plum look. I plan to pair Pallor with bold purple shadows, so I prefer it to be sheer, just wish it was more even. I got like 5 purple NYX lip pencils to play with, so I’ll see if I can even it up a little. And I bet it will look amazing over a lipstain.

kjh Avatar

Interesting that Poppy (lipstick queen) recently introduced Black Lace Rabbit that sounds remarkably similar to Oil Slick, although BLR was formulated as a topper, primarily. Pallor l/s was like the current e/s and np, not this lipstick. This one…..there’s nothing pallid about it! Us oldies are NOT going to be able to replace the vintage shades effectively; they are not the same.

A Avatar

I kinda want Oil Slick for the same reason I want Lipstick Queen’s Frog Prince – the ability to take out a green/black lipstick in public only to put on a very wearable colour. It reminds me more of Clinique’s Black Honey though.

Nancy T Avatar

While yes I know it will absolutely need a lipliner ( Idk? Twitch?), I have got to get Pallor!! So utterly unique, and from a normal viewing distance shot, a very sexy yet almost sci-fi looking shade. I love it!
Oil Slick will likely be my 1st black lipstick in over 30 years. Also, the last. And all because I love the idea of wearing something that will just deepen and mute my already plummy, well pigmented lips! I love this effect on you, and I am certain that I will love it on me, too.

Jeset Avatar

Oil Slick looks surprisingly nice as a sheer black. Pallor looks like OCC Indrid liptar rtw, but the latter is opaque and not patchy. Asphyxia looks so cool despite the rating, I might get that one since I love the eyeshadow.

Britt Avatar

I have the vintage Oil Slick (wayyy back with the dagger in the lip tube) and to make it more noticeable, I use a grey eyeliner as a lip liner. (UD Smoke pairs beautifully). I fill in my lips sparingly and try not to get such a pigmented color, more of a blurred lip color, and top with Oil Slick.

Jules Avatar

So glad Asphyxia is back. Mine ran out about 15 years ago, and while there was an Illamasqua lipstick that looked similar, it wasn’t quite as good and it was a dry, painful nightmare to apply!

Barbra Avatar

This is a great blog: very detailed and well written. I need to explore it more. BTW — all 3 colors look very pretty on you. I have a terrible Urban Decay addiction that is now spreading to Bite and Kat von D.

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