Archived Post

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color Review, Photos, Swatches


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color ($19.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a new-for-fall product, which is exclusive to Sephora. This product claims to deliver long-wearing opaque color without feathering and all with a glossy shine–oh, and they’re supposed to be moisturizing, too. There are currently five shades: F-Bomb (bright red cream), Punch Drunk (bright orange cream), Adrenaline (bright fuchsia sparkle), Crush (hot pink), and Big Bang (bright pink with sparkle).

  • F-Bomb is a bright, medium-dark red with subtle ruby shimmer. It’s opaque, and it does stain a little (but surprisingly, not as much as some reds). It does have a subtly glossy shine. Overall, it leans a touch blue, but it’s not strongly blue-based. Make Up For Ever #44 is similar but not quite as dark. Guerlain Gwen is less vibrant. NYX Hero is not as opaque, slightly darker. Burberry Hibiscus seems a touch lighter. Chanel Dragon is a bit darker and has more shimmer.
  • Punch Drunk is a vibrant, darkened orange with creamy finish and subtle shine. It’s completely opaque. MAC Strut Your Stuff ius similar, perhaps not as dark. Giorgio Armani #405 is similar in vibrancy, but it is brighter, less red-based. Dolce & Gabbana Sheer is very similar.
  • Adrenaline is a darkened raspberry red with ruby and pink shimmer and glitter. I did not find that this was really glossy at all–it felt a little dry when I applied it, and it looked more like a regular lipstick than a gloss. MAC Quite the Thing is similar, more iridescent. Estee Lauder Wild Violet is slightly redder. NYX Chloe is similar in base color but has more iridescence.
  • Crush is a creamy blue-based fuchsia pink with a glossy shine. It’s nearly opaque in color. NARS Schiap is pinker, not quite as blue-based. MAC Florida is similar in color but lighter.
  • Big Bang is medium-dark raspberry pink with fuchsia glitter. It is lighter, less opaque, and not nearly as red as Adrenaline. This is cooler-toned as well. MAC Pink Burst is very similar, while MAC Quite the Thing is darker.

The majority of these shades are vibrant and rich in color, which means they definitely wear longer rather than shorter. Shades like F-Bomb wear three to four hours with a subtle shine, but the color itself lasts through a meal and still looks presentable six hours later. I only tested the wear on F-Bomb and Big Bang, so I could test out different finishes. Both Adrenaline and Big Bang have a fair amount of glitter (“sparkle”) in their finishes, and as a result, they have a slightly gritty texture, which becomes more noticeable over time, as the creaminess of the product wears away. It doesn’t travel too much, but as fun as the sparkling glitter might be, it is more troublesome than the creamier finishes. I did get four hours of wear with Big Bang.

Crush was the only shade that had a high gloss shine–the kind expected from these–while the others fell a little flat. Adrenaline was the only shade that I felt really missed the shine. F-Bomb, Punch Drunk, and Big Bang all had a subtle shine. After I wore them, I’m pleased to report my lips did not dry out, so they delivered on their ability to moisturize while worn. I also did not experience any bleeding while wearing F-Bomb, which is the most likely to bleed as it is a rich red.

This product is easy to sharpen, but you’ll waste doing so (from what I can tell, 1-2 uses), and you won’t particularly enjoy cleaning out your sharpener afterward. It shaves off the actual product, while it sharpens, and because of the creaminess of the formula, it smears easily when you attempt to clean. I tested it twice by removing the entire sharpened portion (so initially, the entire tip, then I sharpened until about 3mm of product was exposed, removed that, repeated).

Aside from the sharpening issue, the new pencils are rather good–as long as you don’t mind the lack of glossy shine. They look more like lipsticks than glosses (except for Crush). It falls short of that particular claim, which is reflected in the product rating, but it is certainly something that may be easily overlooked.

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color Review, Photos, Swatches

B+
8.5
Product
9
Pigmentation
8.5
Texture
10
Longevity
4
Application
89%
Total


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color: F-Bomb, Punch Drunk, Adrenaline, Crush, Big Bang


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color: F-Bomb, Punch Drunk, Adrenaline


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color: Adrenaline, Crush, Big Bang


Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color: F-Bomb, Punch Drunk, Adrenaline, Crush, Big Bang


Urban Decay F-Bomb Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay F-Bomb Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay F-Bomb Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Punch Drunk Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Punch Drunk Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Adrenaline Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Adrenaline Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Crush Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Big Bang Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color


Urban Decay Big Bang Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color

143 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Bailey Brown Avatar

Hey Miranda, I actually just got a few of the lip flashes today and, judging by the swatches Christine put up, the Milani are way less glossy and some of them are less pigmented. They are also either very metallic or have chunkier glitter. No “plain” or shimmer-less in the bunch I got. I hope that helps!

Annie Avatar

I’ve actually been using the Milani Lip Flash in Flashy. The pencil looks like a dupe for Adrenaline, but the payoff of the Milani lip flash is MUCH better. Its super sparkly without being gritty and is really pigmented. I liked it so much I bought Hot Flash too, just haven’t tried it yet. I’d recommend trying it, especially for the price point.

Carla Avatar

That was exactly what i was thinking! Except I think Milani has mainly sparkly/glittery shades while U.D. has the ones without, which I am also loving.

t-ara Avatar

these remind me of the hard candy visibly wet lip pencils, those might be a cheap alternative! not all of them are meant to be super opaque like these but i personally LOVE them and i’ll definitely be picking some of these ud pencils up to see the differences!

Maya C Avatar

Wow. Love these! I wasn’t at all expecting them to be that pigmented. I imagined something more like the Tarte LipSurgence sticks, but these are incredible.

Christine Avatar

Any tan is natural, even though I wear SPF 30-50 any time I leave the house. I imagine I am slightly tanner, since it’s summer, and I tan really quickly (naturally), despite wearing sunscreen! I slathered my arms and legs in SPF 45, and I was outside for about 30 minutes – 2-3 shades darker! I was so mad!

This is me: “NOT MY SWATCHING ARM!”

AC Avatar

I’m the same, and I hate it!! Tan lines everywhere, despite slathering on sunscreen, and the way colors look on me is always changing. Sigh but I’m really active and outdoorsy so what to do. Do you have a favorite sunscreen that actually helps delay the tan?

Ashley Seme Avatar

Thanks for the review! And btw, I’m not sure if it’s what you’re wearing on your face, or maybe you’re a little tan, but your skin looks incredible in these photos! 🙂

Josie Avatar

I have to agree, the first thing I noticed from all these pictures was how beautuful you look! Your skin looks amazing. I thought maybe you were wearing / testing a new foundation so I started reading the comments to see if someone else had noticed and asked!

Jessi Avatar

They’re gorgeous, but I carry the lip products I’m currently wearing in my purse and it isn’t the most practical thing to have to carry a sharpener around. It’s just a little thing, but it will probably stop me from buying them. :-/

BethM Avatar

I was hoping these would be horrible, but I love them! I need Adrenaline, Crush, and Big Bang. (My wallet is thankful that the two reds will be much too orange on me.)

divinem (Melissa) Avatar

I know I frequently say this, but you have THE most perfect lips! What color eyeshadow are you wearing? It’s a nice, clean look on you.

sam Avatar

whoa haha i was not expecting them to be that intense!! which is kind of sad.. so many make up companies mess up lip pencils that you don’t even expect to see a really good one anymore

Wendy M. Avatar

I’m sooo glad these aren’t limited edition! Will definitely be picking up F-Bomb (hee, love the name!), Punch Drunk and Crush.
Thanks for your review, Christine! 🙂

leesie Avatar

Ohhh, those creamy ones are very pretty. I’m definitely going to have to try them out in the store. Strangely, I’m drawn to Punch Drunk, although for all I know it could look terrible on me.

Alison Avatar

Omg, I love these! I have to get Adrenaline, Crush, and Big Bang. Adrenaline and Big Bang look a lot like the Milani Lip Flashes I have, but your swatches of them look less glittery. Love, love, love, these!

kate Avatar

Love the way they look, but I can see them being a total PITA to sharpen. Not really worth it to me considering that…

You look especially fantastic in these pics, Christine. What blush are you wearing?

Leslie Avatar

Whoa I NEED Crush! Punch Drunk is also gorgeous, but maybe a little too bright for me to justify the purchase.

These look really similar to Milani Lip Flashes, except all of those are pretty shimmery, also to the point that a few shades are gritty. But I digress, I will definitely be getting Crush the next time I’m at Sephora.

Kelly Avatar

Red lips look completely gorgeous on you!
I cannot tell you how many red lip colors I have tried, and had fail, hoping to look the way you do with red lips. It’s beautiful!

Lorraine ER Avatar

Oh no, I think I want at least three of them! The only one I wouldn’t wear is the orange
Also, I am SO happy they brought back the shade “Big Bang” even if it’s a different texture!

Amanda Avatar

I don’t know if you’ve tried Make Up For Ever’s rouge artist lipstick in #40, but if you have would you say that it’s a good dupe for punch drunk?

Tricia Avatar

I know it’s your job to test how well they sharpen, but it must be painful to see any product go to waste! I’m curious as to how feasible it would be to melt these into jars and make them potted glosses? I’ve done this to NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils with no problem, and it’s great because there’s no waste. (I know it defeats the purpose of having them in pencil-form, but I just hate sharpening creamy products!)

Dawn Avatar

Barry M have had a very similar (and very affordable) product out for a long time now. The high shine colours seem way too bright for me, though

Charlotte Avatar

I expected these to be like the Clinique Chubby Sticks but these are SO much better! I love the look of F-bomb and think I could get really precise application with the pencil

Mariella Avatar

Christine, these look absolutely gorgeous on you and I’m interested in a gloss that delivers a bit more colour, the way these seem to. But I don’t really want to be dealing with sharpening them. Just yesterday, I sharpened 2 24/7 liners (not the shadows, the ordinary liners) and even though I froze them first, I had smears of product all over my sharpener. I had sharpening stuff!

Kimberly Avatar

I want Crush and F-Bomb!! They are soo beautiful…too bad they’re kinda high in price…but they are so beautiful I’d say they are worth it.

Rosie Avatar

Ohhhh at first I didn’t think I’d like these but they look beautiful!!!! All these colors look great on you Christine 🙂 very pretty!

Raquel Avatar

These all look great on you. But sometimes UD just tries too hard to seem “edgy” with names like F-Bomb. Being a mom to 3 little girls, I just couldn’t pull that out of my purse . . .

Alyson Avatar

I totally sympathize. I’m not a mommy but I am a little bit of a prude, lol. I suppose if you wanted to, you could put a sticker over the name or something?

Michelle Avatar

Hmmm, with the exception of the two glittery shades, these look insansely shiny in the photos… based on your description of them being only slightly shiny I am curious to see how they look in person. F-Bomb is a must buy for me, that looks ludicrisly beautiful!

Courtney Avatar

I like F Bomb and Crush, but I am a bit skeptical because I have two of the Milani ones, which look fantastic as swatches, but didn’t have a much color payoff as I would’ve hoped on my lips. I’d at least try these on, I suppose.

Ani_BEE Avatar

Eyeko’s Liptastik lips colours are identical to these and come in a twist up pencil packaging. The shades are to bright for me (same with these UD ones), so if anyone curios why not try the Eyeko ones first.

stephanie Avatar

Ugh i was interested in purchasing these until you mentioned that you need to sharpen them; I assumed they were twist up’s. Thumgs down for that UD.

andrea Avatar

IDK what it is, the makeup the lipstick, the mascara or what, but u look really beautiful in this pictures! theres something different in you! Nice colors want all the not shimmery ones !
XoXo

Leigh Avatar

F-Bomb looks gorgeous on you, but I don’t think it’d work for me. However I do want to try adrenaline at least. Not too big on sharpening, but the color looks stunning. If I like it, I’ll definitely go for Big Bang as well. Lovely swatches!

Jess Avatar

Christine, you can wear any lip color and look fabulous! I would love to wear colors like F-bomb and Adrenaline but I just can’t quite pull them off. Thanks for the awesome reviews/swatches on these colors. I’ve had my eye on Crush and I think I just might go for it… 🙂

Andie Avatar

I purchased Adrenaline at Sephora yesterday. I know you were not its biggest fan, but the glitter got me. It’s not really long-wearing, but the color really works on my skin tone. It is the perfect “going-out notice me” lip color.

Angela Ford Avatar

Love this product! Goes on smooth and fades to a nice stain. I have the pencil in f bomb and it has become my go to lip gloss. Only downside: a little pricey but worth it.

Cassandra Avatar

If only they were for lips & cheeks. 🙂 2 in 1 is always better I believe, especially on the go. Do you think it’d be possible? Would they work as a stain kinda maybe? Or too cremey?

lisainfl Avatar

would you mind sharing what your eye makeup is? I think each UD Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color looks fabulous on you! I couldn’t pick a fave if I had too!

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!