Sephora Favorites Summer 2014 Give Me Some Lip Kit Swatches, Review

I think these themed Sephora kits are a great way to sample different brands and discover new favorite products. Right now I’m in the process of purging my lip stash, so I’m looking to upgrade it with some new goodies. Buying this new Give Me Some Lip sampler was a no-brainer, considering that I have never tried some of the brands featured in it.

Look at that clever packaging! All samples are lined up from the tallest to the shortest.

This kit was first released for VIBs only, but eventually became available to everyone else. It includes five samples and one full-sized product, however, most of the mini lippies here are very generous in size.

The box contains Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked, NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm, Buxom Full On Lip Cream in White Russian, Marc Jacobs Beauty Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl in Kissability, Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage, and Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pout [full size].

Come on, Sephora, that’s not even close!

The first thing I noticed about the kit is that overall these colors look very “nude”, there is only one bright color, and even that one goes on sheer at first and has to be built up for full intensity. I feel like Sephora’s previous Give Me Lip kit had a tad more color to it, even though it still stayed true to their usual rosy-mauvey shades. I could be way off with this, but it sure seemed like this kit was quickly thrown together with a bunch of unpopular products and shades mixed in with very popular ones to give it more appeal. Seriously, how many of us bought it just because we saw those gorgeous Marc Jacobs and NARS lip gloss colors?

Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pout

Let’s start with the biggest dud in the kit – Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pout. Sephora website describes it as “pale blue pink”, but you can see clearly, it looks nothing like on the website or on the packaging. No, I didn’t get a different color by mistake, they seriously made it look much pinker on the packaging of this kit and on the website. And this is why I never look at Sephora’s swatches and go straight to blogs, ladies. I’d imagine this color would be really hard to wear, and it takes a certain kind of person to pull it off, because I’m sure most of us would just look anemic. The formula feels nice on the lips, but I was put off by that strong bitter chemical smell. I know many people love these glosses, but I happen to have a very sensitive nose, and I think for that price I could easily find a product that suits me better.

Buxom Full On Lip Cream in White Russian

Speaking of really pale lip glosses, Buxom Full On Lip Cream in White Russian was a much better shade. It’s light enough to tone down natural lip pigment, but still leaves a hint of pink, so I don’t look washed out. I like Buxom glosses and own them in three different colors, but I didn’t have this one. The formula has a plumping effect, pushing out those pesky lines and making the lips appear fuller. It stinks a bit during application, but that scent disappears soon after so I can actually wear it without smelling it all day on myself.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl in Kissability

Next up, the product that made me want to buy this kit – Marc Jacobs Beauty Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl in Kissability. I’ve been really interested in designer beauty products lately, but they all come with a higher price tag, and are hard to find samples for. Sephora describes this shade as a shimmering lilac pink, but it looks like shimmering mauve to me, and it’s really really pretty in the tube. The color goes on very sheer, and sort of enhances the wearer’s natural lip tint [and smells really good too]. It also feels very moisturizing and not overly sticky; when I wiped it off, my lips looked like I just applied lip balm. I don’t know if the pigmentation is consistent for all shades, but I wish this one gave off a little more color. I did not like the applicator, it was stiff and hard, so depositing enough product on the lips was quite challenging. Based on my first impressions, I wouldn’t rush to buy this lip gloss anytime soon, but it sure was nice to try.

NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm

One of the most iconic shades in makeup, NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm was another reason why I bought this set. I wanted to try this color on my lips as well as test out the formula of NARS lip glosses. I have to tell you, this is one of the prettiest peachy-pink lip colors out there, with the formula that is nothing short of perfect. It’s non-sticky, feels amazing on the lips, smells great, lasts a while, doesn’t clump up, and masks the lines. I’ll definitely be back for more!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

The kit also includes a product I already own and love – Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked. It’s just that gorgeous “your lips but better” shade that will look great on everyone. It has a very lovely buttery formula that lasts for hours without fading. I seriously love UD Revolution lipsticks, and plan to purchase more colors to add to my collection in the future.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage

And finally, I might have found my perfect red – Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage. Bite Beauty makes their lip products from all-natural ingredients, so if like me you are paranoid about “eating” too much lipstick, this one is apparently safe to ingest [it even smells delicious]. Not only is it safe, it’s also absolutely beautiful! The formula feels like butter going on, and creates a lovely long-lasting tint. Sephora describes Meritage as brick red, and well, it does sort of look like that, with maybe a hint of coral.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage – turns out, it’s my perfect red!

The color payoff starts with medium opacity and can be easily built up to full coverage in 2-3 coats. After trying this lip pencil and lip gloss from my PSMH August box, I am now officially obsessed with all things Bite Beauty. By the way, I think these pencils are exclusive to Sephora, so this kit is probably the only way to try a mini-version.

Swatches [L to R, top to bottom]: 1. Smashbox Cosmetics Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Pout; 2. Buxom Full On Lip Cream in White Russian; 3. NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm; 4. Marc Jacobs Beauty Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl in Kissability; 5. Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage; 6. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

Do you need this? Well, value-wise, it really is a good price, but the only full-sized product in the kit turned out to be a very unflattering color on me. However, I still enjoyed trying everything else, and even found some new favorites, so the kit totally served its purpose. If like me you are looking to expand your lippie wardrobe and want to sample different brands, then go for it without any regrets.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$25 USD for 1 kit. Available at Sephora.