My Favorite Sephora Favorites : Lips

I am a total sucker for value sets. While I have really tried to stop, and have been better when it comes to impulse purchases and stocking up on makeup, there are some things I find too good to pass up. I went in to Sephora last weekend to accompany my boyfriend’s sister for a quick errand. While it was quick and Michael didn’t have to wait in the car for too long, I still didn’t get out of the black and white striped storefront without picking up a couple value sets.

I bought the first nude lip set in the darker case around mother’s day when I picked them up for my mom and aunt’s and when I saw the second selection of nude colors I knew it was a good one to get. There is a full sized products mixed in with the smaller sizes so you are basically just getting bonus products for the price of one. Also, I don’t think I will ever use an entire lipstick so the small size is perfect for me wanting to experiment.

This mascara set also jumped out at me because like their perfume sampler sets, you get to try them all and redeem a coupon inside the box for a full size of your favorite. So instead of paying full price for one mascara, why not get a handful of samples while you’re at it. This one is even better than the perfume ones that give you little plastic containers because you actually get a decent amount of mascara and all the brushes. Plus, they are the perfect size to throw into your purse and have on hand for traveling.

I am breaking down these 4 sets that you can find online and sharing my favorite of the Sephora favorites starting with the lips! Stay tuned for fragrance and mascara and in the meantime you can check them out online: 

Dark Lip Set

Light Lip Set

Mascara Set

Fragrance Set 

I’m going to rate these lipsticks/glosses on a few things; color (what looks best on a pale complexion like my own), consistency and staying power.

Give Me Some Nude Lip (Dark Case):

-Anastasia Beverly Hills® Lip Gloss in Kristen (cool desert sand)

-Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Enamored Hi Shine Lip Lacquer in Sugar Sugar (champagne-gold shimmer)

-NARS Cosmetics Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (rose pink)

-Tarte lippie lingerie matte tint in Revealed (light mocha)

-Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Spice Girl (pink nude)

-Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Trivial (matte pink nude)

Color: These are all great neutral shades and I have seen my mom wearing most of them as well and they look great on her tanner skin and different than when I wear them so color wise for me I loved the Urban Decay and the NARS. They are more pink than the Orange-y colors of the Anastasia and browner tarte one. Both the Marc Jacobs and Too Faced glosses looked almost the same, just one with shimmer and the other without. They barely add any color to your lips so they are good for a dewy sheen but not much else. So, my winner for color is the Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Trivial.

Consistency: The three glosses are all very hydrating and smooth to apply and I would say the least sticky was the Marc Jacobs one so that would be a good one to layer over a color if you wanted a shimmery pout. The Vice liquid lip is very smooth and glides on but is kind of drying on your lips once it settles after an hour or so. I have several of the tarte crayon style lippies and I like the color and pigment and minty smell but they are also pretty dry on their own. The NARS Velvet Glide is my winner for consistency because it does exactly what its called, glide, and isn’t as dry as the Urban Decay.

Staying Power: I haven’t worn all of these throughout the duration of a day and meal so after applying them all to my arm the best way to test was to wipe it off with a napkin, then damp cloth and then with soap. The Urban Decay was by far the best at staying put and was the hardest to get off followed by the tarte crayon. They are also the driest formulas so that is definitely why. The glosses held up a little after being wiped off and the NARS still left a flush of color but if you want something to wear during the whole day the Urban Decay Vice is for you.

Overall Favorite: Urban Decay Vice Waterproof Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Trivial. I loved the color the most and it lasted the longest! This also happens to be the full size product of the samples so I am glad it is my favorite. SO if you want to just go for the best one, try out the Vice collection in a color you love! Unless you are pale like me then give this a go!

Now for the next nude lip set…

Give Me Some Nude Lip (Light Case):

-Bite Beauty Multistick in Brioche (rich terracotta)

-Buxom® Full-On Lip Cream in Dolly (sultry mauve)

-Full size Ciaté London Liquid Velvet Moisturizing Matte Liquid Lipstick in Bitter Sweet (gray mink)

-Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Ludwig (nude fawn)

-MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Rouge in C211 (rose wood)

-tarte™ Rainforest of the Sea™ Color Splash Lipstick in Rum Punch (nude)

Color: Again with this being a nude set, it looks great and different on every skin tone so these are my choices for my pale complexion. These are a lot more brownish/orange than the pink nudes in the first box. I found that the Kat Von D, tarte, and Bite all almost looked the same when it came to color tone just a little variation in pigmentation. Unfortunately, none of these look great on my coloring so I was drawn more towards the MAKE UP FOREVER  lipstick in a pinker dark rose color and the Buxom gloss. The Ciate is also nice and a little vampire-y on with a grey undertone that makes your teeth look very white. I have to go with the MAKE UP FOREVER for my favorite color.

Consistency: The Kat Von D and Ciate were very similar as liquid lipsticks but the KAt Von D one is definitely creamier and smoother and a little thicker. The tarte lipstick is really sheer and hydrating so that was great and the Buxom gloss is so rich and smells heavenly. The Bite brand is kind of dry and the other lipstick isn’t anything special so my favorite consistency was Kat Von D’s liquid lipstick.

Staying Power: All of these, aside from the gloss held up to a couple passes from my paper towel. For being a regular lipstick, the MAKE UP FOREVER and BIte were both on just a little less than the two liquid lips. Kat Von D stayed the best for sure but the others weren’t too far behind.

Overall Favorite: I am torn between the Kat Von D and the MAKE UP FOREVER products because if the liquid lip was the same color as the stick that would be my winner! I think I will look for a different shade in the Kat Von D liquid lip because I have a darker pink that I really like but the orange tone to this one isn’t flattering for me. Tie!

I would totally recommend both of these sets because for the price you are getting a lot of different products and the boxes they come in are adorable. It’s a great set to break up if you have a friend with different color preferences and I think the two sets are different enough that I will get use out of both of them.

I will follow up with my favorite mascara and fragrance in another favorites post, so for now, kisses! Enjoy the lips and let me know if any of these are your favorites.