Review: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb

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I think tiny lipsticks are my favorite kind of 100-point perk from Sephora. I love miniature things, I love free things and I have yet to use up a full size lipstick so these are basically perfect. I missed this when it was actually listed in the rewards section, but I found out through the VIB board on the Sephora forums that it was still in stock. Speaking of which - if you don’t go on there, you really should. They keep running lists of the rewards perks and promo codes, very helpful for maximizing your freebies. Anyway, I haven’t always been much for red lipstick, but it’s been growing on me lately. Plus, I just really like the name.

Packaging

Much like my review of the new NARS foundation from a while back, I can’t really comment much on the packaging of the full size lipstick since I have a mini, BUT, I downloaded a really nice stock image for you! From what I’ve seen of them in the store, the packaging seems reasonably functional. The case is a bit tall but on the thin side, so it’ll be ok in a clutch. The bullet itself is narrow, which is nice for thin lips. The mini version has a snap-on cap that stays on securely; I have to imagine the real deal works just as well. I’m not a huge fan of the aesthetics - I prefer something a bit sleeker-looking - but that’s neither here nor there.

Color

Red. The color of this lipstick is red. I’d say ‘true’ red, but honestly, who gets to decide which red is true? It has just a smidge of a pink undertone but it’s incredibly subtle. The finish is luminous but not shiny, and there are no shimmers in it. I pulled a few other reds from my lipstick drawers (I’m up to three drawers of lip products now, I’m going to have to find a different way to store them soon!) for comparison purposes. In the photos above we’ve got:

Urban Decay F-Bomb - bright, mostly neutral red

Bite Luminous Creme in Pomegranate - just a tiny bit darker and cooler than F-Bomb

Bite Luminous Creme in Tannin - darker and more berry-toned than F-Bomb

Givenchy Le Rouge in Grenat Initie - about the same intensity as F-Bomb, but with slightly yellower undertones

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in RD413 - more orange than F-Bomb (or any of the others, for that matter), with a shine finish

Texture, application & wear

The Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks are creamy and light-weight on the lips. This particular one is very opaque - using a lip brush I got full coverage with two thin layers. From the tube it applies evenly and covers completely in one pass. It’s definitely easier to get a clean lip line with a brush than from the tube, but I’m pretty sure that applies to basically every lipstick. It did transfer quite a bit onto my coffee cup; no bleeding or migrating, and it wears evenly. This shade leaves a nice stain, so I didn’t feel the need to reapply until after lunch. I didn’t think it was drying, or especially moisturizing. It just is.

In Short: It has one job - to put color on your lips - and it does it well. This color is certainly dupeable, but the formula is very well-behaved, which is a must for red lipsticks.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks ($22) are available at nordstrom.com and ulta.com