We Road-Tested 3 Kylie Lip Kit Dupes To See How They Measured Up To The Real Deal

Liquid lipstick is nothing new, but Kylie Jenner can take credit for single-handedly boosting its popularity a hundredfold in the last year.

Since the 18-year-old launched her line of liners and matte shades, the Kylie Lip Kit, last November, it’s been consistently sold out online, despite countless re-stocks.

While we haven’t yet been lucky enough to nab a Lip Kit all our own (not for want of trying, believe us), we have been giving various so-called dupes a try over the last few weeks.

Kylie’s products have been praised for their long-wearing formula, but some reviews have blasted the lipsticks for being overly drying and for being too heavily scented. Plus, there was the oh-so controversial faulty applicator issue, which saw thousands of customers sent replacement products after theirs arrived with worn out wands and brushes.

So how do the dupes – all of which are widely available on Irish shelves and online – measure up? Read on for our verdicts…

The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes, €16.50

Tester: Victoria, Web Editor

Let me begin by explaining I’m a total lipstick klutz. Whenever I apply lippy it always looks bumpy and uneven and I invariably end up with a smudge or two or my teeth.

Not with this one though. It was surprisingly easy to apply and seemed to make my cupid’s bow look more pronounced. The formula glides on and then dries to a matte finish, which I’d describe as a slightly powdery, tacky feel. But its the wear of this lipstick that makes it a real winner for me. It lasted flawlessly from 9.30am when I first applied it right up until lunch at 1pm, despite drinking a bottle of water and scoffing a few snacks at my desk in between.

After eating at lunch, it did smudge off a bit but a hint of a colour remained. Several sips of water later the colour is still subtly visible by 5.30pm, as you can see in the pic above. This lipstick isn’t stay-all-day (few lipsticks are) but you’ll definitely get decent wear out of it. A top up mid-afternoon should keep the colour fresh right into the late evening.

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick, €11.95

Tester: Ciara, Social Media Co-Ordinator

I nabbed this lipstick in Serenity, which was a clear dupe for Kylie’s Candy K. So far, so good.
The wand packed a solid amount of product on and allowed for very smooth application. It did get a bit messy on my top lip as the applicator was just a bit too large for my lips. As for the consistency, it dried super-quick and set almost instantly. I noticed it did feel a bit tight as it was setting but after a few minutes it felt fine.

I wore this product for a good five hours while sipping on tea and water and it didn’t budge. Win. Even after eating a Twister (see below) it still looked relatively good, though it was definitely in need of a top up at that stage.

XOJane‘s Tynan Sinks claims he wore his Kylie Lip Kit “in the shower” without it smudging. I’m not sure you could go that far with the Gerard Cosmetics offering, but would you really want to?

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick, €21

Tester: Paula, Staff Writer

Stila’s Stay All Day lippy has been praised as the closest dupe for Kylie’s products, so I was pretty excited to try this one out.

I’ve always given liquid lipsticks a wide berth in the past – I’m more of a nude lip girl – but this one was pretty foolproof. The wand made application very easy and the formula wasn’t too watery, meaning it didn’t run and I was able to apply it quite precisely.

It took longer than expected to set – I drank some water after ten minutes and wished I had used a straw, as I could feel the product dissolving as I drank. That said, it seemed to hold up pretty well through lunchtime, despite my olive oil-heavy salad dressing.

After work came the real test though – a summer BBQ complete with a few glasses of Prosecco. Even though I re-applied before leaving the office, my lip colour didn’t really last the evening – as you can see below it was pretty smudged on the bottom especially.

For liquid lipstick rookies, I’d definitely recommend this for ease of application, but it’s definitely not a ‘stay all day’ product… despite the name.

• gerard cosmetics
• kylie lip kit
• kylie lip kit dupes
• stila
• The Balm
• the balm meet matte hughes