Kylie Cosmetics Review: I Tried It – Here‘s What You Need to Know

Hey there beauty lover! Today we‘re diving deep into one of the most talked about celebrity makeup brands of all time – Kylie Cosmetics. Unless you‘ve been living under a rock, you‘ve probably seen the social media frenzy and hype around Kylie Jenner‘s coveted lip kits and palettes for years now.

I still remember my first Kylie Cosmetics purchase way back in 2016. I set an alarm on my phone to make sure I didn‘t miss the restock of the shade Candy K. When I got that package in the mail and swatched the beautiful pinky nude, I understood the obsession. But fast forward to today, and Kylie Cosmetics has expanded so much as a brand. It‘s sold in Ulta stores nationwide and is a far cry from its scrappy startup days.

So what‘s the deal with Kylie Cosmetics now? Is it still worth the hype and your hard-earned cash? I‘m here to give you the lowdown with swatches, dupes, and an honest review. Because let‘s face it, makeup is an investment and you deserve to know the real tea before smashing that "add to cart" button. So get cozy and keep reading for everything you need to know about Kylie Cosmetics in 2021!

The Rise of Kylie Cosmetics

First, let‘s rewind and talk about how Kylie Cosmetics became such a phenomenon in the first place. You probably know Kylie Jenner as the youngest member of the uber-famous Kardashian-Jenner clan. She practically grew up on our TV screens on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

But in 2015, Kylie‘s pout was getting more attention than ever – specifically, how much fuller it looked. Swarmed by lip filler rumors, Kylie launched her first-ever product: the Kylie Lip Kit. This $29 liquid lipstick and liner duo was designed to help anyone achieve that signature Kylie look. And achieve they did – the Lip Kits sold out in seconds and netted $8.7 million in sales in the first year alone.

The success of the Lip Kits proved Kylie‘s insane influence and selling power, especially with the Gen Z crowd. She leveraged her huge social media following (Kylie has over 230 million followers on Instagram today) to market her products directly to fans. Every restock was frenzy as people tried to get their hands on the newest shades.

Kylie expanded her line to a full range of makeup, skincare, and more. The hype wasn‘t just talk – in March 2019, Forbes famously named Kylie the youngest self-made billionaire ever at age 21, crediting much of her wealth to Kylie Cosmetics. But that title was met with serious side-eye. Can someone born into extreme privilege and fame truly be considered self-made? More on that later.

Kylie Cosmetics‘ winning streak continued into November 2019, when beauty conglomerate Coty bought a 51% stake in the brand for $600 million, valuing the company at $1.2 billion.

Fast forward to July 2020 – Kylie Cosmetics announced some major changes. The entire line was relaunching with new formulas that were clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. Sleek new packaging, too. Kylie said she had learned so much since launching the brand as a teenager and wanted to reformulate to make the products the best they could be.

So that brings us to today. Kylie Cosmetics 2.0. What‘s the brand like now? I picked up some of the most popular products to test and review for you. Let‘s get into it!

Kylie Cosmetics Bestsellers: The Good, The Bad, and The Glittery

Kylie Lip Kits

Obviously we have to talk about the product that started it all: the Lip Kits. These babies are $29 and come with a matte liquid lipstick and a matching lip pencil.

The lip liner is one of the creamiest and longest-wearing I‘ve ever tried. It glides on so smooth but really grips to the lips. The lipsticks have a moussey consistency that‘s light but so pigmented. You get opaque color payoff in one swipe. They dry down to a velvety matte that doesn‘t transfer or move around.

But I‘ll be real, the liquid lip formula is a bit drying, especially after a few hours of wear. A little lip balm underneath definitely helps. But I didn‘t find them to be way more drying than other popular liquid lipsticks like Anastasia Beverly Hills or Kat Von D.

The shade range is killer with over 30 options. I love Dolce K for that classic ‘90s brown-nude, Candy K for a peachy neutral, and Mary Jo K when I‘m feeling a bold, blue-based red lip. All the celeb-inspired shades are so fun too, like Khlo$, Kourt K, and Kris Jenner‘s namesake shade!

Pressed Powder Eyeshadow Palettes

Kylie Cosmetics has dropped tons of eyeshadow palettes over the years in every color story you can imagine. The 9 to 12-pan palettes are usually $42 and have a mix of matte, metallic, and glitter finishes.

I‘ve tried the best-selling Bronze Palette and can confirm the hype is real. The warm-toned neutrals are so pigmented and blendable. The shimmers are especially beautiful – they‘re almost creamy and give such intense payoff with no fallout. Definitely some of the best shimmer shadows at the drugstore or high-end!

I also love how wearable most of Kylie‘s palettes are. Sure, there are pops of color but they‘re not too wild for everyday looks. The mattes are easy to build up in the crease and the shimmers add the perfect amount of drama on the lid.

My only complaint is that some of the palettes have almost too many light, bone-colored base shades. Like how many beiges do I really need in one palette? I‘d love to see even more mid-tone and deep options. But overall, these are go-to palettes I reach for on the daily.

Kylighters

Kylie‘s $22 baked gelée highlighters, aka Kylighters, are stunners. They have a smooth, almost bouncy texture that blends seamlessly into the skin. The glow is intense and metallic but never glittery or chunky.

If you‘re into an "I‘m not a regular highlighter, I‘m a cool highlighter" vibe, you‘ll love these. The shade Quartz is my personal fave for a lit-from-within champagne sheen.

Just be careful if you have textured skin! These babies are pigmented and can accentuate cheek bumps or large pores if you go too ham. I like to use a light hand and really buff them in with a dense brush.

Concealers

Kylie dropped a range of Skin Concealers in 2019 with a whopping 30 shades. Inclusivity? We love to see it.

This $20 liquid formula has a big doe-foot applicator that covers a lot of ground quickly. It‘s lightweight but buildable, so you can easily layer it up for more coverage. I like to dot it under my eyes, on blemishes, and any areas of redness.

The finish is natural and skin-like, never cakey. It doesn‘t completely erase dark circles but it definitely brightens and evens things out. I do find it creases a bit under my eyes after a few hours if I don‘t set it well with powder. But the wear time is solid overall.

Blushes & Bronzers

Kylie‘s powder bronzers and blushes are huge pans of product for $18 each. The bronzer shade Khaki is a really pretty neutral tan that warms up my complexion without looking orange. It blends out so easily and never looks patchy.

For blush, my favorite shade is Winter Kissed, a soft rosy pink that gives that perfect flush. The Kylie blushes have more of a matte finish, which I prefer for everyday looks. They‘re pigmented but not crazy intense, so you can build them up without fear of going overboard.

I‘d definitely recommend Kylie‘s cheek products if you‘re a blush or bronzer fiend like myself. They might not be the absolute most unique colors on the market, but the formulas are reliable and flattering.

The Bottom Line: Is Kylie Cosmetics Worth It?

Okay, so by now you probably see that I‘m generally a fan of Kylie Cosmetics and have had positive experiences with most of the products I‘ve tried. But let‘s break down the pros and cons:

Pros of Kylie Cosmetics:

✔ High quality formulas that perform well
✔ Extensive shade ranges for complexion products
✔ Pretty, durable packaging
✔ 100% cruelty-free and vegan as of 2020
✔ Easy to shop in-store or online at Ulta
✔ Frequent sales and bundles on brand website

Cons of Kylie Cosmetics:

✖ Pricier than most drugstore options
✖ Shipping fees on website can add up
✖ Customer service issues for some
✖ Limited-edition products sell out very quickly
✖ Some products are dupable within brand‘s own line

Ultimately, I think if you enjoy high-end and prestige makeup, Kylie Cosmetics is absolutely still worth checking out in 2021. No, you don‘t need to go into debt buying every product Kylie launches. But the best-sellers I mentioned like the Lip Kits, eyeshadow palettes, and highlighters are the perfect mix of glam and wearable.

If you‘re on a tighter budget, I‘d say maybe skip Kylie‘s base products like the concealer or skip the brand altogether in favor of more affordable options. Brands like ColourPop have very similar liquid lipstick and shadow formulas for half the price.

What I do appreciate about Kylie Cosmetics compared to some celeb brands is that Kylie does seem more involved than just slapping her name on some products. She‘s always showing behind-the-scenes of product development and shade selection on social media. She truly has built a beauty empire from the ground up, even with her privilege and famous family.

Addressing the Controversies

Now I‘d be remiss if I didn‘t acknowledge the tumultuous road Kylie Cosmetics has taken to get where it is today. Any brand so deeply tied to celebrity is going to face extra scrutiny, and Kylie is no exception.

One of the biggest controversies was in 2018 when Kylie was called out for copying the eye and lip products of indie brand Shaaanxo down to the shade names. Twitter detectives noticed some of Kylie‘s new lipstick bullets and palettes looked eerily similar to Shaaanxo‘s existing line. While Kylie never responded, it‘s not a great look to dupe smaller brands.

Kylie Cosmetics has also faced backlash about quality control over the years. In 2016, the brand‘s makeup brushes were found to contain mislabeled animal hair. Some customers have complained about lipsticks arriving melted or expired, or eye products causing irritation. Hopefully the 2020 revamp with clean ingredients helps prevent future issues. But it‘s still something to note.

Finally, we need to talk about Forbes revoking Kylie‘s "youngest self-made billionaire" title in 2020. The magazine claimed Kylie had exaggerated the size and profitability of her business and that she was no longer a billionaire. Let‘s be real, "self-made" is a stretch for someone born into immense wealth and fame from the start. But the drama definitely put a damper on Kylie Cosmetics‘ image.

So while I do think Kylie Cosmetics is a solid brand with quality products, it‘s important to be an informed consumer and draw your own conclusions about what to support with your coin!

To Buy or Not to Buy?

Phew, still with me? Let‘s wrap this up. After all my experimenting and investigating, I can confidently say Kylie Cosmetics has earned its spot as one of the buzziest celebrity makeup lines out there.

What started as a small lip kit operation has exploded into a literal billion-dollar empire. Kylie and her team continue to innovate with fun new collections and collaborations that keep fans hungry for more. Her products have proven to be more than just hype.

If you want to treat yourself to some Kylie goodies, I highly recommend starting with a Lip Kit, Pressed Powder Palette, or Kylighter. Those are the brand‘s standout stars that I reach for again and again. The Lip Blushes are also beautiful if you like a creamy, sheer flush of color.

But hey, makeup is personal! You don‘t need anyone‘s permission to spend your hard-earned money on products that make you feel fab. Whether you‘re a die-hard Kylie stan or just curious about the brand, I hope this honest review helped you decide what‘s worth the splurge.

At the end of the day, Kylie Jenner‘s entrepreneurial spirit and influence can‘t be denied. She‘s changed the beauty industry forever and made her mark on our feeds, our shopping carts, and our vanities.

Love her or hate her, King Kylie is here to stay – and I‘m excited to see what she comes up with next. Thanks for reading and happy shopping!