The Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Collection Is What The Truth Feels Like

Singing sensation, fashion and beauty icon, and overall cool girl Gwen Stefani has taught us that one easy way to “spark the fire” is through a striking, richly pigmented, power-packed pout. After all, her signature look involves platinum blonde tresses and a chic red lip. So, when word spread that she had collaborated with Urban Decay on a limited-edition makeup collection, beauty mavens could not wait to see how she’d give the world lip — literally. As anticipated, Stefani opted for risk-taking, statement-making lipstick and lip pencil shades rather than dainty, wallflower hues for a collection that is b-a-n-a-n-a-s as well as b-e-a-u-ti-f-u-l.

The UD x Gwen Stefani collection includes 8 lipstick shades ($18 each at Sephora stores and Sephora.com) and 6 lip pencil shades (at Sephora.com), all of which exude the confidence and bravado that we associate with the No Doubt singer.

All eight Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Lipstick shades are playful and fun-loving and, while most of the colors are intense and bright, there is one sheer nude hue with pink shimmer dubbed Ex-girlfriend (Gwen has, after all, rocked a muted lip when flaunting a smoldering smoky eye), as well as an array of berry, pink, and red shades with finishes varying from mega matte (a brand new finish for UD) to sheer, matte, and satin.

I had the chance to try out three of the UD x Gwen Stefani lipstick shades, all of which I love: Spiderweb, a classic and ultra-creamy red shade with a satin finish; Phone Call, a deep honeysuckle pink hue with a sheer finish; and Rock Steady, a vamp-y, sangria red with a creamy texture and a satin finish.

Not only are the colors magnetic, but their packaging is hypnotic, with each tube featuring a metallic gold color with angled black lines and each corresponding box featuring a graphic white-and-gold print.

Check out swatches of the Spiderweb, Phone Call, and Rock Steady lipsticks:

They’re bubble pop electric, right? I’m particularly fond of the Spiderweb and Rock Steady shades since both are so intensely pigmented and have such a lustrous finish. The Phone Call shade, meanwhile, is a bit too sheer for my personal liking, but I do love coating it over one of the lip pencils in the collection for a more striking effect.

Speaking of the UD x Gwen Stefani 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils, all of these liners deposit budge-proof color on lips while nourishing the delicate skin on the pout with vitamin E, jojoba oil, and cottonseed oil. As with all of Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils, these offerings  don’t pull, tug, or drag when in contact with lips but rather slide effortlessly and yet with impressive precision.

All of the lip pencil shades were designed to correspond with the lipstick shades in the collection, so that women can prime their lips by outlining and filling in their pouts with liner first, then complete their looks with the matching lipstick hue. That said, you can also mix and match in order to create customized colors.

I had the chance to try three shades of the 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils: Wonderland, a dark pink that borders on red (it’s reminiscent of a cherry-flavored Italian Ice but with slightly more of a magenta tint); Firebird, a deep blue-toned fuchsia with light pink shimmer; and Rock Steady, a decadently rich, deep wine red.

Below, you’ll find swatches of the lip pencil shades:

Since it’s always helpful to see lip colors on someone’s actual lips, I’m including some photos in which I’m wearing the shades mentioned below.

First, here’s me wearing the Spiderweb lipstick:

It’s got a sheen to it as you can see, but it has the staying power of a matte lipstick, which I love. And the color is just so robust — like a candy apple that you just want to bite into!

Next, here’s me wearing the Phone Call lipstick:

As mentioned the shade is semi-sheer but it’s not one of those wimpy lipsticks that deposit just a veil of color — instead, it delivers on the pigment payoff front but has more of a lustrous, glassy quality.

Next, you’ll find a pick of me wearing the Rocksteady lipstick shade atop the Rocksteady lip pencil:

If you’re going for a seductress look, this is the ticket. It’s very deep and rich, but it doesn’t feel costume-y or overly witch-y.

Now, since I like a bolder pout, I also experimented with mixing colors, so I lined and filled my lips with the Firebird lip pencil, added a layer of the Phone Call lipstick, and topped it off with a bit more of the lip pencil (a trick to make lipsticks last a bit longer). Here’s the result:

Hopefully, you’ll notice that while the color is still in the honeysuckle pink range, this time the finish is creamier and the coverage is fully opaque. Just like I like it!

So, ladies, if you had any doubts about whether the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani collection was worth checking out, I hope this review cleared those right up! I’m an Urban Decay superfan but, as such, I have really high expectations of all their products, and this collection did not disappoint. I often find that celebrity “collaborations” are just endorsement deals, with the stars having little to no involvement in the development of the final product, but this was a true team effort, and it shows in everything from the packaging to the color range. And with this collection, you’re not just buying products based on hype, on the frenzy created by the involvement of a celebrity, but you’re actually investing in makeup that performs — and excels.

And that, folks, is what the truth feels like!