Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipstick

Gwen Stefani's signature look is a bright red lip, so I knew her collab for lipstick with Urban Decay would have some great colors. I wasn't disappointed!

I decided to try Firebird, Ex-Girlfriend and Wonderland.

These lipsticks come in a box with the same white and gold geometric design as the blush palette.

 The lipstick tube itself is plastic with a similar pattern in black and gold. 

I definitely like the design, but I wish the tube was metal instead of plastic. The plastic feels flimsy.

The first color that I tried was Firebird. This lippie is described as a "deep fuchsia". It looks purple in the tube, but it goes on a bright magenta. It's somewhat sheer and feels very moisturizing. It feathers a bit without lipliner.  In addition to liner, blotting with a tissue helps to reduce any unwanted migration.

Firebird could work on a wide range of skin tones from fair to deep. I'm NW20 and I think it works well with my coloring.

Ex-Girlfriend is described as a "sheer nude-rose with pink shimmer". It's in the MLBB family. This lipstick is sheer and very hydrating. It's easy to wear and can be applied without a mirror. It wears evenly and feels good.

Finding the right nude can be tricky. Though Ex-Girlfriend feels good and is easy to apply, I think this shade washes me out.

The last color that I tried was Wonderland. It is a "dark pink-red cream". It's very opaque and has a satin finish. It feels slightly hydrating. 

On me it pulls red, but it's a nice cool red. Wonderland required the most work to apply. I used a clear lip liner (Too Faced Borderline Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil) and a lip brush for even borders.

Wonderland photographs well and would look good on a range of skin tones, but it's very high maintenance, as many red lipsticks can be.

I swatched all three colors. Here they are outside with no flash:

Here's inside with no flash:

 After working with these lipsticks, I have decided to keep Firebird and return Ex-Girlfriend and Wonderland. I have a lot of dupes for both of them and don't think I would reach for them after the newness wore off. Firebird, on the other hand, is right up my alley. It's a little bit of a pain to apply, because I do need a lipliner with it (the clear Too Faced one helps with feathering), but it's such a great color and it makes me happy when I put it on. And isn't that what lipstick is supposed to do?