Our HONEST Review of Kylie’s Summer Collection

Despite the fact that Kylie has just launched an entirely new brand; the highly anticipated Kylie Skin, Kylie Cosmetics has not taken a back seat. The OG brand has just come through with another major collection; including a 12-pan eyeshadow palette, four new pressed pigment formulas, three new lipstick shades, a new lip formula, plus a gloss – the girl does not come to play! As soon as we clapped eyes on the collection, we could picture ourselves hanging poolside – in full glam obvs – straight up summer slayin’! But before you make that picture your reality, read our honest review of Kylie’s summer drop: the Under The Sea Collection.

Under The Sea Palette, $42

One thing we really respect about Kylie is that she genuinely listens to feedback. Last year, some people criticized the packaging, saying that it wasn’t luxe enough for the price tag, while others mentioned the predominantly orange and brown color scheme was limiting. This year it’s clear to see Kylie listened, and we were immediately impressed with the more luxe packaging that also included a mirror, which is always a bonus.

The new palette has some great transition shades and some poppin’ pigments. We’re drooling over the Be Pacific metallic emerald green shade (the name is super cute too) and we layered Can I Kelp You (the metallic pastel green) on top and it looked SO pretty! The coral hues are gorgeous too and easily buildable, making them ideal for an everyday look. The peach shimmer, Abandon Ship, is also bomb and works well when worn with Hook You In (matte soft peach) or Welcome Aboard (matte terracotta brown). The only thing we’d love to see more of, are some deeper shades to play with, as despite the impressive pigment payoff, they didn’t stand out on richer skin tones.

The formulas are similar to the recent Koko Kollection, and the new palette features 10 pressed powders (four mattes and six metallics) and two pressed glitters. The metallics are super pigmented just like the matte shades and they blend beautifully. The mattes do have a little kickback, so make sure you tap out your brush before blending on the eye. We’d also suggest applying the pressed glitters with your finger for better payoff, as they didn’t look as metallic with a brush. We love the new glitter formula, which applies really easily, and doesn’t flake or budge once on.

Under The Sea Shimmer Eye Glaze, $20 each

This new ‘demi-press’ formula is a combo of a cream shadow and a pressed powder. We were instantly a fan of these shimmers; they were really creamy and the color payoff was intense; they actually reminded us a little of our Metal Fondant formula in our Rose Gold Remastered Palette. The shades are also really nice; there’s a pretty pink, two gold shades, and a marine aqua shade. Just an FYI, the gold shimmers may look similar in photos but IRL they come out very different; Ocean Child is a lot more yellow and Night Swim is bronzey.

Under The Sea Lip Blushes + High Gloss, $40 for all

When we heard the term Lip Blush we were intrigued. We were expecting either a lip tint similar to Benefit’s Benetint, $30, or a crème stick, but it was neither! In fact, the formula is super lightweight, applies as a cream, but dries down like a matte liquid lipstick. We wish the formula applied a little more evenly, but once it set it was actually super long-lasting, and it didn’t settle into lip lines. Just make sure your lips are hydrated before you apply, as it can be a little drying. There are two shades; Bikini Bod, $17, a warm rose and Boss Bay, $17, a rich terracotta. The range also includes a High Gloss, $16, which is nice if you’re looking for a simple sheen, but it wasn’t our fave from the collection.

Under The Sea Lipstick Bundle, $45

These lipsticks are insanely pigmented, and although there’s a little drag on application, once it’s on, it stays put. The shades are also perfect for summer; Paradise Please, $17, is a striking coral shade, whereas Beach Bum, $17, is more of a muted everyday hue. Finally, there’s Endless Summer, $16, which is a pink coral with a gold sheen; use it on the center of your lip on top of a lipstick to create the illusion of a fuller pout.

The final verdict: Overall, we really like the collection. There are a lot of elements to play with so you can create a range of different summer looks, although, we’d like to see some richer shades and to push those formulas a little more. There are undoubtedly some eye-catching colors and we love how she’s experimented with new formulas.

You can shop the full collection here, $185.

Have you guys tried it? Let us know your thoughts below.