I Got My Hands On The King Kylie Collection & I Have ~Thoughts~
It’s 2016 all over again.
The king has returned — and her name is Kylie Jenner. On Oct. 10, the billionaire and her namesake beauty brand broke the internet (or, at least, Instagram) when they teased and eventually announced that Jenner’s King Kylie alter ego from 2016 would be making a comeback to mark Kylie Cosmetics’ 10th anniversary.
“I’ve seen all your messages asking for a King Kylie collection, the fearless era that had a dream at just 17 years old!,” the now-28-year-old makeup mogul posted on IG on Oct. 13, before adding: “I wanted to give you exactly what you’ve been waiting for.”
Days later, on Oct. 18, the limited-edition King Kylie Collection — inspired by her iconic lip kits and ever-changing, brightly colored hair from the 2010s — hit KylieCosmetics.com, and nearly sold out of all of its stock within 48 hours. Don’t worry, the same items are set to hit Ulta.com on Oct. 21, and Ulta stores on Nov. 2, so there’s still time to get your hands on the collection.
But is it worth it? That’s where I come in. As someone who tested the first (very matte) Kylie Lip Kits a decade ago, I was intrigued by the latest innovations. Thankfully, I was able to test out every product in the brand-new King Kylie Collection ahead of launch day to help you decide whether it’s worthy of your shopping cart.
BDG product reviews and recommendations are written and conducted by writers and editors with expertise in their fields. Testers often have specific experience with the situation or product at hand, and/or their review or recommendation is provided in consultation with experts. You can learn more about our standards here.
Fast Facts:
- Price: $292 for every product in the collection ($35 for the eyeshadow palette; $36 for each of the four matte lip kits; $21 for each of the three lip glazes; $26 for the loose powder highlighter; and $24 for the highlighter brush).
- Who this is best for: Anyone who’s a die-hard KarJenner stan or intrigued by OTT makeup looks.
- What I like: The lip glazes — they smell so good and glide on beautifully. Also, have you seen the packaging?! Definitely not cheap.
- What I don’t like: The eyeshadows aren’t for me; they feel nice and all, but they’re not colors I’d typically choose. And the highlighter isn’t it either, as I prefer liquid over powder.
- My rating: 3/5
The King Kylie Eyeshadow Palette Is A Major Throwback
The eyeshadows come in 10 different shades: four “pigmented shimmer” options dubbed 2014 (silver metallic multidimensional pearl), 2015 (ice blue shimmer), Ombré (blue-green simmer), and #kngkylie (teal shimmer); and six “wet shimmer” options dubbed Rose Gold (sheer rose gold shimmer), Sugar Mint (sheer mint shimmer), Denim Blue (sheer steel blue shimmer), Kylie Blue (sheer sky blue with green shimmer), Kymajesty (sheer golden peach shimmer), and Natural Brunette (sheer gunmetal brown shimmer). All of them were inspired by Jenner’s hair colors during her King Kylie era.
The packaging: So many details went into the box alone. The front features embossed letters made to look like a generic California license plate; the back features glossy photos of the multi-hyphenate with all of the 10 hair colors, along with a glossy photo of her dogs Norman and Bambi, who made frequent appearances on her social media back in the day; and both sides have a velvet soft touch finish with teal foil lettering.
The palette itself is equally impressive, with a similar-looking license plate-style metal casing with embossed lettering and teal foil highlighting the name of each shadow. The cutest part was the sticker on the mirror, which was made to mimic the Snapchat dog filter that’s symbolic of the ’10s.
First impressions: Even from looking at it, I knew the shades wouldn’t be on brand for me; anything labeled “shimmer” is simply too much in my book. At best, I’d wear the gunmetal brown shade, Natural Brunette, on a night out, since that’s the most low-key.
The results: When it comes to product testing, I go all in, which is why I opted for the teal shimmer, aka the eponymous #kngkylie shade.
To be fair, it glided on nicely and the color really popped against my skin, especially IRL; every time I looked in the mirror and forgot it was on, I was taken aback by how brightly it shined. I swear, I felt all eyes on me when I stepped outside with it on (which I hate) — but that could’ve just been me projecting.
The King Kylie Matte Lip Kits Are *So* Much Better Now
Ah, the infamous Kylie Lip Kits. This collection comes with two brand-new shades: A Decade (soft beige pink paired with a contrasting brown beige lip liner) and Kylie Jenner Lips (warm rose paired with a contrasting deep warm rose lip liner); and two inspired by the original lineup: True Brown K (deep chocolate brown) and Dead of Knight (true black).
The packaging: Similarly to the eyeshadow palette box, this one comes with its own embossing, velvet soft touch finish, and teal foil lettering. The main difference is the signature pic of pouty lips with the liquid lipstick seemingly dripping from them.
The actual tubes of matte liquid lipstick look almost identical to when they were first released: completely see-through, unlike the opaque pink case they come in now. The lip liner, which is currently the same pink, also reverted to its previous look (black).
First impressions: I remember the OGs so well, my lips practically shrivel up just thinking of how much they sucked the moisture out of ‘em. But did you know that these aren’t the same lip kits of yore? After the brand relaunched in 2021, so did the formulas. Still, I was ready to break out the Chapstick.
The results: While still matte, as intended, the products definitely felt creamier than they used to; even after loading up on the Kylie Jenner Lips shade, I never felt like I needed a balm to overcompensate for the lack of moisture.
One tick in the original formula’s favor was the transfer test. Back then, I could blot over and over, and would barely see any product on a napkin, if at all. That was not the case with this one; it somewhat stuck for a few hours, but it was far from a stain. I had to reapply after one meal.
The King Kylie Supple Kiss Lip Glaze Has A Pleasant Scent
The lip glosses also brought something old and something new: two shades inspired by the originals, Like (sheer peachy beige with gold shimmer) and Literally (warm brown); plus one new fave: She’s Back (sheer chrome).
The packaging: Ah, another beautiful box. This one has the same velvet soft touch finish, but with silver foil lettering instead of teal. Depending on the shade, you could find a teenage Kylie on the front or fishnet stockings.
Today’s Kylie glosses give clean girl vibes; they’re clear with white lettering and a white top. The throwback ones are meant to be edgier; they each have silver lettering and silver tops with a smattering of skulls across them.
First impressions: TikTokers always speak so highly of the Supple Kiss Lip Glazes, so I was sure that I was going to be a fan. The first whiff proved me right — it’s like a cross between a tropical vacation and birthday cake.
The results: I’m not one to normally toot my own horn, but my lips looked and felt so juicy. (See: me wearing She’s Back below.) I didn’t even care that I had to keep reapplying it throughout the day.
The King Kylie Loose Powder Highlighter Goes On As Expected
The name speaks for itself — it’s a loose powder highlighter, with a warm champagne shade called 3 Strikes, inspired by the 2017 edition. You can pair it with the King Kylie Highlighter Brush for an additional $24.
The packaging: As you can see, this highlighter does not come in the pink packaging you can see on other powder highlighter products in Jenner’s current arsenal. Instead, you’ll find a meme-worthy photo of a teal-haired Kylie mid-blink scattered all around the box. And yes, you can also find the same velvet soft touch finish and foil lettering as with all the other products in the new lineup.
The individual highlighter container is similar to the lip gloss tube: see-through with silver touches.
First impressions: I haven’t used a powder highlighter in a hot minute (Rare Beauty’s liquid highlighters have been my go-tos for the better part of the last five years), so I went in a bit skeptical about it.
The results: I went a bit heavy on it so it could be seen more easily on camera, and it turned out... fine? Like I said, I prefer liquid highlighters — mainly because I feel like there’s a moisturizing element that powder highlights lack — but this would do in a pinch.
Is Kylie Cosmetics’ King Kylie Collection Worth It?
If this were based on the Supple Kiss Lip Glazes alone, it would get a 10/10 from me. The Matte Lip Kits were also better than I anticipated. (Mind you, they’re $36 now; they were originally $29. Ugh, inflation.) I can even understand the appeal of the King Kylie Eyeshadow Palette for the nostalgia.
The collection loses me with the highlighter simply because I’m not a powder girlie. Where I draw the line is $24 for a highlighter brush. (For reference, the Rare Beauty highlighter brush is $18.)
Overall, I’d say the collection is worth it — for Kylie Jenner fans.
About Me:
As the Deputy Editor of Experiences & Style at Elite Daily, I get to test out a lot of viral products, especially in beauty. I usually keep my own makeup light, focusing on the eyes (primarily via mascara) and lips (give me all the lip oils), but have been known to experiment with a good blush or contour.
