Kat Von D Lipstick in Hellbent

Hey Guys! 


I have another review of Kat Von D's lipstick in Hellbent. I reviewed Lolita here. I bought a set of three of these lipsticks awhile back from Sephora, and wasn't crazy about them right off the bat so I kind of disregarded them for awhile before rediscovering them, and deciding to give them a second chance a little more attention. I can't say I've fallen in love with these lipsticks, but I do think they may be worth a little more attention; I noticed this time that all three shades have very different formulas, warranting individual reviews. Lolita was by far the easiest formula to wear and work with; Hellbent is slightly trickier, but not terrible. I've saved my most scathing review for Homegirl, which is really difficult to apply and to wear; look for that review coming in the next few days. 


Hellbent is a blue-toned red, with a hint of fuchsia lingering underneath the bright red base. I generally don't choose reds that border on hot pink for myself, but this still reads as red. It retails for $18 for .11 ounces, and is available exclusively through Sephora. In fact, it's made by Sephora, but I'm not sure if they've changed the formula at all for this product. This formula feels thinner and glossier when compared to Lolita, and the wear time suffers for it; I'd say I'd only feel safe wearing this for an hour and a half or two hours without checking in a mirror to touch up. The other downside about this less-opaque formula is its tendency to settle into lip lines and emphasize them.  However, as I said before when reviewing Lolita, I really like the case; it's matte black with silver roses stenciled on, and clear lucite on the bottom of the tube showing the color of the lipstick inside. 


Here are some pictures of the case. 

Hellbent, by Kat Von D

Hellbent, by Kat Von D

Kat Von D Lipstick in Hellbent

 And here's a swatch on my arm. You can really see those bright pink undertones here; I bet they'd be more noticeable on someone with cooler undertones.

Swatch of Hellbent

 And here's the color on my lips without flash. Even with my lips stretched taut while smiling, you can see where the lipstick has settled into the lip lines.

Hellbent, no flash

 And a shot of my entire face without flash:

Wearing Kat Von D's Hellbent, no flash

 And here are shots of the color with flash. Notice that you can still see the product settled into the lip lines... Hmm. Maybe I'm just extra sensitive to it here because it was so much worse with Kat Von D's darker shade, Homegirl.

Hellbent, flash!

And a shot of my entire face...

Wearing Hellbent on my lips

Rating: 5 out of 10


I really can't give this any more than a 5/10. It's not a terrible lipstick, but I think that the color isn't unique enough to warrant putting up with a temperamental formula. Sure, the packaging is cute, and there's no noticeable scent or taste, but it's a pain to keep it on the lip line without liner, it's a little on the drying side, and it emphasizes lip lines. However, if you love the color- it *is* a less in-your-face version of a cherry red- it might be worth checking out to see if you agree with my assessment of the formula. However, if you're like me and don't like to bother with temperamental lip products, I think you'd do better to try another brand. I'd highly recommend checking out NARS' reds; they have a lot of flattering options, and their lipstick formula is great.