Great Reds: Urban Decay Gash

Hi All!

I've got one more NARS product in the lineup, but I decided to shake things up and throw Urban Decay's lipstick in Gash into the mix, for something different. I've reviewed one of these lipsticks before, Confession, which is a sheer, glossy formula. Gash is significantly different; Confession is described as being a cream with no shimmer or glitter, and sheer, buildable coverage. Gash, on the other hand, is described on their website as being full coverage with a "sheen" (defined by UD as a glossy luster, but this seems to be a metallic/ frosted type of shimmer, without the whiteness often associated with frosts). Gash is a bright but deep blue-based red; it's not in your face candy apple red, but it's not a deep or muted brick red, either. The shimmery frost in it seems to be the same color as the base, flashing more pink or almost gold depending on how the light hits it. It comes with .13 ounces of product and retails for $22.

Now, I know a lot of people have commented on the bad taste and smell that UD lipsticks have, and attributed this to the fact that they are vegan. I have not had this experience across the board; for instance, Confession doesn't bother me at all, and the odd flavor/ scent to Vinyl is minimal. Gash is a different story. It tastes acrid and bitter, and while I can smell the "caramel" scent that these are supposed to have, I also smell another, chemical-y scent (reminds me of pencil shavings when these two scents come together!) under that. I go out of my way to avoid licking my lips when I have this lipstick on, and I try to remember to wipe it all off before I eat or drink since the flavor is that gross. I tend to only notice it the first five or ten minutes I'm wearing it (unless I lick my lips or eat something), but it's off-putting enough that I wouldn't recommend this to people who are sensitive to lip products having bad flavors. On the other hand, it *is* vegan, and not tested on animals so if that is a particularly important quality to you, this might be worth putting up with.

Another concern people have with UD's lipsticks is the case; they are bulky, stylized, and have a pokey little dagger on the end. I've never had a dagger snap off, even though I haul these around in my purse, but I know people have had that problem in the past. Lucky for me, I'm a sucker for fancy stylish packaging, so this is a plus for me, but if you hate extra bulk and weight, you may need to take that into consideration when choosing an Urban Decay lipstick over another brand.

The Urban Decay Lipstick Case

Gash!

The cute little dagger! 

Gash! With "Urban Decay" printed into the lipstick :) 

Swatch of Gash

Gash by Urban Decay, no flash

Urban Decay's Gash

Gash, with flash

Urban Decay's Gash, with flash

Rating: 6 out of 10

I love this color, but I cannot give it full marks because of the taste and scent of the product! The formula itself is nice, but nothing special; it goes on evenly, doesn't emphasize lip lines, and isn't drying, although I don't find it moisturizing, and it's neither creamy or weightless; just kind of there. It is described as an opaque color, and while it gives a lot of coverage, I don't find it to be the most pigmented formula ever, which does make this more wearable, but it's still not performing as described. That being said, it's a great kind of muted red, very wearable, and I think it would be flattering on a lot of skin tones!