Bite Beauty Best Bite Set: Swatches and Review

I Purchased This

When I got the $15 Beauty Insider Reward Certificate in my hands (I just hit VIB but not in time for the system to figure it out I guess), I had it in my mind to get this Bite Beauty Best Bite Set. 

The set contains four minis of the High Pigment Matte Pencils in Quince, Rhubarb, Cranberry, and Madeira in this compact metal tin (that has a mirror inside!). Quince, Rhubarb, and Madeira are part of the permanent line but Cranberry is limited edition (I'll show how it compares to a few other colors I have from the line). Unfortunately they've taken it off the website but they are available in stores!

The set is great because a) it costs $25 for FOUR pencils, each containing .05 oz when a full size is $24 and contains .09 oz. b) the tin is cute and I love minis c) you get to have a set of four colors
Click through to read my thoughts and see both lip swatches and full face photos!
From top to bottom, the colors are Quince, Rhubarb, Cranberry, and Madeira. 

Where to purchase: Sephora stores (it doesn't appear to be available online anymore!)
Price: $25 for four 1.48 grams/.05 oz lipstick pencils (totalling 5.92 grams/.20 oz.)
Do they test on animals?: The company does not.
Packaging: The pencils are in a matte grey plastic pencil with a color coordinated color tip at the end. Each pencil is a twist-up, no sharpening needed and no wastage. The set comes in a grey metal tin with red trimming. You can store other products inside if you took the lipstick pencils out.

Formula: 

Bite Beauty says "This lip pencil delivers long-lasting color in a modern matte look".

There are a wonderfully creamy lipstick pencil, you can get full on color in one swipe with no pulling or dragging. I do think that you have to be careful around the edges because the creamy formula can make it difficult to get a crisp lip line. The wear time is average for lipsticks, about four hours but the creamy texture does mean that it can transfer. I did find that Madeira was prone to setting into lip lines.

However, the lipsticks aren't very matte at all. I personally think it's a little misleading to call them modern matte as modern matte =/= shiny satin. While it means the lipsticks apply like a dream, they're not all devoid of shine the way you expect anything described as matte should be. On one hand I'm disappointed because I expected it to be more matte, but at the same time I think the colors are beautiful and they apply well. Rhubarb is the most matte of the four (being a satin) but the other three are more shiny. Madeira is especially slick-feeling.

Unfortunately there is a strong scent. It smells fruity with a tinge of what seems like alcohol and maybe a tinge of plastic? I really don't like the scent and it kind of smells artificial despite the claims of natural flavoring. When I smelled the lipsticks in store it didn't seem as strong but it may because the testers had been out for a while. Thankfully the scent does dissipate but it's unpleasant for the first few minutes during application.
Swatches

All the lipsticks were applied directly onto the lips. The pictures were taken in natural daylight with no flash.

(In order of how they were pictured in the tin)

Quince

Quince: "Rose Berry" This is a bright berry pink with lots of pigmentation. This was quite shiny and not matte. I did find this was a little difficult to get a clean line around the edges but it's brilliantly bold yet wintery.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb: "Plum Rose" This is the most neutral and most matte-looking of the bunch. It veers more as a satin but it's much more flat than the rest of the lip pencils. It's a beautiful deep rose that's perfect for the everyday.

Cranberry

Cranberry: "Deep Red" Everybody needs a holiday red and this is it. So warm and makes me feel snuggly inside.

Madeira

Madeira: "Nude Pink" While I think the color is quite flattering on me, the formula has a lot of slip so it's prone to looking uneven on your lips (you can kind of see it on my lower lip). I was hoping the formula would be more matte since nudes this light can look especially unflattering on the lips and the unevenness just highlights that.

In conclusion: I wish they were more matte and less scented. If you're looking for a stocking stuffer or a small gift for someone, this is brilliant. However, make sure they're not too sensitive to scents.
Purchase if...
a) You're looking for a nice set of lipsticks 
b) You want to give a makeup gift for someone 
c) You're tired of needing to sharpen your lipstick pencils

Don't get if...
a) You want a true matte finish to your lipsticks
b) You're sensitive to scents 

Disclaimer: I purchased this set myself. All opinions are my own. There aren't any affiliate links in this post!