I got swept up into the matte lip cream craze. With all of these brands, both mainstream and indie, putting out new matte lip products, it's easy to get overwhelmed and just break out running. I bought two, and then ended up snatching up a few more from a really fantastic deal and now... I'm stuck with 8 that I'm not completely in love with.
The packaging for these products is similar to the Xtreme Lip Creams, but with matte lids, and colored plastic bottoms. The first issue that I had with these, is that the outside packaging, doesn't accurately represent the product inside. To get the best idea of what the cream will look like, you're better off looking up looking up swatches (of if they have testers available, swatching on the back of your hand) to get the general idea of what these will look like applied to the skin.
The applicator is a standard doe-foot. It's good to apply to the cupid's bow and to the rest of the lips, but getting it to apply an even layer on the lips can be tricky - especially for the vampy shades. It doesn't hold enough pigment, and since it is not like a gloss, or an extreme lip cream, putting on uneven layers can definitely be noticeable, and it takes the extra effort to look as good as you'd like it.
Copenhagen:
Wine red. One of my favorite shades from the collection. It applies well, and it evens out rather quickly with just a little effort.
Transylvania:
Deep plum. The hardest lip cream to work with out of the bunch. Ironically, it was also the one I was most excited for. I never use this on it's own, only as a mixer with other lip products to deepen them up.
Sydney:
A very light cool-toned pink. I wasn't expecting to like this shade, since I'm not a fan of light pinks, and I was right in that way. It isn't flattering on me at all. The pigmentation was really good, and applied great.
A very light cool-toned pink. I wasn't expecting to like this shade, since I'm not a fan of light pinks, and I was right in that way. It isn't flattering on me at all. The pigmentation was really good, and applied great.
Buenos Ares:
A light coral. This is another that I was bracing myself for. It doesn't look good with my complexion, and sort of just washes me out. The pigmentation was finicky and it definitely needed two coats to look acceptable.
Istanbul:
A basic pink. I was surprised with how much I really loved this. It was one that I was looking forward to getting, but I thought I would love Milan more. I'm pleased to be wrong, because it happens to be really flattering. The pigmentation is really good too.
Milan:
Cool-Toned Pink. I was happy that this looked good on, because I swatched it loads of times before I managed to buy it. This is another shade that two coats is a necessity.
Antwerp:
A very warm pink. Not my favorite, but it's not terrible. The pigmentation was good.
Stockholm:
Warm pink-beige. I actually ended up liking this color more than the two I was lusting after (Istanbul/Milan). It's surprisingly flattering on me, and it was a pleasant surprise.
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To get the best look, each of these needs at least two layers to look their best. For the darker ones, such as Transylvania, it needs three or more to look good. For lighter ones, like Istanbul, you can maybe get away with one really even layer. This isn't a product to reach for when you're running for the door, that's for sure.
The scent is very strange. It's a weird mixture of sweetness, like cake, but also perfume. It always shocks me, because it isn't very subtle, and it more or less lingers for a short while before you stop noticing it. I can look over it, but if you're someone who is very sensitive of scents, beware.
The texture of the lip creams is incredibly odd. To me, they never feel like they dry completely. Instead it's like a mixture between an oily Vaseline (first applied) and then a wet product covered with powder when it's "dried". I assume it has to do with the formula that is not as drying as other liquid lipsticks, but it is incredibly strange when you're expecting it to feel like most other matte lip products out there.
The pigmentation for these likes to cling to any imperfection on your lips - lines, dry patches - you name it! These are like any other matte product, that have a knack for highlighting those flaws. It's best to ensure that your lips are exfoliated and moisturized before using.
They do last a while, if you go through the steps of lining, layering, and letting it 'dry'. I got around four hours, before I noticed any fading. The lighter colors faded in a flattering manner, but the darker ones did not. I didn't notice any major staining from the darker ones.
The best part of this product, is that it has a large range of colors to choose from, and there are a lot of different nudes. There isn't just the one "universal" nude, and then a lot of vibrant colors. There is a variety, so anyone can find the shade that works best for them.
I'm not going to be buying anymore. I'm not fond of them and I don't find myself reaching for them much at all. However, I know that there are so many people out there who adore these, so they're worth a try.
Each Soft Matte Lip Cream is $6 for .27 fl oz.
Milan:
Cool-Toned Pink. I was happy that this looked good on, because I swatched it loads of times before I managed to buy it. This is another shade that two coats is a necessity.
Antwerp:
A very warm pink. Not my favorite, but it's not terrible. The pigmentation was good.
Stockholm:
Warm pink-beige. I actually ended up liking this color more than the two I was lusting after (Istanbul/Milan). It's surprisingly flattering on me, and it was a pleasant surprise.
-----
To get the best look, each of these needs at least two layers to look their best. For the darker ones, such as Transylvania, it needs three or more to look good. For lighter ones, like Istanbul, you can maybe get away with one really even layer. This isn't a product to reach for when you're running for the door, that's for sure.
The scent is very strange. It's a weird mixture of sweetness, like cake, but also perfume. It always shocks me, because it isn't very subtle, and it more or less lingers for a short while before you stop noticing it. I can look over it, but if you're someone who is very sensitive of scents, beware.
The texture of the lip creams is incredibly odd. To me, they never feel like they dry completely. Instead it's like a mixture between an oily Vaseline (first applied) and then a wet product covered with powder when it's "dried". I assume it has to do with the formula that is not as drying as other liquid lipsticks, but it is incredibly strange when you're expecting it to feel like most other matte lip products out there.
The pigmentation for these likes to cling to any imperfection on your lips - lines, dry patches - you name it! These are like any other matte product, that have a knack for highlighting those flaws. It's best to ensure that your lips are exfoliated and moisturized before using.
They do last a while, if you go through the steps of lining, layering, and letting it 'dry'. I got around four hours, before I noticed any fading. The lighter colors faded in a flattering manner, but the darker ones did not. I didn't notice any major staining from the darker ones.
The best part of this product, is that it has a large range of colors to choose from, and there are a lot of different nudes. There isn't just the one "universal" nude, and then a lot of vibrant colors. There is a variety, so anyone can find the shade that works best for them.
I'm not going to be buying anymore. I'm not fond of them and I don't find myself reaching for them much at all. However, I know that there are so many people out there who adore these, so they're worth a try.
Each Soft Matte Lip Cream is $6 for .27 fl oz.
Thanks for reading!
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