Matte liquid lipsticks have been around for awhile now and there is no sign of them disappearing. Since Kylie Jenner released her lip kits, the trend has well and truly exploded. Being brutally honest I was put off trying them for myself after seeing numerous cases of dry cracked lips and exaggerated overdrawn lip liner. I for one have accepted that I have not been blessed with big lips, and prefer to stick within my natural lip line when it comes to lip colour, but go with whatever makes you feel comfortable.
So many budget friendly brands have brought out their own matte liquid lipsticks so I finally caved and decided to see what all the hype was about. For a very reasonable £4.99 I picked up this Sleek ‘Matte Me’ Ultra smooth matte lip cream, in Boots. With pretty big claims on the Sleek website; ‘The light as air texture provides you with comfortable wear for hours, that doesn’t cake, flake or dry out, ensuring long lasting colour all day.’ I was intrigued to see if it does what it says!
One serious bonus of matte lipstick is the staying power. I often forego wearing red lipstick for fear of it wearing off when eating or drinking (I rarely bother wearing makeup without the promise of doing either of those). Matte formulas will stay put far longer than classic lipsticks because they set to a dry finish. The key to longevity and your lips not drying out is to prep your lips before application. I used a lip scrub fromthe PS Pro range in Primark to remove any dead/dry skin to create a smooth canvas for the lipstick. This one is enriched with almond oil and vitamin E so it will hydrate your lips as well as exfoliating. After I removed the scrub, I dabbed on a small amount of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour cream but any lip balm will do, to prevent my lips from drying out throughout the day. Once my lips were prepped, I applied the liquid lipstick using the applicator wand.
I would usually apply lip liner to the border of my lips before hand but I wanted to test out the product by itself to see if it bled or faded without. I was actually really impressed at how easy it was to apply and that I could achieve a crisp finish with just one coat using the wand. It did feel very light on the lips and went on smoothly. It took about thirty seconds to fully set to a matte finish and much to my delight wasn’t sticky or dehydrating. I chose shade ‘Rioja Red’ which had great colour pay off from one coat and is a really vibrant bright red.
I had a glass of water to see if it would melt at all or leave a mark on the glass but it passed the test. My boyfriend always complains when I wear lip colour as he is scared of being left wearing it too if he kisses me, so I went and planted one on him in the name of science and again it passed the transfer test, not leaving a trace. I think I have finally found a lipstick good with good enough staying power that I can talk and smile to my hearts content without the dreaded lipstick on your teeth scenario. I may just be a matte lipstick convert.
The last hurdle was removing it to see if it stained my lips (my ultimate pet peeve with bright lip colours) but it came straight off with a little micellar water on a cotton pad. I will definitely be wearing this again and I think I will pick up one of the nude shades to try next!
Until next time…
