Matte Lip Madness: ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipsticks

Mars, Tulle, Creeper, Limbo, Zipper, LAX (left to right)

Good Afternoon!

I had been looking for a new brand of affordable lipsticks to try out because, as much as I love my high end makeup, I cannot always afford to shell out the money for those products. I decided to get my hands on the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lipsticks as soon as they came in stock. I tried to grab colors that I knew I would wear and would work on my darker skin tone. I know what colors will work for my complexion and try to avoid bright or lighter colors that will make me look washed out. I picked six colors, valued at six dollars apiece, which brought my total to $36. That was not a bad price for lipsticks in my opinion, seeing as though I shelled out a nice chunk of change for the Esteé Lauder lipstick. I chose mostly colors that I would wear in fall since the seasons will soon be changing and I tend to wear more lipsticks in the fall and winter than summer. Each color was unique, which I loved and I cannot wait to play around with them.

Zipper, Mars, Creeper, Tulle, Limbo, LAX (left to right) 

IN DEPTH OF THE SIX SHADES

Tulle was my second favorite of the lip colors that I tried. I loved this shade as soon as I saw it on the website. When I saw it swatched, I immediately thought that it would make a lovely peachy nude color that wasn’t too brown. The pink undertones make it look so feminine and perfect for a simple, girly, natural makeup look for an everyday face. The lipstick applied very smooth, the smoothest of the six and was the least patchy. Since it was so similar to my natural lip color, I was not able to really tell if you could see my natural lip color underneath.

Limbo was my absolute favorite of the lip colors that I purchased. In the tube, it looks like a light brown, but it applied to a deep, chocolate brown as soon as it hits the lips. I was initially shocked when it came out of the tube so dark and I thought I had grabbed the wrong lipstick, but it was really that dark and I was so enamored by the color. It applied with no patches and left an even distribution of product across the lips. One coat worked fine for me to get that intense, dark, matte brown color.

Mars was my least favorite of the six, simply because bright pink is already out of my comfort zone. It applied patchy it took multiple coats for me to get a visible color in the center of my lip. I felt like it kept wiping away every time my bottom lip touched my top lip.

Creeper was a shade that I felt you will need a liner for because, like Mars, it took multiple coats to get a visible color in the center of the lip.

Zipper was the shade that I had the highest hopes for because it reminded me of Heroine by MAC. This was my second least favorite of the six because the color payoff was not as high as I anticipated. It applied really patchy and took a lot of coats for it to look purple. I showed a picture to my friend and she said she liked it because it gave a fuschia ombré effect to the lip, which is nice, but I was really looking forward to the bright purple lip.

Last, but not least, LAX was the shade that I got the most compliments on. I kept it on for a few hours to see how it lasted and it lasted a very long time. No wear, unless I went to drink something and my lips got wet, but even then it wasn’t too bad of wear. LAX was buildable and bold, which I like in a lipstick and it did not leave my lips feeling too dry. I really liked this color a lot and felt it would look amazing in the fall.

Overall, I liked the lipsticks because I feel like when paired with a good liner, they will do wonders. I would recommend them to anyone under that condition only. The staying power for these lipstick was insane. Once they dried, they were completely matte and were not going anywhere. There was no clinging to dry patches, which I find happens with a lot of matte shades. They were pigmented, if you built them up to be and lasted for awhile. Getting them off was a struggle though, so I recommend that if you are to wear one of these shades, you should be positive that it is the one you want to wear all day and are willing to take the time to remove at night.

 I can’t wait to see what makeup looks I can create around these colors. Thanks for reading and I will see you next week with a new post!

The Nude, the Vamp, and the Red Lip

Sorry for the lack of a post last week. Things have been pretty crazy with my doctor’s appointments, family engagements, and work. But I am back this week with a post for all of those who fancy a chat about a pop of color on the lips.

Lip color is such a fun thing to do! Sometimes, I’ll pop on some lipstick just for the fun of running into Target when I know that I shouldn’t. For me, I have three go-to style of lip color that I will wear: the nude, the vampy, and the red. My favorite would have to be the vampy even though I only break it out on a special occasion. I’ll show you my two go to colors for each of these looks in order of the swatches above.

THE NUDE

MAC Touch paired with MAC Chestnut Liner

This nude the definition of nude in that it matches my skin tone to a T. I had been on the hunt for the “perfect nude” for a while with no success. I wanted a color that looked natural, but did not make me look washed out. When the kind lady at the MAC counter suggested I try this on, I was blown away by how much I loved the color on. I was so obsessed; I wore it every day for a good two weeks. Now, although this does not look very natural, it is my favorite go-to “nude” lip. I love this lip paired with a neutral eye look. It is such a bold nude lip that is so different, yet so gorgeous. I have gotten many compliments on this color and I just love it.

Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Spiced Rose paired with MAC Chestnut Liner

When I first got this lipstick, I think I was enamored by the fact that it was Laura Mercier and did not pay attention to how much it actually washed me out. I felt bad for not liking it when I got home because it was a gift from my best friend and I had claimed that I loved it on so much. This lipstick had been sitting in my makeup bag for months before I thought, why don’t I try this with a brown liner? Low and behold my life changed. I absolutely adored this lip color once I applied a brown liner to help blend the color. It looks absolutely marvelous on.

THE VAMPY

MAC Smoked Purple

OH. MY. LORD. This is my all-time favorite lip color ever. End of discussion. My best friend mentioned above had purchased this and I was so in love with the color on her, I had to buy it for myself. Whenever I am in the mood for a dark lip, I immediately grab this. It looks great with a purple smokey eye look or with no eye makeup at all. It steals the show and makes me feel like a vampy goddess the Spice Girls would be glad to sing about in “The Lady Is A Vamp.” Yes, I referenced the Spice Girls when talking about my most beloved lipstick.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Shameless

First of all, Revlon, how is this a balm? This is so pigmented, it should be a lipstick. I love this balm so much because it has such a high color payoff and is still so hydrating, yet matte. I don’t understand how it works, but it does the job. This was my go-to vampy shade before I discovered MAC’s Smoked Purple and I still will sometimes choose it over Smoked Purple when I want something a less dark, but still just as bold.

THE RED

Nars Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

I received this lip pencil as a sample size as my birthday gift from Sephora and, wow, this blew me away. I had always seen Anna of Vivianna Does Makeup rave about the Nars matte lip pencils and had been dying to try them, so when I saw that that was my birthday gift, I ran to my nearest Sephora and picked it up. It is so lovely and rich in color that it has instantly become a favorite of mine in the short month that I have had it. I definitely plan on purchasing the full size. It is not as bright as my Stila liquid lipstick but it gives that brilliant red that instantly reminds you of the infamous Cruella de Vil. What a beauty it is on!

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso

I had always been looking for the perfect red lipstick to put on on days where I felt I needed an extra boost. One day, I received my BirchBox and there it was staring back at me. This liquid lipstick is amazing. It’s so pigmented and gorgeous and makes me feel like I can light up the whole room. It’s a very bright red that steals the show and really makes your lips pop. It is a matte lipstick, which is how I prefer my lip colors, but it doesn’t feel drying. I rarely need to touch it up because it really does stay all day. This is my all-time favorite red.

When I’m not throwing on a little balm and running out of the house, you can bet that I will have one of those six shades on. What are your favorite lip colors to rave about? I’m always looking for a new shade to purchase.

I hope everyone has a lovely week and I will be back next week with a new post!