The new liquid-to-matte lip formulations allow for an enduringly perfect pout in one easy swipe.
New liquid-to-matte formulations mean an easy application that then sets to a larger ratio of pigment that allows for deep, lasting colour.
Now I can hear your apprehension – what about that cakey, chalky effect? I concede – the formulas of old were incredibly dehydrating. While the options I list below have majorly upped their game, you do need to make a moisture vs longevity gamble. Chemistry is what it is, and a drying pigment is sometimes what’s necessary to make that colour-rich saturation.
And seriously, the effect is so worth it. Overdraw the lip line, smudge it a bit to soften the contour, dab a lighter shade at the centre of the bottom lip – and you have a plummy, three-dimensional pout that took you under 2 minutes.
With a lip that strong, the rest of your face can stay understated – just a sleek, defined brow, perfect skin a tousled hair against some bronzer, gold jewellery and a white shirt.
For a busy gal on the go, there’s nothing like painting on the perfect pout in one easy swipe.
Matte is all about pure glamour – so pick your hue and paint the town your way with any of the amazing, MM-approved options below.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Matte Lipstick
Hello, Hollywood! These matte contouring lipsticks glide like a gloss, set in soft-focus matte & nurture your lips like a cream in a light-as-air, full coverage formula. With 10 timeless shades, from a nude pink to a classic red, this lipstick’s mousse-like texture reminds me a bit of the Giorgio Armani Liquid Mattes, which is a long time favourite.
With sea lavender, hyaluronic acid and a collagen boost for an anti-aging, soothing effect, you also get a hint of beeswax to protect the lips from drying. The formula wears really comfortably throughout the day, even staying locked in through drinking and eating. The formula is not completely transfer-proof like other liquid to mattes, but this is a good sign, as it wears more evenly, rather than lifting or flaking off in large chunks. You can thank the beeswax for that, and this lippy is lush for touch-ups – you don’t even have to emulsify the product before reapplying. This range is for the classic fashion girl. As trends come and go, these hues will always be in style. At MM, we love it in shades Screen Siren, Best Actress and Platinum Blonde (almost for the names alone!).
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
Hey vamp, this is THE life-proof lipstick that will not wear off! As Kat VD says herself, you can eat, drink, make up, break up and mouth-off knowing your lips are gonna stay flawless through it all!
In 43 incredible shades, this creamy formula glides over lips like a gloss and sets to a true matte finish. Along with 24-hour wear (although, apart from my good friend Imogen, I’m not sure who else wears a lipstick for 24hrs?!) and high-pigment colour, this formula is packed with natural moisturisers like Vitamin E and Sunflower Seed Wax… and is, of course, 100% vegan.The sunflower wax has a similar effect to the beeswax, stopping it from flaking or peeling, and ultimately allowing it to wear more evenly. What I love most about this range though, is the diversity in the colour selection. It’s unusual and slightly off-beat, which gives you options to experiment from a subtle to a more extreme point of difference in your look. This range is for the girl that likes to make a statement! I find Ophelia (nude chestnut), Vampire (a deep reddish burgundy) and Wolf (smokey grey) in my hands on repeat when I’m working.
Phwoooar, siren. I love to see the strength of a rich, smouldering lipstick against a fresh face, and this potent, liquefied pigment hits the mark. A lightweight texture that dries like ink in 20 seductive shades, here is a clever mix of both a tint and a matte that assures NARS are once again, in a league of their own. I love their feather-light texture and finish in a market saturated (no pun!) with weightier formulas. This colour is sheerer on the lips, giving the boldness of a matte lipstick, but with a more refined finish on the lip, a softer stain. This product is what I call the ‘minimalist fashion-forward girl’ of liquid to mattes. I find you can go 4-5 hours before you have to touch up – or, you can even leave it to fade gracefully to a shade or two lighter without any awkward bleeds. The shades of Give it Up, London Calling and Don’t Stop are the MM team favourites.
Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipsticks
Good news for the disco queen at heart – the Urban Decay lipsticks we know and love have been liquefied! I’m obsessed with this pigment-loaded liquid lip in a waterproof, transfer-proof formulation for kisses without the tell-tale sign. This long-wearing lipstick formulation is bursting with colour and will genuinely saturate your lips in a single swipe. In an assortment of shades from the soft neutrals to the statement bolds and both a metallic and a mega matte finish, there’s something to satisfy every beauty junkie’s needs. I love the extra long, flocked applicator for even and precise application. With 30 delectable shades, colour selection is tough, although I love the metallise duchess finishes. While they need a little more finessing than the matte versions, if you apply them in thin layers they give you an epic 3D gloss effect with the long-wear benefits that come with the liquid lip colours. Metallic shades aside, I’d say Vice Liquid Lipsticks also contain my favourite nude hues. I love the Flame (metallise peach), Naked (nude pink), Backtalk ( dusty pink nude), 1993 (clay brown), Conspiracy ( Metallic deep red-brown), Trap Queen (metallise orange-red).
CREDITS
Written: Alina Berdichevsky / Product Reveiws/ Hair & Makeup: Max May / Photographer: Bonnie Hansen / Model: Natalie Sole @ Chic Model Management
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