little white truths

If you read this blog, you'll likely know that Maybelline makes my favourite budget lipsticks: these ones. Yes I prefer the cream formula because my lips are dry so cream formulas are always my preference, but I bought this matte one during a half-price sale because I liked the colour (in theory).

I still prefer the cream formula, but these remain my HG matte lipsticks - whether budget or high-end, although admittedly I haven't tried many mattes - for the simple reason that they don't dry out my lips and they're also the most comfortable mattes I've found to date.

Maybelline claims/product details:

• Lips slip into our creamiest matte
• New mattifying cream pure pigments
• Delivers a burst of bold colour and a surge of creamy texture for the creamiest matte 
• Available in 20 make-a-statement shades
• RRP $17.95 AUD for 4.2g, but do shop around (wait until they're half-price)

There's the bullet below, indirect sunlight:

And direct sunlight:

Please note: that's not mould on the bullet, it's just an excess of a soft, white powder that's been used to give the demi-matte finish, just to be sure though, I cleaned all those areas after taking my photos.

Now for swatches.

Direct sunlight:

Natural light:

My bare lips for reference: 

Wearing the product, natural light: 

Indirect sunlight: 

Verdict

This is a great product, and if you can pick it up from Chemist Warehouse or Priceline when they have one of their big sales, you'll be paying less than ten bucks for it - yay!

Shade 555 Naked Coral is your standard soft peachy coral that's 'quiet' enough to operate as a nude but also has enough punch to stand on its own. 

I do like the colour, but if I had to be picky, I would say that it's a little flat and pale on me so I tend to add some bright orange on top to make it more flattering. It may work better on paler, cooler skintones, but it's not quite right for my light/medium to medium, yellow-based skin on its own.

You'll also note from the natural light shot above that it almost looks like a brown based, coral nude with a pink undertone - or at least it does when I wear it around the house - which is why I can't wear it on its own if I want it to suit me (because most pink lipsticks don't).

As for the formula, I really like it: it applies smoothly and evenly and doesn't tug, plus it really delivers on pigment and it doesn't bleed or feather throughout the day. It also wears well and doesn't fade easily, but you'll need to touch up after eating or drinking (or at least I do).

The product has a faint, sweet scent that I quite like - I'm smelling vanilla - and I suspect that most people will be ok with it because the smell isn't strong and it doesn't linger so you shouldn't be aware of it after application. 

The finish isn't a true matte (it's more of a demi-matte with a creamy feel), which I personally prefer because anything that's too matte tends to emphasise and/or exacerbate my lip lines. This one doesn't. While it doesn't diminish them like glosses do, it certainly doesn't make them worse. 

Also, the formula feels hydrating enough that I don't need to wear a gloss over the top or a balm underneath to keep my lips feeling comfortable. This is unusual for me when it comes to lip products that aren't super creamy, so I'm giving it huge ticks on that front.

It's quite a thick formula that feels almost velvety when you press your lips together, and if you layer on too much, the product can crumble/bunch up a little - but I've found this only happens when I reapply it throughout the day and go a bit overboard. Otherwise it doesn't do this at all.

All in all, this is a sensational product and I can't fault it. While I'll always prefer the cream formula in these lipsticks (I've reviewed one here), that's just me because I normally go for something more glossy or creamy that plumps up the lips, so it's got nothing to do with the quality of this particular lipstick.

Still the best matte formula I've tried to date: that's why I've given it an HG tag.

Worth testing.