Smooth Berry Stay Matt Lip Cream by Essence

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Well hello there, my pretty!  Where have you been hiding and why haven't I noticed you before?  Those are a few of my thoughts when I applied Smooth Berry, a bright raspberry pink liquid lipstick by Essence.  Insanely pigmented, a small dot provides smooth, opaque color.  Comparisons to Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's lip tars come to mind, but the formula on this is more of a medium cream as opposed to the liquid consistency of lip tars.  As far as a long wearing matte color, however?  Spectacular!

Smooth Berry lasted a good 5 hours on me, and that includes drinking coffee and eating lunch.  I did apply a thin coat of lip balm prior to applying, but overall my lips were comfortable and felt hydrated for the duration of wear.  Smooth Berry does leave behind a stain after color has worn off, and I found the faint vanilla scent pleasant and unobtrusive.

All this at a mere $2.99, how can that be?  Factor in the frequent BOGO sales Ulta has, and I got this at an ever cheaper price.  The down side is that there are only 3 colors available:  Smooth Berry, Velvet Rose, and Silky Red.  I've got Velvet Rose and am interested to see if it lives up to the bar Smooth Berry has set.

You can also wear a more muted version by applying just a touch of Smooth Berry and smoothing it out with your finger.  I like the more sheer, flushed version on it's on or as a base for lip gloss.  I really like Smooth Berry, if you can't tell:-)