PUR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick in Addiction

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

PUR Cosmetics has a new matte liquid lipstick out called Velvet Mattes.  They are supposed to be a true matte lipstick that will not flake or dry out your lips while providing a smooth and flawless finish. I picked up the Perfect Matte 5 piece set which includes 4 matte lipsticks plus an agave lip oil and have some initial impressions to share. Let's see if these live up to their claims!

Three of the colors in this set are part of the permanent line: Oh Bae, Obsessed, and Addiction.  Key Red appears to be limited edition to this set, along with the Agave Oil. Ulta is claiming that the set is worth $100, and while the full sized Velvet Matte lipsticks are $20 each, they are .11 oz in size and the ones in the set are .07 ounces.  So, you are getting a little over 3 full sized lip products, which makes the set worth about $60.  Still a deal considering the set is $34, but definitely not the $100 value listed on Ulta.

Oh Bae, Obsessed, Addiction, Key Red, Agave Lip Oil

I'll be reviewing each Velvet Matte in the set separately in case there are variations in formula and performance depending on the color. I decided to start with the darkest shade Addiction, as dark colors can be tricky. Addiction is not without it's issues, but these definitely have their appeal.

Addiction is described as a dark blue red, which I guess it can be when worn with just one layer. In the tube it looks more wine to me, and I was hoping for a deep vampy look, which would definitely take me outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes you need that.

One layer of Addiction is truer to the dark blue red description, and it's a bit patchy. The formula does this really strange thing where it bunches up, almost like the pigment is forming little clumps. It will smooth out but takes some effort, and you can see a few small clumps of color on my lips that did not get smoothed out.

I used my Lipstick Queen lip brush to apply, as I can get a much more precise edge with it.  I also used my fingers to pat and smooth out the color once applied. For reference, here is a great video from Nikkia Joy on how to apply liquid lipsticks that I found very helpful. I did exfoliate my lips and used the Agave Lip Oil prior to application so that my lips would be hydrated and smooth. FYI: I'm loving the lip oil and hope that will be available on it's own in the future.

For the second layer I applied using the doe wand from the tube but then used the lip brush to smooth things out. The color definitely looked more true to tube with two layers and gave that dark vampy lip I was hoping for.  However, I had a hard time getting the darker color closer to my lip line, which wanted to stay the lighter red shade. I dug out OCC's Black Dahlia to line my lips, and in the future I would probably use Black Dahlia to line and fill in my lips prior to applying Addiction.

I like how this turned out, but Addiction is a bit of a diva and requires careful handling. On the plus side, it is truly matte and is comfortable on the lips. It dries down almost immediately yet the formula does not become flaky or crack. A kiss test showed minimal transfer and that stayed true throughout the day. However, the formula will smudge, so you will not want to rub your lips.

I accidentally touched my face several times with my fingers after having smudged out my lips, and the pigment transferred easily onto my face.  For example, I forgot I had some of the pigment on my finger when I was touching up the inner corner of my eye and left a red smudge there.

Tarteist Clay Liner in Black (review here)

Rather then redo the area, I did the same on the other eye so that they both have a touch of blush on the bottom inner corners.  I actually think these would make a great cream blush, as they smooth out so nicely. I'll be giving that a go and will report back on the results.

Addiction + Agave Lip Oil post lunch

The Agave Lip Oil can also be used over the Velvet Mattes to revive color and hydrate lips, and it works well in that capacity. The Velvet Mattes will not survive eating unscathed and I did experience some smudging and a less than pristine lip line, but using the lip oil on the remnants will smooth out the color for a more traditional cream lipstick finish.  Did I mention I love the Agave lip oil?

Tomorrow I'll show you the coral pink Obsessed, and I look forward to seeing how Oh Bae and Key Red perform. I guess this is going to be a matte lipstick week, which should also give me a good idea on if these truly do not dry out my lips :-)