Rebel Rose MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick by Wet n Wild

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

The Wet n Wild MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipsticks ($4.99) claim to have vivid color and an ultra-matte finish that does not dry out your lips, and based on Rebel Rose, I'd say that's true. This is a really nice drugstore liquid lipstick!

Rebel Rose is a mauve pink that works for me, as it not too pale nor does not have too strong of a gray undertone. I'd say it's a good choice for those who like the idea of those mauvey-pink shades, yet need something that works with more neutral to warm tone complexions.

My lips did not suffer with this formula, which is a plus when it comes to matte liquid lipsticks. I experienced no crumbling or flaking, and baring an oily meal, wear time was a good 6+ hours.

The only thing keeping me from getting more of the Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipsticks are the colors: nothing else is particularly calling out to me. Hopefully Wet n Wild will expand the color range, but if not, I'm happy with Rebel Rose!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Vault

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

NYX came out with several interesting holiday sets, but the one that grabbed my attention the most was the Soft Matte Lip Cream Vault.  It went out of stock at Ulta almost as soon as I saw it.  I was fortunate enough that when it briefly appeared back in stock, I pounced with a 20% coupon that knocked the $64.99 price down to $51.99.

The set includes mini sizes (0.158 oz) of all 34 soft matte creams, plus two shades exclusive to the set, Bangkok (lavender purple) and Los Angeles (mauve tan). My previous experience with the Soft Matte Creams was limited to Morocco (review here), but I liked it enough to want to take the chance on the set.

I've worn a handful thus far, and so far the formula seems consistently good. When swatching, it was apparent that Monte Carlo was runny in consistency, and reviews at Ulta have been a bit mixed in regards to some shades performing better than others.

There are definitely some colors that I will never wear they could be useful for mixing colors), but it's fun to have such a color range at my fingertips. I find the soft matte creams comfortable to wear and appreciate that they do suck the moisture out of my lips.

I'll be housing mine in a container originally meant for storing beads that I picked up from Michaels.  The Nouveau Cheap Beauty Blog had a post on the Toho Bead Tube Holder by Darice , but I couldn't find that one.

This will work well enough for now, although the right side is just the caps of the bead containers in the cover of the set. Those are not high enough to securely hold the tubes, but it does keep them upright.

Zurich

The best 'try on all the NYX soft matte lip cream vault' video I have seen is by mirrorsandhaze, and I would recommend watching if you want to see what all the colors look like on. She is a super talented MUA and I thoroughly enjoy watching her videos.

Rome

Cannes

Budapest

Barcelona

The Soft Matte Lip Cream Vault is currently sold out, and it will be interesting to see if it comes back in stock. I'm glad I picked one up!

PUR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Cream in Key Red

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Well, I think I inadvertently saved the best of PUR's The Perfect Matte set for last, as Key Red is stunning. I had no issues at all with this baby, just intense and smooth statement making color.

I find applying a thin layer of the Velvet Matte with a lip brush followed by an application with the wand works best for the most intense color payoff. The doe foot wand does have a small reservoir that captures pigment and one dip in the wand was plenty to coat the lips.

I mentioned in a review on one of the other colors that the mousse like texture is easy to smooth out, and for the best results I found using a lip brush or my finger to make sure everything was smoothed out worked best. I still need to try these as a cream blush, but just look at how pretty Red Key is completely blended on my arm.

I did line my lips with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics NSFW lip liner, which is an almost perfect color match to Key Red. That helped get a more precise lip line and I had no issues with feathering or smudging.

Be warned however: although these are completely matte upon application, they are not budge proof. They do not "set" like some matte liquid lipsticks do and if you rubbed your lips with your finger outside of the lip line, it will smudge the pigment. Interestingly enough, however, a kiss test shows almost zero transfer.

Topping Key Red with the Agave Lip Oil yields a creamy red that is also lovely. I blotted this after applying the lip oil but it still has a nice sheen that lasted right up until I ate lunch. These will not survive eating but reapplying is not an issue, as the formula is not the type that dries or cracks.

Key Red + Agave Lip Oil

Bottom line, I'm sold on these. The formula is different than the other matte liquid lipsticks I've tried thus far. They are quite pigmented, easy to apply as long as you know how to work with the formula (smooth it out), and did not dry out my lips after 5 days of back to back wear. All of the colors except for Key Red from The Perfect Matte set are available as singles ($20), but I honestly like all of the colors in this set and will wear them again.  Here are links to my earlier reviews on Addiction, Obsessed, and Oh Bae. I continue to hope PUR releases the Agave Lip Oil as a single as well. It's the first lip oil that really does make my lips feel hydrated.

PUR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick in Oh Bae

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

If, like me, you had to look up what Oh Bae means, here is a quick explanation from an Esquire article: an acronym that stands for "before anyone else," or a shortened version of baby or babe, another word for sweetie, and, mostly unrelated, poop in Danish. Thank the deities for the internet.

The mousse like formula, which does have a tendency to be a bit clumpy, seems to be more forgiving when it comes to the lighter shades. Any bunching of color with Oh Bae is less noticeable than with a darker shade like Addiction. Honestly, making sure you smooth everything out on application seems to take care of the clumping, but that and the mixed reviews on Ulta.com are worth noting.

The Perfect Matte Set ($34)

What I am truly loving about these is how comfortable and non-drying they are, plus how light they feel on the lips. I'm guessing ingredients like Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Honey Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, and Vitamin E have something to do with that.

I'm back at work after my 2+ week staycation, and getting back into the swing of things is rough. Putting my makeup on in the mornings is something I actually look forward to, as it's become a kind of calming ritual before I take on the day.

I went with a coppery plum eye look using some of my Kat Von D mattes from the Ladybird palette paired with some Le Metier de Beaute shimmer singles, and I like how it turned out.  I've been using Ladybird quite a bit lately in anticipation of receiving the new Kat Von D Metal Matte palette, as I want to compare the matte formulas between the two.

Ladybird True Romance palette

I also tried samples of the Make Up For Ever Step 1 primer and Ultra HD foundation. I had to mix Y225 (Marble) with Y335 (Dark Sand) to match my skin, not sure how I feel about it yet. Blush is a combo of Estee Lauder's Alluring Rose with Lover's Blush, courtesy of my new Tarteist Pro Wild Animal palette.

Oh Bae is my favorite of the ones I've tried from The Perfect Matte set so far, but Key Red is yet to come, so we shall see. You may not see it until next week, however, as I'm not sure I'm brave enough to wear it to work :-)

PUR Cosmetics Velvet Matte Lipstick in Obsessed

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Today I'll be showing you Obsessed, one of PUR Cosmetics new Velvet Matte liquid lipsticks. Obsessed is described on Ulta as a muted coral, but it looks more like a true flamingo pink on me. Personally, I love flamingo pinks, so no problem there, and considering the temps are still in the mid-80's here in Mobile, it's a color I can wear almost year round. Almost.

Obsessed performed better than yesterday's vampy wine Addiction, which is not a huge surprise considering darker colors sometimes finicky behavior. I had no issues getting smooth and even color with Obsessed, and I applied the first layer with my Lipstick Queen lip brush to line and fill in the lips, and then topped it off with the wand to make sure I had even, opaque color.

The formula of the Velvet Mattes does truly yield a true matte finish, which is completely non sticky and dries down almost immediately. These are transfer resistant but not smudge proof, and Obsessed wore well right up until I ate lunch. The inside portion of the lips wears off when eating, which again is no huge surprise.

Post lunch I apply the Agave Lip Oil that comes in the Matte Perfection set, which transforms the matte lipstick into a cream. It's a great way to extend the life of the Velvet Mattes without having to reapply them, and the pigment of these is concentrated enough that the color stays quite vibrant, even after wearing half way off.

Also, I wanted to show you how the Tartiest clay liner in Navy looks, which is what I was wearing on my eyes that day. You can see my full review of the Tarteist Wing Workers liner set here.  I softened the line with Urban Decay's Danger from the Gwen Stefani palette, but did experience a bit a transfer to my upper lid as a result. The reality of hooded eyes.

So far, I'm really liking the PUR Cosmetics Velvet Mattes. I'm far from a matte liquid lip connoisseur, but these hit the mark for me in that they are truly matte yet comfortable to wear. They don't over emphasize my lip lines, flake, or crack, and Obsessed did not have the obvious pigment clumps that I experienced with the darker Addiction (review here). Now, let's see Oh Bae and Key Red perform well and if I can truly recommend The Perfect Matte set ($34)!

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 :-)