The new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick range has evoked very interesting reactions from people in the beauty community. There are some who are raving about the lipsticks and there are some who are dissing them left, right and center. Which group do I belong to? Read on to find out.
Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick
The name is quite fancy but these are just matte liquid lipsticks. And thankfully, priced at an affordable Rs 650. There are 10 shades available and there is a color for everyone. From neutrals to a bright pink, red, orange, purple and dark winter appropriate shades, they have chosen the colour palette very well. I bought two shades for myself – Lover, a medium mauve pink with cool undertones and Romantic, a very bright pink.
Review
Packaging
Let’s talk about the packaging first. Honestly, this is the most stylish and chic packaging I’ve ever seen for a drugstore lipstick. The square tube is in the same color as the lipstick and I love the overall minimal look. The wand is quite long and the pointed doe-foot applicator gives a very precise application and you can get to all the ends very easily.
Texture
This is where things get interesting. I’ve worn both Lover and Romantic and the problem is that the texture is not uniform. It starts off with a thin, easily spreadable consistency that makes application super easy. It spreads nicely but once the lipstick dries, the differences show up.
Lover is extremely sticky and it stays that way for nearly 5-6 hours. This is something you expect from a sticky lip gloss but to get it in a matte liquid lipstick is very strange. And extremely irritating! What is also strange is that the stickiness is different to that of a lip gloss. The texture is not thick and goopy and you won’t get your hair caught in your lipstick but every time you touch your lips together, they will just stick together. Romantic, is different and not sticky at all. It applies evenly, spreads and dries easily and performs like a normal liquid lipstick.
Like any matte liquid lipstick, these are quite drying and Lover more so than Romantic. Lover loves my lips so much that it sucks every bit of moisture out of them. Romantic is a lot gentler and does not torture my lips that much.
Pigmentation
Not a flaw in pigmentation. One swipe gives opaque pigmentation without needing to double dip.
Wear Time
These lipsticks have to be the mother of all long staying matte liquid lipsticks! They just go on and on and on. I’ve worn both shades in the morning, had lunch, snacks etc, been in meetings where I’ve had to talk a lot and despite all that, the colors did not budge or even fade. And I did not even touch up. Really heavy duty stuff!
The flip side is that they are a pain to remove. You won’t be able to get them off with face wipe, face wash, or micellar water. You will absolutely need an oil based cleanser and a little bit of exfoliation to get everything off.
Overall Thoughts
Lover is a really pretty color but I hate the texture. It is sticky and extremely drying. Romantic performs much much better and I have no issues with it. The color brightens up the face and there is a bit of dryness but that much is normal in a matte liquid lipstick.
The problem with this range is that the texture is not consistent. They are easily the longest wearing lipsticks I have in my stash. They give a flat, velvet matte finish, the pigmentation is very good but that’s all that is common to them.
I am not going to buy anymore shades because there are much better lipsticks out there. But if I ever need a lipstick to last me throughout the day, these are ones I’m going to reach out for.
Have you tried the new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick range? Do you love the lipsticks or hate them? Let me know in the comments below.