Matte lipsticks are everywhere and with the success of Kylie’s lip kit, there’s no sign of the trend stopping. Kat Von D has her Everlasting liquid lipsticks and Lime Crime have their hugely popular velvetinesbut I’m just not willing to pay £10+ for some lippy.
This is where MUA come in, a budget makeup brand sold exclusively in Superdrug. They have their own version of a matte liquid lipstick dubbed an excellent Kylie Lip Kit dupe for just £3 a pop – sounds too good to be true.
The Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer range covers all colours, from blue to red to the nudey brown everyone is currently rocking. The lipsticks claim to give you the 'ultimate velvet-matte pout' that is 'smudge proof & long lasting'. Let’s see shall we?
The website recommends this tutorial by a lady called Carla. It’s more a video of swatches than anything else but it’s quite therapeutic to watch anyway.
**First Impression: **The packaging is really nice, the tube has a lovely matte feel to it and it pretty much looks like most other liquid lipsticks on the market.
1.Kooky – A deep mauve-y purple.
So I’ve decided to try the purple first because I love purple lipsticks and they are pretty much all I buy. This one is quite dark and vampy so maybe not everyone’s cup of tea.
How does it go on?
It goes on SUPER pigmented and feels creamy at first, then tacky and then it dries completely. It also got on to my fingers and then on my keyboard but that could just be me. First impression is good though, the colour is nice and but it does feel a bit unusual.
**Is it smudge -proof and long lasting?
**To test this I have put it through the most important test of lipstick durability – eating. As I ate my lunch (halloumi rolls, veg and a bit of pitta if you were wondering) I noticed lots of purple appear on my fork which worried me as to what was left on my lips…
So the food has made them a little greasy so naturally I wiped my mouth with tissue, I was careful and blotted but it took away a lot of the product - so they aren't smudge proof when faced with food.
2.Reckless – pillar box red
A classic bright red colour, when applying this one I did get it all over my face (why does that always happen with red lipstick?). This one again somehow got on my fingers, I don’t know how. I also noticed this had a distinct fruity smell, which I didn’t notice with Kooky.
Can it withstand a drink?
As I sipped my Lemsip colour was transferring on the cup but it seems to have withstood it, I can’t say how it would last after a few drinks though.
3.Poise – nude
This colour is probably not the colour for me, it’s the colour of a milky hot chocolate and I’m not a fan. It could look lovely on other skin tones though.
Does it come off easily? With some makeup remover, they wipe off pretty easily which is good news and they don’t seem to leave a stain.
**Final verdict:
**A good cheap alternative if you’re looking for a matte lipstick and you are strapped for cash. The sensation of matte lipstick is weird at first but it’s something you’ll get used to, I also think practice makes perfect in terms of application – by the 3rd go I didn’t make any mess and put it on perfectly.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.