Quick Rave: MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Mattes

MAKE UP FOR EVER has officially joined the matte liquid lipstick game with the new Artist Liquid Mattes (S$35), available in 19 shades from this month at the MUFE boutique as well as Sephora.

What is different about these is they promise intense color in an ultra-matte finish that remains comfortable to wear. If you know me, you'll know that I haven't been the biggest fan of matte liquid lipsticks that came out in the past couple of years because they DO make my lips look and feel mummified. Dehydrated, tight, wrinkly. 

Some transfer-proof formulas are a little more forgiving than others (MAC's reformulated ones, Sephora Collection, NARS PowerMatte, and Rouge Dior Liquids do feel a little better in my experience), but in general none of them actually feel great. I'll usually sacrifice the transfer-proof quality for some pliability and comfort, and I am most definitely a fan of Colourpop Ultra Satins over the Ultra Mattes. 

Until these came along.

One thing I was immediately happy about was that they don't change color significantly when they dry down. Then again, a lot of newer liquid lipstick lines seem to do better in this regard than the formulas that came out a couple of years ago. You no longer have to wonder how much darker or more grey the formula will go after it dries. With these, the colors stay pretty true in my experience. You can see from the half-dried swatches that the wet spots are not noticeably paler or a different tone to the dry spots.

Contrary to the claims, these MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Mattes are not the most ultra-matte liquid lipsticks I've ever tried. In fact, they do dry down with a slight almost satin sheen to the surface. Like smooth calf leather instead of velvety suede. And this is not a complaint. 

Your lips don't look shriveled (or as some like to call it, like butt-hole lips). In fact, the formula won't emphasize lines unnecessarily, so they look more "plump" and smooth than they would with most other non-transferring liquid lip formulas. The other non-transferring formulas that have a similar smooth leathery finish upon initial dry-down are Dior's Rouge Dior Mat Liquids and YSL's Tatouage Couture, which will only launch in Singapore come Jan 2018.

You need to give these a moment to dry because of the slightly creamier, more hydrating texture. And like the YSLs and Diors, you can make these more matte just by pressing your lips together lightly after the product sets completely. That removes the satin finish and gives you more of the typical matte suede.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Matte in 401

These remain comfortable and feel lightweight for hours, which is another huge plus for me. Like some of the more emollient formulas, they are more "flexible", so they don't feel stiff or crack when you smile.

After a few hours, drinking water through a glass, and eating some chips, it did wear away in the center of my mouth where most of the oil and moisture was. But these can be touched up easily as well. I simply dab a small drop of liquid lipstick onto a clean finger and pat it around the bare areas to fill them in. The formula does not cake up when layered this way.

After a few hours of wear (and eating chips)

I would recommend not applying a whole new layer straight from the applicator though. In general, I find that makes all liquid lipsticks look quite thick and cakey, although this formula is better than most. On dry spots like the corners of the mouth, you can sometimes experience a little flaking off with wear and tear after a few hours but it's not major.

One thing I did not like about this product however, was how much product remains on the applicator wand when you pull it out after the first time. It reminds me almost of Colourpop liquid lipsticks where the wand is COATED with a thick layer of product. This formula is more of a lightweight cream so it doesn't run out and leak the way some Colourpop ones did for me, but I don't like how loose the stopper in the tube seems.

The formula is a very thin cream, and extremely spreadable, so I find just that bit on the doe foot is waaaaay more than enough to cover my entire mouth. In fact, I wish the stopper would take off a little more product, or that the product wasn't concentrated so much at the tip of the doe foot, because it has a tendency to push the liquid outwards to the edges a little too much.

If you see my wrist swatches above, an excessive amount of product gets pushed out to the left of the swatches, where the tip of the doe-foot was. And this was AFTER trying to scrape a little off into the tubes beforehand. I often end up with a whole gloopy ball of product spreading beyond my intended border.

When applying directly to the lips, I suggest applying to the bottom lip first, because with the wand pointing up, and least any blobs will be in the center of your mouth where you can easily redistribute it, and not outside the edges of your lip when you are trying to be precise and neat.

Still, this isn't a huge deal other than making it a little hard to quickly touch up on the go. If this annoys you, and price is not a problem, then I would suggest checking out Rouge Diors or Tatouage Coutures first, because those have great, customized doe-foot applicators that give you maximum control over where the product goes.

For how comfortable these are, and the relatively reasonable price compared to other high-end brands with a similar feel, I would definitely suggest checking out the range!