It’s been a little while since I’ve featured a product from NYX, so I am really excited to share their Soft Matte Lip Creams with you. From the instant I tried one on for the first time I knew these were special! They are unlike any other lip product I’ve ever used. And you have to imagine…that’s a lot of lip products.
The product description is spot-on. It looks like lipgloss in the tube. Even when you pull out the wand, it just looks like any other creme finish lipgloss. But when you apply it, it’s insanely pigmented, and goes on matte. It’s not the dried out crackly matte of yesteryear either. Nope, this ain’t your mama’s matte. It dries down to a really pretty, almost stained effect. But it differs from a stain in that the color is even. For me, no matter what I do, traditional gel or liquid lip stains never apply completely evenly. The color always sinks into the little line down the center of my bottom lip (aka the lip cleavage, lol) and pools there. Not attractive! I also performed the “straw test” where I puckered my lips as if I were sucking on a straw (creates wrinkles on your lips) to see if the color would shift or crack. Nada! So if you’ve ever had those issues with lip stains, but still crave a similar effect, try these! However, I think everyone should try these. They’re really, really cool.
The two colors I tried are Sao Paulo and Stockholm. My Sao Paulo is labeled “San Paulo” so your label may vary. I would describe Sao Paulo as a pinked terracotta rose. On steroids. It’s very bold. But in a good way. Sao Paulo has completely rich, saturated color. It’s pretty bright on someone as pale as myself, but I’m not afraid to rock a bright lip. For the office, I blotted it to look a little more “stain-y” – yes that’s a technical term. Compared to the swatch on the NYX website I think it’s pretty accurate, but in real life is a touch darker and brighter, if that makes sense.
As far as wear time goes, I was shocked. Maybe this had to do with the fact that I’d already blotted it down to a stain, but Sao Paulo lasts. After lunch and dinner with no reapplication, I could still tell that I had lipcolor on. It was more prominent around the outer edges of my lips, but in a naturally defined lip kind of way rather than a “she’s wearing darker lip liner than her lips” kind of way – ew. And then when I woke up the next morning, my lips still looked pinker than usual.
Stockholm looks pretty straight up beige on the NYX website swatch, but in person is more pinkish. Stockholm is the kind of color you might want to wear if you have very unpigmented lips naturally and just want to look like you have some natural color to your lips. It’s not nearly as ‘out there’ or loud as Sao Paulo.
Both shades of the formula feel weightless on my lips. They do not feel dry, or at all sticky/tacky. They claim to be moisturizing, and I’m not sure exactly how moisturizing they are. However, they definitely aren’t drying. But if your lips tend to be dry naturally, you might want to wear a gloss on top, or a balm underneath. Or both. I don’t know, do what you like! If you apply a lip balm ahead of time and then sorta blot your lips before applying, you’ll still get a matte effect from this lip cream. I wouldn’t say my lips felt moisturized after wearing it, but they didn’t feel dry either. They just felt like… lips. Which, when you think about it, is not a bad thing. These do have a scent, which to me smells like very artificial butter cream frosting. I don’t care for it at all, but it doesn’t linger so I can deal with it. My mom agreed that it smelled very fake, but she actually likes it haha. It reminds us of those cupcake dolls that were scented like different kinds of cake. Maybe this will have the same nostalgic effect on you.
There are 11 shades of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and they retail for $6 each. Money definitely well spent. I do not know if they carry these at Ulta, but they are online at Cherry Culture and Nonpareil Boutique! (I love NB but their swatches for this product suck big time) Since Sao Paulo is so bold and out there, I’d love to get my paws on the shade Addis Ababa. I think it will be a must-have for all hot pink lip lovers!
