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| Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color in 'Midnight' |
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| Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight,' swatched |
Hiya everyone! Obviously we are fast approaching the conclusion of August, and this has been a month of much lip color experimentation for me, and now that the leaves are about to change, the mild change in temperature is indicative that those crisp days are on the horizon, bringing with them the annual bearings that associate themselves with seemingly almost every blogger's favorite season. 😃 Many like myself, have an insatiable interest for deep, vampy colors, regardless of season or Sun's relative position to Earth in any given time of day. If the mood strikes, I wear whatever I please, so I figured I would test out a deep plum color that was introduced in this insanely affordable new liquid lipstick formula that Rimmel launched not too terribly long ago: behold, their Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight'.
🔍 Read onto the review 🔍 to see if I would recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte formula to anyone, or if it's a hard pass! You be the judge!
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| 'Midnight' applied, 2 coats, within 15 minutes of initial application |
On to the review!
Color & Formula
'Midnight' is simply a no-frills blackened plum shade. Very close, almost identical in color and depth, to my Sephora Luster Matte Liquid Lip Color in 'Deep Plum Luster'.
The formula on this particular shade, as well as other deeper shades I've seen in the Rimmel Stay Matte lineup, call for 2 coats - no question about it. No more, and no less. If 1 coat, the color looks maddeningly streaky. Seriously, and don't even think if you accidentally rub your lips together when it's 80% dry. Ohhh you'll be sooooo screwed if that happens. Been there, done that. 😂 If 3 coats, hope you like clump and crustiness, because that's what this feels (and looks) like. So, 2 coats is the happy medium, I've found. Even then, wearing this is a pretty bleak experience, and sadly feels more like a chore than anything else....
One other thing I've experienced with this formula is that while it yields a somewhat mousse-like consistency on the applicator - it feels quite thin and almost gel-like when applied. Much thinner than the consistency of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, yet not quite as thin and liquid-y as the Wet 'n' Wild Catsuit Mattes.
Packaging
For the sake of brevity, the packaging on these is the business, and so gorgeous - it's a frosted acrylic base with a simple glossy black lid. The angles of the tube remind me vaguely of a small section of a helix, almost as if the midpoint of the packaging was pinched slightly inwards at a malleable point, and the ends were slightly twisted in opposite directions. The base is completely flat, and can support the product upright. The packaging is not bulky at all, so the lack of geometric sense this packaging makes with the ordinary, rectangular shape of my makeup storage system can be completely overlooked, as the tube is fairly slim and short and doesn't take up much space.
Application & Scent
First bullet point: application. I think I've already expressed my sentiments and thoughts there, but I'll further my point: even with 2 coats, I could still see that this lip formula does not layer well over itself. I've tried applying the second coat in two different ways: either over a dry first coat, or following the first coat before it dried down. Verdict: Neither of those methods worked. I would still get a patchy application, a color ring within half an hour, and would ultimately have to reapply it, and smear it and blend it in with my finger before it dried.
Even though I applied it as I would any other liquid lipstick, some spots would look more opaque than others, hence the appearance of bald spots, and it just always looked unevenly applied, despite my praying to the lipstick gods. 👎
Secondly, the scent on these: Oddly enough, I actually don't mind the initial scent (or, the scent before you apply it). It's unlike any other lip product I've smelled before, though - something akin to a burnt vanilla creme brulee candle, perhaps? Or marshmallows toasting over fire? I don't know - it's odd, I'm odd, and while I'm not overjoyed with how this smells, I do strangely like it. I don't, however, appreciate that the smell gets a bit chemical once it's actually applied, especially with that second layer of product. It does linger for a few minutes after application.
Long-Wearing?
Nope, no, no honey. I don't know what ingredient causes this, but there's definitely shrinkage to this formula, as it actually pulls away from where it was initially applied. It gathers in corners the longer it wears, which in the end looks a tad bit frightening, if I'm being completely honest here. 😂 This is how it looks after 1 hour of wear...every time:
That's right, I'll repeat, because I still can't even believe it...1 hour. Una hora. I prep my lips before I wear any liquid lipstick, and I have never experienced something quite like this, because my lips are not dry, by any means. If that doesn't make you run in the opposite direction, I honestly don't know what will. It's actually flaking off of my lips!!
Price & Availability
I purchased this one at Target for $4.99, but I've seen them upwards of $5.99 in other places.
Overall Rating
Sorry, Rimmel. I just can't think of anyone I would recommend this to, at least the deeper shades in this line. Rimmel has done so much better, and can do so much better. Maybe next time! I'm confident they'll come out with something amazing like the Lip Lacquers they had in the past. But this formula for these darker mattes needs a lotta bit of work. I won't be purchasing any more of these.
This will tie with NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lips as being my least favorite liquid lipstick formula. With packaging in mind, I'll give it a 2/10. 👎👎👎
This will tie with NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lips as being my least favorite liquid lipstick formula. With packaging in mind, I'll give it a 2/10. 👎👎👎
It's a beautiful fall color but I think I would stick with their traditional lipsticks!
ReplyDeletewww.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com
Hi Katie!
DeleteOh yes, I agree with you on that. Pretty shade, but sadly not worth the hassle. I don't know how the lighter shades in this formula compare to the darker shades, though I've heard better things about them, and that the formulas differ somewhat between them.
Thanks for reading! :D