Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick Review & Swatches

You might be wondering to yourself, "Wendy, why are you trying out more Super Stay products? You know it didn't work out for you the first time around." And if you're not thinking that, here's a little bit of a refresher. At the end of last year, Influenster and Maybelline paired up to allow select beauty bloggers to test out their original Super Stay 24 Hour Lip Colors. The formula was so different than any other liquid lipstick I had tried due to its sticky nature and, unfortunately, I didn't find it to be all that wearable or comfortable unless I added the balmy top coat that came with it. While they are still technically liquid lipsticks, I didn't really prefer them for functionality and comfortability. This time around, however, Maybelline has expanded their Super Stay range to include actual matte liquid lipsticks closer to what I think most beauty enthusiasts are familiar with.

In hopes that Maybelline had heard all of our feedback, I rushed to Ulta's website to purchase six out of the ten shades of the brand new Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick when they released. Ironically, I made this purchase before I even knew Influenster was sending me a couple of these very lipsticks to try out. What can I say? We both can spot the next hot item when we see it. Fortunately, this Voxbox was not completely sent in vain as I did not own one out of the two shades sent to me, allowing me to review seven out of the ten in Maybelline's starting line up.

My Current Collection of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks. From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, Believer, Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager.

Applicator on the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick

Arm Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, Believer, Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager

Lip Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Loyalist, Dreamer, Lover, & Believer

♥ Loyalist - Light, peachy nude. This is the lightest shade in the collection.

♥ Dreamer - Light, bright pink. Will actually read as more of a nude pink on those with medium and deeper skin tones.

♥Lover - Rosey mauve.

♥Believer - Orchid purple. I found this to be the streakiest of all the shades I tried. Because of how much I applied to try to smooth it out, it never fully dried down, which amplified the stickiness of the formula and felt gooey.

Lip Swatches of the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks From Left To Right: Escapist, Pioneer, & Voyager

♥ Escapist - Deep smokey plum. Has a much different texture than the other lipsticks in this range; it feels like a whipped mousse texture. It applied a little streaky, but not nearly as streaky as Believer.

♥ Pioneer - Bright, classic red.

♥ Voyager - Rich wine red with slight brown undertones.

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Q&A's

♥What are the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Colors?♥

The Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Colors are Maybelline's latest edition to the Super Stay line. This liquid lipstick incorporates the Super Stay longwear technology, while giving the wearer a matte lip appearance. You get a lot of product at 0.17 oz for roughly $7.99-$9.49 depending where you shop. The packaging has a very nice, sturdy plastic feel with the bottom component corresponding to the color of the liquid lipstick inside. The applicator itself is much different than anything I've seen at the drugstore with its tear drop shape and hollow center. However, it is reminiscent of the Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks or the YSL Volupte Tint-In-Oils to give you a reference. It is currently available at Ulta and Target and is slowly beginning to roll out into drugstores.

♥What are the claims made on this product?♥

According to the press release sent in the Maybelline Voxbox: "Maybelline's SuperStay Matte Ink provides highly pigmented color in a true matte finish for up to 16 hours of comfortable wear. Unique arrow applicator allows for precise application of liquid matte color."

♥How do they apply/wear?♥

When it comes to application, I like the pointed tip of the applicator as it allows you to create a smooth, sharp lip line if you do not have a lip liner on hand. However, the hole in the center does not allow the applicator to hold enough product and I found myself having to dip into the product four or more times for my relatively small lips. Also, the stickiness of the product seemed to cause a little bit of streaking in certain shades, but I was able to smooth it out with a few passes of the applicator (except in the case of the shade Believer).

After a few minutes of wear, the lipstick is noticeably more of a satin finish and has a slight stickiness to it, but it is nothing compared to the stickiness of the original Super Stay lipstick. It is actually very comfortable. Throughout the day, however, I do notice that these lipsticks become increasingly more matte to the point where there is no transfer whatsoever. In fact, these lipsticks are so budge-proof that if you do want to remove them, you will certainly need a makeup remover or oil to do so.

♥What are my overall thoughts of this product?♥

When Wet n Wild released their Liquid Catsuit Lipsticks, I think it really changed the game for the drugstore. Brands now had the challenge to create products that could best it or at least compete. While Wet n Wild's liquid lipsticks are still my number one because of their pigmentation, comfort, and affordability, these Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks are a close second. They are easy to apply, their pigmentation is buildable, and they last the best out of any liquid lipstick I've ever tried. I would highly recommend picking some of these up as long as you feel you can get past the initial stickiness of the product. If you can, I promise you it will be well worth it. Lastly, if I could add any critique, my hopes would be that Maybelline expands this line to include a better range of nudes that would flatter a wider range of skintones.

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Made it this far? Good! 'Cause you're in for a treat! It's been quite some time since I've hosted a giveaway, so what better way than to give one lucky person the ENTIRE Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick collection. You'll have even more shades than I do! To enter all you need to do is follow me on Instagram and tag a fellow makeup lover below on my Maybelline Super Stay post. The winner will be chosen randomly on August 7th. Good luck, beauty addicts!

XO♥

*Some of the products in this post were sent to me for review by Influenster and Maybelline, but all opinions are my own.

Affordable $3 Liquid Lipsticks: Born Pretty Store Review

Liquid lipsticks have been a part of professional makeup artist lines for years, but they have only recently taken the beauty industry by storm. Whether it is for their ease of convenience or their long-wearing capability, mainstream brands are hopping on the bandwagon left and right everyday. This has flooded the market with a variety of formulas, finishes, and price points--some of which cause us to marvel at their innovation and others which are just plain old not worth the money. In fact, brands like Colourpop and Nyx have brought the liquid lipstick game to the masses for just under $10, but what if I told you that there was an even more affordable alternative?

Born Pretty Store Waterproof Matte Velvet Lip Glosses (Left to Right): 14, 03, 12, 06, 04, & 33

Lip Swatches of the Born Pretty Store Waterproof Matte Velvet Lip Glosses

Q&A's

♥What are the Born Pretty Store Waterproof Matte Velvet Lip Glosses?♥

* Disclaimer: Though the name suggests that these are lip glosses, this product does in fact perform and feel very much like a matte liquid lipstick, so for the purpose of this review, I will treat them as such.
The Born Pretty Store Waterproof Matte Velvet Lip Glosses are liquid lipsticks that come in a very simple test tube-like packaging. There are a variety of shades and finishes ranging from frosty pastel nudes all the way to matte bright greens and blues. Though I am not entirely sure what the differences are, some shades cost $2.54 while others are as low as $1.99.

♥What colors do I have and how did they apply/wear?♥

In total I have tried out six shades for you guys. As with most brands, I did notice that the formula varied throughout the shades. The mattes wore much better than the frosts and pastels, but this is a very common problem. Also, I would like to note that this formula is very thin and drying in nature. The best way to apply them is right after you have thoroughly prepped your lips with a scrub and lip balm for at least 10 minutes beforehand. Doing this as well as applying them in light coats seemed to work best for me. Since each of the lipsticks are so different from one another, it is hard for me to pinpoint how much of the product you will need to coat your lips. Depending on the shade, it took 2-4 dips into the lipstick to fully coat my lips. However, I did not experience any feathering with these lipsticks and I did need to use a makeup remover to completely remove any trace remnants that were leftover.

So here are the shades and my experiences with them in order from lightest to darkest:
♥14 - Sheer pastel peach nude. My second least favorite out of the bunch--it applied very streaky and when you try to build up the opacity, it begins flaking off lips within minutes of application. 
♥03 - Matte, natural rosey pink. One of my favorites out of the bunch. It applied opaquely and felt very comfortable on the lips.
♥12 - Neon coral. Though it is a bright shade, it went on opaquely and not streaky like # 14. This is definitely a statement Summer lippie.
♥06 - Frosty fuschia-based pink. My absolute least favorite of all the lipstick shades I chose. The shade reminds me of a bad 80s color. It never fully dried down either and left lips with a slight tackiness. This caused the lipstick to become very patchy when I drank or smacked my lips together.
♥04 - Bright coral red. This shade has a slight sheen, but not nearly as frosty as # 06. It applied easily and opaquely and felt very comfortable, however, it never dried down completely, so that caused the inner rim of my mouth to wear off and become patchy easily.
♥33 - True red. This shade goes on fully opaque with two layers. Feels a little dry, but not uncomfortable. As with most dark liquid lipstick shades, the inner rim wore off noticeably, but the rest of the lipstick lasted a decent amount of time.

♥What are the pros?♥

♥Variety of colors to choose from

♥Very affordable

♥Matte shades perform well

♥Excellent customer service

♥Fruity scent

♥What are the cons?♥

♥Wand on applicator is a little too long and flimsy

♥Website and packaging do not indicate the ingredients used in product

♥Inconsistencies in formula throughout the line (some shades are sheer or remain tacky)

♥Not a long-wearing formula (lipstick flakes off)

♥Branding on packaging is different and inconsistent throughout

♥Website makes it difficult to see the shade variety all in one place

♥What are my overall thoughts on the products?♥

The Born Pretty Store Liquid Lipsticks remind me a great deal of ColourPop's formula as the shades will either be hit or miss. As you can probably tell I am not a big fan of the pastel or frosty shades as I just don't find them very flattering or wearable due to streakiness. The tackiness that I experienced with certain shades, on the other hand, is a lot easier of a problem to combat. By lightly dusting the lips with a translucent powder, your lips will be locked and loaded. So while my experience has been a little 50-50, I did enjoy four out of the six shades and recommend giving the matte shades a try, especially if you are on a budget or want access to a ton of colors at once. The website may be a bit tricky to navigate, but by typing 'lip gloss' into the search bar these liquid lipsticks will appear as the first few results. I have also linked the specific shades next to their descriptions above in case you are interested. Also, to receive 10% off of your order, use the coupon code 'WPH10' at checkout (I do not gain any commission off of your purchases; this is strictly for your benefit).


XO♥

*The products in this post were sent to me for review, but all opinions are my own.

The Vampy Fall Lippie Wardrobe

As cliche as it is, every year around this time we find ourselves whipping out the darker, more vampy lipsticks. Don't know the inclinations that means for our psyche, but I do know dark lippies look really good. Well, needless to say, I have accumulated a ton of deeper shades in my lippie collection, but I thought I'd narrow it down to my top five must-haves...you know, just in case you wanted to take a walk on the dark side (sorry, that sounded a lot cooler in my head).

My Top Picks

♥Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Berry - For those of you who aren't ready to take the plunge into the world of ultra-dark lippies, this is a good start. Melted Berry is a deeper berry shade with very flattering pink undertones.
♥LA Splash Lip Couture Waterproof Liquid Lipstick in Vampire - Now if you need a formula that will not budge, this is definitely the one for you. Personally, I'm not a fan of the scent, but I can look past it because of the shade. This is not just your run of the mill deep red, this liquid lipstick contains micro-shimmer throughout that gives it a semi-metallic finish. However, due to its waterproof nature, I'd recommend wearing a lip balm underneath.
♥Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu - An iconic shade that always seems to be sold out at Sephora, Train Bleu is the deepest a plum shade can get. What I like is that the formula is very soft, smooth, and pigmented. The pencil format is convenient for lining and filling in the lips, as well as for on-the-go purposes.
♥NYX Intense Butter Lip Gloss in Black Cherry Tart - If you're feeling like a little daredevil, a glossier dark lip is right up your alley. Don't be fooled by the fact that this is a gloss, the Intense Butter Gloss collection from NYX packs a punch in the color department. I love this particular shade because somehow the deepness makes the purple more wearable in my opinion.
♥Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Potion - A step below wearing straight up black on your lips, Potion is a deep dark violet shade (purple with blue undertones). While it may not be the most daytime appropriate lippie, it does look good for a night out or even Halloween.

Vampy lips are by far one of my favorite fall trends to pull off, but I must admit that it makes me look really pale. Not really an issue a little self-tanner can't fix. But enough rambling. Now that you know my top five, I'd like to know yours. C'mon, cough it up!


XO♥

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Lippie Swatches: Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks

Within the last couple of years, I have become obsessed with liquid lipsticks. It's equivalent to having your favorite lipstick in lip gloss form. You get all of the amazing pigment without the chafe of rubbing the solid formula on your lips. While it's true that my favorite liquid lipsticks have matte formulas, I've always wanted to try out the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks. However, the $21 price tag is a little steep for something I wasn't completely sold on.

So it was perfect when Too Faced came out with their Melted Kisses collection for the holidays, which contained four deluxe sized samples of their most popular shades--Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Fuschia, and Melted Berry. It offered a range from nudes to brights and was just over the price of a single Melted Lipstick. You can probably imagine how fast that sold out online and in stores, but I somehow managed to snag up possibly the last set in all of New York City. What can I say? It was obviously the work of fate.

Despite the fact that I've been dying to wear these lippies, I've been hording them for a couple months for this exact post. Unfortunately, after you squeeze the product out, the white applicator absorbs some of the product and becomes stained, so it's not as pretty once you use it. However, the applicator definitely makes it easy to get around the lip line precisely.

Before I get on to the lip swatches, here are the claims Too Faced makes about this product:
♥ Staying power of a stain
♥ Intense color of a liquid lipstick

♥ High shine of a gloss

I can definitely say that the results are inconsistent throughout the shades, but you can see for yourself in the lip swatches below.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Nude

Melted Nude is a very tan camel sort of shade. If you're into peachier nudes, I think you will enjoy this one. Out of the four Melted Lipsticks that came in this set, this one comes off more matte, not glossy, and the application was pretty splotchy, clinging to lines and dry patches.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony

Melted Peony is the other "nude" shade that this collection provides and is a very natural baby pink shade. I wouldn't say it has a completely glossy finish. It actually looks and feels like a creme sheen from Mac.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Fuschia

Melted Fuschia is a hot magenta pink, perfect for one of those days that you want a pop of color. Just like Melted Peony, it is more of a creme finish than a glossy one and it is also very opaque.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Berry

Melted Berry is the darkest shade in the set and is a deeper red with pink undertones, instead of purple ones like a tradition berry shade. This is the most opaque shade out of the Melted Lipsticks and is the only one that provided the high shine and staining quality that Too Faced claims (at least on my lips specifically).

L to R: Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Fuschia, and Melted Berry

Although this set is no longer available, the shades are still available separately, along with many others to choose from. As you can see from the lip swatches and descriptions, the formula seems to vary depending on the shade. Not all of them follow the claims made by Too Faced, which doesn't necessarily make them a failing product in my book. I tend to go for creme or matte shades and I also only really care if the bright or dark shades have a staining capability as those can fade off really unnaturally. So it's all about personal preference. As for the long wearing claim, the stickiness of the product is what makes that true without them being overly drying on the lips. Depending on how pigmented your lips naturally are will determine if certain shades will actually stain your lips or not. If you drink, eat, or smooch, however, this lip product will inevitably transfer.



Overall, I really enjoyed three out of four of the shades and do think this is a product worth looking into if you want high pigment and shine.

XO ♥