Maybelline Velvet Matte - Pictures and Swatches

I was sooper dooper excited when I first came across the advertisements of these 'Velvet Matte' lip colors from Maybelline India. These seem to be the 'Matte'... err sorry the 'Velvet Matte' versions of the lip polish previously launched by Maybelline.

I am always eager to try out any new launch in the market which is matte or even remotely matte and then one  has really high hopes, as one should, when a company names it's baby as 'Velvet Matte'!
To me velvet matte brings to my mind a lip color which has an extremely matte formula, that hugs your lips (and eventually flakes lol) without any creamyness or shine!  So basically I had really high hopes! Read on to know what happened to my hopes :D

On the Left is Matte 1 and on the right is Matte 10!

My expectations and excitement got me running to the nearest Maybelline counter on a crazy hot Saturday afternoon (I usually nap on my Saturday afternoons but then I was losing my sleep over this 'Velvet Matte' thing you know:D)

Apparently this Product had  not been launched widely until last week and honestly I wasn't expecting to find these  myself, but gladly it was available both at Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop at the mall near my house . I picked mine from the Lifestyle counter.

I picked up two shades from this Range. Lifestyles store did not have the testers and hence I had to select the shades without having the luxury of swatching them on my hand or trying on my lips (which I usually avoid, I wish like MAC, drugstore brands too sanitized their lipsticks before customers tried it. OK high Hopes, I know!). Anyways I picked MAT 1 and MAT 10 (And why do you refrain from naming these lip colors Maybelline?) 

The Product is priced at INR 475. You get a quantity of 5 ml in the tube. Not bad I'd say, especially in the times when its difficult to find anything worth buying below INR 500!

 The packaging of the Product is just like its predecessor (Maybelline Lip Polish) that was launched some time ago, except that the cap of this Product is matte black (I think this cap is the 'Matte'est thing about this product...LOL). Overall, the packaging is good looking and sturdy. It comes with a heart shaped sponge applicator which makes the application very comfortable. The product therefore is easy to carry around and simple to use. 

As far as fragrance is concerned Maybelline products have never smelt overpowering or unpleasant to me and this Product is fragrance free. Sensitive Noses, Rejoice!

Coming to the shades available in the Product Range, you have a choice of six colors (I was shown six,  don't know if there are more colors) All the colors in the range are pops of reds,pinks, oranges and corals. Not a single muted pink,brown or a n*de shade to choose from! (Is it because this launch is around the festive season or am I the only one who wants muted colors?). From the shades that I chose, I'm absolutely loving MAT 1. Its a gorgeous purplish pink color (similar to MAC Flat out Fabulous, No?).  It is very apt for the festive season IMO.

Now coming to the texture, IT IS NOT VELVET MATTE (it is not even 'Matte' , Maybelline! let alone 'Velvet Matte') As i stated above,  I expected a lot from this Product . Basically my hopes crashed!

The Product is a smooth, liquid lip color. The texture is extremely creamy and pigmented and conceals all the pigmentation on my upper lip. It also makes my lips look a little more plump, though my lips are big and I don't seek for lip plumping products, those who want this plump effect wll be very pleased with the formula. The lip color stays on for a while (around 2 hours, without snacking) after which it begins to evenly fade away. It leaves behind a very pretty stain on my lips which I adore! You can use these as lip stains too. The texture of the product doesn't feel heavy or goo-ey on the lips. Since these are very creamy they are quite forgiving on my perennially chapped lips. You don't have to do any preparation to wear these.

However, the Product  transfers a lot, leaving behind lip imprints on everything that your lips touch (I'm talking only about cups and glasses here ;D). Be careful with the quantity of the Product that you pick up with the wand as excess application may make your lips feel goo-ey. Overall the formula of the Product is quite simple to work with. 

Summing up my thoughts on the Product, unless you have had really high expectation (like moi) from this Product, you will find this Product to be quite decent. It is definitely not a must have, but its a decent option in the 'below 500' price segment. In fact I feel  ladies who aren't really fussy about the whole 'Matte' thing or those who want something that is moisturizing, hydrating with a decent lasting power can definitely give this Product a shot!

I'd rate this Product 3/5 (I'm deducting points obviously for the misleading claims of Velvet Matte! But I'm giving the rating of three because if we overlook the velvet matte claim, which I know is very difficult to do, the product is quite decent otherwise)


P.S: No lip swatches today only hand swatch cuz I've been unwell for a while and I'm looking quite pale and unappealing and I did not want to scare you guys away LOL! 



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Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tint - Swatches and Pictures

The concept of lip color  as a crayon is so...  so endearing to me ! Endearing , because it reminds me of my childhood, when I'd  take a red colored Camlin crayon and pretend like I was applying a lipstick ! That was the only way I could get the 'feel' of having applied make-up when I was barred from even touching it. My mother had almost convinced me that using a lipstick would turn my lips 'black' LOL  :D 

OF MAKEUP AND CRAYONS.....

Clinique was the first brand to come up with a lip crayon, they called it 'chubby stick'.... A lot of drugstore brands followed suit and did a favor on us by coming up with  affordable versions of chubby sticks. In the drugstore category, Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balms were the most popular and raved about (they were worth all the hype minus the price point). Currently you have a lot of variety to choose from in the lip crayon category and now there's one more option, the Lakme Absolute Matte Lip Tints!

LAKME ABSOLUTE MATTE LIP TINTS 

These were launched by Lakme a few days ago as a part of their Lakme fashion week. I could see advertisements with Kareena Kapoor Khan's famous dual colored pout all over! Though I wouldn't dare to wear two different colors on my each lip, the advertisement was catchy enough to grab my attention and make me run to the nearest Lakme counter :D 

Lakme describes these to be a chubby lip color that gives you a luscious color and comfortable matte finish. Well all the claims made by Lakme except one are true! Read on to know which one isn't really true.

The packaging of the product is simple but nice.These come packaged in a glossy black card board box.The body of the stick is matte and corresponds to the shade of the lip tint. The cap however is silver and further enhances the prettiness of the crayon.  

You get a quantity of 3.5 gm for INR 650. Well done Lakme, we are glad to get a quality product at a  reasonable and affordable price tag.This is where the scales tip in Lakme's favor considering how berserk some of its competitors are going with their pricing (I'm looking at you Revlon!) 

Coming to the shade selection in this range, you get to choose from six colors all of which are bright hues. You have shades of fuschia, magenta, orange, red and corals. There isn't a single nude or subtle color in the range. Lakme, in my opinion has received a lot of flak in the past for coming up with only browns and dull shades and not launching enough brights. They tried to change that a few months ago by revamping their classic enrich satin lipstick and introducing some amazing pinks and corals! The shade selection in the category of these matte tints seems to be a part of the same strategy.However, I wouldn't mind some subtle, nude shades for everyday wear as a part of the selection.

The shade I bought is named Victorian Rose! What a lovely name and indeed a beautiful color! It is a reddish coral shade and would compliment yellowish fair skin tones beautifully. This shade instantly brightens up my face. It is not the kindda red that would make your complexion look drab or sallow!

 The Product has a slight vanilla fragrance to it. It doesn't linger and disappears very quickly! Thank You Lakme for saving us from the ridiculous scents like those of the Enrich Satin Lipsticks :D So basically sensitive noses may not worry...

The texture of the Product is really very matte. Is it comfortable matte as Lakme claims? My answer would be no, if your lips are not moisturized or if they are perennially chapped and dehydrated. This is the only claim made by Lakme that the Product does not fulfill. This can be a con for some, but if you are someone like me who seeks for hard, matte textures you would LOVE these(I love hard mattes even if they make me slightly uncomfortable LOL). The texture also does justice to the shade that I chose. It easily lasts on me for five hours (Oh, Yes! It does) inspite of all the eating and drinking. It fades evenly, leaving behind an even stain. I usually do not prefer the formulae that stain but this one is an exception.

However if you try to layer it, you may experience some flakiness. But in my opinion, since the colors in the Product range are so bright, I don't think one would really need to layer it on.

Summing it up, this Product is not really a must have, but you can definitely give it a try, especially if you love matte textures. The matte texture can be both a pro or a con, depending on the suitability for each person. The Price point is a major plus and so is the awesome staying power!

I'd rate this product 3.5/5!