Based on true lipstick stories.
I’ve been a big advocate of matte lipsticks ever since the trend started coming back last year (thank you Kylie Jenner) and it seems the rage isn’t going to die down anytime soon. There’s something very sleek about a matte finish — perfect crisp lines that dry down to a perfect solid colour, which, trust me, will definitely get anyone’s attention. And best of all, they have no shine. I have this teensy fear of lip glosses / lippies that have a sheen to them because (I feel that) they kinda make my lips look like I’ve chowed down a whole platter of fried food.
Not like that’s a bad thing (the fried food I mean), but shine just doesn’t resonate as being a cute look to me.
So anyway, I pounced on the matte lip trend when it came about and I’ve never looked back. Started off with basic pinks, then moved on to the reds (yes classic Ruby Woo) and then the oxbloods (mmm Havana Nights) and then gradually found my love in the nudes. The Kylie lip kits stole my heart, but since I never got down to buying them (for various reasons), I’ve invested instead in colours that are close to the greiges and browns that she wears. Velvet Teddy was my virgin nude lippie, followed by Colourpop’s Chi and Kae.
I get tons of compliments for my matte lips, if I’m allowed to be unabashed.
I won’t say I’ve perfected how to nail a matte lip — there’s still much to learn every day — but considering that I wear matte lipsticks almost all the time, I’d say I’ve picked up some tips and tricks from choosing a colour to removing your no-shine pout. Some of them you may have seen online / via YouTube videos, because that’s how I learnt too, but others are just some personal ways that I use every morning.
Pretty sure I’ve blabbered on for quite a bit so yes, let’s dive right in.
CHOOSING YOUR FIRST MATTE LIPPIE COLOUR
1. Understand that skin tone will affect how the colour looks on you.
My first nude lipstick, Velvet Teddy by M.A.C, is a classic example. While it looked fine on me (because I’m so fair), many of my friends who bought the lippie lamented that the lipstick actually made them look washed out. My tip is to always do your research by watching lip swatch videos by people of similar skin tones as yourself to get a good gauge. Don’t be lazy on this!
My first nude lipstick, Velvet Teddy by M.A.C, is a classic example. While it looked fine on me (because I’m so fair), many of my friends who bought the lippie lamented that the lipstick actually made them look washed out. My tip is to always do your research by watching lip swatch videos by people of similar skin tones as yourself to get a good gauge. Don’t be lazy on this!
2. If you’re feeling apprehensive, start off with lighter shades of pinks.
As much as beige sounds like the perfect nude to kickstart your matte lipstick collection, it may leave a scar when the wrong shade is picked. There are so many shades of nudes (NYX even came out with a Lip Lingerie line some months back that I’m so in love with) and contrary to popular belief, picking the right nude shade is not as easy as it seem. Especially for Asians, I’d say. So start off with colours like rose and baby pink to add that bit of colour to your pout, and you’ll never go wrong with these colours.
As much as beige sounds like the perfect nude to kickstart your matte lipstick collection, it may leave a scar when the wrong shade is picked. There are so many shades of nudes (NYX even came out with a Lip Lingerie line some months back that I’m so in love with) and contrary to popular belief, picking the right nude shade is not as easy as it seem. Especially for Asians, I’d say. So start off with colours like rose and baby pink to add that bit of colour to your pout, and you’ll never go wrong with these colours.
APPLYING A MATTE LIPSTICK
3. Always exfoliate. I can’t stress this enough.
Trust me when I say this, because I learnt that lip exfoliation is so important to look good in a matte lip the hard way. See, matte finishes are unforgiving and unlike glosses, they emphasise all your flaws. Every crease and crevice. So you won’t want to go round applying your matte lipsticks on an uneven surface because you can be sure as hell that they will crack and flake throughout the day, especially if your lipsticks have an extremely drying formula (like the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lippies). Always make sure you have a smooth canvas to work on by scrubbing your lips clean.
What I personally do is to use a lip scrub three times a week, and every night after brushing my teeth I take the effort to brush my lips too. Then I’d apply a generous dollop of Vaseline on my lips right after before heading to bed. Works like a charm every time.
4. Line your lips if you have a matching lip liner
This applies more for traditional lipsticks than liquid lipsticks. Doe foot applicators in liquid lipsticks make lipstick application so much easier than the typical ones. So in order to apply the lipstick to just your lips, line them, then fill in the colour. It’s really very much like preschool colouring.
5. Apply a thin layer of balm before putting on the lipstick
If you know that your lipstick is gonna be hella drying, counter that problem by putting on a thin layer of balm before going on with the lippie. Now based on my past experience, you don’t want to smear on the balm because it’ll affect the drying process of the lipstick. I tried it on with a dark vampy shade Sin by M.A.C and it dried down atrocious. So yes, a thin layer would do just fine.
6. Dust foundation / loose powder on your lips to prevent transfer
Lipstick stains may look sexy in spy movies, but in all honestly, not IRL. To prevent transfer, take a piece of tissue and separate the layers down to just one ply. Gently press the tissue onto your lips, and dust on foundation. What this does is that the powder will seep through the tissue to your lips, and absorb any moisture that’s on your lip (should you feel that it’s not matte enough). Usually once or twice is enough for me, but repeat this step as many times as you deem necessary.
7. A little goes a long way
Especially so for liquid lipsticks. You don’t have to apply a thick layer on your lips, over and over again. If one swipe can do the job, let it. Less is more!
WHEN YOU HAVE A MATTE LIP ON
8. You have to bring three things along: Your lipstick, makeup remover wipes, and concealer.
I won’t deny this, having a matte lip on means you’ll have to fuss over it. Especially for a perfectionist like me because I insist on having the clean straight lines all day. So in the event when say, you’re going out for a huge buffet of fried food or a major make out session, you better have your arsenal ready to touch up so that you’ll look as good as new after.
Oil will cause your lipstick to fade. So do yourself a favour, if you’re going for a buffet, skip the matte lipstick or apply only after your feast. You’d want to enjoy your meal plus not look like you screwed up a perfect pout. This is especially so for dark lips — once again, learnt this from experience.
In an alternative scenario where you decide to starve and not eat, but your lipstick is being a bitch and drying the hell out of your lips and you have no choice but to remove it, use a makeup remove wipe. For the love of your lips, never ever, ever, ever use tissue paper or worse, paper towels to forcefully wipe your lipstick off. Because chances are:
> You’re gonna have a hard time because the lipstick is already so drying + matte = lesser moisture so it won’t budge that easily,
> You’re gonna hurt your lips. Trust me on this because it happened to me
> It’s going to create a mess on your face with all the smearing and rubbing.
Bring along those travel sized packs of makeup remover wipes. I personally use the ones from Biore. They’re a lifesaver (or lip-saver) really, plus they can be used to remove other makeup too, should you ever need a bare face for god knows what reason.
So in another alternative scenario where you’ve successfully removed and reapplied your lipstick but because luck just isn’t on your side, you accidentally applied lipstick outside your lips. Once again, don’t go round grabbing a paper towel, please. Instead flick out the trusty concealer (I use the one from Muji) and conceal any mistakes! It’s going to be hard to remove any mistakes using paper towels anyway since as mentioned, matte lipsticks dry fast therefore harder to remove.
Also, in case you’re wondering if they’re bulky… Not at all. I slip all three items into a small crossbody, alongside other essentials.
9. Know if your lipsticks are good with layering
This may sound weird, but I’ve encountered lipsticks that SUCK at being layered. Ie. I head out with a fresh coat, I chomp on food and decide to touch up, I swipe on a new coat, and voila, that shit starts chunking up and flaking off. In that case, don’t wear those shades out to events where you’ll need to touch up regularly — like food tastings or multiple make out sessions.
REMOVING YOUR MATTE LIPSTICK
10. Be patient
Certain lippies are more difficult and troublesome to remove than others, like the darker shades, so be patient when removing them. Use a lip makeup remover to cleanse them off; the oil based ones work best. Take your time, be gentle but thorough. Liquid lipsticks seep into the crevices and cleavages of your lip, so be sure to remove those as well. Just remember: you don’t want to be tugging at your lips!
I hope you guys learnt a trick or two from this list — matte lipsticks may be a but of a div, but honestly, they’re so much fun. And I absolutely cannot get enough of them. This list is not exhaustive, and hopefully I'll find myself updating it more often~~~
Much love,
Chels x