All Kylie Jenner fans out there know that her extra large lips are actually temporary lip injections. However, the luscious nature of her lips cannot be only attributed to her lip fillers. Kylie has mastered the recent vogue matte lip look.
Matte lips are my favorite recent beauty trend. Applied correctly with lip liner and a lip brush, matte lipstick or lip cream can make lips look fuller and more voluptuous without the gaudiness of glitter gloss. Additionally, matte lipstick / lip cream is often longer lasting than its sheen counterparts and unlike gloss, dries so it isn't sticky to the touch. If that wasn't reason enough to run to the nearest Sephora to get a new lip color, the matte lip look is flattering on every type of lip shape and size. It is also easier to over-line small lips with matte lipsticks because the matte formula hides the natural shape of the lip.
(See you can't even see that natural lip line here!)
My favorite part about this new trend? Some of the best brands are cheap drugstore brands!!! Here's an overview of some of the best brands and the best colors to try.
Best Drug Store Brand: NYX
The NYX soft matte lip cream is only $6.00 but it works like it was 4 times that price. The lip cream goes on smoothly and dries quickly. It's long lasting and while it may leave kisses of color on your coffee cup, after 4 hours the color is still on and even.
Best Neutral NYX Color: Stockholm, this is a warm pink with beige and brown undertones that looks like it could be someone's natural lip color.
Best Party NYX Party Color: Prague, a bright purpley fushia with blueish undertones, this color looks good on both light and dark skin.
Best NYX Red: Amsterdam, a pure red that isn't orangey or too pink.
Best Sephora Buy: Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
Similar to the NYX cream this liquid lipstick goes on wet and dries matte almost instantly. It is more long lasting than NYX (stays on for up to 12 hours unblemished). It's beautiful and won't break the bank ($20.00) and has the most amazing colors for both those who love their wild colors and those who favor the nude colors.
Best Universally Flattering Shade: Lolita, described as a "chestnut rose", is a dusty rose color with hints of purple and brown. Depending on the skin tone of the wearer, Lolita may look more purple or pinker on different people, but similar to Clinque's famous Black Honey lipstick, it looks good on everyone.
Best Dark Shade: Exorcism, a deep wine that is so popular it is more often sold out than not.
Best Nude: Bow and Arrow, similar to NYX's Stockholm shade with just a touch more brown, this color is warm and good for everyday wear.
Other brands to try, Sephora's Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color is just as good as NYX's only its $16.00. Anastasia Beverly Hills moved away from brows to develop their own liquid lipstick that is one of the more longer lasting formulas, but only comes in 6 shades and of those 6 only 3 are worth having (Vintage, American Doll, and Hollywood). A few brands have great actual Matte Lipsticks (not lip creams) such as Nars, Urban Decay, NYX, and YSL, but I have found that the liquid lipstick or "lip cream" does a better job of hydrating your lips when you wear it.
All in all, with NYX's cheap but excellent formula, matte lips are a trend anyone can try with relatively no risk or large investment.
