manhattan soft mat lip cream- review and swatches

It's been an eventful night. My little hamster was on the edge of death, but with lots of frantic care, seems to have clawed her way back to the realm of the living. She's still quite weak though, and I'm anxiously keeping an eye on her. Seeing as it doesn't look like I'll be sleeping, I thought I might as well rant about lipstick. 

Manhattan soft mat lip cream is essentially the same thing as the Nyx soft matte lip creams and Collection cremepuff products- but cheaper. It's a moussey formula that dries down to a fairly comfortable matte finish which is long lasting but but not invincible, pigmented but not opaque. 

The price varies, but it's usually around a mere two quid. This is good. It's a good product, though it's not too pretty to look at. I got a nude shade (number 95G) which I believe- don't quote me on this- is a dupe for the Nyx soft matte in 'london'. It's the kind of shade that's great for easy everyday wear.

Manhattan soft mat lip cream - shade 95G

I'm wearing here paired with BH Cosmetics lip liner in 'nude'. A great combo, I think.

Anyway. I'm off to check on my hammy friend.

Xx

clinique long last soft matte lipstick- review and swatches

Hey there guys. It's been a while, but I'm back with another post of another lippy that I just luuurve. It's the Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick, and I've got one in the shade 'matte crimson' to share with you today.

 

     First things first- ain't she pretty? Shiny and heavy and different to the usual gold or black casing higher end lipsticks tend to sport. 

     The shade is, as the name suggests, crimson red with a soft matte finish. But what does soft matte mean? Well, for me, I found the 'soft' part came through in both texture and finish, making it different to the standard matte. In terms of texture, it was comfortable and actually kept my lips moist throughout wear without the need for a balm. How rare is that for a matte? And it terms of finish, I think the main difference is that it was free from shine but not that full-on powder-matte. Just little differences, but overall they made the experience of wearing a matte shade much more pleasant and hassle free, and I definitely prefer it to traditional mattes. 

      As far as application goes, there were no problems at all. It was soft enough to glide on without drag, and one coat gave full opacity. It does initially appear to have a slight sheen that's more akin to a satin finish, but give it a while to set and the matte reigns. Because of the finish and opacity, this lipstick does indeed last a long while. For such a bright shade, it didn't transfer as much as I expected it to and there were no problems with bleeding or that awful red ring. The fade was actually even and flattering, wearing down to a 'just bitten' stain. In fact, I prefer to wear it applied with a light touch and blotted slightly, for a less dramatic day look. See below, bro.

Clinique long last soft matte lipstick- matte crimson

Clinique long last soft matte lipstick- matte crimson

 

    Overall, I think this lippy is a winner and worth trying if your budget stretches that far (£18). Personally, while I do love it, it doesn't beat my other matte lipstick with equally comfortable formula- Daniel Sandler's luxury matte lipstick. It's also about half the price of this one, so do check that one out if you like the look of this but don't got the dolla. 

     In fact, I think I'll give that one a review of its own at some point. Until next time, thanks for checking in, babeface x

nyx soft matte lip cream- a review & swatches

 And so, we move onto lip creams. What's the difference between lip velvets and lip creams? Well, generally speaking, not much. That's why I'm using my next few reviews as continuations from the lip velvet series rather than as a separate category. They tend to be thicker in consistency though, as the name implies, and tend to maintain a bit of slip throughout wear rather than setting to a budgeproof second skin. I say 'tend to', because sometimes, the only real difference is in the name. Enter NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream.

     These babies are cute and playful- if they came in jars I'd want to sit cross legged on the floor to scoop out the insides and eat em. They also come named after cities (I do love my themes), and my shade is Antwerp, which I picked because my best friend's nickname for me is 'Twerp'. Now I can be an twerp, hehehe. It's a gorgeous shade- the love child of a dusty rose and a vivid coral, giving the perfect balance between pretty subtlety and loud-mouthed fun. I really really love it, and find it so flattering to my medium complexion. It might just be in my top ten favourite lipstick shades.

   As mentioned earlier, the finish is typical of velvets, in that it tattoos your lips with long lasting, touch proof colour. It's a real winner of a texture. NYX definitely got the 'soft' part of the name bang on, because this feels so buttery and light to apply, and once it sets, though very matte, manages not to look or feel dry. One layer is all that's needed for full opacity, so there's none of the dreaded patchiness that comes with touching up after the first coat has dried. It doesn't crumble or flake with wear either- it's truly brilliant. How did I only just discover it?

   Have some swatches, though they honestly don't do the shade justice. The woes of a bad camera.

nyx soft matte lip cream- antwerp

 

nyx soft matte lip cream- antwerp

 These cost a mere £5.50 from the NYX uk site (under the gloss section), and if I had loads of spare money, I would buy all the shades and love them and cuddle them forever.