Always a sucker for a bargain, I dived in head first when ELF recently cut the prices of their new(ish) Studio Matte Lip Colors to £1 a piece. I jumped on them more because I love lipsticks in pen form than because I love matte formulas. Let’s face it, matte formulas can be tricky to wear unless you’re 14 and addicted to Carmex.
Currently available on the UK website in four neutral shades, I grabbed the lot (and some nail polishes that I’ll probably never get round to blogging).
Tea Rose, Coral, Praline and Natural are the four shades available to purchase.
Here’s what they look like in the tubes…
For what it’s worth, I really like the packaging on these. The simple and minimalistic black casing defies their £3.50 price tag. The lids click to a tight, flush close and the twist mechanism feels like it will go the distance. No complaints from me.
The formula on these didn’t vary too much between shades. I found Praline perhaps gave the most drag during application, a little less creamy than the others but probably my favourite to wear because it looked the least chalky once applied.
Tea Rose was the creamiest but I felt that the colour was a little off, it’s quite mauve based which made my lips look a little… dead.
Coral looks far more apricot than a true coral shade in my humble opinion and Natural is easily the most nude for my complexion. They’re a good, solid bunch of lip-neutral shades and I think most should be able to find one shade from the selection that will suit their skintones well.
And the lip swatches…
I know I usually do a full-face shot with lip swatches for context but none of them flattered me and I have a huge zit on my chin that has been there (without a head) for the past week – some days, you just can’t face those pesky FOTDs and today was one of them. I also thought the close up might be useful so that you can see just how ‘drying’ each shade appears on the lips.
The paler shades definitely come out a little chalky looking, something that would easily be remedied by a touch of lipgloss to conceal those furrows. In terms of comfort, I didn’t actually find them particularly drying on the lips which is testament to a quality purchase from the budget brand, however, I wouldn’t describe them as moisturising either. Just your standard, good quality matte lipstick.
The ELF Studio Matte Lip Colors taste very fruity but are not particularly scented, something which surprised me (on both counts). The taste, although synthetic, is pleasant enough…. similar to what you’d expect from something like a chapstick.
Overall, and for the money, I can’t really fault them too much. Sure, I’m not really a fan of how the colours turned out against my skintone but that’s personal preference… throw me a red or hot pink and this could well have been a gushing post of epic proportions. I’d say, give ’em a go – you might just find your holy grail nude matte lip!
ELF Studio Matte Lip Colors are available to purchase online at the ELF website, priced at £3.50 each.
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