Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink would have to be one of the best long-lasting lipsticks I’ve ever tried. The colour of the actual lipstick was true to the colour on the container which is fantastic and makes it so easy to pick a shade. I got the colour ‘Lover’ which is a subtle pretty pink. It’s a beautiful colour for my pale complexion. Enough pop to feel I am wearing colour, without my lips entering the room ahead of me or feeling unsure because I’ve gone bold!
Application the first few times felt a bit clumsy, but application still looked great. The applicator is quite long and also has some flex/movement when applying the lipstick, so you don’t feel you have as much control, however it does go on nicely when you get past that. The applicator shape is also great as it is a leaf shape and has a pointy end, so its easy to follow the contours of your lip, and also great for getting to the corners nice and neatly. The applicator also doesn’t pick up an excessive amount of product which I liked.
Once on, the lipstick does have a slight tacky finish to it, but not super sticky, and not so tacky you think the product is coming off. I preferred this finish to some matte lipsticks that I’d tried, which have a completely dry finish. The matte finish of the Matte Ink wasn’t drying on my lips either, which is a big plus as I hate adding lip balms to lippy and smudging the finish.
This lipstick has staying power, and I only applied first thing in the morning and didn’t go back for any touch ups. It passed the kiss test with my little guy at school drop off – no transfer of lippy to his cheek! Barely noticed any transfer to coffee cups either. It does fade out ever so slightly through the day, but it fades evenly, and the majority of colour is still there at the end of the day. I didn’t have to worry about bare patches of lip with the wearing off with this product, it stayed on my lips very evenly the whole day.
Removal was easy – I popped on some coconut oil on the lips, then just water on my makeup remover towel and it was gone. No staining at all afterwards.
I’m off to pick another colour for my collection. This product is a definite keeper!
I was recently gifted one of these in a lovely mauve shade and actively looked for opportunities to wear it, as I’m wearing a mask out in public and they are few. I’m so used to a traditional bullet style cream lipstick I hadn’t realised there were such long wearing formulas out there that are so good! This lipstick will not only last through an afternoon of zooms but also a BBQ, drinks and coffee with very little wear and it’s not drying at all. It takes a bit of getting used to. Firstly start with dry lips, make sure you have the perfect straight line using the wand - it’s easy as it’s shaped into a point. I find I don’t need to add more product than what comes out for an application to fill both my top and bottom lips. You need to then wait patiently for it to dry before you’re good to go. The drying part is the only stage that your lips feel a little claggy and uncomfortable but after that you barely notice you’re wearing it. 8 hours is probably the longest time I wore this and there was some wear around the centre of my mouth which I would have touched up if I was out but I didn’t see any transfer onto glasses or food like you might notice from a normal lippie. You might think removal is hard but my normal Neutrogena oil cleanser just wiped it away without the need for any flannel or cotton wipes. I’m definitely going to be getting this again in a more coffee colour shade next time I’m out and I see Maybelline on special.
Tips: Don’t press your lips together in the application phase as you’ll end up with a sticky mess and colour won’t transfer correctly and you might have to start again.