first impression: elf studio matte lip color

Elf cosmetics are known for their affordable prices. I've found that most of their products are a hit or a miss. I've been wanting to try a new matte lipstick since I'm typically a glossy lip gal. But, I didn't want to splurge on something just yet. So I was very interested when i found the Elf Studio Matte Lip Color at Target. I purchased the color Rich Red since it was the only color they had that I thought would look good on me. The other shades were pretty neutral but looked too light for my skin tone.

This convenient jumbo sized lip pencil creates exact color application with twist up ease so you never have to sharpen. The pigment rich color glides on effortlessly and easily to provide long lasting matte color. The enriched Vitamin A, C & E formula moisturizes and hydrates lips for beautiful healthy looking lips.

description by e.l.f. Cosmetics 

This past weekend I was able to try out the lipstick Saturday night for a birthday party. Here are my thoughts!

Pricing: At a low 3 bucks it's definitely not breaking the bank to try this out!

Packaging: I liked the simple black packaging and it reminded me of Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. Which elf was probably trying to dupe with this product. It's a plastic container and very lightweight which makes it easy to tote around in my makeup bag or even my pocket. I liked the twist up versus a lip pencil stick that you have to sharpen. It contains 0.06 oz and seemed a lot less than what you find in your typical lipstick product. Not sure why they described it as a jumbo sized lip pencil, as it was relatively small compared to other lip pencils.

Color: The color advertised on the outside of the box is a little misleading. I thought it would have been a deeper red. That type of red usually looks better on my warm skin tone. But, after a swatch on my skin I found the red to be much brighter. There was even a little bit of an orange tone once I put it on my lip. It was still a pretty red to wear, decent pigmentation and easy to build on color. My biggest disappointment with this product was the matte aspect was nowhere to be found! There was quite a bit of gloss on my lip and I definitely wouldn't refer to this as a matte lip color.

Application & Scent: I really like the small pointy end of the lipstick. It made it much easier to apply to the edges and corners of my lips. The formula of the product made it smooth and easy to apply. There was really no scent to the product. Nothing offensive and barely recognizable if there was. 

Hydration: My greatest concern about matte lip colors is I'm scared of it drying out my lips. I have very dry lips and I'm constantly having to apply my chap stick. I applied my EOS lip balm before adding the color. It left my lips feeling very moisturized and soft. It didn't dry out my lips one bit. Now, I'm not sure if it was my lip balm or the lipstick that left my lips hydrated. But, the second time I reapplied without additional lip balm it was just as moisturized.

Longevity: I applied the color around 6:00 in the evening and headed to dinner. I checked on my lips right after dinner and of course the color was a bit faded. I reapplied and found that it was easy to reapply and looked fresh once again. 3 hours later, at the end of the night I checked on my lips once more. The color was blotchy, uneven, and left my lips extremely dry. I definitely wouldn't call this a long lasting color. 

Final Thoughts: I wouldn't refer to this lipstick as a matte color. It's still a pretty shade of red but there is definitely a slight gloss to this color. It's far from durable and long lasting as it barely lasted 6 hours before falling apart. I think this is a good color to spend a few hours in but wouldn't expect to be in it all night. I would definitely use this lipstick again as I thought it still looked good on my lips. But, I probably won't be repurchasing this lipstick as it wasn't even matte and there are just so many other great red shades out there that don't even cost that much more. 

I'm on the lookout for another matte lipstick and hopefully I'll have better luck next time! Any suggestions on a good matte lipstick out there? Have you tried this product, how did it work for you? 

Hopefully it's inspiring you to wear a sexy red lip this Friday for Valentine's day! 

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