It seems like all the major brands are putting out huge lip collections these days! And MAKE UP FOR EVER is jumping on that bandwagon too with their Artist Rouge Lipstick ($22 @ sephora.com). The collection is 15 Matte Finish Lipsticks (color name begins with the letter ‘M’) and 30 Satin Finish Lipsticks (color name begins with the letter ‘C’).

What It Is: 45-show stopping shades packaged in new signature packaging and available in two simple, but beautiful finishes – 31 lustrous creams and 14 velvety mattes. The range only features the best reds, nudes, pinks, berries and artistic lipsticks, providing everyone with the most flattering shades for their skin tones.

 

Ok, first off, the packaging! How cool and sleek is the lipstick tube - quality metal case with the black canister and silver label on it. And I love the detail of their mouth logo imprinted on the top of the cap!

I think why liquid lipsticks have derailed me from traditional lippies is that the color payoff is just so huge and precise with those. I mean, if you’re going to wear a lipstick, go big or go home, right?

With that said, I feel like these are the closest I’ve come up until now to intensity and pigmentation as a liquid in the lipstick tube form. So if you are not a liquid lipstick person or just don’t like the time commitment with those, these might be your answer.

Unlike most liquid lipsticks, these do transfer but they transfer in that way that some can come off but if you look at your lips, you wouldn’t be able to tell. And I’ve worn some liquid lipsticks that act the same way.

They contain macadamia oil, sunflower seed wax, which helps with the superior comfort level. It almost feels like I’m not wearing anything on my lips.

As far as the colors and intensity factor, these contain 25% more pigments than their Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks and they contain triple-grinded micro-pigments for high color intensity.

When it came to the Cream vs the Mattes? They really looked, wore and felt the same as each other. If I mixed them up in a circle, grabbed one and applied it, apart from the color, I would probably not be able to tell if it was a one of the cream or mattes. Yes, the finish is that close to each other.

Creams from L to R: C504 (lilac) – don’t see this selling on the website for some reason, C302 (beige coral), C505 – (purple) – don’t see this one selling the website either, C208 (magenta pink), C407 (black red).

Mattes from L to R: M301 (poppy orange), M300 (red orange), M201 (blue pink), M204 (raspberry pink).

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.