If a hollow under a rock has been your abode for the past few months, as it has been mine, then you may not have realised that matte liquid lipsticks are all the rage right now. These aren’t new in the makeup world, to be honest, but they have been made popular again by a certain reality TV celebrity whose claim to fame I know not what (the Kylie who isn’t a Minogue) and some affordable makeup brands, of which I can name Colourpop as one of them but nothing much else.
Personally, I’m not into matte lipsticks at the best of times. I lived through the era when matte lipstick meant dry and drying textures, dull but opaque colours, and the lipstick of choice of old ladies. So, I have always been about shine and gloss – it turns back the clock.
Yet, young kids these days have been clamouring after these matte, liquid lipsticks and I have resisted. I don’t even like liquid lipstick, much less matte textured ones! LOL! 😀 But if there’s one thing these matte liquid lipsticks have in common, it’s that they are opaque and longlasting and therein lies the appeal. So, with all the rah-rahing online, I started getting curious. Never underestimate the power of social media! 😛
I was loathe to pay a lot of money for something I knew I wouldn’t love. So, one day, when I was at a loose end and found myself trawling the local pharmacy, I stumbled across the Silkygirl Matte Junkie Lip Cream and curiosity got the better of me.
Silkygirl is a Malaysian brand of very affordable cosmetics. I remember when the brand first appeared, and I laughed myself silly at the name. Yet, it’s endured through the years (much to my surprise) being mostly just sitting there in the pharmacy, not being very exciting nor innovative. However, I have noticed in recent times that they seem to be jumping on latest makeup trends quite quickly, and offering products at very reasonable prices. So, I told myself “PB, my girl, if you’re going to try a matte liquid lipstick, don’t pay more than RM20 (US$5)!” And as the Silkygirl Matte Junkie just slipped in under RM20 (sale!) I bit. Now, to figure out if this everything that everyone has said it is, because oh yes, apparently, the Matte Junkie Lip Creams have been sold out and cleaned off the shelves in many places thanks to people raving about them! I didn’t even know till I mentioned this on my Instagram account and was told about it! Yes, that rock cave is quite comfortable, thank you 😛
There are 5 shades in the range, I believe and after a lot of hmming and hawing, I picked up a shade that I wouldn’t usually pick – 02 Glamour, which is a creamy rose-pink in tube, but a more peachy tone on skin. I rarely do peach coloured lips, but it was a cheap and fun buy so I decided to try something different.
The applicator is your regular sponge-tipped doe foot applicator, which picks up a decent amount of product although I recommend you wipe off excess before applying, as the texture of the lip cream is a bit thick.
I’m going to show you a swatch below, which is just a couple of seconds after applying it on my hand.
You can see how opaque it is going on. It also looks a bit shiny but leave it for a minute or two, and it dries and sets purely matte. What this means therefore is that you have to work quickly to get the product to spread and blend on your lips before it sets because once it sets, it won’t budge. Not one bit. Good, if you like that sort of longlasting colour.
I find that it’s a bit of a problem working with this Silkygirl Matte Junkie lip cream. It was easy to get the colour on my lips, but I found it hard to get it to spread evenly all over my lips. I don’t wear lipbalm (it’s a personal quirk, and the lipsticks I use never require it) and personally, I feel that wearing a lipbalm just to get a lipstick to work is counter-productive. Just use a comfortable lipstick, and you won’t need it 😛
So for me, the product takes a little bit of work to spread evenly. It bugs me that it doesn’t, as I can see streaks and I do have to keep touching up till I get it right. I find then, that meshing your lips together does help somewhat to get the colour to even itself out.
And then, here’s how it looks when I wear it.
This is after the product sets on lips. It settles into lip lines, and it makes my lips look dry. I also find it intensely drying as the product dries. It seems to suck ALL the moisture out of my lips, and I don’t like that feeling. If you have flakes on your lips then this will catch on it. So before using, make sure you prime your lips by ensuring they are flake free, slap on a lip balm about half an hour before applying this… and you’d still experience that tightening feeling as the Matte Junkie Lip Cream dries. Personally, I feel this to look aging, and it just isn’t a look I go for. I’m all about plumped, glossy or satin lips.
As a colour, I was quite amused, as this isn’t a shade I’d typically wear, yet I think it was alright in the bigger scheme of things. It might be something I could explore in a different formula in future 🙂
However, if you want something that does not budge nor mark then this will be the one to go for. You need a proper oil based remover to get rid of the product properly. Don’t scrub at your lips with an ineffectual cleansing water. It damages your lips and gives you lines. Instead, use a bi-phase makeup remover or an oil cleanser and it does the job in a more gentle, less hassle fashion 🙂
For a product that cost me just under RM20, I’m really not complaining very much. It’s not a texture I favour in lip products, and I went into it knowing this to be so. I think it’s a great way to see if matte lipstick is something you might like, before splurging on the hard-to-get brands that will cost a lot more. It sure satiated my curiosity, and I didn’t bust my wallet wide open. I won’t try another. I’m sticking to my creamy textured lipsticks – so much more flattering on me! 😀
IN A NUTSHELL
The Silkygirl Matte Junkie Lip Cream is a product that is on trend at the moment, being a matte textured liquid lipstick. It is very affordable and found at local pharmacies. I find the creamy texture easy to apply, but it takes some work to get it to even out properly on lips. The applicator and formula makes the application a bit streaky. The product dries down to a budge-proof matte colour on lips. Not unsurprisingly, I find that it settles into lip lines, and feels intensely drying. Matte lipsticks have never been something I’m interested in, and neither are liquid lipsticks. However, for anyone lusting after all the other brands out there, made popular by social media or blogs, this one’s a decent one to try to see if you might like the texture. It sure helped me scratch my itch!
PROS: Affordable way to try a hyped makeup trend, Long-lasting, Does not mark cups nor budge at all once dry, Does not cause lips to peel despite it being drying, Wearable colours
CONS: Drying, Sinks into and shows up lip lines, Applies streaky and hard to even out the colour on lips
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants a longlasting matte textured lipstick, Anyone who wants to try out the latest matte liquid lipstick hype without spending a lot of money
PRICE: RM21.90
AVAILABILITY: Major local pharmacies – Guardian, Watsons etc wherever Silkygirl is sold
A BONUS TIP!
I was experimental one day, and after applying this Matte Junkie Lip Cream and suffering the drying process, I then layered on a sheerer, moisturising pink lipstick (I chose Dior Lip Addict) Much to my surprise, it turned out to be a) a pretty colour and b) a longer lasting lip colour!
The moisturising lip colour helped to protect my lips from drying out, and the creamier glossy texture filled up the lines and plumped up lips so it looked more flattering. I picked a sheer shade so it would blend nicely with the more opaque base shade. When my top layer of colour started wearing off, the base colour remains. So, you don’t have a problem with lipstick wearing off too unevenly especially after meals, and you end up with a much more comfortable lip. One way to get these sort of textures to work for you 😉
Have you tried the Matte Junkie Lip Cream? Are you into the whole matte liquid lipstick trend?
If I didn’t come across these from Silkygirl, I would have never tried any of these matte liquid lipstick things. I know my makeup preferences by now, and I know what does not work. Matte lipsticks do not work, so I was fine with paying RM20 to get this out of my system, but not more! Now, what about you? 😀
Paris B
I like matte lipsticks! I’ve loved it in the 90s and I still love it today. I’m not particularly fond of the complete matte look but more a demi-matte or slightly satin-matte. Does that make sense? I recently bought a few drugstore brands to try as well and quite like the Maybelline lipstick format types (not liquid). But the colour selection is a bit tough because there seems to be a nude / brown trend going on. The liquid ones are pretty decent and offers a few deeper shades. Bourjois liquid mattes are not bad too but a tad pricey for drugstore.
My favorite is probably the Tarte matte chubby stick things. I’ve worn it in a few videos and it looks quite nice on camera too. Think they came out with a liquid version I have yet to try.
I think matte looks better on folks with fuller lips and yes, your lips have to be in good condition to pull off mattes. Which is why I will not wear them if my lips are dry or will top off with a glossier lipstick / gloss. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of shiny lip products because I don’t enjoy the tacky or slippery texture.
Satin matte is nice. Matte, but with a hint of shine so lips don’t look 2D. I do prefer a glossier look though for lips. Oh I think I came across the Maybelline ones too. But went with Silkygirl coz it was cheaper LOL! Times are bad, must buy local! 😉 I think you’re right about matte lips looking better on fuller lips – it makes sense coz it flattens the lips so if you have thin lips to start, flattening them gets you nothing to look at! LOL!
High five! I bought 02 Glamour as well. I swatched all five shades and Glamour is the prettiest. All the brown shades on my lip does not appears on photo, making me look as if I didn’t have any colour on my face so 02 Glamour it is!
Yay high 5! You’re right about Glamour looking best. I opted out of the red, because I wasn’t sure about the texture. But if this is anything to go by, then the red would have gone on streaky and that wouldn’t have been very nice!
Hey PB! Agreed, satin textures look a lot better on you. BUT can I just say how well the colour goes with your teint? It makes you look all glowy and fresh. Greetings from Seoul xx
Hi there and Seoul! I just had Korean for dinner yesterday and I’d love to go back to Seoul again to enjoy the weather and food! 😀 Thank you for the compliment. I do like the colour too so I’ll look for a similar shade in a more flattering texture – thank you for noticing! 😀
I don’t get the matte thing too, it tends to make my lips look really flat and weird. It’s just like some cars you know, they are not meant for matte finish, but owner die die also want to give it those matte coating, or matte sticker, which is just…wrong. XD
Yes, flat and no definition. A bit strange to me for the true mattes. Maybe it’s better for bee stung lips 😛 And LOL at cars! Yes, OMG! Everytime I see a car with matt paint I think “WTF?! They think it’s the Batmobile!”
looks really lovely!
XOXO Peachplz
Thanks!
I tried the NYX soft matte lip cream in Istanbul and I really didn’t like how it accentuate all the lines I didn’t know I have. These days I usually mix it with creamy lipsticks. I love tha fact that it has applicator but the whole matte thing is just not for me.
Oh dear I’ve heard a lot of raves for the NYX one too! But I’m not trying now, thanks for the heads up 😀 I much prefer a lip with a bit of a glow or shine. Not necessarily with lip gloss, but just a more moisturizing formula 🙂
Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of matte lipsticks either. They’re too drying. I know they’re longer lasting, but they just sit in the lines of my lips and it makes my lips look super dry.
I have a few matte lip products, but they’re mainly lip pencils. One from NARS, the cruella Sephora bday set from last year and the nudestix matte lip pencil, a 3 set also from Sephora.
I mean, the formular is nice, I just don’t love how it looks on me.
I get what you mean. I think the concept behind matte lipsticks are great, but you do have to do a lot to get your lips in shape even before you apply them on, and even then, you risk lips looking lined and wrinkly anyway. I guess it’s a case of different strokes for different folks.
I have one in shade Retro and I definitely am in love with it! I use a layer of Maybelline baby lips lip balm before the Matte Junkie Lip Cream and it works fine. I still feel that it’s sucking the moisture but that’s all, my lips didn’t dry up badly or ended up flaky, nope, didnt experience that. The colour and intensity makes me dont wanna ditch them, haha! I wanted to get Vintage too but after numerous swatching, I decided that it is just too pink to my liking.
Aww that’s good to know that you like them! I’m quite sure there are lots of people who love this (and it helps that it’s so affordable and available locally, right? Without having to wait for an overseas delivery that costs a bomb) but I’m just not one of them 🙁 Still, I love how they jumped on the trend so quickly to offer us options 😀