Written by Clémence Rubiella | Published on 24 September 2023 | Makeup
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Dear readers,
Who isn't in love with a red lip, a nude lip, or any lips? And more specifically, a matte lip. The Koreans have been for a while now excelling in making one of the best lip products on the market for years now. However, it is very common for Koreans to use two shades of lipstick to achieve a gradient lip, darker at the centre and a lighter shade on the outer lines. But their lasting power and the textures are absolutely incredible. Most of them are so creamy and powdery, a bit like the one and only Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution. And to be honest, that was my reference product when I evaluated any Korean lipsticks and here are my lipsticks the best ones I could find after 5 years of searching.
My recommendations for the Best Matte Lipsticks:
Best Overall: Peripera Ink Mood Matte Stick ($10) Runner-up: 3CE Mood Recipe ($18)
Best No-Wear feeling: Merzy The First Lipstick Me Series ($10)
Best Cool Toned: Espoir Nowear Velvet Washed ($18)
Best Price: Rom&nd Zero Matte Lipstick ($6)
1. Best Overall: Peripera Ink Mood Matte Stick
Rating: 5 / 5
Awards: Glowpick 2023/2022
Highlights:
Nice shade range
Incredibly soft texture
Easy application
Hydrating formula
Long-lasting
Cute packaging
What we don’t like:
Nothing
Peripera has been in the lipstick game for a very very VERY long time, but mostly it was their affordable lip stain that eventually brought them the international spotlight. They launched every now and then a new collection but nothing incredibly innovative for years. And then, in 2023, they came out with a new collection called "Ink Mood" which included one lipstick lip balm type, tint-type and finally a lightweight matte type. The Ink Mood Matte Stick comes in 8 shades and has such a soft soufflé-like texture that it leaves a fluffy and powdery aspect to your lips. The pigmentation is on point (to Korean standards), it is a pleasure to wear on the lips and it is long-lasting. The formula contains agave leaf extract and sacha inchi oil that nourishes and moisturizes your lips. My favourite colour pick would be Hip Brown but they are all gorgeous.
1. Runner-up: 3CE Mood Recipe Matte Lip
Rating: 4 / 5
Highlights:
Soft and natural color range
Great color payoff
Cool packaging
Buildable gradient lip look
What we don’t like:
A bit drying
A close runner-up to the Peripera super best Ink Mood Matte Stick is the all too famous 3CE Mood Recipe Matte Lip (the similarity of the names is a total coincidence by the way). 3CE is known for its very taupe glamour makeup looks so you can expect the color range to be very brown-tone dominated. Those lipsticks are mostly used to make the typical Korean gradient lips (darker color on the inner lips and lighter on the outer lips). The texture is creamy but to me, it is a bit drying or dryer than the Peripera one. Nonetheless, the color payoff is equivalent if not superior and there is no caking.
2. Best No-Wear feeling: Merzy The First Lipstick Me Series
Rating: 4 / 5
Highlights:
Insanely creamy formula
Highly pigmented
Nice packaging
Comfortable on the lips
Good color range
What we don’t like:
Not long-lasting
Merzy promotes the idea of expressive beauty by embracing a person’s exterior with their “other-me-inside”. The First Lipstick Me Series has been a best-seller since its launch and let me tell you why. It is so beautifully formulated; highly pigmented, glides effortlessly, feels like you have nothing on your lips and is incredibly creamy. It comes in 8 shades with a velvet finish (semi-matte) and the packaging resonates with NARS; a black magnetic case but it has a little weight to it and feels a bit luxurious.
3. Best Red Lips: Kissme First Matte Lipstick
Rating: 5 / 5
Highlights:
Cool and light packaging
Most perfect red pigments
Great undertones
Smooth application
Long-lasting
What we don’t like:
Nothing
It took me (no kidding) 5 full years to find a red matte lipstick that fitted my criteria, and those were: long-wear, cool-toned, no smudging, easily applied and re-applied in case of a touch-up, lightweight on the lips and affordable. Simple list yet, absolutely 0 lipstick passed the test for me until I came across this Kiss Me Matte Lipstick. So highly pigmented, it glides on and adheres softly to your lips. Comfort is rated 10/10 for its light texture (vegan-certified product). I love the classic red lip effect you get when you use this lipstick and the no-smudging, long-lasting and non-drying properties. In love with this product, particularly with the shade 05 Rich Red. This lipstick was developed in collaboration with Colorize, a company specializing in personal color.
4. Best Cooled Tone: Espoir Nowear Velvet
Rating: 4 / 5
Highlights:
Incredibly creamy
Non-drying effect
Beautiful cool undertones
Lightweight
What we don’t like:
Cheap packaging
So, I have to be honest, I have a Charlotte Tilbury addiction with pretty much all her products. However, I am no fan of the price tag. So, I decided to look for the perfect Pillow Talk dupe Korean version. And I found it! The Espoir Newer Velvet in Washed Pink is the perfect dupe. It is a tiny biddy bit lighter but really worn side by side on the lips, you cannot tell the difference. It also comes in 2 other shades that are quite equally lovely. It feels lightweight and comfortable on the lips, so soft and smooth texture that is very comfortable. To me, it is even a little more creamier than the Charlotte Tilbury one. The only difference between the two would be the packaging quality with the Espoir lipstick feeling way cheaper.
5. Best Price: Rom&nd Zero Matte Lipstick
Rating: 3 / 5
Highlights:
Great shade range
Nude, Red, Mood and Live category
Soft color payoff
Lightweight
Good lasting properties
What we don’t like:
Nothing
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