After buying a Limecrime Velvetine in Suedeberry a couple of years ago (and subsequently pretty much every other shade they do) I have been a matte lip product convert. I’d tried matte and semi-matte lipsticks like Mac’s Ruby Woo before, but they don’t quite give the same super bold, super opaque effect as the liquid matte products. I’m still an advocate of the Limecrime Velvetine, but at £13.50 plus shipping they’re not cheap and they can’t be bought in store in the UK. Consequently, I was keen to try out some more affordable high street alternatives, especially as they’re becoming more and more popular at the moment. I tried one of MUA’s Velvet Lip Lacquers (£3) but wasn’t a fan – although the colour was great and they did dry matte, the texture was sticky and it crumbled off very easily.
Sleek Matte Me in ‘Birthday Suit’
My latest matte lip purchases have been two Sleek Matte Me ‘ultra smooth matte lip creams’ (£5 each – currently buy one get one half price in Boots). They have been around for a while, but I thought I’d post about them as I think that a lot of people are yet to experiment with matte lips.
Although Sleek offer some great bright and bold shades, I wanted to try the more subtle ones ‘Petal‘ and ‘Birthday Suit‘, and I’m so impressed! Although the texture isn’t identical to that of the Limecrime Velvetine, they are very similar and (more importantly) the effect given once dry is just as good. Sleek Matte Me dries completely matte, and once dry is totally touch and smudge proof. They claim not to need a second coat and I would agree that a second coat isn’t necessary, but I personally apply a second coat anyway to ensure I get a totally opaque look. I have found that it needs touching up if I wear it when eating, but that’s true of any lip product, otherwise the staying power is fantastic. The shade I’m wearing in these photos is ‘Birthday Suit’, and is my favourite of the two. I would describe it as a dark nude, and I think it’s so wearable! Plus it looks a lot like the shade Kylie Jenner has been coveting recently.
One of the biggest concerns I hear about matte lip creams is, ‘aren’t they really drying?’. As would be expected, they are more drying than a glossy sheer lipstick (for example), but providing you’re not wearing it all day every day and apply a lip balm before you apply Matte Me (or any other matte lip cream) I personally don’t find dryness a problem. This might be different if you suffer with particularly dry lips to begin with, but otherwise do not let dryness put you off!
So if you’re looking to experiment with a matte lip cream, Sleek Matte Mes are fairly inexpensive and come in six colours, making them the perfect place to start! Similarly, I think they’re great if you’re already a fan of the matte lip product and are looking to expand your collection.