I've tried dozens of matte liquid lipsticks at all price points. Despite preferring a glossy, shiny lip — I know, how '00s of me— I still do mattes because I like the look of a nude or a dusty pink velvet lip. From the budge-proof Kylie Lip Kits to Too Faced's Melted Mattes to Kat Von D's Everlastings to Wet N Wild's Liquid Catsuits, I have played with so many mattes. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour is a drugstore matte and is one of the best I've swiped on my lips. With its faint floral scent, it applies easily and wears so comfortably.
It's not streaky nor is it crusty. It also doesn't feel heavy, reminding you that you have a coating your lips. Some of the pricier mattes cling to your lips and don't move, like Kylie Lip Kits moreso than her lighter, comfier Velvets.
I don't prefer the mattes that stay put through the activities of the day — talking, eating, kissing someone on the cheek, etc.— because they still wear down slightly, resulting in this undesired ombre lip look on my mouth. I tend to lose applied lip color in the center of my bottom lip quickly, while the rest remains. I hate that.
Rimmel Stay Matte, which is under $7, dries down matte and it's unbelievably light. The formula lasts, but not so much that it cracks during the day.
Even better and of critical importance to me, it wipes away easily with a makeup remover wipe or tissue, which I am all about because I don't like to wear lipstick while I eat.
I prefer to remove old lipstick, nosh, and then reapply a fresh coat once I've finished my food. This is me rocking Blush, while it dried down. It's my favorite shade and it matches my Chrisspy x Quays from last summer.
The color range is standard — nudes, pinks, reds— and bold, with some blacks and blues. But Blush, a rosy, Koko K x Candy K-like pink, and Moca, an Exposed-like nude, are my faves for a light matte lip this summer.
I love that the Rimmel Stay Mattes give you the velvet look without being too precise or too move-proof. I also love that Blush matches my natural lip tone and I never get that worn away look —as opposed to lived-in and blotted, which is actually a lip look I like—in the center of my smacker.
