The product being reviewed in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated further are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brand featured in this post.
Hello again. I remember when I was in San Diego and my boyfriend dropped me off at the mall before going to work. I was going to do a ton of window shopping to kill time but I ended up coming across this store with makeup. I'm so frustrated that I can't remember the name of it!
This store was AMAZING to come by, though, because it had a huge variety of both e.l.f. and NYX products (including NYX's Black Label lipsticks, which aren't at Ulta). I already knew I loved NYX products, because I ordered some before, but I had been wanting to try e.l.f. - their lip products especially. I had recently seen one of my YT subscriptions say positive things about the Matte Lip Color from their Studio line, so I decided to check it out in the color "Tea Rose."
On their website, e.l.f. claims that this product is designed for precise application, provides long-wearing matte color, and has vitamins A, C, and E for hydration. I purchased this product purely because of the moisturizing claims.
THE BASICS
Name: Tea Rose (#82463)
Net Wt.: 0.06 oz./ 1.8 g.
Price: $3
Finish: Matte
The e.l.f. Matte Lip Color comes packaged in a thin, matte black tube. It's essentially a 'jumbo' lip pencil that is on the thinner side (in fact, it's more like a fatter lip liner - they have another product that's their own version of the jumbo lip pencil). The brand/product names appear on the tube in white text. Otherwise, it's completely bare. The end of the tube is color-matched to the color of the product inside (thus it differs for different colors).
On the bottom-side of the color-matched section is a sticker with the product name and number. This was a little hard to capture in a picture since the font is so small but I still managed to get a semi-clear shot:
Before I get to my next point about the packaging, I want to mention that like most recent jumbo lip pencils, this product is retractable (that is, you turn it to retrieve more product as opposed to sharpening it). However, unlike most recent jumbo lip pencils, the body of the packaging right below the product itself (which is covered when the cap is on) - NOT the base of the packaging where it's color-matched - is the section that can be turned to retrieve more product.
In fact, the color-matched end of the tube serves a different, unique purpose to the product: it can be removed to reveal a small sharpener in case you want to give the product a sharper point (to maintain precise application) after its initial point wears down from use. I honestly would have totally overlooked this feature had I not read other reviews months ago! I don't think the box the product comes in makes any note of this, though I could be wrong (I threw the box away months ago).
This product has a subtle waxy/crayon-like scent to it.
COLOR/SWATCH
I chose "Tea Rose" (#82463) because I thought it looked like a pretty nude color. I found upon opening the packaging that the color of the product was actually pretty close to the little color-matched section of the packaging. Closer inspection of it, however, revealed that it was more mauve than I thought.
Swatched on my hand, the color remains true to what is in the tube:
As you can tell from the swatch above, the color is indeed matte.
WEAR (WITH LIP SWATCHES)
Application of the Matte Lip Color is bittersweet. It's easy to get precise application thanks to the slimmer size of the pencil and its point, but the product does tug at the lips. In fact, the formula of this product makes me think of Crayola crayons. It seems as though the waxy scent is only complimented by a waxy texture.
Before we continue, my bare lips for reference:
On my lips, "Tea Rose" is a mauvey-nude kind of color, lighter than when swatched on my hand. As such, the color on my lips looks deathly. It seriously reminds me of corpse lips and makes my skin look gray (for an overall morgue-ready look).
I actually took a full-face picture of myself (that I will not be posting here lol) with a shadow over my face thanks to the typical disgusting weather here, and the darkness in my cheekbone looked like a bruise since everything else about me looked so...dead. It's not a look I go for actually, even though I'm one of those morbid freaks that's fascinated by death.
I also want to note that when I put this on for the first time in California, when I had a tan, it made my lips themselves look gray. I was scared to try it after that, but have tried it twice since and while it doesn't look as bad as it did then, it still does not look flattering on me.
Though it may not be most apparent in the above picture, this product does settle into my lip lines (it's mostly noticeable when I smile). Additionally, when I rub my lips together it feels as though I've smeared pastels on them (you know those cute, waxy little sticks of color that smear onto paper vibrantly?).
In terms of wear-time, I've had this product on for almost 2 hours now, and it still looks...well...fairly the same. I can't say how long it can potentially last because this is the longest I've kept it on thus far without intentionally removing it (which I will be doing shortly). I feel like it could last a good 3 hours, if not longer, even with eating and drinking, because it is so waxy. In fact, when I drank from a glass and kissed my hand, there was very faint transfer which, again, is most likely due to the overly waxy texture. You win some you lose some, I guess.
Unfortunately, I care more about how a lip product feels over wear-time and how much it transfers. So for me, this was a total loss.
OVERALL
The e.lf. Matte Lip Color in "Tea Rose" was an awful color for my skin tone. Even so, I would not even repurchase it in a different color because the waxy formula did not appeal to me either. In fact, the only aspect that I truly appreciate in this product is the packaging.
With that being said, this product does live up to most of its claims: it does provide precise application, the color is indeed matte, and it seems as though it would wear for a long time. In terms of hydration, I'm torn: yes, it isn't drying like other matte lip products I've tried, but it has this awful waxy texture on my lips that I can't get past.
Overall, I was disappointed with this product and will not be repurchasing. I can only recommend it to those who find a flattering color in the line and can take waxy textures over drying ones since it is only $3. Otherwise I would save a few more dollars for something else.
Hope this review was helpful, and thanks for stopping by! 'Til next time. ('<>')>
~nikki
What are your favorite products from e.l.f.? If you tried any of their Matte Lip Colors, what were your experiences with them?
The product in this post was purchased by me with my own money.The opinions stated are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brand featured in this post.
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