MAKEUP | Quo Cosmetics Lip Velours with Lip Swatches

More matte lips, you say? Well, ok then! I have more awesomeness from Quo Cosmetics with six new shades from their Lip Velours collection. At this point, I think we have all tried a few matte lipstick formulations and I remember when long-lasting and matte meant discomfort and lips that were crying out for help! Thankfully, this is no longer the case and we can now wear intensely beautiful shades with ease.

The Quo Lip Velours ($14.00 CDN) apply as a liquid and transform into matte, cream-looking, finish. They are long wearing, transfer-proof and of course have mega pigmentation. I don't think I have ever seen a matte finish that wasn't pigmented. I don't even think it's doable really.

The one thing that makes the Lip Velours different from other matte liquid lipsticks is that the applicator is an actual brush as opposed to a doe foot applicator. The brush is supposed to make application more accurate, but I found it to be about the same. If anything, the slanted edge of the doe foot applicator is helpful to have. 

What seems to be a running theme with the matte liquid lipsticks/creams I have been trying out this year is the inconsistency in formula across different colour. With these swatches below, we can definitely play a game of "one of these things is not like the other"!

After Diva* (lip swatch here), Envy* was my second favourite shade and formula with the same easy application and relatively weightless formula. This bright orange-red seemed to brighten up my skin and add a nice pop of colour to an otherwise neutral makeup look.

Envy

There are some shades that just don't work and unfortunately Bombshell* was one of them. This probably would not have been so bad in a gloss or cream formula, but this peachy pink looked almost clown-like on me and made me look like I was glowing from afar. Formula was the same as Diva and Envy, but this colour was just too much for me.

Bombshell

Finally we come to Vamp*, which is actually a beautiful colour but the formula was oddly watery. It made me think that I perhaps received a dud, but even with searching online for reviews I wasn't able to find a swatch of Vamp. You can see below that because the formula was so watery, even application was near impossible. My husband thought I had a lip gradient going on, but that is just the patchiness happening...

Vamp

Final verdict: Diva is the shade I wear most often because of how neutral and flattering it is with any makeup look, but Envy is a close second! The formula is fairly comfortable, but I still find the Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Mattes (review) a bit more comfortable to wear. The Lip Velours were indeed transfer proof, which I tested out by eating a very leafy salad, and last the day. There was some wear on the inner part of my lip after eating which I think is to be expected, but other than the formulation issue with Vamp, I liked the shades that did work and hopefully darker shades like Vamp will be better on the next iteration.

Quo Cosmetics is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Review–NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

I’m a gloss girl. Even if I wear lipstick I have to finish with a coat of glossy goodness or I feel naked, but then I saw these NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and I thought just maybe this might be the product that combines two of my favourite qualities in a lip product.

It's not a lipstick, nor is it a gloss, it's like nothing you've ever experienced before! It's lipstick cream that goes on silky but looks soft matte. These long lasting lip creams come in 11 colours that will be sure to keep you lips moisturized and colourful.

Packaging: These lip creams come in the traditional lip gloss tube with a doe-foot applicator. I guess to match the finish of the lip cream, the caps are matte as well!

Scent: Creamy vanilla. It reminds me a lot of my favourite Tassimo Gevalia Vanilla Latte. Mmmm…

Formula: You can see from the swatches that these lip creams are incredibly pigmented! They glide on beautifully and really do feel creamy on the lips. Due to the nature of the matte appearance, any cracks in your lips will be accentuated so I would probably use a lip scrub (I love using any of the Lush ones) prior to application to give the lip creams a smooth surface to sit on. The wear time was not particularly long-lasting on me. Once I started eating and drinking, the colour just started fading fast. I have heard other bloggers say otherwise though.

Final Verdict: I don’t reach for these everyday, but I’m glad I have them in my makeup inventory because I love how I can have a bright pop of colour on my lips, but have it be more subtle because of how matte the finish is. The only thing that I found a bit strange was that when the colour started fading, it left a definitive ring of colour around the edges of my lips as if I didn’t blend my lip liner correctly…Abu Dhabi wasn’t quite as bad because it’s a nude, but the other two gave me quite an obvious “lip ring”. Even with this little quirk, I still think these matte lip creams are worth trying because the feel and finish is so unique and something I have never experienced before in a lip product. The finish on the lips is beautifully matte yet still moisturizing.

What do you guys think? Has anyone tried them yet and experienced what I have?