When I opened up my package from Studio Gear Cosmetics, I was really excited to see all six shades of their new Velvety Matte Lipsticks. The lipstick comes in True Red, True Magenta, True Nude, True Mauve, True Pink, and True Plum. I was most excited about the Nude and the Plum- I tend to hoard these shades and can never have too many!
True Red, True Mauve, True Nude, True Pink, True Magenta, True Plum
Although the monochromatic packaging made it slightly difficult to read, I really liked how sleek the boxes looked. The cases are soft-touch black, similar to what NARS uses, and look quite elegant. When I opened the first lipstick, I noticed they do have a certain smell- kind of old-fashioned, like your grandmother’s Max Factor. However, the smell was not very strong, nor was it unpleasant, and it did dissipate quickly.
True Red, True Mauve, True Nude, True Pink, True Magenta, True Plum
Application was tough, at first. The color went on pretty splotchy, and the lipsticks drag, a lot. BUT, these are matte lipsticks, and (with the exception of Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope), I have never found a matte formula that does not drag. Even the ever-popular Kat Von D matte shades drag. I think that just comes with the matte territory in most cases. Also, after the first time, the lipsticks were no longer splotchy when applying. I think this is because many lipsticks have a coating to protect them during packaging, shipping, etc., which can make the first application a little less awesome.
True Red, True Mauve, True Nude, True Pink, True Magenta, True Plum
The Studio Gear lipsticks were a bit less pigmented than Kat Von D’s, but much more pigmented than your average drugstore lipstick. Wear time was comparable with Kat Von D and other prestige brands. But, Studio Gear takes the cake when it comes to comfort. The name “Velvety Matte Lipstick” is appropriate. These were much more comfortable to wear than most matte formulas- they felt lighter, and a lot less drying. The shades were all gorgeous and remained true-to-color.
Wearing True Red
Overall, I was pretty happy the performance of Studio Gear True Color Velvety Matte Lipsticks. They are reasonably priced, wear is very good and comfortable, and the colors are beautiful. With matte formulas being all the rage, I sincerely hope they release more shades!
Wearing True Mauve
P.S. If you order from Studio Gear’s website, you get free samples with every order, and if you use my code at checkout, BeauxBeauty, you get 10% off!
Studio Gear True Color Velvety Matte Lipstick retails for $18.00 for 0.12 oz.
Wearing True Nude
Wearing True Pink
Wearing True Magenta
Wearing True Plum
