Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick Exclusive Review

I find the packaging of Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick to be quite cute. The tubes are solid plastic but not see-through ones. It’s quite a bummer cause the opaque packaging will not let you see when the product is getting over or whether it’s drying out. The plastic case is color-coordinated. The body of the packaging represents the shade of the lipstick, and the screw cap is white, which looks very lovely, I must say. The wand is a teardrop shape with a hole in the middle. The hole ensures that the wand holds sufficient product that would help in one swipe application. You wouldn’t need to double-dip to cover your entire lips mostly. At least I didn’t have to as I have smaller lips. The packaging is lightweight and sturdy. There is no chance of spillage or breakage unless deliberate, so it’s very travel friendly.

I didn’t find any fragrance in it that would be disturbing. But we have to talk about the “unique” texture. When it claimed to be matte ink, I anticipated it to be of a slightly watery texture just like those Korean lip tints that would saturate the lips with color without adding too much texture. It is not like the traditional liquid lipstick formulas, either, which sometimes seems like paint, to be honest. It’s instead a slightly creamy and satin formula but doesn’t have a  very smooth consistency. It’s kind of like glue. Even when you take the wand out of the packaging, you will see that the product forms strings when separated. I did not expect this, but it has the texture and feel of your typical art glue.

I appreciate the fact that it has almost 35 super-saturated shades in its collection. There is a color for every skin tone and mood. There are some regular everyday shades, and there are also some wonky and fun shades in their like grey, blue, and green lipsticks. So you can play around with these no matter what your liking and personality call for.

The color payoff is the bomb I must give it that at least. The shade I chose 220 Ambitious is a bright red with a slightly orange tint to it. This shade instantly brightens up the face, and its warm tones will suit a majority of skin color. However, I must point out that it takes time to dry down. It doesn’t dry down to a completely matte finish on application and still has some balmy feel to it after application. Which is a good thing as it doesn’t settle into your fine lines and doesn’t make you feel overly dry in your lips. But I must warn you its glue-like consistency makes it feel stringy even on your lips. Do not purse your lips when you are applying it. It will sort of stick your lips uncomfortably and even form strings of products if pursed too often. Just use the wand for application. The sticky feeling will remain for some time till it dries down completely.

It doesn’t remain for 16 hours as per claims; that’s for sure. The lipstick is not entirely matte; hence it transfers a bit. I have worn this for 10 hours straight and tested it for a couple of days, so I know it wears off eventually after the first 6-7 hours. The formula is sticky, and hence it flakes off of the lips in patches. It leaves a “butthole” scenario on your lips after you have eaten 2- 3 meals or something heavy and oily. It doesn’t come off ultimately, but you can see some bits are coming off after a few hours. This shade, in particular, leaves a soft stain behind which I don’t mind. It’s typical for darker shades of lip products to leave tints behind anyways. I must also point out that after a few hours, your lips will feel dry and dehydrated. But you must know that all liquid lipsticks will do that to your lips anyways, and this is no different. If you want to reapply or refresh your lip color, you must remove the first layer altogether and then reapply. Otherwise, your lips will look cakey, and the pigment will just flake off after it dries down.