Sneak Peek: ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks Photos & Swatches (First Impressions)

ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick ($6.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a new formula that will launch on June 25th with 25 shades ranging from light beige to chocolate brown. It takes a really long time to work through and wear each of these as they are typically longer-wearing (six to ten hours), so I can only try one shade a day (while still needing to test other lip products), which means it’ll be awhile before I have full reviews for all of the shades. I am certainly hoping to review them all, but I’m not sure when I’ll finish that up. With that being said, I thought first impressions (I’ve worn three shades so far and applied all shades at least once, some two or three times) might be useful in addition to full photos and swatches.

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First Impressions

Packaging woes: About a fourth to a third of my tubes are leaking/spilling/pooling over. I’m not sure where the weak point is, but there is a ton of excess liquid accumulated on the interior rib where the cap screws on (it’s the top of the part of the tube that contains the gloss, where the wand pulls out of) and when you screw the top back on, all of this excess is squeezed out and runs everywhere. This is my biggest concern, because this is an unforgiving formula to have leaking in a bag (not that any makeup product leaking is going to be a fun time). So far, I haven’t had any leak out once I’ve closed and cleaned off all of the excess product that has oozed out (e.g. all 25 of them laying horizontally on a table).

Inconsistency in texture and application: A lot of the shades applied really smoothly with rich color payoff, while a few were sheerer, streaky, or patchy. I applied all troublemakers three times in hopes of it being my ineptitude, but these three were perpetually poor once applied: Vice (streaky, do not attempt to apply a second coat), Zipper (sheerer, patchy), Lax (uneven/patchy). Some of them have a thinner consistency and others have a lightweight but not thin consistency, and the ones with a thinner consistency dry quickly. I felt like I had to really rush with these and had no leeway to get crisper lines if desired. They do not layer well at all, so it’s one shot; if it doesn’t look right, remove entirely and reapply. Some of the thicker shades go on with intense, smooth color but have a tendency to crack more noticeably once dry. The darker, thicker shades took the longest to dry (Lax, Tulle). Your best bet is to apply quickly and get it to be mostly even/smooth and let it dry down, as liquid lipsticks tend to level a little and dry to a smoother finish than you’d think they would.

Kind of kiss-proof: I’ve only tried three, and they’re mostly kiss-proof, but not totally and you’ll want to do a “kiss-off” on the back of your hand about five to ten minutes after applying to ensure a more kiss-proof finish. I had very subtle color on the rim of my coffee cup with one of the darker shades, and I kissed my husband (lightly!) about an hour and a half after application, and he noticed a little reddish stain on his coffee cup (he was very sure to call me to tell me “It’s not kiss-proof! Don’t put that in your review!”).

If you like liquid lipstick, they’re probably going to be worth checking out: except for packaging (see above) concerns, these felt a lot like your typical matte, liquid lipstick formulas. They are not a hydrating, ultra-comfortable lipstick formula, so if you like your balm-like lipsticks, these are not them. They are ultra-matte, lightly clingy, longer-wearing, and get drying after several hours of wear. The price point is attractive, and they contain the same as liquid lipsticks like Anastasia and Stila, but Kat Von D has almost double (and this is my preferred formula for matte, liquid lipsticks). They will break down with oil (whether that’s an oil-based salad dressing you’re having with lunch or using it to remove them at the end of the day).

See more photos & swatches!