Matte Lips - A Rich Winter Indulgence

There is something about winter weather that begs for a matte lip. Perhaps it is the wind whipping our hair across our faces or the scarves bundled up around our mouths. Maybe we just need to balance the shimmer we don for holiday parties on our eyes, lips, face. . .whatever the reason, I find a matte lip in the winter to be very satisfying. It is bold. It is pigmented. It is classic.

Don’t get me wrong – I love a good gloss as well, but there is something mysterious . . .sexy. . .even powerful about a strong matte lip. Some of my favorite products for achieving the look include the following:

MAC Matte Lipstick – While MAC matte lipsticks are not for everyone because they are fairly dry in consistency, as usual, MAC does a fine job with color choices in its matte lipstick formula. Additionally, MAC has taken on the critics with the release of their “mattene” formula of lipsticks. Designed to be a creamier, less drying, take on matte, these are definitely worth a look if you find the regular matte formula too dry.

Bobbi Brown Mattestain – Bobbi Brown, Queen of the Neutral, does a fine job in her stab at matte with the mattestain. These little pots of highly pigmented, creamy lip color are fairly limited in color range, but the colors offered are rich and bold. The color goes on creamy and is not as terribly drying as many matte lip products. These are absolutely one of my favorite matte lip products, and I own almost all of the colors.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge – Bobbi delivers even more matte lip options with her multi-tasking pot rouge product. Pot rouges can be used on cheeks or lips, and the colors are a more muted take on the classic matte lip. These more natural-looking colors render themselves foolproof, going on easily and smoothly. They are the matte that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Laura Mercier Lip Stain – Laura Mercier, another neutral expert, released her new pot lip stains in 2007. As with many matte lip products, this one is somewhat drying. I find that my satisfaction varies with the color of this product, so I definitely must “try before I buy”. They are worth a look for any matte lover, but I must admit that I think Bobbi Brown has produced superior products for achieving a matte lip.

NARS Lip Stain Gloss – The fact that this is called a “gloss” will forever puzzle me. This product goes on very creamy. If you mess up the application, it’s no problem. Once this dries though, the reason it is called a “stain” becomes very apparent – it is a long-lasting matte lip product.

If you are going to go matte, I challenge you to go bold and uncompromising in your color selection – full-bodied reds, lush berries, or candied pinks are great choices. They look especially rich when paired with a light shimmery eye. A good matte nude or a YLBB-shade (Your Lips But Better) should be a staple in every makeup addict’s stash, reliably balancing a smoky eye. Some of my favorite mattes are:

MAC Russian Red

MAC Kinda Sexy

Bobbi Brown Candy mattestain

Bobbi Brown Powder Pink pot rouge

NARS Rage lip stain gloss

What are your favorite matte lip products? Post a comment, and let me know!