REVIEW :: Melt Cosmetics Matte Lipstic

"ULTRA - MATTE. BOLD. RADIOACTIVE"

I've been following Lora Arellano (@lora_arellano) on Instagram for as long as I can remember. Soon after I discovered her, I found her friend (and now colleague) Dana Bomar (@DANABOMAR). They are amazing makeup artists in the California area who have inspired me so many times I should probably write them a letter of gratitude. Basically, when I heard they were teaming up to create a line of lipsticks I knew I was going to have to try them out. The only problem was that they are very costly at 19$ a tube so it took me awhile before I could fit them in to my budget. I didn't want to just buy one after all! I finally found a couple extra bucks in my pocket and picked up three tubes last week. So shall we dive in to the good, the bad, and the ugly about Melt Cosmetics? I think so!

WHAT COMES IN THE BOX?!

Melt Cosmetics ships all of their packages (in the US) by USPS Priority Mail Shipping. It came in a small, sturdy box, wrapped in bubble wrap. I always appreciate a company who puts just a little extra into making sure the product won't damage during the journey to its new home. You get an adorable thank you card with images of Lora on one side (shown) and Dana on the other. You also get two stickers, the lipsticks, and most surprisingly (and excitingly) you get a small pocket mirror with their logo on it! In the image above, the mirror is the one with the red lipstick on it. It was really exciting to open the package up and get these little extra goodies. I use the mirror all the time, it is so convenient and cute! 

Ok let's not get lost going on about the mirror, this review is about lipstick! 

PACKAGING!

The product comes in a really sleek, black tube, with their logo on the side. It has this strange texture that is not plastic-feeling, but very smooth. I love it. It makes the tube feel luxurious and it looks really pretty. I also appreciate that it is very simple packaging. While I am a sucker for the over the top packages that you often find, I lean more towards the clean look that you get with these simple packages. 

PRODUCT!

The first thing I always do when I open up new makeup is smell it, because….what else are you gonna do?! I know this is something that a lot of other people join me in doing! I was hit with a HUGE burst of nostalgia when I took a whiff of these babies. They smell (to me) like the little white candy stick you get in the Fun Dip candy pack. I used to eat those so much as a kid and so it goes without saying that I love the way they smell. I read someone say that they thought they smelled cheap. I disagree totally, they just smell good to me. Some products out there can smell very plain or even foul. 

The intensity of the color is these tubes is impressive. They look just as they are describe: radioactive. The vibrancy is not for the faint of heart, and these are not going to be for a "natural look" makeup wearer. These babies are bold! 

I only picked up three colors, because as I mentioned earlier, these babies are expensive. The most important part of my purchase was Bane (matte-black), and I kind of just picked the other two based on what I would probably wear the most. Since I was limited in my decision making I chose Stupid Love (matte-bright pink) and Bang! Bang! (matte-bright orange) because I will easily wear these alone or mix them with lipsticks I already have. 

Bang! Bang! :: Middle: No Flash Right: Flash

We will start with Bang! Bang! I will admit I was a little disappointed when I swatched it on my arm. It was not as intense as it appears in the tube. The good news is that when I applied it to my lips it looked a lot better! But still, take a look at how orange that swatch is! It is such a true orange it is amazing. The texture is really good. For a matte shade it was pretty creamy and easy to apply. I foresee it having to be touched up more than other matte shades though, as it doesn't feel like it has the staying power of other matte lipsticks I own. I plan on mixing this shade with some of my more pinky lipsticks to get a really nice color for spring time. When I am not as pale as my current state, I will 100% be wearing this on its own. 

Stupid Love :: Middle: No Flash Right: Flash

Stupid Love is my new obsession. I joked around on my instagram about wanting to live inside this tube of lipstick and I was not kidding. IT IS GORGEOUS! The texture of this tube was the best out of the three. It was a little more dry than the others but I like that with matte lipsticks because it lasts longer on the lips. I just make sure to apply chapstick before I start my makeup so that when I get to applying the lipstick they are nice a moisturized. This color is so vibrant and pretty, perfect for spring time! I plan on wearing it all the time.

Bane :: Middle: No Flash Right: Flash

I do apologize about the first swatch, my arm was bent and so it came out slightly blurry. Sadly, I have mixed feelings about this shade. The texture is not dry at all. I don't know quite how to explain the texture, it is super creamy and almost slippery. I did not have chapstick on my lips when I first applied this color either. It also was not very matte looking, which surprised me. Regardless of these few "flaws" I still loved the color when I first applied it. I would have vowed to live in its tube if not for one thing that broke my little heart……This lipstick broke apart on my lips after 10 minutes. It settled into every fine line I have and just looked awful. I slapped some more on my lips and had the same problem in another 10 minutes. This is a big problem for me because I honestly hate having to touch up my lipstick while I am out so I look for ones that are going to last as long as possible. I am still going to wear this shade do not get me wrong, but I definitely hope I find a way to stop this cracking nonsense. I have never used lip primers before but maybe it is time to start? Let me know if any of you use them and what you think of them!

 
THE GOOD:

• These lipsticks have amazing pigmentation and color payoff
• The texture, for the most part, is very nice and long lasting
• Packaging is sleek and easy to throw in your bag for on the go touchups
• You get something new out of your lipsticks that you may not find from other brands, especially drug store 

THE BAD:

• There may be a slight inconsistence in texture between batches. I only assume this because all three of my tubes had a different texture, and I have read other reviews with varying textures than mine of the same color.
• Bane was a huge let down in terms of breaking apart and not being ultra matte.

THE UGLY:

• The only major problem I have with these lipsticks is their price. I understand I am buying a high end product, but 20$ is really steep and I do not think these necessarily are worth that amount of money. Combined with the 7$ shipping cost, you are looking at a 30$ lipstick if you only buy one. This is why I waited until I could purchase more than one, but my total was still almost 70$ for 3 tubes of lipstick. Not very friendly to those who are on a budget! 

The bottom line: I probably will purchase the rest of the products from Melt Cosmetics because I do really like them. I just won't be able to purchase them any time soon! Until I can though I will enjoy the ones I have. They really are beautiful and vibrant, I just hope I can work my issues out with Bane! Have you tried any products out from Melt Cosmetics?  If so please let me know what you think in the comments below! 

You can purchase these products online from the Melt Cosmetics webpage.

Also, enjoy these awkward photos of me touching my face. I don't know why I decided to take these pictures after a 12 hour day so please excuse the status of the rest of my makeup. I felt that not throwing them in here would be a waste because I do want you to see what the lipsticks look like on …. well, lips!

-xox-