Let’s be very clear about one thing: I hate matte lipstick. With the single exception of Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution, you'll find me over by the glosses, balms, and "moisture-rich" lip formulas, sipping the haterade every day.
You can probably guess why: The finish always makes my lips look and feel dehydrated, flakes throughout the day, and settles into the lines in a way that is not cute.
I once went on a date for drinks in a matte lip. Two hours later, I headed home, and was greeted with a terrifying image when I finally looked in the mirror: The center of my lips were completely bare while the outer edges were traced with flaky formula — like a bad '90s lipliner tattoo.
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There's a reason all positive reviews of matte lipsticks go out of their way to claim this one is the one, finally, that's hydrating but never budges: Most of them just aren't good at doing both. So, 99% of the time, I don't buy into it. But the other 1%? That part of me is desperate to find the matte lipstick that proves me wrong.
The Catrice Matt Lip Artist 6HR might just be it — and it comes from the drugstore. (Isn't that how it always goes?) The shape and size are key here. The lipstick tube is actually a jumbo crayon packed with pigment, so you don't need to pile on layers to guarantee an opaque finish. And it looks even better when you apply it without a mirror and it's just smudge-y and diffused. What I respect the most, though, is the six hour guarantee. When you start promising 12 or 24-hour wear, you get into glue-like texture territory, but six hours is all anyone ever needs anyway.
My go-to is First bROWn Ticket (the brand's play on words is a stretch, we know), a ‘90s brown-red that complements most skin tones and looks sexy as hell. No touch-ups or mirror checks required. Never will I look like I tried an ombré lip with Chapstick and expired lip liner ever again.
Catrice Matt Lip Artist 6hr, $6.99, available at Catrice.
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