Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte review, swatches, photos

August 10, 2017

The product: Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Lipsticks in 103 Warm Beige, 105 Rosewood, and 109 Praline

The Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte formula promises “insane color payoff and crazy long wear,” if you ask Sephora. (If you ask Make Up For Ever, they use the terms “high colour payoff” and “20-hour, comfortable wear” instead.)

Both of those statements set Make Up For Ever up for failure, which is always a nice place to start a review off, so let’s start there!

Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick swatches: 103 Warm Beige, 105 Rosewood, and 109 Praline

The Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte formula

If you’re expecting 20-hour wear out of these lipsticks, you’re going to be disappointed. Hell, if you’re expecting half that, you’re still going to be disappointed.

Make Up For Ever 103 Warm Beige Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick review

I can get through about two hours with these lipsticks still looking perfect, and four and a half (plus a meal!) with very minimal signs of wear. It begins to feel a bit dry after five, and visible wear on the inner lip becomes visible after six. All in all, I’d say that these are comfortable for six flawless hours of wear–which is great, but falls slightly short of the promised 20.

You know. Like, a little short. A tiny bit. A tiny, fourteen hour time gap.

The formula contains avocado oil and glycerine for comfort and moisture, silicone resin and wax for long wear, and silica, kaolin, silicone oil, and mineral clay for a matte finish. It also, apparently, contains hope and delusion (because 20 hours?? Really, Make Up For Ever?)

Make Up For Ever 105 Rosewood Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick

Make Up For Ever 109 Praline Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick review

The Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte shades

For all of my complaining about details, I do really enjoy wearing these lipsticks. They’re not a “weightless” lip, but they’re comfortable and very, very matte.

I tried three of the range’s more neutral shades, starting with 103 Warm Beige, a warm, apricot-toned nude. It’s very orange, but not too light–it’s not a death nude from the 90s. (Now introducing Liquid Matte and their intro band, Death Nude.)

I also tested out 105 Rosewood, which has a strong, interesting grey-violet tone, and 109 Praline, which was my favourite of the lot. Praline is a warm, dusty red, and it’s a very wearable shade (even on my fair skin). I would love to see Praline on a darker skintone, because I think it would be gorgeous and super goddess-y.

Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick swatches: 103 Warm Beige, 105 Rosewood, and 109 Praline

The Make Up For Ever Artist Liquid Matte verdict?

I’ve been wearing really vampy shades recently, so I haven’t been getting a lot of wear out of these–but they’re great. They’re really pigmented and comfortable, and the price point isn’t bad.

I refuse to believe that these are best liquid mattes on the market, but I like them and I find they wear well. If you find a shade in this range that speaks to you (and there are a fair few, especially if you like dark violet lips), then I say go for it!