The product: Kiss The Scandal Creamy Lipstick in Temptation
Kiss The Scandal: How matte is matte?
In a sentence? Not very matte. It’s so weird to me that companies are making “mattes” nowadays that aren’t matte at all — but it’s a pretty common phenomenon all across the beauty world.
Just like how beauty magazines are calling vulvas “vaginas,” more and more brands are calling cream finishes (typically lightly-moisturizing formulas with no shimmer or gloss) “mattes.” It’s frustrating, because we already have a word for that. But as more publications move to digital platforms, SEO becomes king.
Even, apparently, at the cost of common sense and a healthy grip on reality.
The texture and shade of Kiss Temptation
The formula: As a lip product with a “semi-matte finish,” these are mediocre; however, as a lip product with a cream finish, this shade is excellent. The Kiss The Scandal lipsticks are soft and comfortable, and I find that they wear for about three hours before I need to reapply. They’re not particularly hydrating, but they don’t strip my lips of moisture, either. Each lipstick has a fruity scent.
The shade: Temptation is a really well-balanced “nothing” lip for fair skin. It’s a mauvey nude with medium opacity and fairly neutral undertones.
I’ve tried the Kiss The Scandal Creamy Lipstick in Irresistible as well (at a Kiss event), and I definitely think this is a formula that excels in nude and natural shades. Irresistible is a blackened violet. It’s gorgeous, but in a formula that never sets… it just doesn’t work. Darker colours go on patchy and are prone to smearing.
Kiss The Scandal Creamy Lipstick in Temptation (swatched in indirect sunlight)
Kiss The Scandal Creamy Lipstick in Temptation. This is how I usually take my lip swatches (as above), but I really like how this photo turned out — it shows off Kiss’ Lash Couture Faux Mink Lashes in Boudoir really well, and shows how this lip shifts in different lighting! Great skin texture, too. This is Pür Cosmetics 4-in-1 Pressed Power Foundation in Porcelain.
Other creamy mattes at the drugstore
Calling a cream (or “creme”) product a “matte” is one of my cardinal beauty sins, but Kiss isn’t the only company who does it. Remember the Maybelline Vivid Mattes? This is the same idea: a “matte” liquid lipstick that finishes with a cream finish. (For what it’s worth, I like these more — the Vivid Mattes, for those who remember them, were pretty shiny. These have a more effortless finish!)
Kiss The Scandal in Temptation (middle) alongside Kiss Top Brow (in Medium Brown, Brunette, and Deep Dark Brown) and Magical Ink Eyeliner. I love The Scandal, but the Top Brow spoolies are a little too harsh for me, and I find that the Magical Ink liner smudges after about two hours.
The Kiss The Scandal verdict?
If you go based on Kiss’ marketing materials for these, they’re pretty terrible. They’re not matte (or “semi matte”), they’re not high-pigment, and they definitely aren’t fully opaque.
However, if you’re going based solely off of how these perform… I like them. They’re comfortable and creamy, and Temptation is an awesome medium-nude for Asian skintones. It can be tough to find a neutral lip that works for olive skintones, so despite these falling short of my expectations, I find that I quite enjoy them for other reasons!
If you’re purchasing a tube of Kiss The Scandal, make sure to opt for light and medium shades, as the darker ones don’t perform as well.
Availability: $7 USD/$9.99 CAD. Permanent. Find these at London Drugs and Rexall.
