Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick ($28.00 CDN for 0.15 oz.) is a medium-dark, berry-plum with cool undertones and a luminous sheen. It seemed to have a very, very light dusting of fine pearl, but it was so subtle, I thought I might be imagining it. It had semi-opaque pigmentation with a thinner, more slippery consistency compared to other shades in the launch. It didn’t slide around as much as it could have, so it looked mostly even. The color lasted for six and a half hours and was lightly hydrating–but again, not at all matte (not even satin). Illamasqua Shard (P, $24.00) is less glossy. Burberry Bright Plum (15) (P, $30.00) is warmer. Illamasqua Shard (P, $24.00) is less glossy. MAC What Joy (LE, $16.00) is warmer. MAC What Joy (LE, $16.00) is warmer. YSL Forbidden Burgundy (12) (P, $34.00) is lighter. Marc Jacobs Beauty Cabaret (146) (LE, $30.00) is lighter, more muted, less glossy. Inglot #293 Lipstick Cream (P, $12.00) is darker. Bite Beauty Aubergine (P, $24.00) is lighter. Gucci Beauty Bitter Grape (P, $39.00) is more shimmery, lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick ($28.00 CDN for 0.15 oz.) is a brightened, tangerine orange with warm, yellow undertones and a satiny sheen. It was one of the more “matte” shades in the collection of five, though it isn’t truly matte. It had rich, opaque color payoff in a single stroke, while the texture was creamy, light-medium in weight and thickness, and very comfortable to wear. The formula was hydrating over the five and a half hours this shade lasted. Inglot #103 Lipstick Cream (P, $12.00) is darker. MAC Morange (P, $16.00) is lighter. Inglot #103 Lipstick Cream (P, $12.00) is darker. Milani Sweet Nectar (P, $5.49) is less glossy. Urban Decay Bang (P, $22.00) is darker, less glossy. MAC Tomango (LE, $16.00) is darker, less glossy. NARS Geraldine (P, $32.00) is lighter, brighter. NARS Timanfaya (P, $25.00) is lighter, less glossy. Illamasqua Soaked (P, $26.00) is lighter, brighter, glossier. NARS Iberico (LE, $25.00) is less glossy. MAC Love Feeling (LE, $20.00) is darker, more muted, less pigmented. Estee Lauder Daring (P, $30.00) is lighter. MAC Neon Orange (LE, $16.00) is darker, less glossy. MAC Fashion Nomad (LE, $16.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

FORMULA SUMMARY | Bite Beauty Maple Matte Creme Lipstick ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is supposed to leave a “velvet, soft focus finish” with “highly pigmented, moisturizing wearable color” that is also “longwearing.” If you’re not a fan of mattes, don’t fret, these aren’t really matte (and if you’re a fan of matte, you might want to keep looking). There are five shades, and all of them have a satin or glossier finish (two are pretty glossy). The glossier the shade, the more poorly it applied with streaky, uneven coverage that was prone to feathering along the edges of the natural lip, while the more satiny shades were more pigmented with more even application and longer, better wear. On me, I found the formula to be lightly to moderately hydrating with wear ranging between four and seven hours. The formula has a sweet, maple scent with a very subtle, almost sweet taste. These are exclusive to Canada.

P.S. — Big thanks to Julie over at Swatch & Review for helping me buy these!

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Sugared Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick

Bite Beauty Warmed Maple Matte Creme Lipstick