Danessa Myricks Exposed Colorfix Matte Review & Swatches
Exposed
Danessa Myricks Exposed Colorfix Matte ($18.00 for 0.34 oz.) is a muted, medium taupe-brown with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. It looked grayer and more like a true taupe when worn at higher coverage; the warmth was more noticeable whenever it was blended and sheered out a fair amount. The product had rich color payoff in a single layer, which was easy to spread about and blend as an eyeshadow and blush.
The texture was smooth, lightweight, and creamy enough to spread out, but it was quick to dry down and had great longevity as an eye and cheek product. It was weakest as a lip product, as it had a tighter dry down that separated somewhat along my deeper lip lines and didn’t have quite as even of coverage. This shade stayed on well for 10 hours as a cheek and eye product and five and a half hours as a lip product, though it felt a little drying on my lips over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Sydney Grace Cortado (LE, $5.25) is lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- Anastasia Lula (LE, $12.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Terra Moons Decadent (P, $6.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Puppy (P, $5.25) is darker (90% similar).
- Bad Habit Mona (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia B5 (Norvina Vol. 4) (LE, ) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Riffraff (LE, $17.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Viseart Resistance (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Tarte Profesh (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- ColourPop Mission (PiP, $4.50) is darker, cooler (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$18.00/0.34 oz. - $52.94 Per Ounce
The formula is a cream product that is supposed to be "highly pigmented," "smudge proof," "waterproof, and "rapid drying." They're multi-purpose products that can be used on the eyes, lips, and cheeks (though note: the Foil finish includes plastic, or PET, glitter, which is technically not considered eye safe via FDA).
The key takeaway with this formula is that they really do mean "rapid drying" -- it is both a pro and a con, but you have to work quickly and efficiently when using this product on the skin where one might want to diffuse, spread, or blend out edges. While the brand is consumer-friendly, this product is particularly favored by makeup artists, and I did feel like there was a learning curve with them.
Some shades dry a little faster than others, and once they dry down, they are pretty smudge proof as marketed, so they don't want to be moved. Attempts to blend them out after they set often resulted in the product lifting off the skin. They are also, typically, quite pigmented, so one should exercise caution when applying to cheeks initially. I found that some of the more sparkly shades were sheerer.
The consistency was thin, lightweight, and a runnier cream, which meant that it was easy to squeeze out more product than desired from the tube for the uninitiated. After a few uses, I was able to dial in the pressure I needed to squeeze out the product and was consistently able to get what I needed from there.
Eyes
Depending on the intensity of the shade relative to your skin tone and whether you wanted a sheerer or more opaque end result, fingertips or synthetic brushes would be the primary tools. I found that I often preferred to put a little product on the back of my hand and then used either my fingertips (for more all-over application) or a brush (for more precise or opaque application). For precision and ease of use (as my fingertips are a little large compared to my eye size), I liked fluffy, synthetic brushes to diffuse the edges or sheer out the product.
Some of the Foil shades in particular tended to a little thicker and tackier when applied, and I wasn't always able to maneuver them evenly. They seemed to work better as an accent, like on the inner tear duct or on the middle of the lid.
The majority of shades were very pigmented, fairly blendable, and long-wearing, while most shades lasted 10 hours without fading, creasing, or flaking. I did feel like my eyelids got a little drier from wearing several of these shades for multiple days in a row.
Lips
They applied a lot better to lips than I anticipated, as I often find that multi-purpose products do well on one or two areas but rarely all of them. The product applied well with a fingertip or a lip brush, though for speed, I liked using a fingertip. The majority of the shades applied evenly, didn't emphasize my lip texture/lip lines, and were comfortable enough to wear.
The dry down was noticeable, but the product had light tackiness, though I didn't have issues with the color lift up. Despite having more of a liquid lipstick kind of dry down, it still felt lighter-weight and was flexible, which is what made it more comfortable to wear. I didn't see marks left on my glass, and they easily lasted through a cup of coffee. Most shades seemed to wear for six hours or longer on me.
The more sparkly shades with less opacity tended to be least even and felt tackier, and if I pressed and rubbed my lips together, it seemed like some product moved a bit.
Cheeks
As cheek application is often sheerer, rather than full coverage, applying the more pigmented shades to cheeks took some getting used it as one has to work quickly and start with way less than you need. I preferred using more feathery, duo-fiber brushes for really vivid shades to diffuse and apply product on cheeks better, but fingertips worked for getting an initial placement and then a clean brush was lovely for the blending portion.
The wear time on cheeks was comparable with eyes (so around 10 hours of good wear).
Editor's note: I don't know why I didn't make this connection previously (at some point, I was aware they were multi-use), as I bought these as cream eyeshadows for review. If I had to go back and do swatches of each shade on cheeks and lips, I might never, ever review (based on the volume of other products I have in the queue), so while I tested each shade for application, pigmentation, longevity, etc. for all three purposes, you will only find a skin swatch.
Browse all of our Danessa Myricks Colorfix Matte swatches.
Ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Isononyl Isononanate, C30-45 Alkyl Methicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Mica, Silica, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Paraffin, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, (+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Chromium Oxide Green (CI 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 21 Lake (CI 45380), Silver (CI 77820), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005), Red 27 (CI 45410).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
I typically use these on eyes and I find MAC paint pots easier to apply, but learning to work with DM is well worth it in terms of pigmentation and durability. I may pick this one up.
I could see using this as an almost one-n-done eyeshadow for quick, easy taupe looks!
The taupe shade looks great as an eyeshadow, but not too sure about it as a lipstick – it looks awfully drying to me.
This was one of my first DM purchases late last December or early January!
It’s so pigmented like all her ColorFix mattes.
I find I have to use very sparingly on my lids or this one can look muddy.
However, it’s a fantastic product that you need to work with quickly, and I use all her mattes as a one-and-done. Albeit I’ve never really tried them on my cheeks but others I have used on my lips. This one I would avoid on lips, for me it wouldn’t suit.
Not my cup of tea at all. Way too drying on the lips and would just appear muddy on my skin.
It’s pretty as an eyeshadow, I don’t like it at all as a lip colour, It loos uncomfortable, on my lips it would look disastrous! 😉
I do love the other lipstick I can see on the full face photos. I know there’s usually a link so one can check all makeup worn, or there used to be, maybe I just can’t find it. Anyway, that is one lipstick I can easily imagine wearing.