Melt Cosmetics By Starlight, Darling, Shady Lady Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches
Melt Cosmetics Lipsticks — By Starlight, Darling, Shady Lady
Melt Cosmetics Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.16 oz.) is supposed to have an “ultra-matte texture” and otherwise encompass “perfect lipsticks.” The brand describes the scent as “vanilla cake,” and it has a sweet, vanilla scent, but it almost veers tropical fruit to me–it’s very sweet, noticeable when worn, but there’s a bit of a plastic-scent somewhere in the background, which might be why the taste is a bit like play-doh at times. Melt is known for some of the wilder colors, which are nearly always sold out (I gave up trying to catch ’em available, so I bought shades from what was available–would have loved to check out their teal/blue shades). The good: they’re long-wearing, richly pigmented, and when they apply right, they look great. The bad: they’re slightly to somewhat drying, lighter shades pull into lip lines as they wear away, difficult to remove, unforgiving when applied, and tug at the lip. The texture is drier and therefore somewhat stiff, though I will say that despite the dryness, darker shades still applied fairly evenly and ended up looking good. I would recommend applying with a lip brush to maximize the results with these, but you’ll have to do some layering to get the same opacity as you would straight from the tube. As they are really long-wearing and cling on to lips, absolutely use something oil-based to break down the color and a have a few cotton pads (or similar) on hand, but removal may still be a little more difficult. They all stain and persist for a few hours after removal, which you may love or not.
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a medium-dark, pink-toned purple with a matte finish. It had mostly opaque color payoff, and this shade was a little creamier than the other two, but there is still some tugging/pulling during application. This shade wore well for eight hours but some color had pulled into the lines of the lips. It was somewhat drying when I wore it. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Rollergirl (P, $18.00) is lighter, less matte. MAC Punk Couture (LE, $16.00) is darker. Illamasqua ESP (P, $24.00) is cooler-toned, iridescent. MAC Potent Fig (LE, $16.00) is darker. Illamasqua Kontrol (P, $24.00) is cooler-toned, darker. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Belladonna (DC, $18.00) is lighter, brighter, less matte. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a cool-toned, light lavender with a matte finish. It had opaque color coverage, and the texture was somewhat dry, so it did tug and pull at the lips when applied from the tube. It requires full prep before application–exfoliate, balm, etc. and your lips have to be in tip-top shape, as the drier consistency will grab onto any imperfections otherwise. This shade lasted five and a half hours but settled and looked “cracked” after four hours. It was somewhat drying when worn. MAC Dodgy Girl (LE, $16.00) is pinker, darker. MAC Fresh Amour (LE, $16.00) is grayer, darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.16 oz.) is described as a “electric pink.” It’s a brightened, medium-dark fuchsia pink with cool, blue undertones and a matte finish. It had rich, opaque color payoff, and the texture was a little dry and stiff to work with, so you may want to apply with a lip brush. It wore well for eight hours, was slightly drying when worn, but this shade wore away evenly and didn’t settle into lip lines as time went on. Too Faced Melted Fuchsia (P, $21.00) is less matte, brighter. Ardency Inn Twist (P, $25.00) is similar, slightly lighter. MAC Flat Out Fabulous (P, $16.00) is darker. MAC Quick Sizzle (LE, $16.00) is more muted. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
By Starlight
PPermanent. $19.00.
Darling
PPermanent. $19.00.
Shady Lady
PPermanent. $19.00.
See more photos & swatches!
Melt Cosmetics Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics By Starlight Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Darling Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
Melt Cosmetics Shady Lady Lipstick
I really want to try By Starlight, it seems so unique! Unfortunately these aren’t sold in Denmark 🙁 Will look for dupes!
I believe they have international shipping 🙂
By Starlight really is something.
It’s a nice color!
This is timely! I just received two more Melt Lipsticks in the mail today (Belladonna2 and Stupid Love- I already own Bang Bang, DGAF and Shady Lady, which I’m wearing right now) and I was wondering if you’d ever heard of them or were planning any reviews! My two cents, I love these and would like to eventually own most of them (Summer, Darling, Space Cake and Blow aren’t really my style but who knows, maybe someday)…they’re definitely a little difficult to apply but they last forever on me!
I’m glad you’re loving the ones you have, Wanda!
Definitely have to check these out as I do love ultra matte lips, especially if they are vampy or super bright Yeah, the downside…so drying 🙁 But there is still room for a couple of these to make their way into the stash.
I just picked up Shady Lady and I grabbed the grey! LoL..it could be good…or bad, but fun either way.
I would have totally purchased Blow and DGAF as I think those colors are more unique (and might be worth the extra work)–but I admit that I was pretty disappointed in general with the formula that I don’t know if I’d buy more. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Shady Lady and Space Cake 🙂
I own Space Cake and By Starlight. Space Cake is a lovely gray that performs well and feels fine on with non-fussy application. My tube of By Starlight is a different story. When it first came, it was so pigmented that it felt too stiff. So application is a trial because it really needs to be warmed up and ideally worn in a little bit to attempt use (and is easier with a brush. Which I enjoy brushes, but a lippy should always apply well from the bullet itself). I’ve had it for a while now and it’s softened up but it’s not much easier to apply and definitely shows slight bleeding signs along the edges. Nightmoth is a good lip pencil for it, but it is super drying on its own and Nightmoth isn’t exactly hydrating either. It’s pinker and warmer than Illamasqua’s Kontrol, but I prefer my tube of Kontrol to it.
Kontrol applies more easily for me. The color is cool, but really dry, hard-to-apply formulas are frustrating.
Exactly. I want to love it for the amazing color, but it’s hard to do when every application is like tug-of-war haha. Kontrol is definitely the easier to apply of the two. I wanted to try DGAF initially but it’s hard to track down.
Shady Lad is the only one I’d ever consider getting/wearing, but you gotta give ’em credit for going bold!
They have some cool shades!
Shady Lady is beautiful, the others are a tad too dramatic I’d say! :0
Even Shady Lady is pretty dramatic 😉
I’m so glad to see swatches of Darling!! I really wanted Kelly’s Dodgy Girl but it was unfortunately sold out when I got to the site but this looks close enough to me!
Yay!
Yeah I keep checking their site and the 3 deep shades I want are always sold out. lol
I find that applying the centre with the lipstick then doing the edges speed up application when going with deep of bold shade lipstick myself.
I was wear Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color 918D Cherry Bomb. And for suck a deep shade it lasted front 10am to 11pm on the lips with careful eating (place food into my moth and using a straw) and no primer. Matte’s a wonderful products but I was crazing a blip balm all day. 😉
I finally just gave up on waiting!
I do love the colors they have, although found them dry as well. They have a good place in my collection because the colors I got (blow, dgaf, space cake and by starlight) are unique and look amazing with a little work. Aaaaaand, since they last forever they are good for wearing out. But, I don’t see them as every day lipsticks.
For the more unique shades, they might be worth the work for sure!
I love those three lip stick colors! I’m very interested in trying Shady Lady and Darling.
Glad ya liked ’em, Erendira!
I’ve been curious about their lipsticks but I think I’d pass on all three of these shades!
Any shades catch your eye from them?
Blow, DGAF, and 6six6 definitely have my interest! It’d be awesome if you were able to review those ones in the future 🙂
I wish they had been available initially, as I don’t think I would buy any more since they were very underwhelming 🙁
Totally understandable!
I have Melt “Blow” and if I do my normal full lip routine (exfoliate, lip balm, lip liner, lip stick) it applies pretty smoothly and lasts 4+ hours. I really like it, but the smell/taste is nasty and it stains! I’m considering ordering DGAF when it gets back in stock.
What does it leave your lips looking like when it stains? I’m not envisioning a good result, lol!
haha yeah it’s like a weird moldy green stain, but exfoliating the next morning takes most of it off, and dark lipstick covers up any that’s left.
That can be one of the downsides of more intense greens (eyeshadows as well) – staining while you sleep might be OK but having to have a 2-day plan, not so great, lol!
I wish I could find a lip liner for Blow because I don’t like the way the lip line looks after applying their lipsticks. It looks really uneven!
I have blow and I use Minted eyeliner from MAC, the colour matches pretty close and it really helps to make the lip line crisp!
Shady Lady is gorgeous!!
It’s a very bold shade!
I like the color payoff of melt, but they basically can’t be applied without a brush, which is a bummer for touch ups.
They’re a pretty high maintenance formula!
I absolutely love the colors they offer for Melt Cosmetics, but your review was spot on regarding the formula. They feather like crazy for me, and unfortunately It’s nearly impossible to find a lip liner in blue and green and bright purple to smooth out the lip line (clear hasn’t worked with these). The tugging and dryness also turns me off, but I’ll keep wearing them until I can find a dupe for DGAF and Blow 🙂
Feathering, too? What a bummer! These are so dry/clingy, I figured feathering wouldn’t be as common. Have you tried eyeliner for lip liner? That might be an alternative, though obviously it’s a use at your own risk thing since they’re safe for eyes but may not be for lips etc.!
That is genius!
I agree with Christine on at-your-own-risk eyeliner as lip liner for your blues and greens. I sometimes use my Lip Tars as liner with Melt as well. But there are some really good purple liners out there. Melt recommended Nightmoth from MAC to me for use with By Starlight when I asked. I love that pencil and it’s an HG for me, but I have some good purple-ish ones from NYX too (Deep Purple, Cabaret, and Prune are all ones I’ve used with By Starlight). Of course, any brand of clear liner will work but OCC and MUFE make two of my favorites. I need liner with it too because otherwise By Starlight fades a bit unevenly on my lips.
I’m not sure if they have the exact colours – but Sleek does an eyeliner called Eau La La Liner (iirc) that has colours like bright yellow and teal/blues and is lipsafe (again, iirc). Maybe one of those will work?
I love by starlight what a fun, bold shade!
Yay!
Whoo! I was wondering if you would review melt.
Is stiffness/dryness an inevitable quality of long wearing, pigmented, and matte lipsticks? I like the way creamy lipsticks apply, but find how easy they transfer and how they look after eating frustrating. Have you found a happy medium between creamy/stiff in a pigmented lipstick?
You can easily get long-wearing and pigmented without the stiffness/dryness, but more matte lipsticks can be drier in general, though say a product like MAC’s more recently released Retro Mattes have a very matte finish but are a lot creamier than these. There have been improvements in the formulas of mattes for sure – this one feels a little more old school to me, in that sense. If you’re just looking for something super pigmented, you can get it in a creamy, glide-on consistency. If you go ultra creamy or high in slip, they often won’t wear for as long, but depending on the shade, you may still get 4-8 hours of good wear.
I’m really curious… You almost always give a fuchsia lip a higher rating than other colors of the same brand. I often think “Girlfriend loves a fuchsia lip!” 😉 But I really wonder if there’s something about that color (and maybe red too) that makes it easier to formulate/wear etc. I love you blog because I think you are very fair and unbiased – so I am really not trying to call you out. And I haven’t done a formal tally of the numbers (fuchsia vs. non-fuchsia ratings), so it’s just a pattern I think I’m noticing because *I* love a fuchsia lip!
I think it’s because reds and fuchsias are a lot easier to make – like most reds are crazy pigmented, and because they’re deeper, richer shades, they almost always wear long. Just like lighter shades like peach and beige almost always wear shorter than a red in the same formula or range. Purple eyeshadows, eyeliners, etc. are prone to having pigmentation issues for some reason (I’m not a chemist, but I’m sure there is a reason for it!) compared to say… copper. Like finding a copper or gold eyeshadow that’s smooth and pigmented is easy.
That makes total sense! My fuchsia and reds definitely last longer and better. And some colors seem almost impossible to do well. Thanks!
By Starlight is THE purple I’m looking for.
Happy to share then! 🙂
Really cool colors but the price tag shocked me a little. If I didn’t have chapped lips I’d give these a try, for sure!
Definitely stay away until your lips are in better shape! I feel like mine are pretty good since I am routinely taking photos and very aware of any imperfections as a result (like I HAVE to stay on top of lip maintenance in order to do my job, lol!), and I still they can be problematic.
Well, clearly By Starlight needs to be in my purple lipstick collection 😀 I’d love to see some of the greens/ blues too!
I wasn’t able to get them, unfortunately! 🙁
I have always been intrigued y their shades but never really got anything. The shades are mostly what I wouldnt wear and I had this fear of them being dry, which I guess it is. But the shade are really cool!
Yup, they are dry, unfortunately!
I like Shady Lady, but I’d be more likely to buy the Too Faced dupe.
That one is more comfortable to wear as well.
Shady Lady is stunning on you!
Thanks, Phyrra!
ooooh, I wonder how “By Starlight” is going to compare to MAC Pure Heroine. (I’m hoping I can still score one of those tomorrow somewhere!)
http://www.temptalia.com/submit-dupe?sbs=1&pid=166894&dupe=165401
YAY! I was hoping you would review these. I really want Shady Lady and Stupid Love, but I’ve been waiting for Blow to come back in stock so I could grab all three at once. I’m definitely considering Starlight now too.
Hopefully it comes back into stock soon!
I’m a sucker for mattes and electric pink. More importantly, I love your earrings Christine! I don’t know if you planned for it, but it compliments the lip colors perfectly.
Thank you, Izzie! 🙂 Mostly unintentional. Sometimes I’ll try to coordinate in some fashion, but I usually have a variety of colors to swatch so it doesn’t work out, lol!
I’m intrigued by the whole first row on their site, but really…the only shade that made me cringe was Darling, lol. I just can’t get with shades like that.
I can’t wear ’em myself!
By starlight reminds me of the Lorde lipstick by MAC and the revlon matte lip balm (can’t remeber the shade name but its purple) Idk if they’re similar in anyway but it just makes me think of those two shades, But I’m loving darling and by starlight. I love when companies create shades that are out of the ordinary it gives people an opportunity to step outside the box and discover their creative and wild side. thank you for the swatches.
Hey Chanel!
Here’s a side-by-side for Pure Heorine and By Starlight — http://www.temptalia.com/submit-dupe?sbs=1&pid=166894&dupe=165401
i own five colors: dgaf , shady lady , bane , space cake & by starlight .
i agree about them being drying & tugging . it takes a bit of work to get an even layer , so i have to use a lip brush , like you stated .
i love how matte they are , but i do hope they reformulate it a bit to make them easier to glide on .
other than that , i do love them & the shades they offer .
Yes, I agree – I wish they weren’t so dry/tugging. They’re cool colors, and they wear a really long time, but I feel like they suffer from a lot of the problems that really matte lipsticks do–less innovation in the formula, with more on the unusual shades.
Oh dear – I might have to try these. I see matte and my makeup sensors start making noise :D.
Uh oh! 😉
Above and beyond the call of duty. I like Shady Lady but can’t see most people wearing these on a daily basis. If the formula were better I’d try one…I looked at the site and they had a pretty red. But…I’m still waiting for the rest of your Givenchy shades.
So love the review though. I get to try these shades through you. Thanks.
I don’t think you’d like them, given how many high-end lipsticks you have – I just don’t think that I’d bother with a drier, more problematic formula for a more common shade (like red).
I am glad you did this review, I love your reviews. They are never filled with catty remarks, but true unbiased regard for the product. Best review as always
Thank you, Jessica! 🙂
Seriously! Temptalia is THE review authority. If there were more drugstore reviews, I wouldn’t look anywhere else in the web! Hint hint 😛
I really try, but I find locating the new products to be very difficult in my area – I either never see the display show up or it’s ransacked.
I know 🙁 Besides, I’ve been seeing a lot more drugstore reviews here which ELATES me beyond words! You review so many different brands at different price points… I know you do your best, and we are GRATEFUL!
I love my Melt lipsticks! I have Darling and it doesn’t look that great on me unless I pair it with a bright/darkish pink lip liner, but I otherwise love it.
Do you recommend any good lip primers with these? They are quite dry.
Honestly, I haven’t really used lip primers – it’s a category that I just… never try? I think it’s because I’m always about 100 lipsticks behind on testing!
That Shady Lady is so gorgeous!
It’s very pretty in color!
Shady Lady looks amazing! Will get this shade doing shopping next time 😉
Thanks for sharing x
Bonnie | http://www.bonniebeautyxo.com
Have fun!
meh, I hate how interesting and weird colors always come in sucky formulas.
I hear ya! 🙁
OMG yes! I’m glad someone agrees with the smell/taste. I found it to be so disgustingly disturbing and I cannot stand it at all. Other people seemed to love it, so I thought it was just due to my more heightened sense of smell, but I’m glad that wasn’t the only reason. I do however like them, I had DGAF, Blow, and Bane (I was able to snag them when they released and re-released) and I do like them. However, I think that’s mostly attributed to the fact that not many other companies come out with actual lipsticks that are similar in any way, (by that I mean not liquid or melted or anything). The darker shades are more forgiving in terms of wear, but they do have the same issues such as tugging on the lips, feeling dry, and difficulty in applying. I did end up giving away Bane and Blow, but I do plan buying them again along with other colors in the line. Sorry for the long comment, LOL!
I was a bit nervous about the review, because I know it’s a newer, more indie brand, and I’ve only seen total raves for the product – like best.ever.lipstick. kind of raves (at least on my radar), but I wasn’t impressed. Colors are cool, absolutely, but the formula could be improved.
I agree, raves such as those can often be misleading. If it weren’t for the more bold colors, I certainly wouldn’t find myself repurchasing, unless they reformulate (which I doubt since everyone else seems to love it). However, if you do consider repurchasing as well, I would say check out Blow when it comes in stock, because they did make that one creamier, and compared to the other two I had, it was much easier to work with.
Christine, By Starlight reminds me a lot of Revlon’s Matte Balm in Shameless. Can you confirm this, please?
http://www.temptalia.com/submit-dupe?sbs=1&pid=166894&dupe=155536
I wouldn’t wear the two purple shades alone, but I would definitely mix them to customize colors!
That would be interesting!
wow shady lady looks amazing on you christine 😀
Thank you, Yeleine!
Those first two purple beauties are amazing! Very unique and wonderful. Iline, a
They are very unique!
Shady Lady is gorgeous!
Agreed!
To me, By Starlight looks a lot like MAC’s Goes and Goes from their Pro Longwear line (which, oddly enough, I just wore this evening!). Think I’ll pass. Thanks for another excellent, honest review, Christine! 🙂
Always my pleasure, Reiland!
All of them are beautiful but I really like By Starlight! I’ve heard that the formula is similar to MAC Retro Matte so I had a feeling they’d be a bit drying. I still want to try a few shades though!
Worse than Ruby Woo, LOL!