Ultra Suede Lipstick

The formula is supposed to be a "comfortable matte" finish that offers "full-coverage" that is "non-drying" and has "smoothing gels and texturizing powder" that delivers a "smooth matte, soft-focus appearance." It's a silicone-heavy formula that's thin, very lightweight, and has a "soft matte" finish that is mostly matte but not quite as flat initially as a true matte lipstick would be.

I find this type of formula to be a more common release from a multitude of brands, and they don't often have a lot of differentiation. It has been my experience, unfortunately, with most of these formulas that they tend to emphasize lip texture and imperfections--particularly catching around flakes, even minor dryness--and separate into lip lines as they wear down. The lighter shades tend to be the worst-applying and worst-performing, while more mid-tone and deeper shades can apply more smoothly and be more flattering on.

I noticed that the red and berry hues in the range seemed to be stiffer in the tube than most of the other shades in the line-up, and this resulted in the base of the lipstick breaking off from the twist-up mechanism (the following shades broke: Alicia, Kiana, Kristen, Amanda).

The pigmentation varied from more semi-opaque to opaque coverage with lighter shades having sheerer coverage relative to deeper shades. The initial consistency was firmer in the tube, though not to the point of tugging painfully, but I found that this tends to deliver less pigmentation and does tend to be a better application when I build up with shorter, overlapping strokes overall.

The formula was non-drying and very lightweight, so it felt like I had nothing on, but they only wore between two and five hours with a few shades exceeding that range (like a red).