I’m all about a lightly pearlized finish–the kind that adds luminosity and shine but doesn’t look frosted or metallic. I find they’re more forgiving of lip texture, lip lines, and give my lips a smoother, more voluminous appearance overall. Plus, they’re usually hydrating formulas!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I used to love satins the best, but now I find that many of the ones I used to love emphasize the wrinkles in my lips and feel dry, so nowadays I tend toward slightly creamier finishes. The trick is finding the perfect ones. They have to be creamy enough to not show the lines on my lips, yet aren’t so creamy that they feather outside of my lips.
I love most finishes, but prefer my lipstick to be a comfortable satin.
I’m all about soft mattes. Either liquids that don’t dry down %100 or a standart matte bullet that doesn’t cling on every line or dry skin.
I have been leaving hardcore mattes behind and ditto.. prefer something with a bit more of a glossier finish. The difference now is that that particular finish is no longer synonymous with poor longevity and too much slip. I think lipstick formulas in general have improved vastly.
Definitely sheer and cream. I have a handful of mattes that I like the colors of, but I have pretty dry (not chapped, just sensitive to drier formulas) lips and don’t like making them feel even drier. Some of the comfort mattes are fine, but a true matte will never be something I reach for. I only own 4 liquid lipsticks and they are 3 of one brand and 1 of another – the only two brands that have ever not made me feel like I wanted to wipe my lipstick off within 30 minutes. If I get other formulas in boxes or as gifts and such I’ll play around and see what I think, but unless it is a sheer, cream, or the two liquid lip brands I trust I will not go out of my way to purchase another formula 99% of the time.
I love lipstick!!! Matte, Metallic, and pearlized. I am not to fond of the colors in the various lip balm because of longevity. However, I do buy a few to wear at home, visiting or grocery store etc. Light wear days.
Me too.
sometimes i stray away from my usual mattes and try like, a lip gloss or something, and then my hair gets stuck on my mouth and i remember why i went exclusive with mattes in the first place
I like a matte finish, no shine, no pearl, no gloss, no frost. Also, good pigmentation and a color that fades uniformity it’s a must for me.
But I do like a matte that it’s still creamy and non-drying, without being a formula that `moves` easily. I found my perfect match in MAC Matte finish, other matte formulas I tried in the past were too drying for me.
I dislike matte and those liquid matte lipsticks very much – they feel so uncomfortable and don’t look the most flattering. I love cream type finishes – I think MAC’s Amplified Cream is probably the perfect example of the type of finish and wear I like best (I only wish they had more shades that appeal to me); I also loved the old “Revolution” formula from Urban Decay so, of course, they discontinued/replaced it.
Either creamy ones like PMG Luxetrance, MAC Amplified or UD Cream finish, or a luminous semi-sheer or buildable finish like UD Broken or MAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque. What is strange is that I do continue to purchase mattes…and then have a habit of applying a thin coat of gloss on top of them? Yeah, kinda defeats their purpose, I know.
Not strange at all. I put a thin coat of Dior Addict Lip Glow (Pink) underneath my mattes, which makes them creamier and less drying.
Seraphine, I do the same but with the Berry shade of Lip Glow!
I use Berry, too! It depends on the shade that I’m putting on top of it. Pink has almost no color, so it works better for certain shades.
Creamy mattes all the way! I’m not big on shine on the lips, personally. Like others, I don’t care for drying matte formulas, but have found certain brands like MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, NYX Powder Puffs, some NARS work well for me.
For bullet lipsticks, creams and shimmers. For liquid lipsticks, duochromes, metallics, and glitters (like Ciate Glitter Flips or KVD Glimmer Veils).
I would say that I am a true lipstick junkie, so I have a lot of lipsticks and a lot of finishes. I have de-cluttered most of my liquid lipsticks simply because I have to work too hard to be able to stand wearing them. There are a couple of shades from ABH and KVD that I have kept because I like the shades. Oh, and Jouer which was actually the first liquid lip I ever tried and has been a favorite formula for a long time. As I have said many times on the blog, I always add a balm under/over my liquid lipsticks. I would have to say that the finish I prefer more than any other is the PMGL LuxeTrance formula. Super comfortable to wear and lasts a long time for a more traditional bullet lipstick. I really haven’t been into sheer lipsticks since high school when Bonnie Bell was all the rage, but I have been enjoying sheerer formula’s and particularly those that leave a little stain behind. Like others have noted, I have to be careful regardless of formula because I have a lot of lip lines and don’t want bleeding out of those lines or lipstick collecting in the lines. I also have to avoid all of the foundation lip shades as they don’t flatter me and I have very pigmented lips.
So basically, almost any formula goes as long as it meets the above requirements.
I prefer creamy, glossy, satin and even metallic finishes – no mattes at all. They have to be hydrating. That’s why I love the Colour Pop’s Lux Lipstick range…
Christine, I prefer exactly the same finish you do! Could you possibly make a post of your favorite lipsticks with this finish? So far I’ve found Laura Mercier Stickglosses in a few colors and… that’s about it!
Hi Annabelle,
I already shared all my favorite lipstick formulas here (which would include any formulas of that type of finish that I loved!) – https://www.temptalia.com/best-lipsticks/
I don’t really have a lipstick finish preference but after looking at my lipstick collection I a have A LOT of matte lipsticks. And to be honestly I don’t like satin finishes. II will but it if I like the color but honestly sometimes it is just too shear and looks/feels like nothing is on.
Matte, satin matte, satin, cream, or pearl. I don’t really do sheers unless I mix them with a stronger finish.
Metallic.
It’s got to be moisturizing. Otherwise, lightly shimmering. No glitter. They can be satin to full on shiny. Very rarely matte. I love that look, but I need the hydration. I don’t like to be uncomfortable.
I absolutely love It Christine when you review a lipstick and say “ It made my lips look smooth , plump and full.” That’s what I look for…. a flattering finish . I also appreciate a non drying velvety matte especially with a deeper shade.
Pearlized or cream/satin. The more hydrating, smoothing, and voluminous in appearance the better. Estee Lauder & Revlon make some lovely pearlized finish lippies.
I love lipsticks!
I stay away from the very matte ones, I very rarely use any liquid ones.
I love Charlotte Tilbury’s matte formulation. I also really loved UD’s Revolution formulation, why did they have to change it?!?!
So I guess I don’t have a favoutite finish, I love them all! 🙂
Matte, excluding liquid lipsticks.
Cream to satin. I need moist, but coverage with one to two swipes maximum.