Maybelline has been pretty quiet over the last several months while they prepared to drop a new summer 2017 makeup line on us. There are dozens of new products, and many of them are lip products, but one in particular stuck out. The Maybelline Color Sensational Metallic Matte Lipsticks.
Top row: Hot Lava, Copper Spark, Gunmetal, Copper Rose, Molten Bronze
Bottom row: Pure Gold, Serpentine, Silk Stone, Smoked Silver, White Gold
The 10 matte metallic lipsticks in the collection are available in beautiful earth tones, with a few wild cards thrown in. The major metals are covered – bronze, steel, gold, and copper – but they’ve also included some out-of-the-box earth tones like jungle green, stone grey, and a deep navy blue.
The first time I saw these was when Tati Westbrook reviewed them, along with the entire Maybelline Summer 2017 collection, on her YouTube channel. She was so impressed, she said they were nicer than the Tom Ford Soliel Lip Foil metallic lipsticks, which are freaking $53!
Tati commented on how beautiful the color of Molten Bronze was, and how it appeared to have a duochrome shift. It looked like a deep plum with orangey-gold sheen on her lips, but she didn’t go into much else. She also tried Gunmetal, which came out as a rich, navy blue.
Let me tell you, finding swatches of these lipsticks online is nearly impossible. They’re so new, they’re only at Ulta and Amazon (the latter of which The above image is as close as I got to seeing the lipsticks on anyone other than Tati, and it was incredibly difficult to match the shades to their computer-altered lip swatch. I did my best to match up the lipstick colors in the first image with the swatches in the second, but it was incredibly difficult.
This color discrepancy may even extend beyond the product page, too. Many of the reviews on the Amazon product page expressed disappointment in the unexpected color of the lipstick. Many reviewers felt it necessary to “warn” potential buyers that the shade Copper Rose is not, in fact, pink. It is instead a deep purple, seen in the top row, far right. (At least… I think.)
There’s a rumor that these are only available on Amazon for a limited time, then they will come back after a proper release with the proper hullabaloo. I have no idea whether or not that’s true, but they’re still available on Amazon right now, as well as Ulta, but oddly… nowhere else.
Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Metallic Lipstick Review
I ordered Silk Stone and Molten Bronze because they seemed like two versatile but totally unique shades. As you’ve probably realized, the “metallic matte” finish is kind of an oxymoron. Metallic, notoriously shiny, but also matte, which is literally the opposite of shiny. The finish in real life is definitely unique. It’s metallic… but not. It’s almost like a gritty metallic, if that makes sense.
If you’ve ever looked deeply into the endless void of a metallic nail polish, you might have noticed that it’s actually full of colorful sparkles. This is also true for these creamy lipsticks, but the while the matte-ness dampens their ability to shine, it doesn’t necessarily dim their sparkle.
This is “Molten Bronze,” believe it or not.
I should have taken photos when I received the package because a few things were going on that deserved to be captured.
First of all, if you order from Amazon, don’t be surprised if one of the tips on your lipstick is messed up. Just like in Tati’s review, my Silk Stone lipstick arrived with the tip smushed. That’s a real shame because the tip is the other feature I wish I’d photographed. The lipstick tip is extremely sharp-pointed and almost curved like a talon. It makes it incredibly easy to get a smooth line around the outer lip and get into the corners without making a mess.
Naturally, as soon as they arrived, I threw them on my face because I couldn’t help myself. C’est la vie!
The wear time is nothing to write home about, unless you usually write home to talk about lipsticks that only last for a couple of hours. These are very creamy and soft. Building up product can result in chunkiness and patchy layers. This seemed more true for the darker shade, Molten Bronze, as Silk Stone came off as more nude and required less product.
The color, though… The color is beautiful. Outside of the occasional streak and the limited time before it settles into lines, it’s so pretty. If you’re a selfie connoisseur, this is a must-have because it really has a gorgeous finish that reminds me of bisected stones. It’s definitely matte, but there’s a wide array of tonal shifts and shades within each color that adds a ton of dimension.
Maybelline Matte Metallic Lipstick in Silk Stone
Silk Stone is a shade that falls somewhere between warm grey, lavender, and dusty pink. It’s definitely on the neutral-to-cool side of the warmth scale, which makes it really compatible with my complexion (in my opinion, anyway). I’m pink AF, so this reads as more of a neutral on my skin tone than anything else. I’m into it.
The “stone” part of the name really shines through (but doesn’t shine at all, of course). There’s some reflect off of the high points of my lips, but it’s decidedly diffused. This is a very unique lipstick and I’m excited to play around with it more. Putting a gloss over the top will be my next experiment.
The sparkle factor isn’t as strong with this one, but I also didn’t bounce any direct light onto my lips in any of these photos. All of the swatches for these shades were taken in indirect natural light. Overall, I’d recommend this to someone looking for an unusual nude to add to their lipstick collection.
Maybelline Matte Metallic Lipstick in Molten Bronze
Molten Bronze is not bronze at all, let’s get that out of the way ASAP. The only characteristics it shares with bronze is the multi-tonal sparkle the makes it a little bit brown, a little bit red, and a little bit of a dull green color all at the same time. But if I had to pick a base color for this lipstick, it would be purple. This is a purple lipstick with some serious flips and twirls going on, but it’s definitely not bronze.
Okay, now that we have the business out of the way: this color is amazing! Photos don’t do it justice, despite my efforts, but you can kind of see the teal green/gold duochrome that occurs when light hits the lipstick. The staying power of this is notably less awesome than the Silk Stone shade, and the application, as I mentioned earlier, was less than satisfactory. That being said, for editorial work or party makeup, this would be an awesome choice.
I can’t really explain the behavior of this lipstick on my lips. It’s reflects at least three different colors and sheers out to a deep berry purple. Whatever it is, it’s beautiful (although fleeting).
Where to Find Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Metallic Lipstick
What are your favorite shades from this collection? Do you have any matte metallics? What the hell is going on with these colors?