The Lipsticks Diaries Entry #8:

MILANI COSMETICS COLOUR STATEMENT MOISTURE MATTE LIPSTICKS

The time is ripe for the next instalment to The Lipstick Diaries, and today I am presenting Milani Cosmetics' Colour Statement Moisture Matte Lipsticks in three shades; Matte Naked, Matte Darling, and Matte Confident, and you can find them on the Milani Cosmetics site, be it the Australian one for $13.95 AUD, or the US one for $8 USD.

The packaging is sturdy, made with a stiff plastic, and coated with a gold film which does not scrape or flake off, so it remains durable and flawless. The lipsticks themselves are slightly heavy in the hand, thanks to the plastic and amount of product. The colour sample at the bottom is not a compartment for more product, so you will be sorely disappointed. Nonetheless, it still matches the colour of the bullet perfectly. The packaging design for this product makes this a suitable lipstick for travel, thanks to the way the lid isn't loose or easily removed, as you need a little bit of force to get it off.

The lipsticks don't come with any additional packaging, not even a plastic film to keep people from testing it in store, so buying online guarantees better results.

The colours are incredibly pigmented, and last for at least four hours, less than that if you eat something greasy or wet. They are not smudge-proof, which is expected because of the "moisture" aspect of the formula (you cannot expect a moisturising product to not contain oil). The one issue that I have with this formula is that, no matter what I do, I always get a white line on the inside of my lips, which looks embarrassing. I know it isn't because I'm not exfoliating/hydrating my lips properly, because I don't have this problem with any of my other matte lipsticks, however, I'm going to keep trying to stop the white line from happening. If I'm successful, then I will amend this post.

Milani Colour Statement Moisture Matte Lipstick in Matte Darling

This is quite a bold colour, especially for someone, like me, that doesn't normally wear bright unnatural pinks. Nonetheless, it actually seems to work because while it has blue undertones, it has a little tint of brown that makes it work for warm-toned people, though this probably works best for those with cool skin tones. This applies matte straight from the bullet, and is incredibly pigmented and requires only one coat for even coverage. In my opinion, this doesn't need a lip liner, but your lips definitely need some prep before you apply this, as the colour tends to enhance dry, flaky skin, and defines creases.

Milani Colour Statement Moisture Matte Lipstick in Matte Naked

Though I'm not a fan of Kylie Jenner, nor am I even remotely interested or inspired by her, I do have to admit she pulls off this kind of colour really nicely. However, I'm not too fond of this shade, and it makes me look older, washes me out and seems to visibly shrink my lips. This applies completely matte from the tube, and is richly pigmented. It provides a smooth and even coverage, and this shade doesn't emphasise the dry flaky areas on your lips.

Milani Colour Statement Moisture Matte Lipstick in Matte Confident

My gosh, I love this colour! This is a true vampy red, and man, am I in love with it! This shade is a bit more sheer than the other ones, and doesn't apply matte, nor does it actually become truly matte after some time, but I really like it nonetheless, because it gives the impression that your lips are bigger and sexier, and it's really eye-catching without being drying or getting into creases. This stains readily, so you don't want to make a mistake when applying this baby. I believe this one would benefit from being applied atop some lip liner for a more even coverage.

Other than that, these lipsticks are creamy, not buttery, and they don't feel drying on the lips at all. In fact, they have the texture of a waxy kind of balm that also feels pleasant. There's no unpleasant taste,  so I'll take that to mean that these lippies don't have a strange smell either, and my partner hasn't reported anything in that department either (In case some of you readers didn't know, I have a horrid sense of smell so I'm useless at the smelling thing).

I'll give these a 8 out of 10, as it ticks most of the boxes, and if I can stop the white line from happening again, then these would be a solid 9.

I apologise for the lame photo quality with the swatches, they looked so nice on the phone. Never again.