Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint & Mattemoiselle Lipsticks
If you've been following me on Instagram you'll know I've been hardcore crushing Rihanna's makeup brand Fenty Beauty since it launched in September 2017. I reviewed a few of the first products I purchased here and since there's been a few more product drops that have caught my attention - the Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color and the Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipsticks. The lip obsessive in me meant that I had to buy both types of the new lip products and whilst they’re both described as matte they couldn’t be more different.
(shades left to right - Ma'Damn, Shawty, Freckle Fiesta & Uncensored)
Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color (£19/4ml)
Stunna is only available in the shade Uncensored (red) which is stated to be universally flattering. A big claim but I haven't seen a skintone I haven't loved it on. It epitomises what beauty enthusiasts have come to recognise in the slew of matte liquid lipstick launches in the past two years but of course with Rihanna's unique twist. The super luxe glass packaging gives it a high end feel and upon opening I wasn't totally sure what to expect.
The consistency of the lip paint itself is quite runny but very pigmented and I've found getting a precise line is much easier if a lip liner is applied first. Little product is needed to coat the lips and it's so opaque this can cover even a dark-toned pout in one swipe. Application with the small stiff doe-foot wand takes getting used to as it’s quite short and the product is so liquidy. You have to work with it fast and I’ve found starting application in the middle of the lips first and then working outwards helps with avoiding getting too much product on the edges of the lips. What’s on the brush is usually all that’s needed for one application as whilst the consistency is thin this doesn’t seem to impact on the pigment - I rarely have to dip the wand back into the bottle for more.
I'm so impressed with how it feels on, very comfortable for a matte lip - so no dry or crusty lips! Once applied the product takes a while to dry down so it requires a little patience. It lasts well but it transfers and fades throughout the day faster than some of my other matte liquid lipsticks. The wear-time also decreases significantly whilst eating (especially oily food) but I'm not too fussed about having to reapply lip colour.
Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick (£16)
The Mattemoiselle lipsticks have the feel of a typical lipstick but they're much slimmer and smaller than the standard bullet. The packaging is a cute mirrored plastic, not quite as luxe in feel as Stunna but still beautiful. There's an embossed 'FB' on the end of each fresh lipstick too but this disappears after one use. I like the small size but I'm not keen on the rounded shape of the lipstick - I'd prefer a pointed tip for a more precise line.
These are available in a rainbow of 14 shades which are stated by the brand to suit all moods and skintones. The shades are really varied from a hot pink to lilac and navy so it's clear a lot of different looks are being catered to. I'm quite safe with lip colours and with all of the products I've purchased from Fenty Beauty I've tried to stick to items I'll naturally use most days. Neutral pinks, reds and browns are my favourite tones to wear so I grabbed the 3 shades Ma'Damn (royal red), Freckle Fiesta (spiced terracotta) and Shawty (warm chestnut).
I'm in love with all 3 shades, the tone and pigmentation I can't fault but they don’t all perform the same. For Freckle Fiesta and Shawty the formula is super buttery and only look slightly matte once applied though this isn't as obvious in the swatches. These transfer easily because of the soft texture which doesn't bother me too much but these are described as 'all-day color'. Ma’Damn has a much drier texture and is harder to apply as it's not as smooth. It feels more matte so I thought this would last longer but it also lacks staying power. The shade of red is absolutely gorgeous but it’s very similar to Stunna. It seems like a more blue-red whereas Stunna is more of a true red in person but once they are booth applied it's only really the finish that gives away the difference as they're almost identical.
Overall, whilst these are entirely different products I do prefer one type over the other. Stunna is slightly more expensive and awkward to apply, but the pigmentation from such a little amount of product and more long-wearing ability means it outperforms the Mattemoiselle Lipsticks including Ma’Damn which is similar in tone. I feel like you get more for your money with Stunna, especially as the Mattemoiselle Lipsticks are quite small but of course it's flaw is that it's only available in red so I’d love to see more shades of this. I still love the Mattemoiselle lipsticks I have because the colours and pigmentation is beautiful. There are better mattes out there but it doesn't bother me that Shawty and Freckle Fiesta have a much smoother, buttery feel in fact I probably prefer it. I find Ma'Damn a little dry but that's what I would expect from a matte lipstick. I'd love to see some matching lip-liners added to the product collection too, especially as with all of these products a lip-liner would help increase wear-time and make creating a defined lip easier.
With all the swatches I applied no lip balm underneath, used no liner and applied everything straight from the bullet or wand - I think the colours speak for themselves but I'll let you decide.
Fenty Beauty is available exclusively from Harvey Nichols in the UK or from Sephora in the US
Lesley x
