Read ALL about my review process including how I take swatches, photos, and more here.
Heyyyyy, welcome to another edition of TSABD Edit!
Today we’re going through three somewhat recent launches from Maybelline—Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm Crayon, new shades of Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid, and Maybelline Shaping Lip Liner. All items were sent to me from the brand for review consideration.
Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm Crayon
Official description:
Baby Lips® Color Balm Crayon delivers easy application for bold bursts of bright, juicy color. Bring on bold bursts of bright, juicy color and 12-hour hydration for more kissable lips.
I LOVE the formula on these—it feels super soothing and hydrating on the lips. They’re almost like very pigmented and opaque lip balms. You’ll get full-on glossy color and the hydrating benefits all in one. These aren’t meant to be all-day lip products (not everything is anyway) so expect to do some touching up after meals and drinks. If you love the look and finish and want something pretty low maintenance that feels amazing on the lips, these might be your guy. I wouldn’t say you need to drop everything you’re doing and go buy them, but if these fit the bill for your makeup style and lifestyle, these are a good buy.
Bottom line: I love these (well, not the lighter shades…lol) and think they’re cool on days when you want to wear something glossy that is also super hydrating on the lips.
Price and where to buy: about $6.99 each at drugstores nationwide. Find a store near you here.
SEE SWATCHES ON ME VIA THE VIDEO BELOW (there’s no sound on the video, so go in and let have…lol)
maybelline baby lips from Danielle Gray on Vimeo.
Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid
Official description:
Color Sensational® Vivid Matte Liquid™. Rich, intense lip color glides on smooth to a matte finish. Drench your lips in sensuous, vivid color. Pure pigments collide with a creamy liquid base for a velvety-soft, cushiony feel. The result? A high-impact lip that stands out!
I’ve reviewed the earlier Vivid Matte Liquid shades before here. Maybelline recently launched some new shades and I do notice a teeny bit of a difference between these and from what I remember of the first ones I reviewed. It’s important to note that these are not going to be exactly like the liquid lipsticks you might be used to. I think confusing them with liquid lipsticks is what makes them have such low reviews (they have a 2.0 out of 5 star rating on maybelline.com but people must be buying them if Maybelline is launching new shades). I’d say these are more of a matte cream and dry down to a velvet finish. Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid is a good product if you’re looking for that look but not if you’re looking for what most liquid lipsticks are like.
Heads-up: when I refer to shades as being fashion-forward or “fashion” shades, I mean colors like blue, green, grey, etc.
So these new shades are very interesting. They’re Maybelline’s take on the bold, fashion-forward lipstick color trend. Now typically one would agree that if you’re going to wear green or blue or even grey lipstick (aka colors you may not wear everyday) then go for a less expensive brand because you may not use it that often. In testing these as well as the fashion-forward (i.e. teal, green, turquoise, etc) shades of the NYX Liquid Suede range, I’ve found that the less expensive lines don’t always (I’d even say rarely) do these colors their full justice. I often find inconsistencies in formula when comparing say a blue or green shade to a classic shade like red or burgundy. The fashion-forward colors don’t apply as smoothly as the classic colors—and this is true of what I experienced with the ones from the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid line. There’s also the depth of color issue with less expensive lines. With a higher quality lip color, a grey lipstick has different nuances to the color—there may be a hint of blue or other shade that makes the color more interesting and gives it more depth. With a less expensive line, a grey lipstick might just be straight up grey…lol.
All that said, the classic colors in the Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid line (i.e. reds, burgundies, pinks, etc.) perform way better than the fashion shades like the grey, the blue, etc. The fashion shades aren’t bad of course—the formula just isn’t as great as the classic colors. While I do like the fashion forward shades (they look amazing on all skin tones) I’m personally not into grey or blue lipstick on me (at least not right now), but if I were, I’d fork over the extra cash to get a good one from a brand like Make Up For Ever, etc.
Overall these Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquids are pretty durable in terms of wear (the darker and bolder shades tend to last longer than the lighter ones). You can work with these in layers to have more versatility in your lip looks—one layer will give you a sheer matte look, two will give you a matte cream look.
Bottom line: If you prefer the dry down matte nature of liquid lipsticks, you might not love Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid. If you don’t mind that these have more of a matte-cream type of finish, these are cool aside from what I mentioned about the fashion-forward colors. You’ll definitely need liner for these as some shades (especially the fashion-forward ones) can apply streaky.
Price and where to buy: about $7.49 each at drugstores nationwide. Find a store near you here.
SEE SWATCHES ON ME VIA THE VIDEO BELOW (there’s no sound on the video, so go in and let have…lol)
Maybelline Vivid Matte Swatches on Dark Skin from Danielle Gray on Vimeo.
Maybelline Shaping Lip Liner
Official description:
Color Sensational® Shaping Lip Liner creates a fully defined lip look that helps lipstick stay put for your most impactful lip. Easily define your lip shape with this creamy liner. Coordinate your lip look with matching Color Sensational® Lip Colors or create bold definition by lining your lips in a darker shade. The lip options are endless!
With drugstore brands (aside from a brand like NYX Cosmetics) you’re not going to get much diversity when it comes to lip liner shades. Most of them only come in reds, pinks, and variations of browns. The same is to be said of the color selection with the Maybelline Shaping Lip Liner although the Wild Violet shade is somewhat bright—but you’re not going to have matching liners for your grey and blue lipsticks here.
I really like these liners. The point is the perfect size for me to line my lips, they easily glide on, and I like that the applicator is retractable. There is a clear one that you can use as sort of a universal liner and to prevent feathering, but I wasn’t in love with it because it didn’t do more for me than not using a liner would do.
Bottom line: I really liked these liners, but the shade selection is pretty much what you’d expect with drugstore liners. If you have similar colors in your stash, you don’t need new ones. If you’re looking for more shade selection, look at lip liners from brands like MAC, Make Up For Ever, NYX, etc.
Price and where to buy: about $7.99 each at drugstores nationwide. Find a store near you here.
