ColourPop Viper & Notion Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks

ColourPop Viper Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick

ColourPop Viper Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick ($6.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a deep, medium-dark plum with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. The color was fantastic, and it’s more unique than not, but there was something amiss with the formula, as it dried down and some areas were darker and pinker and other areas were grayer. It was like an ombre lip look gone bad! I thought it hadn’t dried down, but it had (no transfer and didn’t look different hours later). It applied well from the tube, and the product was fully opaque on the lips. The texture was clingy, and it did have noticeable “cracking” when I smiled; I could definitely feel I was wearing a liquid lipstick. This shade stayed on for over six hours with minimal changes in color/intensity, but it was drying. MAC Oh Lady (P, $20.00) is darker (85% similar). Colour Pop Are & Be (P, $6.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar). Colour Pop Bad Habit (LE, $6.00) is lighter, brighter (80% similar). Colour Pop Back Up (P, $5.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar). MAC Evening Rendezvous (LE, $17.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

ColourPop Notion Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick ($6.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a deep berry with subtle, warm undertones and a mostly matte finish. This shade took an hour to dry down for me! The majority of the color dried down within a minute or two, but there were parts of it that stayed shiny for an hour. It had mostly opaque color payoff, and the texture was thin but fluid and spread easily across the lips, so it was a cinch to get even coverage out of the formula. The color lasted for eight hours but was drying over time. MAC High Drama (P, $20.00) is warmer (85% similar). MAC Oh Lady (P, $20.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Make Up For Ever M501 (P, $22.00) is lighter, brighter (80% similar). Smashbox Femme Fatale (P, $21.00) is lighter, brighter (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Formula Overview

ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick ($6.00 for 0.11 fl. oz.) is a long-wearing, pigmented lipstick that starts off glossy and dries down quickly to that super flat matte finish. They have minimal transfer with some of the lighter shades having almost none for the first few hours of wear, but anytime you’ve had a meal, they lose that transfer-resistant quality to a noticeable degree. They tend to wear anywhere from six to ten hours with darker shades maintaining better color coverage and wear over a longer period of time. Some shades get a little drying about two-thirds to three-fourths through the wear, while a few shades have been fairly non-drying even many hours into wear. They fade away evenly with most color loss occurring from the center of the lips if eating a more oil-based meal but the majority of color survives a meal. Reapplication has been hit or miss and tends to depend on how well it wore away and how easily the shade applies normally, but reapplication tends to emphasize the lip’s natural texture significantly compared to initial application and gives lips a very wrinkled, dried-up look. I’ve layered gloss on top of some shades with moderate success, though it will obviously lose the matte finish and will transfer and I’ll get tiny flakes where the matte lip color has lifted by mixing with gloss but has been pretty minimal. The formula had no discernible taste or scent.