Pat McGrath Labs: Matte Trance Lipsticks

Saturday, December 8, 2018

I have a new favorite lipstick formula, and the big golden lips give it away rather easily. After purchasing my first Pat McGrath Labs Matte Trance lipstick in April of this year, I became really enamored with the formulation.

My first Matte Trance was Flesh 3. It's a dark rose brown that I wore a lot this summer - I received a lot of compliments on the shade! I loved it, I thought that it was really well suited to my skin tone, I was happy with the wear and feel of the lipstick, and the hefty gold/black packaging gave me such pleasure every time I reapplied the lipstick.

There's something about the ultra matte look of the lipstick bullet itself that is incomprehensibly sexy. Traditional lipstick molds release a smooth tube of lipstick, but Motha opted for a textured surface which gives a matte appearance. I'm hypnotized by it, couldn't look away the first time my eyes landed on that glorious bullet.

PML released a trio of rosy nude shades in August and despite already owning one of the shades- Flesh 3, I snatched it up. It was the perfect little set to bring with me to China, where makeup for your typical 9 to 5 office gal is quite conservative.

I hoped for a set of vivid colors to follow up this set and said as much to @anafterglow ... from my lips to MOTHER's ears! Sephora released a set of vibrant lipsticks - two reds and a fuchsia pink. The price on these minis are amazing - each trio is $25, less than the price of full sized lipstick ($38).

The nude/rosey brick set includes 1995, Flesh 3, and Omni (left to right).

The other set contains (top to bottom) : Full Panic, Elson, Obsessed!.

The minis look similar to the full sized lipsticks; the nod to Mae West and Dali blown up in gold against black. The full sized ones are metallized plastic and have gold end caps, the minis are plain plastic and lack the extra gilt.

I keep calling Omi by the wrong name, my bad

I find that my swatches have more of a shine to them than this lipstick really has. To get the most matte look out of this lipstick, you want to use the tiniest bit but blend/blur with a lip brush or fingertip. Otherwise it can pick up a bit of sheen and look satiny or creamy. The formula is highly pigmented, and very thin (as opposed to a thick and cushy feeling cream) with a lot of slip. It's not moisturizing, but it's not -very- drying. I mean it doesn't continue to dehydrate your lips the way some mattes do, but if you didn't start out with a primed and moisturized pout, it certain won't help things along.

Flesh 3. Rosy brown.

1995. Nude.

Omi. 'MLBB' kind of color, only slightly drier than my actual lips.

Elson, blurred lip look. Blue based red.

Saturated fuchsia pink.

The only one I don't have a full photo of is Obsessed! - will edit this post when I get a decent pic.

I like how I can wear these with my braces/Invisalign. Some lipsticks transfer really easily to metal & ceramic components (not to mention teeth) but that's not the case with these. As long as I apply them with a light hand and to sheer out the lipsticks on the inner part of my lip, I can wear these with orthodontia without any issues.

This lipstick wears really comfortably and looks good on the lips. No bleeding or feathering. These lipsticks are high mid-range at $38 for the regular size, but I highly advocate trying one of the sets if you're new to the Matte Trance lipstick. It's priced perfectly for a taste of the formula - no wonder the two sets are always sold out! I knew they would be harder to get my mitts on - there was no hesitation from me when I saw the red set online. Couldn't risk waiting for the VIB sale.

Pat McGrath Labs Matte Trance Lipsticks are available directly from the PML website, the full sized lipsticks are 4g and $38 each. There's no shipping cost if you order directly from PML (this is one of my favorite things, I love it when orders always ship free). The mini sets contain 3x1.2g lipsticks, they're $25 and exclusive to Sephora.

Currently, Pat McGrath Labs is 25% off with code VIP25. I finally bit the bullet on ordering one of the MOTHERSHIPs, I can't wait to play with the sparkly pigments in that palette.

Have you tried any lipsticks from Pat McGrath Labs?

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