Review | Estée Lauder Pure Color Sheer Matte Lipsticks in Rebel and Demure

Here are two lipsticks from Estée Lauder, in the new Pure Color Sheer Matte formula.

Demure (a rose-pink) is on the left, while Rebel (a candy-pink) is on the left. The names threw me off a bit – don’t you think the colours would make more sense if they exchanged names?

They might be labelled ‘sheer’ but in colour payoff, they can be layered to a medium, near-opaque finish. They last very well, staying on for hours without staining the lips terribly. Unfortunately, contrary to the brand’s claims that they add moisture to/hydrate the lips, they’re somewhat drying and need a balm pre-application. Neither are they lustrous in finish, as promised: They seem almost satiny but are, for the most part, mattes with a semi-frosted cast – very old-school, no? I guess they could work as long-wearing bases for other more-hydrating colours and be paired with a gloss to mitigate that frost-matte look which emphasises lip lines.

They go on without tugging and have a nice lightweight sensation but they could certainly benefit from more moisture. And really, considering the new makeup technology that’s producing creamy, lustrous mattes (yes, even from EL-owned companies like MAC), I’d expected a more superior formula from the doyenne brand.

Also – I don’t know what possessed EL to package them this way but the decision to put them in these light plastic tubes seems like a frivolous one, given how the brand’s usual lipsticks come in heftier and more luxe-looking tubes. They actually remind me of the Stila Long Wear Lip Colors…only less interesting than the latter which have a pretty floral detailing that complements the whimsical Stila typewriter font logo. In  contrast, the EL packaging looks uncommonly plain and cheap. What a pity!