Newsflash: the best high end matte liquid lipstick so far. Go home, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink and Armani Lip Magnets, there’s a new player in town! Why? This one TRULY delivers. Go on to see the Lancome Matte Shaker in Beige Vintage swatches and review to find out more!

I couldn’t stand the Juicy Shakers when they came out and I tried them on. Ugh, that messy application and omg that scent! I’m peculiar with scents in lip products, and I couldn’t stand ANY. ONE. OF. THEM. Also, I couldn’t get behind the concept – glossy formula, minimal colour? Why not just use lipgloss? Also, did you see the messed up testers in stores? Just no. So, it’s a total mystery even to me why I felt the urge to check out the new Matte Shakers. I blame insatiable beauty curiosity…

Colours, price and packaging

Anyways, the Matte Shakers come in seven colours, and that seems a bit stingy. I went for 270 Beige Vintage, which is actually a MLBB shade on my pigmented lips. I paid 20,50€ at the Duty Free for it, but as far as I’ve seen they retail usually for 22$ or 22€. You’ll get 6,2ml for that (for example, the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink is 6ml and retails for about 38€, the Armani Lip Magnet 3,9ml for about 38€ as well).
The packaging, mimicking a cocktail shaker, is still cute, though a bit pointless – while you had to mix the two phases of the Juicy Shakers, the matte formula doesn’t need shaking.

best highend matte liquid lipstick comparison
You can’t fault Lancome for the cuteness of this stubby little cocktail shaker packaging!

 

Application and use

“Its unique cushion sponge allows for maximum absorption of the formula to deliver a precise, soft application onto the lips, and buildable color that dries without smudging or transfer.
Just shake to soak the applicator with formula, apply the cushion directly onto lips to build the saturated color… then wait for it to dry down to a lightweight, comfort matte finish.” – Lancome

Swatch and review Lancome Matte Shakers
Clumsy swatch of Lancome Beige Vintage – I accidentally smudged it while it wasn’t fully dry yet!

You’re supposed to shake the bottle to wet the foam applicator, but that leads easily to too much product and a mess on your lips. That would be my only true criticism of the Matte Shakers – I find the applicator overly large and unwieldy. While that’s somehow ok with my nude shade, I don’t want to imagine how difficult it’ll be to get a crisp outline of the lips with a deeper colour. (I sometimes use my fingers to blend and spread it better.)

The Matte Shaker formula delivers a cooling feeling upon application and it feels very liquid, although the formula is by no means runny. I can detect a faint smell when I put my nose right over the bottle (a bit fruity, a bit like almonds?), but thankfully, it neither lingers on the lips nor can I actually taste it.

Beige Vintage is definitely buildable, though you don’t really need it. One layer gives very good coverage. Once it dries down (more on the formula below), it doesn’t smudge easily, but it does transfer minimally on cups and glasses. It definitely needs some time to dry down properly matte, which is a bit strange at first, but it gives you some time to maneuver, clean up or build up. Also, beware – it took some time for me to realize that it’s not truly kiss-proof, either. Ahem. The Matte Shaker will survive drinking and light snacking and talking, but it won’t survive a full meal.

 

Description and claims

“Finally, a matte liquid lipstick that wears comfortably without drying out your lips! A water-in-oil emulsion that’s formulated with a patented Ultra Thin Film technology to deliver weightless texture and a second-skin feel without sacrificing intense color payoff. And it has Vitamin E for comfortable, non-drying wear.”

Lancome Beige Vintage on my lips
Lip Swatch of Lancome’s Beige Vintage.

I’ll totally confirm the “lightweight, comfort matte finish”. And that’s why it wins the trophy of “best high end matte liquid lipstick” for me. I’m intrigued by the “water-in-oil formula” and the Vitamin E claim Lancome makes (see ingredients here), but I guess they’re onto something, because these are truly comfortable to wear for a long amount of time. Similar to Armani’s Lip Magnet’s weightless and second-skin/ bare lips claims, this one delivers because it manages to be weightless and at the same time comfortable to wear.

My lips need some TLC before or after wearing the Matte Shaker for a longer time (meaning a good lip balm), but that’s ok for me. I also think that when the formula is fully dried-down, it never accentuates the texture of my lips. (No prune-like look with these!)

 

Is it better than Chanel’s Rouge Allure Ink and Armani’s Lip Magnet?

I know I’ve never reviewed Chanel’s Rouge Allure Ink properly, but it’s nothing special. It’s a nice formula, the colour selection is a bit boring, but honestly, it didn’t blow me away and I thought it to mediocre to write a long review about it. (Are you still interested in it? Then I’ll do it!) You can find a long review of the Armani Lip Magnets here (I kinda liked it, Astrid hates hers.) The Lancome Matte Shaker is cheaper than both, I like the formula better and while the applicator is unwieldy, I feel that’s easily remedied by the superior texture. For me, here’s finally the Swiss-army knife of liquid lipsticks – matte, but easy and comfortable to wear. Winner!