Based on several new makeup releases that have hit shelves recently, it seems as though matte is making a comeback. But are the wet n wild Soft Blur Matte Lipsticks going to be your new go-to? It depends.
The new wet n wild Soft Blur Matte Lipsticks are designed to give you a semi-sheer, powdery soft matte finish with a smooth texture on the lips. The effect is supposed to be more of a blurry– or blotted– lip, versus the heavy matte lip look of the 2010’s. They do claim to be buildable if you want more color payoff, though.
The Soft Blur Matte Lipstick formula is extremely silicone heavy. The texture feels similar to clear, pore-blurring face primers. This creates that soft lip feel, but it also means that it primarily sits on top of the lips versus sinking in.
wet n wild claims these to be “non drying,” which is technically true. The silicone formula does create a barrier that can help your lips maintain their moisture. But if your lips are already dry, these aren’t going to help– they’re not moisturizing or nourishing at all.
Shades:
1. Nude for Love
2. Bali Blossom
3. Homecoming Queen
4. I’m Shy
5. Little Red Rosette
6. Apricot Smoothie
One of my main issues with the Soft Blur Matte Lipsticks is the inconsistency between shades. Exactly half the shades looked terrible on me, the other half looking great and living up to its claims.
The lighter colors, Nude for Love, Bali Blossom, and particularly Apricot Smoothie all accentuated and gathered on the dry spots on my lips. Even after exfoliating and moisturizing, the pigment was patchy and settled into my lip lines, which looked more dramatic than they really are.
The sheer silicone formula also caused these lighter shades to slip on my lips in terms of the color coverage, so rubbing my lips together would push the product around and I’d be left with some bare looking spots.
On the other hand, Homecoming Queen, I’m Shy, and Little Red Rosette looked smooth and even on my lips, blurring the lines and texture. It was a night and day difference between the two sets of lipsticks. While still sheer, the deeper colors gave a much more solid appearance and didn’t look patchy at all. I was able to build these shades up without sacrificing the uniform appearance as well, unlike the lighter ones.
Additionally, the deeper shades left a very even stain behind on my lips. So even after eating, I had a ton of visible color and wasn’t rushed to touch up. There also wasn’t any feathering of the color, even though I had slightly over-lined my lips.
I genuinely have mixed feelings about this product. There are so many factors that will affect how they look and feel on you, mainly the presence of dry spots on your lips and how pigmented your natural lip color is. With the shades that did work for me, I really enjoyed the smooth, blotted effect and softer appearance. But 50% is a failing grade, and half the shades falling flat makes me less than excited to encourage you to try them.
If you do want to give the wet n wild Soft Blur Matte Lipsticks a go, they are between $5-6… not too big of an investment, but also not wet n wild’s best matte lipstick, either.
– Miranda
