Review + Swatches: Laura Mercier's new modern matte lipsticks
When the PV team received the invite for the launch of the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lippies and found the venue was at Yes Please, BGC, we were pretty shocked, to say the least. Laura Mercier has long been a staple for the Titas of Manila, so it was a little jarring to experience the new products in a blacked out, neon-lit bar.
Laura Mercier, however, wants a makeover. They aim to be a brand that a younger market would love, hence the new lipstick collection! The new Velour Extreme Matte Lipsticks come in 24 shades ranging from safe nudes, to electrifying berries, and all the way to dramatic plums. These are not your average tita’s lippie selection! Mayel Bautista, Laura Mercier's Brand Manager, and Mark Qua, lead makeup artist, introduced the collection then encouraged us to try the lippies through a Lip Roulette, a Claw Game, and even a Lipstrology reading!
The Velour Extremes deliver extreme color in a modern matte (read: silicone-y and slick) formula. These glide on pretty creamy, and it’s almost confusing to see myself swiping on lip crayons when they feel like liquid lippies! The colors stain and stay, though I found the berries to apply the most matte and even, whereas the nudes and plums were a little trickier. The slim sticks are a good size to fill in lips quickly, but they also come with a built-in sharpener for when you need to line the edges of your lips with precision.
I got to take home four very different shades, and I’m going to do a mini review of each to give you guys an idea of what to expect from this collection!
Fierce is a warm, nude shade. It applies a bit patchy on first swipe so you kind of have to layer or blend it on. It also has a bit of shine, so I find this the safest bet for people who get intimidated with color or full-on mattes.
It Girl is what I call a Gangnam Pink, which is a really vibrant and easy-to-wear cool-toned pink. Completely saturated and solid in one swipe, it’s a pretty awesome statement lip that looks doable across most skin tones. You may apply fully for a power look, or blend from the middle for a Korean gradient lip. It’s bold enough for the nighttime, and is absolutely flattering on my NC20 skin tone. This is my personal favorite among the four I have!
Power is your sexy, blood red lip color. Like It Girl, it’s completely saturated and applies full color upon the first swipe. Though It Girl is my favorite color of the bunch, Power has a little something extra about the color mix, that, combined with the finish looks absolutely unique. I love how plush it looks.
Extreme is a smoky purple. It was a little trickier to work with because like Fierce, it doesn’t layer solidly opaque on the first swipe. That said, when you get it right, this is a pretty powerful lip color. I love how the blue tones give a boost of strength and drama to one’s look.
Overall, I’d say the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipsticks (P1,450 each) are well worth a look! The price point is fair, especially since the dynamic color range means there’s something for every personality or every mood. The texture is nice and easy, and it gives that drama without the discomfort. The color leaves behind a stain that can extend reapplication as well!
Are you a fan of modern mattes? Which colors from the Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipsticks did you like?
Laura Mercier is available in Rustan’s Department Stores.
