Velvet Vanity, Velvet Underground

I’m someone who jumps on any beauty trends with the speed of lightning, yet liquid lipstick is something that I never really fully took to. I mean, I have tried a few with varying results but I still don’t really get why there suddenly appears to be a demand for matte lipsticks to come in lip gloss-esque packaging instead of just, like, regular bullet-shaped lipsticks.

Still, that hasn’t stopped me from taking a crack at the Velvet Vanity Liquid Matte Lipsticks. Velvet Vanity is, of course, a new local brand of liquid lipsticks. Currently, they’ve got only three colours in their lineup (which is good! I don’t like when new brands pop out of nowhere with about a thousand products already on the menu… it makes me suspicious that someone is just buying something wholesale and reselling it…). The one I’ve got is in the shade Blood Wasted.

But before we get started on the actual lipstick, the packaging. The tube that the lipstick comes in is rather simple—I’m shocked, SHOCKED that there’s no rose gold on there. The label is just a sticker and isn’t embossed on the actual tube. It’s no big deal for me since I’m chill, but people I’ve shown the lipstick to in real life tend to comment on it so there you go. Also, the cap of the lipstick  came off which is… eh… I’m giving the benefit of the doubt here since this is a very new indie brand so a few hiccups are to be expected. Anyway, Burberry Beauty had the same issue with malfunctioning packaging when they first came out and I’m sure they had a trazillion dollars more capital to make sure that ish doesn’t happen!

Anyway, I glued the cap back on (Queen of DIY!) and everything is back to being fine and dandy. Now, I’ve mentioned before that I’m no liquid lipstick connoisseur so I can’t make super detailed comparisons to the other hugely famous liquid lipsticks. I am not planning to trip over myself to buy lipsticks made by Carlie Jennersontonville or anything.

Velvet Vanity Liquid Matte Lipstick in Blood Wasted.

ANYWAY, Velvet Vanity Liquid Matte Lipstick, to me, is pretty good. Unlike what I always expect for liquid lipsticks, the product isn’t thick and waxy. In fact, it goes on more liquid than creamy— like putting on a very, very, VERY pigmented lip stain. I like the wand too— the shape of it really makes it easy to apply around your lip lines. I’ve tried putting it on with a lip brush for more control over the shape but it doesn’t really work. The product will— what’s the word?— break up and stuff and wouldn’t go on evenly at all. So stick with the wand, and wipe off any shaky lines or lopsidedness with the edges of a tissue paper or a cotton bud.

Once the lipstick dries to matte is when it shines. I’m used to liquid lipsticks being dry af and I’ve often described the experience of wearing liquid lipsticks as “feeling like my lips are being strangled to death”. With this one, my lips are very much alive and strangle-free. It sits on your lips comfortably and isn’t sticky so you can talk and get on with your life without feeling constantly reminded that you’ve got goop on your lips. Set it and forget it.

Just as the box warns, though, it isn’t going to last through oily meals. If you eat anything of course you’re going to end up with that ring in the middle of your mouth— especially with a colour like this. But is there really any brand of lipstick which can withstand meals? I personally don’t mind reapplying (putting on lipstick is fun! Let’s do it as often as possible) so you wouldn’t catch me flipping tables if my lipstick wears off after eating. If you don’t eat anything, however, this lipstick will stay on just fine!

You can kind of see the glue I used to stick the cap back on. 

In the end, I just want to say that I’m always excited to see local cosmetic brands cropping up here and there. I think a small collection sold online is a great business model for any aspiring cosmetic entrepreneurs (just like Jeffree Star! By the way, anyone remember him on Myspace??? Please listen to his smash single Plastic Surgery Slumber Party, it’s a jam) ‘cause I’ve too often seen Malaysian brands fold over because it started out too big and too strong.

So do you want some Velvet Vanity for your vanity? They’re available on their online store for RM59, excluding shipping costs ofcozzz.