One of the biggest beauty trends of 2015 was liquid matte lipsticks. They gained popularity with Instagram posts of big, plush lips dressed up in lip products by mostly indie brands. Now, larger companies such as Mac and NYX are finally selling their versions of the lipstick/lip gloss hybrid, so I’m sure these products will continue to rule in 2016.

A favorite makeup company of mine is Colourpop. All of its products are $10 or less and are really good quality. And while I love the look of liquid matte lips, most tubes retail for about $20 each, which can be a lot to spend on a makeup trend. So when Colourpop announced it would be releasing its own liquid matte lipsticks for only $6, the pretty part of the internet just about exploded. The first release quickly sold out (without me getting any), but since then I have placed a few orders with Colourpop and have managed to try out 7 of these bad boys.

Unfortunately the quality of the formulas of each of these varies so wildly (see ahead), that I’ve decided to review each color on its own. The following pics were taken in natural light and are unedited.

Midi 💄💄💄💄💄

I actually gave this one away to my sister, but I’m planning on repurchasing it in the very near future. It’s a perfect nude for pale skin. It’s super comfortable and easy to reapply. Good job, Colourpop.

Trap 💄💄💄💄💄  

Okay, this may be one of my favorite lip colors of all time. Every time I wear this out, I always get compliments. One woman at a local bar stopped me to say “That is your color. You’ve really found your color.” I was blushing for weeks.

The formula is super smooth and only mildly drying. You can touch it up super easily with it still looking flawless. Colourpop describes it as “dusty greyed out beige.” This type of “greige” color is pretty popular right now, and I think this shade could be flattering on a lot of different skin tones.

Kapow 💄💄💄💄💄

Another trendy color, this nod-to-the-90s “muted grey taupe” looks rather brown on my pale skin, but I think this is another one that would look incredible on most skin colors. It’s a nude, yet still a statement color, which makes it really fun to play around with. This formula is really nice and will mostly stay put through a meal.

Bumble 💄💄💄💄

Bumble is a beautiful rosy terracotta that is a great every day lip. This better-than-natural lip color matches most makeup and clothing looks, and I feel like my lips always look nice and full with this on. This formula can require a lot of touching up, but the color is so gorgeous that it’s worth it.

Mars 💄💄

I probably own more bright pink lipsticks than any other color, so obviously I was intrigued by an out-of-this-world “red fuchsia.” This color is insanely pretty and unique. Here’s the bad news: the quality of the lipstick is pretty terrible. It’s so, so drying and very difficult to touch up. It’s not entirely unwearable. It’ll stay put for a few hours as long as you don’t eat or drink much. But the discomfort that comes with it means you really won’t want to wear it much longer than that.

Succulent 💄

Colourpop claims “the boys will be thirsty for this electric neon orange red.” But the only thing that gets thirsty with this product is your lips. This is hands down one of the worst lip products I’ve ever used. It’s streaky when you put it on, but if you try to add another layer to make it more opaque, it instantly starts to flake off. Even with just one layer, if you eat, drink or even crack a smile, huge flakes of the lipcolor come off, leaving your lips uneven with bald patches.

It’s unusable. $6 down the drain. Maybe after publishing this review I’ll finally throw it away.

Dr. M 💄💄💄💄

Dr. M is a “deep blackened green.” It’s hella fun. It’s majorly pigmented and pretty comfortable. It’s a win to get a fun color at a low price because I obviously won’t be wearing this that often.

Final Thoughts

It’s obvious that the quality of this product is all over the place. The only thing I can say is that I’ve had better luck with nude shades than bright, pigmented shades, but I can’t say that’s law.

There seems to be this concept in the makeup world that “bad batches” happen and you shouldn’t be so quick to criticize because maybe the formula had a mistake in it that’s since been fixed. But we don’t really let this logic slide for other goods like food and clothing, so why should I let it go for makeup? I still paid good money for an item that didn’t deliver. I digress.

What I’ve told people in the past is that buying these is a gamble. $6 isn’t a ton of money to lose out on, but it’s money that can go toward buying a liquid lipstick from a more reliable brand (Kat Von D, Anastasia Beverly Hills, etc.). On the other hand, finding a perfect product that I grab for time after time for only $6 feels like winning the lottery. And looking amazing while doing so. I think these lip products are best for people who want to try liquid lipsticks while avoiding breaking the bank on a trendy item. As I noted with Dr. M, they’re also good for people who want to try out a fun shade they’d be hesitant to buy otherwise. And even then I might suggest just buying Colourpop’s lippie stix because those formulas are much more consistent. So if you’re in the market for a liquid lipstick in a color you know you’ll want to wear all the time (reds, nudes) I’d recommend the splurge on a nicer brand.