Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks, my review

I already declared my love for Makeup Geek many times here, and you also know that I’m a self-claimed lipstick addict. So imagine my excitement when I learned that MUG was launching a bunch of new lipsticks!

Marlena Stell, the founder of the brand, has been talking about it for months and teasing her subscribers on all her social media accounts. She announced a large launch with several ranges of lipsticks: classic tube lipsticks, but also liquids lipsticks in several finishes, lip gloss… In short, a wide range of exciting lip products!

And indeed, last December, three ranges of lipsticks were released at the same time:
– the Iconic Lipsticks: classic lipsticks in a tube, which exist in 2 finishes (matte and shine),
– the Plush Matte: liquid lipsticks with a matte finish,
– the Plush Creme: liquid lipsticks with a cream finish.

(Quick note: I admit that I’m quite confused by the two ranges of liquid lipsticks, the Plush Matte and the Plush Creme, because the brand speaks of a creamy texture for both formulas and the matte version doesn’t have this typical dry finish, and they’re not transfer-free and waterproof. In short, I will tell you more about them because I ordered some and I’ll probably do a review here also, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m confused. Is it just me? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think! wink )

Before going into more detail, there is one thing I must confess. I had a hard time motivating myself to write this review. Indeed, even if I’m a big fan of Makeup Geek, I was quite overwhelmed by this launch.

And this, for two reasons:
1. 49 new lipsticks is a lot:

3 different lipstick ranges, nearly 50 new products all at once, it’s a huge launch. And Marlena is already talking about launching new lip glosses this month!
As a loyal MUG customer, I would have preferred the launches to be a little more spread out in time. It leaves a little time to read reviews online, look at some swatches, get an idea of what to choose! Maybe it’s just me, but I found that 49 new lipstick is a bit too much. (I think I hear Urban Decay laughing. Remember how they launched 100 Vice Lipsticks last year? Yep, they did. And nobody complained!)

2. I’m not impressed with the colors:

I was quite disappointed with the choice of colors, for the 3 ranges. It’s certainly a question of taste, but I didn’t feel attracted by a lot of shades. There are not a lot of nudes in the ranges (and I love them at the moment), and I found many of the colors in the ranges very dull. Well, there were still some very nice shades, but I didn’t have too much trouble restricting myself when I placed my order. And honestly, it’s not a very good sign if I don’t want to buy the whole range all at the same time…

That being said, I hope this review can be useful to you and if you are like me, a Makeup Geek fan, I would be very curious to know what you thought about this lipstick launch! smile

So today, let’s talk about the Iconic Lipsticks.

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks, presentation:

What the brand says about them:

“Highly pigmented color in a velvety matte finish leaves your lips feeling silky smooth. The sleek Rose-Gunmetal tubes feature a unique color indicator in the cap so you can easily find your ideal shade.
All our Iconic Lipsticks are cruelty-free and vegan. These lipsticks are Talc and Paraben-Free.”

The Iconic Lipsticks are classic lipsticks in a tube, existing in two different finishes: matte and shine. There are 10 shiny and 10 matte, and these are different colors each time.

The packaging is quite original, they are longer than a tube of classic lipsticks. They contain a little less than a classic lipstick: each Iconic Lipstick contains 2g of product (in comparison, 1 tube of MAC lipstick contains 3g of product).

There are 20 colors in the range and they retail for $15.

I chose four shades: Gullible (matte), Shy (shine), Spoiled (shine) and Lively (matte).

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks, my test and thoughts:

– Packaging:

It’s a long fine metallic tube, with a super practical detail: a sticker on the cap, that is the same color as the lipstick. Perfect to find the color you want in your lipstick drawer vanity!
The Iconic Lipsticks’ packaging is great: I like their metallic rose gold/ gunmetal finish, it’s sober and elegant. I like the finesse of the bullet, less the fact that the tip is round (not really practical to draw nice lip contour). Regardless, I find the packaging very chic, a bit like a pretty lipstick pen. There is a great attention to detail, even the card packaging is super sleek with its Art Deco logo.
In short, it’s a beautiful object.

– Texture and feeling on the lips: 

It’s according to the lipstick finish:
– the shine finish is very creamy and comfortable. Of course, it tends to move a bit on the lips, but it doesn’t smudge.
– the matte finish remains creamy, but however, I find it drying. It’s weird because I really thought that its creamy formula would make it comfortable. Unfortunately, my lips feel tight pretty quickly.

– Finish: 

The shine finish is shiny (obviously), and gives a very nice volume to the lips. It’s not sheer, it’s a beautiful cream finish; it’s well pigmented and opaque on the lips.
The matte finish is as its name indicates matte, but it remains rather luminous on the lips, it’s not a flat matte finish at all.

– Scent:

They’re fragrance-free.

– Pigmentation and coverage: 

A very good pigmentation, in one swipe. They’re very pigmented and opaque on the lips.

 – Color range:

20 colors in the range and to tell you the truth, I only like 6 out of 20. Yep, not that many… sad
I don’t find the color range very flattering, many shades are very dark and look dull. The swatches on Makeup Geek’s website are not super appealing, and the other swatches I saw online didn’t make me change my mind about this color range.
I find that this range cruelly lacks nudes or fresh and bright colors. I was pretty disappointed, I didn’t expect that from MUG, a makeup brand that I usually adore for its beautiful colors.

– Application: 

The application is not the easiest because the tip of the bullet is round. However, because it’s quite fine, you can make it work! wink

– Lasting power:

The shine finish is obviously a little less long-lasting than the matte finish. But in both cases, a touch-up is necessary after a meal. The matte finish lasts about 6 to 8 hours on the lips, and the shiny finish, about 3 to 4 hours.

– Value for money:

The Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks retail for $15. I would say that it’s a good value for money because overall the quality of the formula is rather good and the packaging is beautiful.

Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks, the shades:

– Gullible: I don’t love this one. I was expecting a nice light neutral pinky nude, but on me, it looks too light and also too warm, too “orange”. I would have loved this shade if it was sheer and shimmery but in a matte and opaque version, it doesn’t suit my skin tone very well. Maybe this summer with a tan? Let’s wait and see.

– Shy: a very pretty pinky mauve-brown, quite neutral, very easy to wear and which goes with a lot of makeup looks. It’s a little darker than a classic nude, but it remains very easy to wear for a nice everyday makeup look.

– Spoiled: I didn’t like this one either and no it’s not a joke with the name. wink Looking at the swatches on the Makeup Geek site, I thought it was a pretty plummy shade. But on my lips, it looks more like a muted purple, and I find it quite dull. I don’t like purple on me except if it has some pink in it. Spoiled is unfortunately too purple and I’m not a fan.

– Lively: probably my favorite of the four. A stunning pinky plum, very luminous and soft. It’s not too dark and gives a lot of luminosity to the face. I love it!

Finally, here are the swatches:

And on me:

– Gullible:

– Shy:

– Spoiled:

– Lively:

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

I have very mixed feelings about these Iconic Lipsticks. The range of colors doesn’t impress me that much, and although I quite like the shiny finish, I’m not very convinced by these lipsticks. Hopefully, Marlena launches new colors in the future, with more nudes, fingers crossed! wink

The Iconic Lipsticks are available on Makeup Geek website for $15.

And you, do you know these Makeup Geek Iconic Lipsticks? If not, what colors would you like to try?

Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com