MAYBELLINE | Color Blur by Lip Studio Cream Matte Pencils - Review + Swatches

To say I was excited to hear that the Color Blur Cream Matte Pencils* were being released in NZ was a total understatement. As soon as I saw these released in the US, they went straight to my wishlist. I even had my Mum and Dad try and track one of these down for me whilst in Hawaii last year, but it was sadly sold out. Maybelline has got a whole load of new products added to their range, which I talked about last month (see the big overview post here), so I thought I should give you the low down on each of them in more depth.

The concept of these pencils is really intriguing, with the idea that they can be used to create an ombre lip effect, which has been very popular in the beauty world. Gradient or ombre lips first made an appearance in the Korean beauty world in 2013/2014, which is no surprise as they are always so forward with their beauty trends. The Western world is only just getting into it now, with the likes of L'Oreal bringing out the Matte FX Pencils (review and swatches here), and now Maybelline with these matte lip offerings.

There are about 6 shades (although I'm not entirely sure of this number) available of the Color Blurs. The name explains them pretty darn well too; they're so creamy, and glide on almost too easily, but then they dry down to a matte finish (which does transfer). The pencils are pretty thin, with the lip color winding up by using the base. At the opposite end is the plastic smudger, which can be used to 'blur the lines' and create a simple gradient. First you apply the colour in the centre of the lips and blend it outwards, or you could mix two shades to get a unique lip colour. 

Personally, I don't really like the ombre look on me as my natural lip line isn't that well defined in the first place. However, these work awesomely as an all over pigmented and saturated matte lipstick. These last at least a few hours on the lips (but if you're eating and drinking they are going to wear off a bit quicker). I have four of the shades; Pink Insanity (bright, blue based pink), Orange Ya Glad (vibrant orange-red), I Like To Mauve It (soft mauve pink) and Plum Please (dark, berry red). As you can see from the swatches, the colours are rich and well pigmented. I Like To Mauve It is definitely a favourite and I know Plum Please is going to be a go-to Autumn shade for me.

You can now find these at all Maybelline stands, and they retail for $16.99 each.

Will you pick up any of the Color Blurs? What shade do you like the look of most?

*PR Samples.

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