A non-drying matte lipstick is a prize find but for me there’s also a balance to be had when it comes to matte lipstick. To me, matte lipsticks needn’t be completely FLAT looking, you’re allowed to disagree with me. That’s just a personal preference because I don’t want high shine because of my massive lips but at the same time I don’t want my lips to look like a flat vector graphic pasted on my face. I’ve found my dream matte lipstick formula by T. LeClerc, available at Rustan’s for Php795…complete value for money but I’m really sad there are only 4 or 5 shades available locally, they remind me of the IZGO lipstick I blogged about ages ago (as in like 2 years ago). It’s great that they’ve got this sort of red, 03 Rouge Secret a beautiful brick red that has a very slight, almost unnoticeable pink undertone. It’s very wearable, I wore it at a friend’s wedding and because I loved the color so much I made sure I retouched at the reception (even though I was recovering from a small gaping lip wound), though I didn’t have to pack on a lot to retouch. You better believe it, red lips have not vanished from the trend reports and hello, love month isn’t over yet.
The texture of this T.Le Clerc lipstick is like that of a MAC lipstick like Ruby Woo but creamier and more velvety, easier to bring across the lips. Also in comparison to a NARS Pure Matte lipstick I own this is way more comfortable to wear. You can also safely eat with this lipstick without it going everywhere…a light retouch may be required if the food is a bit greasy. French brand T.Le Clerc has a strong following and one of my former bosses, Tinette O. Puyat, salon owner and hairdresser is extremely fond of their powder bases, too. One of my wedding clients, Maita, wore this brand of lipstick as maid of honor at another wedding I did, but her shade was like a slightly brighter cherry red and seeing how it lasted on her is what made me go on the hunt for it. A lovely matching lipliner for the T.LeClerc lipstick shade 03 Rouge Secret, and I mean a real exact match, is NICHIDO’s lip pencil in Coral Rust which is what I used to line and color my lips in midway first to help with longevity. The NICHIDO lipliners have the same texture as NYX slim lipliners which are also a favorite of mine but these local ones only cost between Php100-Php200.
There’s a 90s revival ongoing and it’s bleeding through almost every style magazine feature I’ve noticed so far. Every so often people will reminisce about what was nearly 2 decades ago and crave a reinterpreted throwback. In my teens bell bottoms and elephant pants plus everything 70s when it came to music was the “in” thing in high-school. Mod beauty for the 90s was earthy, brick red lips which were big on TV stars (remember Monica and Rachel in FRIENDS?), movies like Reality Bites, Empire Records, Pulp Fiction (more ox blood red than brick though), and even Clueless (check Brittany Murphy’s lips). Here’s an inspiration photo from Reality Bites which also shows a similar sort of red on the lovely Winona Ryder.
The T.LeClerc lipstick, I reiterate, is Php795 from Rustan’s (got mine at Rustan’s Grand Mall) and for the lovely slim size and packaging I have to say it’s a real find, a similar one by MAC would be Russian Red but that isn’t as matte. T.LeClerc also has a bright coral pink that’s kind of like Chanel’s Rouge Allure velvet Exuberante and also a slightly more beige pink is also available. Have you also been bit by the 90s revival you see everywhere and if so have you been incorporating it into your wardrobe or makeup looks?
