I have two shades of this lip cream, interestingly named Tokyo and Milan. Tokyo, in its packaging is a soft pale pink and Milan is a nice rose color. However, the lip creams, when swatched, are brighter than they appear on the tube. Tokyo becomes a brighter pastel pink and Milan becomes a cooler, toned down fuschia. The first thing you'll notice about this product is the scent which reminds me of the faint smell of butterball candies. It doesn't bother me... much.
True to its description, this cream does go on smooth and silky upon application to the lips and does look soft matte. It feels nice on the lips and the pigmentation is great. Well it's totally a unique product but I can't say its fantastic, it has its flaws.
Hmmm... Well, right on my first use of this product I've noticed that putting a thin layer emphasizes dry, chapped lips and even the natural ridges of the lips. Applying a thicker coat doesn't do much good either, it only makes it worse. When we apply lip products, we tend to rub our lips together so that the product would be distributed. With this product, it distributes unevenly on the lips, depositing most of the onto the dry and natural ridges. Thus, it emphasizes the imperfection of our lips. Don't be fooled by the moisturizing feeling after application. Because this is somewhat of a matte finish, this also dries out the lips in about fifteen minutes. When wearing this particular product, you should ensure that the lips are thoroughly exfoliated and moisturized and the product thoroughly blended into your lips before finally heading out the door.
The staying power of this product is only an hour and that's using it as some sort of stain. Using the same principle in using lipsticks as lip stains: put a little of the product in the middle of the lip or putting it in the ring finger, dab and blend it all over the lips, it makes the color last for another half an hour. With this product, it is best to line the lips with a lip liner first before application. This is definitely not a long lasting product.
So what's my final verdict for this lip cream? A dud. I was so excited to try this product on since I mostly like wearing matte lips than glossy ones but this product is a disappointment. I love the packaging, the name of the shades and even the color and pigmentation of the product itself but it just doesn't perform well for me. I think I might try the NYX Xtreme Matte Lip Cream just to compare it with the soft matte and to see if it works better. If this product only worked for me I might end up getting all of the shades because I really think the colors are all pretty.
Most beauty bloggers really love this particular product but I am not a huge fan. In using this product, always remember to exfoliate the lips. This did not just work well for me, but it might not be the same for you. It might just be the exact opposite and be amazing. It is worth a try for its price of $6 since it is indeed "like nothing I've ever experienced before."
I always try to make products work even if they are a miss for me. It's no good wasting money and product if you just throw them out. And even if I didn't quite love the Soft Matte Lip Creams, I still use them (see the Valentine's Look 1 with Milan Lip Cream here).
NYX will still remain as one of my favorite brands, I'm just not a fan of these soft matte lip creams. :(
