Glossy vs. Matte lips, what team are you on?

Long have these two lipstick formulations battled it out on our pouts. 

Glossy wet-look lips receive praises for their moisturising qualities and light reflecting pigmentations. They allow our puckers to look that much bigger.

 Whereas matte lipsticks have won a hoard of beauty fans in recent years for gifting us a contemporary statement where everyone can see it, on our lips. Thank stars like Rihanna, Nikki Minaj and Katy Perry for donning neon matte lips with no sign of a shimmer or a glossy sheen in sight. 

I must say, matte lippies do stay on longer, but we all know that long-wear lipsticks take a toll on our mouths; their drying qualities often have femmes hunting through their makeup bags, searching for their old favourite sheer lipstick variety to restore hydration stat. 

Here I thrust two of my favourite lipsticks, one from both categories, in a beauty boxing ring of sorts, and I ask you to choose which you believe is the better option?

Come out and defend your title, Guerlain Ballade Rouge Automatique Lipstick. 

Olivia Wilde sporting a glossy lip!

Wow wee. Look at you, standing tall, very posh and proud in your gold bullet like canister, you look truly... hmm, pigmented? And I guess, yes, you are! Alas, not of the matte kind. Look at you glimmer in all your pearlescent glory? You’re like the rest of your Guerlain sisters. You deliver a fair amount of colour with see through translucency, so my natural lip colour can peek through.

I guess your most winning trait is that you have a creamy, glide-on consistency that doesn’t feel too thick or too thin.  But for me, it’s the fact that you’re violet-scented! Delish!

Enter your rival! The matte lipstick that is so opaque you would think I’d carefully dipped my index finger into a can of Pantone house paint, and lacquered it onto my lips! NARS Pure Matte Lipstick!

A model sporting NARS Pure Matte

Okay, let’s not be coy about my love for you. YOU ARE FREAKING FANTASTIC! YOU BLOCK MY WORLD – or maybe just my lips!

Deep breath. Nars, you have won over my heart, and those of the celebrity elite! Oh, and designers too! I see your pigmented butter sauntering on models and actresses lips alike. And boy do you pack a punch for the mere mortal as well! 

A big night for me starts with a few flutes of champagne and a swipe of your vibrant hue on my lips. My night ends, still... with you on my lips. See, unlike an unfaithful lover, you Nars, you never stray.

Your long wear consistency means that I don’t have to run to the bathroom to touch up, and I don’t have to hide my coffee cup in shame if I dare wear such a loud lip on a Monday Morning. You don’t smear everywhere like your glossy rival. And that’s what I like about you Nar’s ... you’ve got real personality. 

So which formulation do you choose? For me, if I'm honest, I'll tell you it's both. I wear matte lipsticks more as a statement and then restore hydration the next day with a more glossy variety!

Lots of love!

SS x