Skin tone: Medium tanned
Skin type: Oily & sensitive

Hello, ladies!
My mom often comments on how buying lipsticks has become a hobby for me. I love to try out new shades, new textures and that’s why I am always ready to buy new lip colors. ELLE 18 is one of the most affordable brands for students; when I was in school, I used to purchase only ELLE 18 products and they have a huge collection. ELLE 18 recently launched the ‘Color Pops Matte Lipsticks’ range in India with 20 beautiful shades. From this range, I have picked up 8 shades. Actually, I was really confused about the shades, so picked up the shades randomly. Today’s review is going to be on the shade ‘First Love’ and it is quite a unique shade. Read on for more details.

Product Description:
• High color pay off
• Single color lipstick (without the moisturizing core)
• Matte texture

Price:
INR 100 for 4.3g

My Experience with Elle 18 Color Pops Matte Lipstick First Love:

Elle 18 matte lipstick comes in a cute black packaging with a lovely girl’s face printed over the cap. But the packaging is common to all lipsticks by Elle 18, so it is quite difficult to identify and pick one range or shade. The cute tube is easy to carry around, though. It is such a fun and girly packaging. But, the packaging twist mechanism isn’t very sturdy. Other than that, I really like this super affordable lipstick.

This new matte lipstick range has 20 shades but I could find only 13 shades in my local market and I chose only 8 out of them. This range has a huge variety of shades like red, orange, pink, mauve, and brown. ‘First Love’ is from the purple range and it is a vibrant pinkish purple shade with a neon touch. It looks so bright and neonish on my lips.

It looks nice on my medium skin tone, but the shade would suit fair skin tones the best. I find it a fun color to try especially during the summer. It looks very fresh and very poppy. It washes out darker skin tone and is not a mature shade at all. But I really like it! Also, the shade is decently pigmented and needs maximum two to three swipes for the true, perfect color to show up.

They call it a “matte lipstick” but I prefer to call it a creamy-matte lipstick. Its smooth and soft texture glides so easily on the lips and it provides an even application. The finish is not exactly matte; it is more of a creamy-matte with a velvety finish. It has a non-drying finish which keeps the lips soft and moisturized for long. But, after a few hours, it settles down to a nice semi-matte stain. After that, it might feel a little dry if you have really chapped lips. Otherwise, it is a really a hydrating lipstick which doesn’t highlight dry patches.

It doesn’t contain any shimmers which is really nice. It does transfer just after the application but not too much like any creamy lipstick. Other shades in this range do not settle into the fine lines and don’t crease. But this particular shade slightly settles into the fine lines after many hours of application. I am really happy with the quality. But it is not a proper matte lipstick.

It doesn’t stay on the lips for as long as other matte lipsticks; it stays for around 4-5 hours. After 4 hours, it starts to fade and then it leaves a nice pink stain on the lips. It can’t survive lunch amazingly but, after lunch, the pink stain looks pretty on the lips. A reapplication is needed after 3-4 hours.

According to its price, I have no complaints about it. It is really worth the money as it gives a very poppy shade and also has a nice quality. I was expecting it to have a perfect matte finish which it can’t exactly provide. This shade is really good for teenagers who like to sport fun shades.

Pros of Elle 18 Color Pops Matte Lipstick First Love:

• Cute, travel-friendly packaging
• Super affordable
• Huge range of shades
• First Love is a bright pinkish purple shade
• Fun, summery and fresh neon shade
• Good pigmentation
• Has a mild scent
• Glides evenly on the lips
• Soft, smooth texture
• Has a creamy-matte finish
• Non-drying texture
• Good staying power
• Leaves a nice pink stain

Cons of Elle 18 Color Pops Matte Lipstick First Love:

• Not exactly a 100% matte lipstick
• Transfers a little
• This shade can wash darker skin tones out
• Reapplication is required
• Fades after a meal

IMBB Rating:
4/5

Would I Recommend/Repurchase Elle 18 Color Pops Matte Lipstick First Love?
I already have lots of shades but I really enjoy this range and you should try this range too. But, I feel, this shade is particularly meant for fair to medium skin tones.

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