Sugar Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick Merlot Glow Review

July 23, 2018
Lips, Lipstick, Lipsticks, Liquid Lipstick, Makeup, Sugar Cosmetics
by Oindrila Chakrabarti

Skin Type: Dry and occasionally acne prone
Skin Tone: Fair with neutral undertones

Greetings beauties,

Sugar Cosmetics keeps launching good quality makeup products and has a vast array of lipsticks in their collection. Their latest addition to the “Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick” range was the inclusion of 6 brand new metallic shades. Metallic lips have always taken the beauty world by storm and this super exciting launch by Sugar just increased my obsession for metallic lipsticks. I knew I had to try them right away because my past experience with Sugar lipsticks has been pretty good. I got 3 shades from their metallic lipsticks collection. Today’s review is on a metallic lipstick called “Merlot Glow.” Read on for more details.

Product Description:
If you have ever lusted for a “one-coat wonder” product for your lips, your search ends here. Get a full-blooded burst of pigment with just a single swipe of the SUGAR Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick that will stay the day and right up till the night! Wine, coffee & date-proof – this is a matte lipstick that is guaranteed to last longer than your longest day. Available in 36 stunning shades that will make it difficult to choose – the question is, are you ready to commit to a lipstick that is built to last?
Price:
INR 549 for 4.5 ml.

Ingredients:
Isododecane, Dimethicone, Isododecane & Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cyclopentasiloxane & Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Vitamin – E, Propyl Paraben.

My Experience with Sugar Smudge Me Not Liquid Lipstick Merlot Glow:

The metallic lipstick range from Sugar is available in an assortment of 6 beautiful shades. You will find metallic red, plum, rose gold, pink and burgundy colours in this range. So, the collection is actually very pretty and you can’t stop without grabbing at least one shade from the collection.

Packaging: There is nothing new about the packaging. It is similar to the packaging of other liquid lipsticks from this range. When Sugar launched these lipsticks with the metallic range tagline, I expected the brand to work on the packaging of the lipsticks, but this time also Sugar has continued with its pretty old packaging, which I feel is very boring.

This liquid lipstick comes in a quirky cardboard packaging having the signature Sugar graphics design and prints on it. The graphical design looks very attractive and colourful and renders a good value packaging wise. The liquid lipstick comes housed inside this cardboard box. The shape of the tube is square and it will fit easily in your makeup box. The colour of the tube is transparent and you can see through the shade of the lipstick from outside which actually helps in the shade identification process quickly. The tube of the lipstick has a regular screw-on black cap on it that closes properly in place. There are no chances of unwanted leakage of the product. The shade name is mentioned on the base of the tube and also on the outer cardboard box.

The applicator comes attached with the black cap. The shape of the applicator is just perfect for liquid lipstick application. You will not face unwanted and uneven coverage with this type of wand. It is quite small in size yet it helps you to get more hold and grip on the product flow. Overall, I find the packaging sturdy and quite attractive.

Shade: “Merlot Glow” is a gorgeous metallic burgundy colour. It looks quite vampy on my fair skin tone. Actually, I find this quite bold for day-time wear. This shade is more for medium to dusky skin tones. Even if I wear this, I would mostly prefer it for evening parties and wedding occasions. However, the metallic effect in it not much pronounced and looks quite wearable. If you are a lover of burgundy shades, you may try this out.

Pigmentation: Needless to say, the pigmentation of this liquid lipstick is bomb. You get an opaque coverage in a single swipe. For pigmented lips, it will need a maximum of two swipes for full colour payoff. I usually apply two coats and I am ready to go. Between two successive coats, I use a blotting tissue to remove the excess amount. I am really happy with the intense pigmentation of these lipsticks and I feel they are similar in pigmentation with their previously launched liquid lipsticks. Pigmentation wise, I will give 5/5.

Fragrance wise, it has a mild candy-like fragrance which is never too bothering. The fragrance lingers for some time after which it gradually fades away.

Texture and Finish: The texture is smooth, very creamy and the product when applied spreads evenly without any tug or pull. It feels sticky initially, but once it settles to a dead matte finish, the sticky feeling is gone. Once, the lipstick sets, it doesn’t move or budge from its place, so you are pretty sorted with it. The finish is super rich and metallic and it looks very much settled on the lips. The formula is lightweight and feels comfortable to wear. The more you apply, the more time it takes to dry up. After you apply this lipstick, it takes about 20-30 seconds to dry down completely and then settles to a dry and matte finish. While applying coats, be quick because the colour gets settles really fast and can give a patchy look if you don’t pay proper attention. The formulation is buildable and adjusts well to layering. Initially, the formulation felt quite hydrating and moisturizing, but it felt drying on the lips after sometime. This was because my lips were not hydrated. It will highlight fine lines of your lips if you are prone to dryness.

One good point about this lip colour is that it is smudge proof and waterproof. Once it dries completely, it is completely transfer proof as well. The application ensures a flawless and even finish with zero streakiness.

The product claims to contain Vitamin E, but it tends to make lips stretchy after some time. Exfoliation and prepping up your lips is mandatory, otherwise the dryness will surely ruin your day. It is advisable to moisturise your lips with a lip balm to keep them hydrated and healthy looking.

Staying Power: Another feather to its good performance is the insane staying power. It gives such a lustrous metallic finish to the lips and the staying power is better than old smudge me not lipsticks. From morning to night, it stays in place throughout if you do not consume any food or drinks. It does not crack or flake off. On my lips, it stayed for about 10 hours without budging. With normal meals, the colour intensity is not affected much. However, with oily foods, it gets chipped off from the centre of the lips. In that case, you would require reapplication, but reapplication is not messy at all since the texture is so soft and creamy. If you have primed lips, the staying power will definitely be more. Guys!!! If you want to badly try some metallic lipstick with long-wearing formula, try these lipsticks. I am pretty sure you will happy with the staying power.

Coming to the removal process, it is not possible to remove this lipstick with a normal water-based remover or wet wipe as the colour is highly pigmented. You would surely need an oil-based makeup remover for complete removal of the lipstick. I also used some almond oil as I really had hard time removing it off.

Overall, keeping both the pros and cons in mind, the pros have outweighed the cons. I can certainly say that their metallic lipsticks are also very good if the performance is considered. The shade ‘Merlot Glow’ looks stunning and is a party perfect shade. I do recommend this.