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Like most people, I used to be obsessed with liquid lipstick. I loved the fact that I could apply it in the morning and never have to resort to touch-ups — it felt bulletproof. That said, I didn't like how drying and crusty some formulas made my lips look and feel.
Fast forward to today, and I've switched my allegiances (mostly) to lip gloss. However, I often find myself frustrated with how sticky and tacky some of them can be. The solution? A 2022 Best of Beauty Breakthrough winner: Maybelline New York's SuperStay Vinyl Ink. Let me explain.
As a self-proclaimed long-wear queen, I have always sworn by anything in Maybelline New York's Super Stay collection. The aspect that intrigued me the most about Vinyl Ink was how it married my two favorite attributes in a lip color: shine and longevity. However, to be real here, I was a bit skeptical. I didn't really get how a shiny (or in this case, vinyl) finish could last all day — let alone, up to 16 hours, which is what the brand claims.
With that skepticism in mind, I decided to put Vinyl Ink Lipcolor to the test and wear it all day and night to see if it truly lasts. On Maybelline New York's website, there are clear instructions on how to apply the product. The brand suggests shaking the box-like packaging to activate the formula. During the Best of Beauty Awards testing period, we checked in with cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos, so she could explain why this formula is unique. "Many of the ingredients we use to impart shine are liquids, like oils or waxes, and these easily slide around on the lips and fade," she said.
Creating a gloss with a Teflon-tough hold is something pretty much every makeup brand has been trying to do for a while now, Dobos adds. This challenge is why it took Maybelline New York seven years, 50 trials, and a global team of more than 100 scientists and engineers to nail down the perfect concoction. For the shine, they had to put in a lot of legwork. Maybelline New York's team of chemists adjusted the size and shape of two silicone resins (polymethylsilsesquioxane and trimethylsiloxysilicate) until they were left with a glossy shine that felt comfortable and was compatible with the long-wearing pigments. Basically, the shine was able to sit on top of the pigments without disturbing them.
OK, back to the application. After giving the Vinyl Ink Lipcolor a good shake I applied two layers of the shade Lippy, a medium mauve hue, to my dry, clean lips. I noticed that the doe-foot applicator is slightly bent, which makes it super easy to apply the product precisely to my cupid's bow and the corners of my mouth. Truthfully, the wand was so precise I found that I didn't even need a lip liner.
I gave the product about a minute to dry down to its vinyl finish and immediately did a transfer test by pressing my lips to my hand. To my surprise, there was no trace of pigment on my hand and yet my lips looked shiny — a dream come true for me.
Throughout the day, I did my normal work-from-home activities, including attending meetings, drinking lots of water, and eating a greasy slice of pizza, and my lip color stayed intact through it all. But I have yet to reveal the part that shocked me the most. This lip color is only retails for $10. Not to mention, it comes in an assortment of 15 shades that leans heavily in the pink and red families and is packed with pigment so bold that it will show up and stand out on all skin tones.
There you have it. If you're into a lip color you won't have to worry about retouching every five minutes, this is for you. The Maybelline New York SuperStay Vinyl Ink is available now on amazon.com for only $13.
More winners from Allure's 2022 Best of Beauty Awards:
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