Your Lipstick Guide: Matte vs Satin Lipstick & Every...

Ever wondered what the difference is between a matte vs satin lipstick? A lipstick with a matte texture will give you full coverage but can be challenging to use when you have dry lips.

If that’s the case you’re better off using a satin lipsticks since it has more moisturizing ingredients.

Yet, there are a lot more alternatives to choose from, even if you prefer an opaque coverage or just sheer pigmentation.

Let’s have look at what that means and which lipstick products are best for your lips. I will explain and show the differences in this blog post.

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Shopping for the perfect and right lipstick might feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. You have to think about:

• lipstick color,
• the finish
• and even the type of lip product itself.

As you can see there are different lipstick finishes. I’ll explain the pros and cons of every finish.

It’s not just the pigment that should catch your attention, it’s also the lipstick finish. Not everyone enjoys the texture of creamy lipstick and matte lippies can irritate dry lips.

Understanding different lipstick finishes help you find the ones that best suit the texture of your lips as well as your complexion and makeup style.

This guide gives you an insight into the different lipstick finishes, along with the lip products every makeup bag needs.

Matte vs Satin lipstick and everything in between

When you want to buy a new lipstick you probably think about lip colour and great colour payoff first. Yet, this isn’t the only thing you should be looking for.

You should also consider what formula texture you would like to buy. This will influence your lip look and a poorly chosen finish might emphasize dry patches or fine lines around your lips.

In other words, you can have 2 lipsticks in the exact same color, but the finish can make them look worlds apart.

Swatches different lipstick finishes

The Different Finishes

Back in the days I thought there was only one type of lipstick finish. When I went to Make-up School to become a Make-up Artist I found out this wasn’t the case at all.

There are different finishes and lip products to create different kind of lip looks and signature lips. Because there’s a wide range of finishes I’ll tell you more about the different textures your favorite brand might have.

1. Satin lipstick

• Pros: high coverage, matte look but with added hydration.
• Cons: if you love a good sheen, you won’t like the modest shine

If you want a signature lipstick, look no further than a satin lipstick finish. These are the lipsticks that are instant showstoppers.

Consider this the love child of a creamy and matte lipstick. If you mix them together you get a satin formula.

They give you the boldness of a matte look but with added hydration. Bold without being overpowering, giving your lips a modest sheen.

No wonder satin finishes are amongst the most popular lipsticks for their high coverage and intense color. It’s the best of both worlds.

I Love this MAC Pro Lip Palette. It’s called 6 Select Plums and has different lipsticks finishes in it: satin lipsticks and Cremesheen (glossy finish).

Top 5 Satin Lipsticks

Examples of great satin lipsticks are:

2. Cream lipstick

• Pros: super moisturizing and creamier formula, doesn’t emphasize chapped lips.
• Cons: transfers easily, not super lasting, easily bleeds into fine lines.

Ever seen a white collar with a lipstick mark on it? This is what happens when you wear cream lipstick.

It’s easily transfers onto your cup of coffee in the morning, mouth mask or your partner’s white collar.

Although it doesn’t stay on your lips for hours, cream lipsticks have a moisturizing formula that leave your lips perfectly kissable.

Lipsticks with this formula glide onto your lips thanks to added ingredients like shea butter or castor oil (made from ricinus communis).

One of the boldest finishes within this formula are metallic lipsticks. They typically come in bold and vibrant shades with a sparkling of gold and silver to catch the light. 

Pro tip: wen you’re buying cream lipsticks, it’s worth investing in a coordinating lip pencil to stop the colour from bleeding.

Cream lipsticks are one of the most sold lip products

Top 5 Cream Lipsticks:

Examples of great cream lipsticks are:

3. Sheer lipstick

• Pros: if you love a natural lip without a lot of color, this will be your favorite finish.
• Cons: not long lasting, so you need regular touch ups.

Sheer lipsticks give your lips a wash of colour due to sheer pigmentation. This lipstick is designed for all day wear and gives you a more natural look, even with darker shades.

Expect healthy looking lips looking Parisian casual chic. They even come with a shimmer finish.

Sheer lipsticks aren’t long lasting due to their moisturizing oils, so it’s worth having a backup to carry with you for touch-ups throughout the day.

Also, if you want a natural look, make sure you buy one without lot of shimmer or a metallic shine.

These lightweight Lustre Lipsticks add a little color to your lips. Coverage is sheer to medium. If you want a lighter coverage have a look at the top 5 sheer lippies below.

Top 5 Sheer lipsticks

Examples of great sheer lipsticks are:

4. Glossy lipstick

• Pros: creates illusion of fuller lips, doesn’t emphasize dry and chapped lips.
• Cons: transfers easily, you have to apply regularly.

Fans of lip gloss can take their love for high shine finishes to the next level with a glossy lipstick.

This lipstick gives your lips a glazed or glass-like effect while keeping your lips hydrated and smooth. Some even come with a fine shimmer.

Lipsticks with a glossy finish tend to have medium coverage and a shorter staying power and offer more shine than an opaque colour.

You can create the same effect by layering a gloss over different finishes to get you the best of both worlds.

Pro tip: keep your glossy lipstick in the fridge if you live in a warmer climate, otherwise it will melt easily.

In this picture you can see the difference: matte vs satin lipstick vs a creamy finish.

Top 5 Glossy Lipsticks

Examples of great glossy lipsticks are:

5. Matte formula

• Pros: super lasting, super high coverage
• Cons: emphasizes dry patches

If you are into a bold color, go matte. Matte shades are never off-trend and they usually have excellent color payoff. Though this type of lipstick finish isn’t for the light-hearted due to vibrant color combinations.

This formula is very popular, but it can be difficult to find the perfect matte lipstick as many leave your lips feeling dry with an uneven look.

Most matte formulas don’t have any moisture to them, making them emphasize your lip lines and dry patches. Luckily there are some solutions to this:

1. you’ll want to use a lip scrub and balm before applying your matte lipsticks
2. or buy a semi-matte lipstick, it’s less drying to your lips.

These are one of the best matte lipsticks

Top 5 Matte Lipsticks

Examples of great Matte lipsticks are:

Musthave Make-up Bag Lip Products

Also add the following 2 lip products to your make-up bag:

Lipliner

Get a perfectly even application every time by using a lip liner. It’s applied to the outline of your lips to prevent bleeding and give your lips the perfect shape.

You can use a matching lip liner or go one shade lighter or darker for more definition.

Lip balm

a lip balm gives your lips a boost of hydration to reduce irritation and keep them soft. You want to use it every day and apply it before using lipsticks with a drying formula for a more even application.

Lip Liners are essential if you use lipstick with a creamy texture. They prevent your lip color from running all over the place, but also increase longer wear.

Different Lip Products You’ll also Love

The easiest way to add a full-coverage colour to your lips is with one of the different finishes above. You can apply it directly from the lipstick bullet or use a lip brush for a more precise application.

But perhaps traditional lipsticks aren’t your cup-a-tea. The secret to getting the perfect finish is also knowing what other products you can use to meet your needs.

Different lip products you might prefer

2) Liquid lipsticks

Pro: this is the most pigmented and smudge proof lip product. Can be very drying on the lips, but liquid lipsticks don’t transfer, especially when wearing a mouth mask. This also depends on the brand you buy.

Con: it can be hard to apply, you can’t close your lips until it’s dry. This means you have to wait a few minutes.

Also, it can be hard to remove depending on the brand you buy. You’ll most likely need a special lipstick remover.

Liquid lipsticks are the most smudge proof lip products. They come with different finishes.

Top 5 liquid lipsticks

Liquid lipsticks come in different finishes, from metallic, to velvet and (semi-)matte. Examples of liquid lipsticks:

4) Lip gloss

Pro: Lip gloss is one the most popular lip products besides lipstick. It creates a high shine gloss and glazed look.

Very multifunctional: you can either use it solo or layer it over a lipstick or lipliner.

Con: some may feel it’s sticky compared to lipstick. Transfers very easy.

Be careful if you live in a windy area: somehow your hair strands will always stick to your lips when wearing a lip gloss.

Lipgloss come in different colors and even with or without shimmer.

Top 5 Popular lip gloss

5) Lip stains

Pro: a lip stain gives you a bold colour but with less coverage compared to a liquid lipstick. It’s doesn’t dry your lips and also gives a more natural finish with little to no transfer.

While lipstick has a wax base, stains are typically a gel or water base that is hydrating for your lips.

Con: it may be difficult to remove compared to a creamy lipstick. Depending on the brand you buy, you might need micellair water with added oil.

YSL Tatouage Couture Lip Stains are amongst my favorite lip stains. They’re very lightweight.

About the author

Angela is a curly girl and has been a beauty blogger since 2012. Because of her passion for beauty and hair, she has been a certified makeup artist since 2016 and has done multiple hair styling trainings. As a cosmetics lover, she writes reviews on cosmetics and provides different solutions that facilitate your daily beauty and curls routine.

Others also read

Not Necessarily. Both Can Be Safe to Use on Acne-prone Skin If You Choose Lip Makeup That Is Free of Pore-clogging Ingredients and Stay Gentle When Removing It from the Lips.

The Essential Info

Lipstick and lip stain each have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to acne.

Lipstick:

• Advantage: Easier to remove without irritating the skin (except for long-wearing lipstick)
• Disadvantage: More likely to contain pore-clogging ingredients

Lip stain:

• Advantage: Less likely to contain pore-clogging ingredients
• Disadvantage: Can require more rubbing to remove, which may cause irritation and trigger acne

In general, it is safe to use either, depending on what you prefer. Just follow these common-sense tips:

Lipstick: Choose a lipstick free of comedogenic ingredients that is not long-wearing.

Lip stain: Choose a lip stain free of comedogenic ingredients and stay gentle when removing it.

The Science

When choosing a lipstick or lip stain, you may be concerned about how these cosmetics might contribute to acne. Although the lips themselves do not develop acne, lip products can transfer to the skin around the mouth, where they could potentially cause acne. In addition, we know that physically irritating the skin can aggravate acne, so if you have to rub the skin to remove your lip makeup, this could also contribute to acne.1

To date, there have been no studies comparing how likely lipstick and lip stain are to contribute acne. In the absence of such research, the best thing we can do is look at the ingredients of both lipstick and lip stain and look at how easy they are to remove from the lips without physically irritating the skin.

Ingredients in Lipstick and Lip Stain

• Lipstick: Waxes, oils*, pigments*; may contain vitamins, antioxidants, sunscreens, and/or herbal extracts2-4
• Lip stain: Water, alcohol, pigments*; may contain oils*, sunscreens, and/or herbal extracts

*Some oils and pigments are comedogenic, which means that they can clog skin pores and contribute to acne.5

Because lipstick always contains both oils and pigments, it is more likely to be pore-clogging than lip stain. However, this does not mean that all lipsticks are harmful and all lip stains are safe for acne-prone skin. It all depends on the specific ingredients in each particular product.

Before buying any lipstick or lip stain, or any other makeup product for that matter, always check the ingredient list to make sure it does not contain comedogenic ingredients or substances that irritate your skin or trigger allergies.

List of common comedogenic ingredients in makeup

Many scientific studies have looked at how likely various ingredients are to cause comedones (clogged pores).5 Based on a thorough review of this research, we have compiled two lists:

1. Definitely avoid: A list of ingredients that people with acne-prone skin should definitely avoid, because a compelling body of evidence shows that they are comedogenic.
2. Consider avoiding: A list of ingredients that people with acne-prone skin may want to consider avoiding, because a less compelling body of evidence suggests that they might be comedogenic.

Removing Lipstick and Lip Stain from the Lips

• Lipstick: Usually easy to remove. Avoid long-wearing lipstick, which is more difficult to remove.
• Lip stain: Can be difficult to remove. Be patient and use gentle motions.

Removing lipstick is not very likely to cause physical irritation of the skin. The exception is long-wearing lipstick, which sets more strongly and can be difficult to remove, potentially requiring rubbing, which can irritate the skin around the lips and contribute to acne. This is why it is best to avoid long-wearing lipstick.

Lip stain also sets quite strongly, so to avoid irritating the skin when removing lip stain, take your time and use gentle motions. Avoid rubbing or putting a lot of pressure on the skin around the lips.

Transfer to the Skin Around the Mouth

• Lipstick: More likely to smudge and transfer to the skin around the mouth
• Lipstain: Less likely to smudge and transfer to the skin around the mouth

The lips themselves cannot develop acne, but the skin around the mouth can. Because lipstick does not stay in place as well as lip stain, it is more likely to smudge the skin around the mouth, where acne can develop. However, either type of lip product can potentially smudge around the mouth. This is why it is very important to only buy lip products that are free of comedogenic ingredients.

Lipstick versus lip stain: The full scoop

Similarities Between Lipstick and Lip Stain

Both lipstick and lip stain are cosmetic products that serve several functions:

1. To color the lips in the desired shade

2. To define lip shape

3. To protect the skin of the lips from dehydration, particularly during dry, cold, and windy weather2,3

Differences Between Lipstick and Lip Stain

Lipstick and lip stain differ in (1) appearance, (2) ingredients, and (3) performance.

1. Appearance

• Lipstick: A stick of solid material packed into a tubular plastic container3
• Lip stain: A liquid or gel, either in a bottle or jar with an applicator wand, or as a marker pen4

2. Ingredients

Lipstick:

Waxes

Waxes are non-comedogenic (do not clog pores).

Waxes provide solidity so that the lipstick holds its shape. Waxes in lipstick can come from many different sources:

• Mineral-based waxes: for example, paraffin wax or petroleum wax
• Plant-based waxes: for example, sugarcane wax or candelilla wax
• Animal-based waxes: for example, beeswax or lanolin2,3

Lipsticks with a higher wax content tend to be “long-wearing,” which means that they stay on the lips longer.2 These lipsticks may be more difficult to remove and require rubbing, which could irritate the skin around the mouth and potentially trigger acne. In other words, although wax itself is not comedogenic, a lipstick with a lot of wax could be a bad choice for acne-prone skin.

Oils

Some oils in lipstick are comedogenic and are listed in the table of comedogenic ingredients above.

Oils in lipstick which serve two functions: (1) to soften the wax to allow smooth application of the product, and (2) to moisturize the lips.

The second function is important because the skin on the lips is more prone to dehydration than skin on other parts of the body. This is due to the fact that the skin on the lips is thinner than skin elsewhere and lacks oil glands.2,3 Normally, oil glands produce skin oil, which creates a film on the skin that prevents the skin from losing water. Since the lips lack these oil glands, they are prone to drying out and cracking, especially in dry, cold, and windy weather. To help the lips retain moisture, manufacturers add various oils to lipstick.

Two major types of oils are used to make lipstick:

• Volatile oils: oils that evaporate, for example, silicone-based oils
• Non-volatile oils: oils that do not evaporate, such as synthetic oils or vegetable oils2

Lipsticks with a high oil content tend to moisturize the lips well and make them look glossy, but these lipsticks wear off faster than lipsticks with less oil and more wax.2

Pigments

Some pigments are comedogenic and are listed in the table of comedogenic ingredients above.

Since the main function of lipstick is to color the lips, lipstick contains various pigments. Manufacturers tweak the combination and proportions of multiple pigments to create a wide variety of shades.2

Other optional ingredients

Some lipsticks contain additional ingredients, for example:

• Vitamins
• Antioxidants
• UV filters
• Herbal extracts6

Lip stain:

Water

Water is not comedogenic.

Lip stains are typically water-based. Because of this, when you apply lip stain, it sets quickly, which means that it dries on the lips and stays in place. This means that you have to be careful and precise when applying lip stain.

On the plus side, once set, lip stain usually will not transfer to the skin around the mouth, to the teeth, or to your clothes.

Alcohol

Alcohol is not comedogenic.

Most lip stains contain alcohol, which helps the color penetrate into the skin. This is another reason why lip stains tend to stay in place for a long time. However, alcohol may also dry the lips.

Pigments

Some pigments are comedogenic and are listed in the table of comedogenic ingredients above.

Like lipstick, lip stain contains various pigments. Manufacturers tweak the combination and proportions of multiple pigments to create a wide variety of shades.2

Other optional ingredients

Some lip stains contain additional ingredients, for example:

• Small amounts of oils
• UV filters
• Herbal extracts

3. Performance

Because of their different ingredients, lipstick and lip stain each have strengths and weaknesses.

In conclusion, lipstick and lip stain can both be safe for people with acne-prone skin, as long as you follow these tips:

• Lipstick: Choose a lipstick that is free of comedogenic ingredients and is not long-wearing
• Lip stain: Choose a lip stain that is free of pore-clogging ingredients, and be patient and gentle when removing it from the lips

References

1. Mills, O. H. & Kligman, O. (1975). Acne mechanica, Archives of Dermatology, 111, 481-483. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/123732
2. Engasser, P. G., Lip Cosmetics, Dermatologic Clinics, 18(4), 641-649, (2000). https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/dermatologic-clinics/vol/18/issue/4
3. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick. Accessed on 7/10/2017.
4. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_stain. Accessed on 7/10/2017.
5. Katoulis A. C., Kakepis E. M., Kintziou H., Kakepis M. E. & Stavrianeas N. G., Comedogenicity of cosmetics: a review, Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 7,115-119(1996). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-3083.1996.tb00606.x
6. El-Nokaly, M., Walling, D. W., Vatter, M. L. & Leatherbury, N. C. Lipsticks compositions containing association structures, United States Patent, No 6,325,995. Date: December 4, 2001. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6325995