We’ve already heard a lot about the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks before they were available in Singapore. This was why when they finally arrive, the Daily Vanity team was excited to give it a whirl and share our honest reviews about this lippie with you.

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks review: First impression

The Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick has a matte packaging that is quite nice to look at. Its angular shape also makes it easier to place it on the table when I do my makeup, without worrying about it rolling all over the place.

I swatched the product on my arm and boy, was the pigment concentrated! It felt a little tacky when I swatched it, and I was apprehensive about applying it onto my lips. I was afraid that the bold and tacky formula was going to be difficult to glide on and too unforgiving to allow corrections.

I applied the shade Heroine, which is a bold red that will instantly brighten up your complexion. Surprisingly, the shape of the brush makes application easy and precise. I was able to line out the shape that I like with the brush, and then fill in the colour effortlessly.

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink’s formula does feel tacky on the lips at first. But leave it on to dry for about 20 seconds, and once it sets, my lips feel incredibly smooth when I rub them together. In fact, when it’s totally dry, it felt as though I wasn’t wearing any lip product at all, and I really like how that feels.

The colour is so intense, the brightly coloured flowers did not manage to take away any bit of its shine.

The colour also looked very intense, which was what I want to go for.

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks review: Does it hold up?

While aesthetically, it has passed the test for me, I think what’s most important is still whether it performs well throughout the day and see if it is truly long-lasting. I decided to go through a few tests with it to see how it holds up.

1. Does it transfer onto surfaces?

One of the most annoying things about bold lipsticks is how obvious it is when it transfers onto things like mugs and food that you eat. I have had the horrible experience of staining a white bun that I was eating for breakfast, and feeling really grossed out by myself throughout the meal.

I kissed this white mug to test how transferable the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick is.

And… nothing came off.

I’ve tried this test several times throughout the day and this is what I observe:

• You have to make sure the liquid lipstick has totally dried before it can provide you with the smudge-proof benefit. It takes about 20 seconds for me. Note that if you imprinted your lips on any surface before the lipstick has dried, you’ll be left with a very stubborn stain. Good luck trying to remove it.
• Tiny flakes from my lips sometimes come off and transfer onto surfaces. What I realise is that it happens when my lips get dry in the day (and my lips are very prone to dryness). If you keep your lips moisturised, this shouldn’t happen.
• On the topic of moisturising lips, I was happy to find that lip balms don’t mess up the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick. The liquid lipstick doesn’t stain onto lip balm (another pet peeve that I have), allowing the lip balm to moisturise lips easily.

2. Does it disappear after meals?

I intentionally tested the product on the day I was meeting my family up for a birthday celebration at a Chinese restaurant. We ordered a number of dishes including Assam fish head and Yam ring chicken.

What this means is that I had to consume food that was oily and had gravy in them. I also had to use a tissue paper to clean my mouth throughout the meal.

So, how did the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink fare when it came to eating oily and greasy food?

I was surprised to find that while the colour isn’t as vibrant, it remained as a bold stain after a meal.

And after the meal, I notice that while the colour was less intense compared to when it was freshly applied, it was still very much intact and I didn’t have to reapply!

3. Does it feel comfortable throughout the day?

The “naked” feeling that I described continue to stay true throughout the day. There wasn’t a moment when I felt that I needed to remove the liquid lipstick  or retouch it. Of course, compared to if I were truly not wearing any lipstick, my lips felt slightly drier – which is common with most matte liquid lipsticks. However, there wasn’t any point when I felt that wearing the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink was uncomfortable.

Towards the end of the day, I checked out my lipstick and the colour was still very intact. A little bit at the corners of my lips have faded more than the rest, but it was definitely at a state where I still looked fine without the need of touching up.

This is how the lipstick look, without any touch-up, after a long day of activities, including working out.

Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks review: Conclusion

The Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipstick is definitely one of the best liquid lipsticks I’ve ever tried, and it is my new holy grail that I can’t stop wearing. I would really recommend it especially for those who are used to wearing bold lipsticks and are looking for something intense and steady. I enjoy the freedom of not worrying about touching up even if I have a long day ahead.

The Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink liquid lipstick is currently available in 32 gorgeous shades in Singapore, including brick red Seeker and adventurous Escapist. They retail at SGD17.90 each in Guardian and Watsons, as well as on Shopee andLazada.

Looking for a video review? We’ve got one right here: