The one downfall to traveling is that if you forget to pack something, you’re screwed. Sure, you can go buy a replacement of what you forgot but what’s the point of buying something you already own just for a couple of uses before you’re back home? This was the dilemma I had while I was visiting home for the winter holidays. I desperately wanted a light, bright, warm pink lip for my New Year’s Eve outfit that I had planned. The problem being that I brought home all of my dark winter shades instead of my plethora of pinks. I had forced myself into the repurchasing dilemma. I decided that I was going to go out and buy a new pink but it needed to be a new product that I had never tried so that I could sort of excuse the repurchasing.

Enter the new products of this winter. I went to Ulta three times. CVS. Rite Aid. Finally I wandered into Walgreens looking for another product that I believed had the right shade I was looking for. This is after two trips to Ulta and one more to return the Maybelline lipsticks that were too cool-toned (I didn’t want MAC St. Germain. I wanted a warm, bubblegum pink.) While I didn’t find the product I was looking for, I found THESE. The new Maybelline Colorsensational Vivids Matte Liquid lipsticks. What a mouthful.

I was suckered in by the bright, unique purple shade and sold when I found my perfect bubblegum pink. I didn’t have these. I hadn’t even ventured into the liquid lipstick world yet. That purple was unlike anything I’d ever seen by a major drugstore brand. These were made for me.

I picked up the two shades of ‘Pink Charge’ and ‘Vivid Violet’ and ran home. Well, hobbled home. I’m in a walking boot and had crutches from a surgery I had just had. That’s a story for another time. These guys are exactly what I was looking for— and I didn’t even realize that I was looking for until after I bought them.

The name suggests a matte product. I have to say, they don’t mattify. If you put little to no product on your lips they will a little but you won’t get the coverage or payoff that you should and would get by layering a few coats. However, the finish that these have is pleasurable in that they don’t dry out your lips and they don’t get tacky while still remaining thick. The color payoff is ridiculous and the staying time is decent— I found that I needed to reapply after a few hours. Which I didn’t mind. So while the name suggests matte, don’t go into these thinking you’re getting a matte product and you won’t be disappointed. The color range is fabulous and the price point is a typical Maybelline price of about $8 depending on where you pick them up.

I love Maybelline. They’re my favorite drug store brand and this product sold me even further on them.