I Tried 3 Lip Products that many claim to be “Mask-Proof”. Were they?
By now we’ve probably all heard of the NYX Shine Loud lipstick and lip gloss that TikTok made everyone and their distant cousins buy. But there are a couple of dupes that work just as well- or even better! Read on to find out more.
Rimmel Provocalips 16H Kissproof Lip Colour
rimmellondon.com
The Rimmel provocalips two-steps long wear lipstick. It has actually been here long before the NYX Shine Loud, and long before our mandatory mask wearing days. It has a liquid lip color on one end and a clear lip gloss on the other. The formula claims to be Kiss proof, transfer-proof, non-drying & now also mask-resistant. It currently comes in 10 shades and I picked up the shade 700 Skinny Dipping, a medium neutral tone beige.
Application
Both ends have a small doe-foot applicator reminiscent of 90’s lip glosses. I’ve been so used to larger doe foots that it was a different sensation applying these on the lips- but they do the job well. With this shade I found it applied rather easily and you can achieve an even and devent coverage with a single layer.
When it’s first applied it feels rather nice and creamy but you’re to wait around 60-90 seconds for it to set before applying the gloss. However I found even after waiting for up to 3 minutes that it still didn’t completely set. The lips did feel rather dry and sticky now, mimicking that of matte liquid lipsticks.
This is when the second step of applying the gloss comes it to bring it back to creaminess and achieve a semi shiny finish. Wait again a couple of minutes for it to set together and you’re now supposed to have transfer and kiss proof lipstick.
Transfer Test & Staying Power
Whilst the lip color itself doesn’t transfer, the gloss does. So it’s best to reapply this top coat gloss every now and then to revive the lips, as I found this formula combo to make my lips feel dry quite fast.
During my wear test, the base lip colour doesn’t budge even during mask wear and eating and drinking. But after an oily meal you may find some fading appearing from the center. It all started to fade and form missing paint like patches after around 5-6 hours of wear.
Removal
I found this lipstick quite easy to remove with an oil based makeup remover. Soak your cotton pad up with it and pat it on the lips before wiping.
2. Max Factor X Lipfinity 24h Lip Colour
maxfactor.com
The Max Factor X Lipfinity 24h Lip Colour has also been around for a few years now. Unlike the Rimmel and NYX, it comes in a little box which has two lip products in it. One is the base coat lip colour, and the second is the top coat, which is in the form of a clear balm. Although I like the cute box packaging, I do prefer just having one product so it doesn’t risk me misplacing one from the other and having to rummage through my bag for reapplication.
On top of it being transfer-proof and non-drying, this formula also claims to last 24 hours. It comes in 28 shades and I picked up the shade 310 Essential Violet, and mid-toned pinky mauve.
Application
For the first step, just like the Rimmel and NYX, we’d take the lip colour- which is just like a matte liquid lipstick, apply it all over our lips and wait for it to set. In a single layer application I also found this to be quite easy to apply and move around the lips giving a good amount of color payoff although more sheerer in coverage. It also completely set within 60-90 seconds and did not transfer.
Once it set, the lip colour- just like matte liquid lipsticks on me- settled into my lip lines and felt really dry. Once the top coat was on, it instantly felt much better. This time, the top coat is in the form a balm stick so it didn’t give off a shiny or glossy finish, but more of a moisturising sheen.
The clear balm stick in itself remained clear, indicating that the base coat didn’t transfer.
Transfer Test & Staying Power
Again as expected, the base colour did not transfer on to my mask nor during eating/drinking, but the balm did. Nevertheless, my lips still felt moisturized and did not dry out as much during the day. I did need to reapply the balm 3-4 times during the day to give my lips a little more slip.
I also found that the lip colour stayed on more evenly throughout the day and didn’t resemble the paint like effect that most matte liquid lipsticks have. It had less sheen than the Rimmel, but I didn’t mind that at all, as it felt more comfortable.
It stayed upwards of 10 hours on me before I noticed fading. I reckon if I had kept it on for longer it would have stayed true to it’s longer wear claim, but with a slightly sheered out colour.
Removal
This lipstick was also easy to remove with an oil based makeup remover. Soak your cotton pad up with it and pat it on the lips before wiping.
3. NYX Shine Loud High Shine Lip Colour
nyxcosmetics.com
The NYX Shine Loud is the newest on the market that claims to be transfer proof, kiss proof, mask resistant, and what made this one generate a lot of buzz and virality on TikTok was that it also claimed to have a “ultra-glassy,non-sticky shine finish”. Also, their timing with the launch was very key as we are all looking for that one magical lip product that stays on under our mask without making our lips look dry and crinkly throughout the day.
This lip product also comes with a dual end applicator. One side is the “high-pigment base coat, infused with lip-loving oils” and the the other end features a tiny lip brush with “the ultra reflective & non-sticky top coat, for the loudest shine you've ever seen!”.
This product is notoriously difficult to find anywhere, especially where I live, where pre-orders are uncertain and can take up to 3 months to arrive. Luckily I was able to find some that were in stock, but the shades were so limited and not to my liking.
However I was really curious about the formula and their claims being a high shine lip gloss we could wear under our masks- so I picked one to try it out. I picked the shade In Charge which is a deep dark purple-red berry.
Application
Just like the previous two I tried, first we apply the lip base colour. Before anything, I understand that the shade I am working with is not an easy one. Moreso I am not a fan of this type of applicator that has a hole in the middle. I feel it picks up too much product to apply evenly. However the lipstick originally felt smooth and comfortable, and it was very opaque and left a shine on my lips. As it dried, it continues to become unpleasant by the second. Once it did set, I couldn't even move my lips without them sticking together and creating creasy patches in the lip color.
Out of the three, my lips felt the most dry, sticky, and uncomfortable with this one. All the fine lines in my lips had also become enhanced as the product settled. Again, this may also be due to the deeper shade I’m working with, as we all know, deep lipstick shades take a little more finesse to apply. I wouldn’t wear any of the above lipsticks as stand alone matte lipsticks- but if I had to- I’d still get away with the Rimmel and MaxFactor. With this however, the top coat is a must.
Once the glossy topcoat was on, everything changed. My lips instantly felt moisturized, shiny and smooth.
I kept the lip combo on for a few minutes before testing to make sure everything came together and set.
Transfer Test & Staying Power
I did my test as I did with the previous two, and when I pressed two fingers to my lips, a lot of the lip gloss did transfer, but the base colour did not. The difference between the Rimmel & MaxFactor was that there was also a lot of gloss still left on my lips, and it was still coated in a nice shine, so it did look more shiny that the first two I tried.
After a few hours mask wear and eating and drinking, I did find the colour looking less even however, and I also found a very slight colour transfer on my mask. This may have been attributed to the gloss reapplication, and the deep colour shade as well. I am curious to see how a more lighter shade, like a pink or beige would fare, so if ever that does come available, I’ll be trying that out too.
At the end of the day I did notice my lips still had a slight sheen to them, although not as shiny as when I first applied the gloss. Overall, the base colour only transferred after I did a gloss reapplication, and the shine did hold up, diffusing after eating and drinking. I did a full 12 hour wear on this and although the lip colour was not as even, the intensity of the colour was still very much there.
Removal
This lipstick can be removed with an oil based makeup remover. Soak your cotton pad up with it and pat it on the lips before wiping. Because of the deeper shade it took a few more wipes before it was completely gone, but there was no staining on the skin or the lips. Just remember to be more gentle and patient!
Final Thoughts
I can see why these lip products are coming back in the spotlight and why the NYX is getting so much hype. What hooked me in on the NYX was that it was a long wear lip gloss, and I love shiny lips. I wonder if they continued to perfect the formula if it would end up being so in the near future.
I was indeed impressed with all of them, as the mostly did what they set out to do and delivered on their promise. They are also great to have as an option when you do want a whole day wear and not fuss about color fade under the mask. Moreover they are within a more affordable price point and offers an impressive shade range.
If I had to choose a favorite out of the three, it would be the MaxFactor Lipfinity. Even though it didn’t hold a lot of shine, and it is a 2 product system, it was the most comfortable and flaterring out of the three. And being that they all needed reapplication, I very much enjoyed the balm glide that took less setting time thereafter and felt less sticky compared to the Rimmel and NYX gloss.
But these kinds of lip products are never going to be my first choice, nor replace my favourite lipsticks and glosses- even if they do transfer under my mask.
See my quick swatch and wear videos on Instagram @thereynaedit to see these
lipsticks in motion!
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