I spied in the Asian Beauty subreddit, months ago, a post about a dupe for NARS Velvet Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita. This Mamonde balm was the supposed product, and at the time was very popular and hard to find as a result. I just crossed my fingers and waited this hype out. I mean, it took months, but I promptly forgot about it until recently and discovered it in stock on Cosmetic Love. Thus this is also my first lip product purchase of 2017, and also my first lip product from an Asian brand.
Store: Cosmetic Love I have ordered a few times from this store and they’re always quick to get my order out. My orders typically arrive in about two weeks and packed with a lot of bubble wrap [even if it’s just the lipstick I ordered this time around!].
Product Claims: With a bit of persistence with Google translate, the product claims are as such:
- 3in1 [Lipstick + Tint + Lip Balm] with colour, lasting power and moisture [I swear there were two or three paragraphs pointing this out].
- Pencil shape means lip makeup is easily expressed due to precise tip.
- Contains Argan Oil.
Packaging It arrived in a pretty box – unlike Western makeup I find Asian brands love their pretty shiny box packaging. I don’t have room to hoard it all, though! The product is in a twist up pencil/crayon form. It has a clear lid. The twist up thing on the other end is coloured to match the product so it’s easy to find it in the stash however you store it.
Texture The texture of the product going on my lips is smooth. It reminds me of the Revlon Matte Balms as it’s quite similar to that. Unlike the Revlon balms, this has no scent.
Colour I really like this colour. It reminds me of Beau Brun from the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets. It’s pigmented, but not a whole punch of pigment, so even if this is ‘intense’, it appears quite… soft in finish.
16 Velvet Red
16 Velvet Red
16 Velvet Red
Here’s a colour comparison using other similar shades in my stash.
16 is very, very close to Beau Brun! Due to the pencil type, the colour applies less sharp and with soft edges compared to the liquid types, and as smooth as Velvet Red feels, Beau Brun is smoother still. In terms of colour, I think Velvet Red leans a teeny more red [of course] than the pink tone of Beau Brun, but this is barely noticeable on my arm. Finally, Mamonde Velvet Red is the cheaper option compared to Bourjois Beau Brun which is £9.99.
Overall, this so happens to be a colour I absolutely love, and I can see myself reaching for this very often [I’ll update on this in a few months!]. I’d certainly recommend it if you love pencil type lip products as well as this soft finish and medium tone.
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Size: 2.5g
BENEFITS: - A velvety, feel-good lip crayon that delivers intense, lasting color. - The enhanced creamy texture from our innovative powder formula delivers a beautiful matte finish and feeling cushiony soft
HOW TO USE - Apply a moderate amount on the inner area of the lips and press lips together to create a gradated look.
I had a “Christmas in April” moment a bit ago, when a friend from Australia sent me a package of Korean skincare and makeup items [thanks, Anna]. One of the things was this Mamonde Cream Tint. To be honest, the color swatch on the package scared me - 07 Kissing You looks fuchsia and I’m not typically very adventurous in makeup choices.
The lip tint comes in a shape of a fat crayon - twist the bottom to dispense more. It goes on very smoothly and is creamy on the lips. It feels a lot more like lip balm or lipstick than a tint [most tints that I have tried are liquid and water-like]. The product is actually 3-in-1: lipstick, tint, and lip balm. It applies and feels like lipstick, leaves a long lasting stain like a tint, and hydrates and nourishes like a balm.
I like to think of myself as a brave person, so I wore it to work to test out the color and longevity. It’s not as wild on the lips as the package makes it seem [sigh of relief]. At first, it leaves marks on mugs and generally behaves like lipstick. But after a few hours [and coffee/water/food], the creamy layer wears off and you are left with tinted lips that still feel very nourished and not at all dry. The printing stops at that point, but wiping with a napkin will still leave a mark.
I’ve gotten compliments on the color and it’s definitely growing on me. It fades evenly, so I can get away with applying it in the morning and not having to touch up. By evening, I’m left with a nice pink tint that’s not splotchy, and hydrated lips. I struggle with dry lips in general, and this product seems to greatly improve their condition while still providing makeup benefits.
Overall, I can confidently recommend this product. If I didn’t already have hobbit hoards of Korean makeup, I would buy another color. But then again, can one even have too many lip colors?