DEAR DAHLIALip Paradise Effortless Matte Lipstick GWEN Vegan, Cruelty Free, Naturally Scented Essential Oils, High Pigment Color

This comes in quite a uniquely shaped and designed tube, with a marble effect appearance. It looks swish, and it’s quite nice to hold too because of the flat sides. It’s a regular lipstick inside, so just twist the base to pop up the lippy. I like the attention to detail here because it has Dear Dahlia in script font across the rose-gold holder and the initials DH printed into the lip stick colour.I've got this in Sophie, a lovely colour that's not too brown or too red so it works well with my pale skin. I like that this is cruelty-free, which is important. It’s also vegan, for those to whom this applies. It’s a more natural product but without any animal derivatives. It’s nice not to get any chemical scent as I’ve had with a few other lipsticks in the past. Instead, you get a mix of natural essential oils. I’ve taken a close-up picture of the box showing the ingredients as it’s not the easiest to read.The colour is designed to be highly pigmented and long-lasting, while also being a little hydrating from the cacao seed butter. I’d agree with that - the colour does come out very nicely and evenly, too. It’s matte and seems to stay nicely without peeling or bits rubbing off after just a few minutes. It stays quite well, but it’s not a lip stain so it does wear. Then again, that’s my preference as I’m not keen on lip stains, and this one does last better than my usual lipsticks.It’s lovely to apply as it’s quite creamy. It’s not too dry and while it’s not the most moisturising, it doesn’t feel heavy or too constricting when it’s on. It looks fantastic, with a rich colour that’s understated, in a matte finish with good, even coverage. I love how it looks, I feel good wearing it, and it’s definitely a step up from what I usually use in terms of appearance and longevity.As well as colour, this apparently provides protective and anti-ageing benefits by way of the Dahlia Variabilis Flower Extract. Quite an interesting element as it’s not something I’d ever come across before.It’s £30 at the time of writing, which makes it the priciest lipstick I’ve ever tried. I’m not sure I could justify the price personally but I do really like it, so I can see that it’s worth more than a budget brand. It’s definitely more of a luxury lip stick, from the tube design to the ingredients. It feels special to use and it does the job very well.

This is a gorgeous lipstick and may well be my new favourite. You get the lipstick and a tiny safety leaflet in a branded cardboard box.Everything about this lipstick leans towards a luxury experience. The lipstick case is octagonal in shape and is a gold colour, inlaid with white and grey marble (plastic) panels, which do look effective. It is a pull-apart case, reasonably easy to open, and it closes with a satisfying click. The lipstick is a twist-up action, and it is the usual angled bullet-shape, with the initials DD embossed into it.The colour is a gorgeous neutral colour, with a matte finish that does have impact. I can have sensitive skin, but this passed the patch test with no issues. It is very easy to apply and literally glides on. Sadly, this also means that it glides off, and it does transfer easily; I left marks on a cup and it couldn’t cope with a sandwich. I wouldn’t say that this is a long-lasting lipstick, and it did require numerous top-ups throughout the day. That said, the wear was even and it didn’t look odd or two-tone at any point. It never looked cakey, and it didn’t dry my lips out. There is little fragrance or taste to it, and what there is, is not unpleasant.The green credentials are good in terms of being vegan and cruelty-free, but it is made in Korea, so there’s a transport impact.At the time of writing this review, the cost is £30.00, and as much as I like this, and I do like it, I would expect a better performance. The number of top-ups required through an average day means that this is unlikely to last for long, and that has an impact on the overall value.

This arrives in a marbled design box measuring approx 8cm x 2.5cm x 2.5cm.This matte lipstick comes in an octagonal tube with a white/grey marbled effect body & edges trimmed in a coppery rose gold colour.It's flat bottomed so you can lay it on it's side or on end without fear of it rolling off the table which is nice.I actually rather liked the Amber colour, but that is always going to be a personal choice, & I like a matte finish lipstick sometimes - this is definitely matte.What I didn't like was having to reapply it so often.I found it very quickly wore off the sides of my mouth where my lips are most often together which was surprisingly noticeable.I thought the first time I'd somehow forgotten to apply it, but by the second, third etc.. time I knew it just wore off that easily.Strangely, it didn't leave much of a trace on a cup when I drank, but I was able to remove this completely by licking my lips & wiping them with a tissue.For a day to day lipstick, I expect it to last more than half an hour & I want to go out without having to constantly check in a mirror.I liked everything else about this lipstick including the fact it's cruelty free, but the longevity is a deal breaker for me.