When it comes to hyped up drugstore concealers, L.A. Girl's is one of the first to pop into many people's heads, at least those who follow what's hot in the US (I admit I don't really. Why torture myself reading about cheap makeup, most of which I can't get my hands on, though luckily things are changing). While I was researching this concealer a few things stood out - the fact it comes in impressive 18 shades, that a great majority of rave review posters are NC/W40+ and that it's supposedly a dupe for Mac's Pro Longwear Concealer. I don't buy that last bit for a second, but I can see the appeal of this very affordable concealer that caters mostly to darker skin tones. The great variety of shades makes this concealer also a great choice for contouring, but I can't help myself to not say that when it comes to light shades, this doesn't have the best colour selection, mostly as far the undertones are concerned.

Texture and finish: It reminds me of Rimmel's Match Perfection in terms of how it blends and how it feels like, so it's quite a creamy liquid concealer, while for example Fit Me is already lighter and more fluid. I don't like the brush applicator neither for applying or blending and I use one of my brushes, but it blends easily and then sets in a few minutes to a satin-like finish. This never slips into lines under the eyes on me, even without a powder. It also doesn't emphasise my pores much, so that's another plus.

Coverage: It has a good medium to full coverage, but not as good as Collection's or Nars' concealer. I had a few spots that literally developed their own gravity field (exaggerating much) when I was taking before and after pictures for this concealer, so at least you get to see how well it cover them and how it looks on skin that isn't smooth. I found it looked too cakey on those parts, but under the eyes I liked it. Too see a better close-up, you can click on the picture.

Shade: I got the lightest shade Porcelain, which I swatched next to most of my concealers and Essence's get picture ready concealer in 10 is the closest and it's a passable match for me, but they could have one or two shades that are lighter (really pale people struggle with concealer shades too). Collection Fair is a bit lighter and more neutral, Revlon's Colorstay 2 Light is a lot more yellow, but similar in lightness, Maybelline's Fit Me 15 is a shade darker, Bourjois' Radiance Reveal 01 Ivory is a bit lighter, but similar, Nars' Chantilly is a lot lighter. Most shades of Pro Concealer can be seen here.

Staying Power: Staying power is average, but it wears off well in terms of how it looks around pores, as it doesn't emphasise them with time. It doesn't hold oil at all, so even my skin looks shiny at the end of the day on areas where I used concealer (nose, centre of forehead, chin). I prefer to set this with a powder so it lasts longer.

Packaging: The packaging is almost exactly the same as Rimmel's Match Perfect concealer, so a squeeze tube with a brush applicator and I just don't like it. It's very annoying to use and I somehow already managed to use a third of it. I think that brush absorbs too much of the product and I would really prefer if it was in a tube with a doe foot applicator or just with a simple small nozzle.

Ingredients:

Price and availability: Mine is from Click2Chic for 5 €.

I can't fault this concealer for anything apart from the annoying packaging, but it has good coverage, doesn't emphasise pores, nor does it slip into lines and it wears off nicely without looking patchy. The colour range is clearly focused on medium and darker skin tones with similar shades available in different undertones, however, I read Porcelain is one of the rare light shades that doesn't look orange, which to me means they probably failed to make more neutral shades. Luckily these are cheap in the States (if you can find them) so you can easily get several shades and mix them, plus they also have some colour correcting shades like orange and green. 

Have a great day!

*PR product.

These matte lip creams have been on my list to try ever since Sara posted her review of liquid lipsticks she had at a time. She sang praises about these, however I've heard a lot of conflicting reviews, which led me to believe these are a love it or hate it product, though I heard that it's the lightest shades that are potentially problematic. My lips are almost never dry, so I knew these will work fine for me and I risked it by picking one of the lightest shades called Dreamy, which I think is one of the most popular colours, even though I heard the darker shades perform better.

Texture: The formula is a creamier version of Sleek's at application, it actually feels comfortable to me to apply it, but starts drying fast, so it's matte in under two minutes. Similarly to Sleek's it forms a layer of product on the lips, making it one of those lip products that you can constantly feel on the lips. This layer might represent a problem to those with lips that are prone to dryness. It's also sticky one the lips, which honestly didn't bother me that much because I barely felt it, but if you press your lips tightly together, it feels sticky and crumbles. However, that tightness and layer-feeling starts after about 10 minutes, but strangely, it then gets more comfortable for me and I wear it without any problems the entire day.

Colour: Dreamy is a nude peachy-beige-mauve muted shade. It's similar to both Sleek's Birthday Suit (which is a bit more mauve) and TheBalm's Committed (more pink). It's one of the lightest shades and thankfully doesn't have a white base like a few of their other shades.

Staying Power: This lasted at least 8 hours on me, including the meals. It disappeared only in the corners of my lips and I got one or two dry patches, but since it's a light shade, despite the wear it looked very presentable. The stickiness doesn't bother me, as I said, but it is still there at the end of the day. I reminds me of that Me Now matte lip colour that I find decent, but I know some just threw it away after first try. Again I hear darker shades are better.

Scent: It's got no specific scent, just something plastic like and it's not strong. I don't notice it.

Packaging: This comes in a classic tube with a doe foot applicator. The applicator is long and thin, it's not my favourite, but a better version than Sleek's.

Price and availability: Mine is from Click2Chic, where it costs 5.51 €.

SLEEK Matte Me Lip Gloss 

Birthday Suit

Not saying that 90's trend is all about matte lip colours, but they are certainly prevailing and Birthday Suit definitely gets you that perfect "instagram matte" finish. It's a shade that changes with time as it oxidises, also you should bear in mind that like most of the shades on this list, it looks different on each individual, so don't rely just on my swatches and google for more, but on me it's a brownish medium nude shade with some rosy and mauve tones, which make it more modern looking. It's one of the earliest matte liquid lipsticks meaning the formula has some room for improvement, though to me it's fine, but it can feel tight and drying. The texture at application is very oily and the clumsy, big applicator doesn't make it easy to apply it nicely, but after about 2-3 minutes, it sets to a matte finish. 

THEBALM Meet Matt(e) Hughes

Committed

This is my favourite formula of matte liquid lipsticks and Committed is one of my all-time favourite shades too. The formula is very pigmented, dries in a few minutes to a perfect matte finish, but it's not uncomfortable, it's incredibly long-lasting, doesn't transfer or smudge and fades nicely. Committed is a difficult colour to describe, theBalm says it's a pinky nude, but it's so much more than that on me, as it definitely has a bit of peachiness to it, so it's a bit like throwing pink and peach plus a bit of mauve in a blender, but keeping the shades very muted.

L.A. GIRL Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss

Dreamy

Dreamy is a shade that is between Committed and Birthday Suit with the main difference being that it's the peachiest. Some people love the formula, some hate, I find it's ok, but most matte lip products work for me. If your lips are often dry, this won't be for you, but if you're like me, these are just fine.

BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet 

07 Nude-ist

My favourite shade ever, though technically, it's not a typical 90's shade and it's already more vibrant than the rest and it can look quite bright on some people. It's a muted warm rosy shade that has enough pinky tones to lift the complexion, but still looks natural enough on the lips. The formula of this shade is so far the best I found among Velvet's, the rest are more mousse-y and less pigmented, however, it takes longer to set to a nice matte finish, yet it lasts pretty well one the lips. 

MAKEUP FACTORY Mat Lip Fluid

61 Velvet Rosewood

 Velvet Rosewood is one of the darkest such shades I own and it's muted warm rosy, slightly brownish shade with a proper mate finish, so it's more like the warm equivalent of the mauve shade they have in their selection (that one looks completely purple on me). It's darker than Nude-ist or Golden Rose Velvet 12, but lighter than theBalm's Charming. 

THEBALM Meet Matt(e) Hughes

Charming

The darkest shade on this list and on me it's more of a grunge type of colour. It's similar to Velvet Rosewood, but a bit less warm and a shade darker. As I said at Committed the formula of these is amazing - properly matte, long-lasting and very pigmented. These also smell like After Eight, so like mint and chocolate, plus they tingle slightly at application for that plumping effect. Similar shades include Colorpop Bubble and Milani Beloved.

WET'N WILD Megalast Lipstick 

Bare it All

This is hailed as one of the best dupes for Mac's Velvet Teddy, which was along with Mac's Soar, the quintessential shade of the 90's modern revival. When I'm pale this is quite a nude-brown shade on me, but on more medium skin tone it looks amazing because it gets a tiny bit more pinky-mauvey. People say the formula of these is dry, but it feels fine to me and I apply it without tugging or dragging, but they older they get, the drier they are.

JORDANA Modern Matte Lipstick 

01 Matte Bare 

A rosy-brown nude shade with a semi-matte finish in a nice formula that doesn't feel drying, is opaque and lasts decently on the lips. The older these get, they start drying up, but when they're new the formula is nice.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 

Cannes

NYX's version of matte lipstick are again one of the earliest and therefore not the best (though still good). The formula is oily with a lot less pigmentation than newer such product, but these also take a lot longer to set to a matte finish and are much more comfortable for those with dry lips. Cannes is hailed the "the" 90's lip colour in their selection and it's a medium peachy-rosy-brown shade that will probably look more rosy on medium skin tones, but it's a nice neutral shade with a twist on me.

GOLDEN ROSE Velvet Matte Lipstick

12

Along with Nude-ist, Birthday Suit and recently Committed, this is one of my most worn shades. It's one of those shades that just goes with everything and is a no-brainer choice. It's a muted warm rose shade with some peachiness that looks so polished and modern, and I actually got this shade because I heard it's similar to Mac's Mehr, which is another popular shade in the 90's revival. The formula of it is a lovely matte one and the price is so affordable.

ESSENCE Velvet Stick 

02 Peony Star

This is a shade that looks so right in the shop, while on the lips, it's a bit of a let-down. It swatches lovely, a nice pinky-mauve shade, but on my lips it's different and it's actually almost the exact shade of my lips, but cooler and greyish. It still fits into the trend, but it depends on your skin tone how it'll look. The texture is waxy, not truly matte and not particularly long-lasting

WET'N WILD Megalast Lipstick 

Ravin' Rasin 

Something completely different in this selection, but on the right skin tone, this looks like the quintessential 90's shade. On me it's a medium cool greyish purple shade, while on warmer, darker skin tones it's warmer and that rosy tone becomes a lot more pronounced. Formula is the same as at Bare it All, so thick, but applies ok.

ESSENCE Lip Liner 

06 Satin Mauve

Everyone and their mother own Satin Mauve by now. It's cheap as chips and a great way to try the 90's trend. On me it looks wrong, as the grey tones in it are just too strong, but on darker skin tones, it looks a lot warmer and a proper mauve shade. They recently changed the formula and I hear the shade too, but the price is still the same.

ESSENCE Longlasting Lipliner 

07 Plum Cake 

A similar shade to Satin Mauve, but more muted. In combination with a warm skin tone, it'll look perfect, actually like Lovely Frappuccino looks on me, while on my skin tone it's a disaster. It's another very cheap way of discovering such shades and if you're new to these shades and you have Essence where you live, I really suggest you start with either this shade, Satin Mauve or Lovely Frappuccino.

ESSENCE Longlasting Lipliner 

05 Lovely Frappuccino 

One of the best shades on my skin tone and if you have a problem shades looking too violet/cool, give this one a try. It looks very warm brown on most people I've seen, but on me it's more cool toned and mauve-y, yet not at all draining like Essence's Satin Mauve lip liner. I just love this on my lips - it makes them look more defined and perfected, plus I like the formula of these as well. By the way, I hear this is similar to Soar by Mac.

JORDANA Easyliner 

Rock n' Rose

An alleged dupe for Mac's Whirl, Rock n Rose was popular way before the trend started and it holds an impressive rating on Makeup Alley. I was a bit taken aback when I saw it in person - it's very brown, though it's more of a taupe brown, but it has some hints of rosy tones.The texture is a bit like Essence's Longlasting lipliners, so a great balance between being soft enough for it to transfer easily, but not too fragile, so it would break constantly.

And that's my collection of these type of shades. Some look awful on my porcelain skin and some look good, but I got these shades because someone raved about them, so they will work on different skin tones. Gejba from Parokeets swatched quite a few more of such shades in her matte liquid lipsticks comparison if you need more reccommendations. I have my eye on Pupa's 12, Stila's Patina, Jordana Rose Macron, Milani's Amore in Precious and Adorable.

Have a great day!