Smashbox Instamatte Review

I absolutely love this time of year because it means I can start wearing a dark lip again and not look like a total weirdo.

The only issue I have, is that most of my favourite dark lips aren’t matte lipsticks, so I always end up smudging them or having to reapply them a lot throughout the day. (Generally though, I usually get so frustrated that I go to the toilets and rub the bloody lipsticks off, until it looks like I’ve been punched in the mouth!!)

Then I remembered that ages ago, because I’d spent a certain amount at Smashbox (because I bought the Ablaze palette), I was given a tube of Instamatte.

OMG, so this little tiny tube is an absolute little lifesaver ♥ But what exactly is it? Instamatte is a gel formula that can turn any cream lipstick into a matte one!

How does it work? I simply apply my lipstick as normal, then use a lip brush to brush on the gel 🙂 A little goes a really long way, so you don’t need to apply too much! I generally wait for a few minutes to make sure it’s really set before touching my lips, drinking or eating anything!!

The gel not only makes my lipstick matte and keeps the colour on for longer, but it doesn’t dry my lips out at all; what a bonus!!

As you can see from the following pics, I’ve kissed my hand while wearing the Rimmel x Kate Moss 107 lipstick and then kissed my hand again after I’ve applied the Instamatte!!

As you can see, there’s only a little colour transfer on my hand after applying the Instamatte. I only left it to dry for a couple of mintues before kissing my hand with it!

The below photo shows a swatch of the Rimmel on the left and a swatch of the Rimmel on the right, with a thin layer of Instamatte over the top. You can see the difference as the original colour on the left is a lot shinier!

I’ve also taken swatches of Nebulus from Illamasqua; my beloved green liquid lipstick that I rarely wear because it comes off so easily 🙁 Again, there’s barely any colour payoff on the bottom photo!!

Below are swatches of Nebulus; on the left is the natural colour and on the right, I’ve applied a thin layer of Instamatte. As you can see, the colour is definitely a lot less glossy-looking!

The only issue I have with Instamatte is that although you can pick it up easily in Boots, it costs £19 for a teeny tiny tube; however, it does last for absolutely ages, so I feel it’s going to be worth the money.

That being said, there are alternatives out there, for example; lightly dusting your lips with setting powder but tbh, that sounds pretty grim and I bet it doesn’t taste particularly pleasant either!! There’s also Make Me Matte from Saturated Colour. It’s vegan friendly and only costs £8 (no idea about delivery though), but as I’ve not used it before, I can’t comment on its abilities!

Have you tried Instamatte before? Would you be tempted to give it a go? Let me know in the comments below 🙂 x

Follow me on: Bloglovin 💋 Facebook 💋 Instagram 💋 Pinterest  💋 Twitter

You may also like

22 Comments

  1. Ooh I’ve never heard of this product before but it’s sounds like such a great concept! It’s incredible that it barely transfers at all, that’s so good! I’ve always shied away from matte lipsticks before as my lips dry out quite easy but this gel sounds like the answer to my prayers haha. I need to get investing in it asap! 😀
    VioletDaffodils
    xx

  2. Well done Holly. I now need to buy this! Sounds like such a snazzy product. I’m forever reapplying matte lips or taking them off because I got aggy!
    Emily-May x

  3. I got this at the Smashbox event too! It’s such a great little product isn’t it. I didn’t know what to expect at first but I love it <3 xx

    ~ katiekirkloves.com ~

    1. The first time I used it, I put WAAAAY too much on and the gel just flaked off, oops!! Now I know it’s all about using a tiny bit and applying more if needed lol 🙂 xx

  4. Wow! This is such a great concept! I love that it means you don’t need two lipsticks, to get two different effects. So while it is expensive, it’s probably still cheaper than picking up matte versions of all your favourite lipsticks. I love that it reduces the lipstick transfer too. I’ll definitely be checking this out next time I’m passing a counter. Xx

    Tania | When Tania Talks

  5. Definitely keen to try this as I am pretty hopeless with smudging lipstick and can never be bothered to constantly re-apply. Heh.

    1. This is definitely a must try product then! See if you can try some of the tester as it can take a bit of getting used to at first xx

  6. Boots used to do a similar product in the seventeen range that I swore by for years, I wonder if it’s still available. It not only adjusted the formula, it held it in place but without the drying issue I have with Lipsyl.

    This is really useful as I prefer a matte lip but sometimes want to use up something glossy in my stash.

    1. Ah, I didn’t see it when I was searching, but they could still do it!! I definitely prefer a matte lip but have so many cream lipsticks I love wearing 🙂 xx

I love reading your comments: