Velvet matte lipstick from Lancome makes up this short, focused range. Drama Matte is the long-wear matte in the Lancome lip collection, stocked here across a spread of shade numbers running from nudes and warm pinks through to deeper reds and plums.
A matte formula behaves differently from a cream, and that is worth knowing before you choose. The colour sits flatter against the lip, holds longer through eating and drinking, and reads a shade deeper than the same number would in a satin finish. The trade-off is that mattes show dryness more, so a lip balm underneath, blotted before you apply, makes the finish smoother and more comfortable. Applying from a lip liner base also helps the edges stay clean through the day. Shade numbers are printed on the base of the bullet, which is the reference to match on when you reorder. Deeper shades in a matte finish are less forgiving on application than nudes, so a liner is worth using with the reds and plums even if you skip it with lighter colours.
Drama Matte is stocked at Ronaghan's Pharmacy, a family-run Irish pharmacy, with the rest of the Lancome lip range. Browse the shades below to find your number.