Road-tested: Sleek Matte Me Ultra Smooth Matte Lip Cream

My first entry for #Romyroadtests was the Happy Skin Glam Squad Liquid Matte Lipstick. It's the most-read entry out of all my posts! After reading my entry, my sister immediately messaged me and we talked about some products I should try next. First, she said she also uses Chapstick as her lip primer, and after I did a little research, it turns out it's a thing! You can indeed use lip balms to prime your lips. My sister recommended I also get my hands on Sleek Matte Me Ultra Smooth Matte Lip Cream.

Sleek is a high street brand from the UK that specializes in creating makeup for all skin tones. In 2015, Sleek finally landed on our shores. It is a brand favored by students and women on a budget, with price points that don't go over Php1,000.

My sister personally swears by the Sleek Matte Me in Birthday Suit, saying it's the perfect shade for  My Lips But Better (MLBB). It's the best-selling shade and it gets sold out really fast.

So when I dropped by Sleek's counter at SM MOA and the sales assistant told me they had Birthday Suit in stock, I immediately got myself a stick, and road-tested it right then and there!

The lipstick comes in a simple matte black and transparent tube and has a doefoot applicator. The formula is a bit sheer, and you have to apply a couple of coats to get color into your lips. I know the lighting in the department store helped, but my first thought upon seeing myself in the mirror with the Birthday Suit on was: It's like a highlighter for your lips! It looked like my lips had a spotlight of their own, and my face appeared brighter. And the magic of it all was, it didn't even look like I had any lipstick on! Talk about MLBB.

I promise to take better selfies for you, dear readers!

The best thing about Sleek Matte Me is its price. At Php450, it's a steal. Birthday Suit is a bestseller for a reason, as it's flattering for my skin tone, and I'm guessing for others as well. When I wore it at the office, a male office mate even complimented me and said my lipstick shade looks good on me.

The downside is, it's not as long-wearing as my first liquid matte lipstick. The sales assistant told me I need to use petroleum jelly to remove it, but at the end of the day after road-testing it, I didn't need to use one because there was barely any lipstick left on my lips.

After applying it at the store, I walked around the mall for a couple of hours and enjoyed my lip highlighter. The lippie feels sticky so you have to resist smacking your lips. When J and I had coffee, I ordered an iced latte and used a straw to drink. A lot of the lipstick still transferred even when I was careful not to mess it up. By the time I finished dinner (I had burger and fries), my lips were back to their pre-Birthday Suit state.

Clockwise from left: freshly-applied, after drinking an iced latte, and after dinner. 

The formula also dried my lips, even when I used Chapstick as my primer. After using it for a couple of days, I noticed the difference on my lips. I exfoliated them using my toothbrush (just gently brush it over your lips), but when it didn't improve, I had to rest my lips for a few days before I used Matte Me again.

The Sleek Matte Me Smooth Matte Lip Cream in Birthday Suit is a great shade and for its price, I don't mind reapplying throughout the day. But I recommend you don't use it every day and alternate it with your other lipsticks.


Sleek MakeUP is available at SM Beauty outlets, Landmark Trinoma and Makati, and online at Zalora. Like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram.

*Road-tested is my review of products I purchased (unless indicated otherwise). If you have product recommendations or situations for my next road tests (waterproof products on the beach), leave a comment below!