Boldly going where other lipsticks fear to tread

By Kelly-Jo McCarthy, Senior Chemist, Avon Innovation Centre

There is no situation where a matte lipstick isn’t a good choice. But while we love it’s pigment-packed punch and long lasting looks, we don’t love the drying feeling on our lips. Wait, what’s that you say? A matte lipstick that is hydrating, creamy and luscious? Oh yes. You’d better believe it.

Before we get into why our latest world-first innovation, Hydramatic Matte Lipstick is capable of providing the bold matte finish we crave, while giving our lips the moisture they crave, we need to talk a bit more about the make-up of lipsticks. Lipsticks generally contain wax, oil and pigment as primary ingredients. The oils are emollients that soften the lip skin and enable the colour to go on smoothly and evenly; pigments provide colour; and wax provides the shape and structure that holds it all together. With a matte lipstick, there tends to be less oil than with a glossy lipstick. It’s more opaque and shows off a richer colour because the pigment takes centre stage. Yep, you guessed it, less oil means a drier texture and less moisture-rich emollient to keep lips hydrated.

It's an age-old problem and one we really wanted to solve for our customers. The problem from a scientific perspective is that the ingredients you need for a super matte finish and luscious lip conditioning just don’t mix. We’ve spent years working on the perfect solution and we’re really proud that our cutting-edge technology, expertise and perseverance has paid off.

We’ve managed to put two different formulas into one great product – multi-tasking at its finest. We created an inner core formula leveraging the Avon patented emulsion system to harness the power of hyaluronic acid and glycerin to condition and moisturise the lips. We then wrapped it in intense pigment to deliver the colour payoff we wanted. Structuring the lipstick bullet like this means you get the best of both worlds - with one comfortable swipe, you get gorgeous colour and creamy moisturisation that provides instant and longer-term hydration.

It’s not just the formula we’ve considered, the packaging plays an important role too. In fact, the hydration in this lipstick is so rich that if we didn’t package it right, you’d actually see the drops of moisture form on the lipstick bullet itself!

So, you have to try it to believe it but trust me when I say this is a matte lipstick revolution. I promise you won’t be reaching for the lip balm by lunchtime! It really is bold on the outside and caring to the core in 15 gorgeous shades. Will you try it?