Sue Devitt New York Balanced Matte Lipstick

Out of the two current hard-to-wear lipstick trends, I love looking at other people who can pull off bright retro orange lipsticks, but find it easier to deal with matte 90s inspired brown-based shades. Sue Devitt  Balanced Matte Lipstick in the aptly-named New York shade is one such item. On Sue Devitt's website New York is described as a soft plum, but in reality it's more of a brownish mauve- the brown is more pronounced on the lips than in the tube, though.

For a matte lipstick, Sue Devitt's Balanced Matte formula is a lot more comfortable to wear than anything else I've tried. As long as I start my day with well-conditioned lips, the lipstick doesn't dry them and actually feels reasonable soft. I admit that my personal preference is to add a touch of clear balm on top, trend be damned, but it's not a real necessity. The finish of the lipstick is very velvety, mattish but not totally dry. My lips don't look dry even without a balm.

 What I do find necessary is using a lip liner. Sue Devitt's lipstick doesn't bleed but I find that it looks best when the edges are very well-defined. It's more polished and finished this way. Surprisingly, the lipstick doesn't leave much of a stain behind and requires a touch-up after about four hours. It probably has something to do with the fact Balanced Matte is not as dry as other lipsticks with a similar finish.

Bottom Line: nice but not a true love.

Sue Devitt New York Balanced Matte Lipstick ($20) is available from Barneys, select Bloomingdales' locations and suedevittbeauty.com

All photos are mine.