Urban Decay 1993 Matte Revolution Lipstick

1993 was the year I met the Blond and we started dating. As a matter of fact, it was around this time of the year, which might explain the wave of nostalgia that had led me to buying this Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in the color 1993. It's either that or a complete blogger meltdown. There are very few matte lipstick in my otherwise extensive collection, and even fewer brown-based lip colors. So I can say that I wanted to fill the vacancy, and Urban Decay gave me a good push in that direction.

I have to give UD some serious kudos. It's hard to make a lipstick in a truly matte texture/finish that doesn't send me screaming from its dryness. Matte Revolution seems to have a hidden almost emollient base that you can't actually see and doesn't affect the lipstick's performance, but allows it to sit on the lips peacefully without obnoxiously making them appear too wrinkled (it doesn't hide the lip texture, but doesn't emphasize it, either, and that includes the infamous little scar on my bottom lip).

Primed and thoroughly hydrated lips are an absolute must for wearing a matte lipstick. Urban Decay have their own lip primer which I have and use for this purpose (after pushing a good amount of Nuxe lip balm into the surface). I prefer to line just inside the perimeter with a nude lip liner and apply 1993 with a brush, to ensure a smooth and even finish (see lines and scars). But I have used the lipstick straight out of the bullet and wasn't chased out of NYC with pitchforks, so that works too.

The color of 1993 is exactly what the people of Urban Decay describe as medium brown. It does take me back two decades (I had a very similar color from YSL), and makes me ponder our collective sanity: it was brown lipstick, brown graphic blush, black eyeliner and matte eye shadow. Was my college just an army of brown zombies in black clothes? Looking back, I think the answer is emphatically yes.

The modern way to wear this color is by balancing the matte brown with something livelier: a healthy glowing blush, a hint of shimmer on the eyes, dewy skin. If I wear a very thin layer of 1993 the natural rosiness of my lips picks through just enough to perk it up, but I'm okay with a full coverage, especially since it's reasonably comfortable to wear and lasts for a long time.

The lipstick has no discernible scent or flavor. Here's the list of ingredients (via Sephora):
Octyldodecanol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Kaolin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Oil, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera/Cire de Candelilla), Cetyl Lactate, Cera Alba (Beeswax/Cire D'abeille), Barium Sulfate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax/Cire Microcristalline), Polyethylene, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Water, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine Soja (Soybean/Soja) Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado/Avocat) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Citric Acid, Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Tin Oxide, [+/- (May Contain): Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 15985 (Yellow 6 Lake)].

Bottom Line: a good way to follow the trend.

Urban Decay 1993 Matte Revolution Lipstick ($22, made in the USA) is available at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and urbandecay.com.