Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Luminous Modern-Matte Lipstick in Sexy Sienna Review & Swatches

So glad to have finally laid my hands on probably the most-talked about “modern matte” lipstick everyone is raving about at the moment! I had high hopes and so much expectation for it since the reviews have been so great. Did I have such luck with the shade I chose? Let's find out!

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Luminous Modern-Matte Lipstick sports the same gorgeous rose gold, Hollywood glam casing as that of the regular Kissing Lipstick. The CT/Charlotte Tilbury logo is present on both the lipstick cap and inner tube. The lipstick itself has a unique angled square tip to mimic the shape of a lip brush for precise outlining and filling in the lips. I actually really like the design and think it works brilliantly to achieve a clean application when the lipstick is applied straight from the tube. There is a vanilla scent that is a little too strong but luckily it dissipates quickly post application.

Sienna, inspired by actress Sienna Miller, is among the 12 shades currently available in the line-up. It is described as a “golden coral” shade but on my lips it translates to a somewhat nude-ish peachy coral possibly due to my naturally pigmented lip color.

Up close, the formula contains tiny gold flecks (as seen below) throughout but they are not noticeable on the lips. I suspect that these shimmery particles are part of what the brand calls “3D glowing pigments” that supposedly “create the illusion of lit-from-within lips that appear wider and fuller“.

Sienna is incredibly pigmented for such a light(ish) shade. It doesn't need more than 2 passes on my lips to reach its full opacity. It can be applied sheer to compliment a light makeup look or build up to bring out the coral hue to complete a smokey eye look with ease. I don't have a whole lot of corals in my lipstick stash so this is definitely a refreshing and welcome color to my collection.

So yes, the color is gorgeous! What about the formula and performance? Well, as with any matte lipstick, you do need to prep your lips well prior to application! Always scrub and apply a lip balm (or a good lip primer such as the MAC Prep + Prime Lip) underneath, otherwise you'll be asking for a poorly-applied lip look that includes settling into vertical lip lines and catching onto every dry spot. The slight creaminess of the formula as well as the nature of the color has a tendency to settle into lip creases as well. So scrub, balm, and prime away! :)

(From my research, it seems that the other colors in the line-up do perform much, much better, though. It's just this particular color that is a little harder to work with. Can someone please remind me again why I chose this shade in the first place when I'm not even into coral lips that much?! :D)

When lips are in tip-top shape, Sienna applies fairly smoothly and comfortably. It doesn't have that heavy or drying feel like typical matte lipsticks tend to have. My lips don't feel parched during or after wear so I suppose the antioxidant Lipstick Tree extract does work somewhat to keep my lips well hydrated. Just don't expect it to be super moisturizing like a lip balm or non-matte lipstick, though. I'm just saying that for a matte formula, it does pretty well at keeping lips in good condition!

As for longevity, well, it lasts for about 3-4 hours (and significantly shorter if eating or drinking) which is pretty normal for a lipstick but for a matte lipstick like it is, I think it wears quite short! I would have expected something along the 5-6 hours but it could be just this particular color. Luckily it fades gradually into a soft and even, lasting stain on the lips so you still look like you are wearing something at the end of the day.

And here is how Sienna looks on me after 2 passes:

I guess I can kind of see the “luminous/lit-from-within” lip look from Sienna just a little bit if I look closely! It certainly has a modern matte character as opposed to a full-on flat matte! :)

All in all, if you regularly scrub and prime your lips, and are into peachy coral and modern matte finish, then you're going to love Sienna! I'm a little let down by its short wear time but I can easily fix that with a lip liner. I'll probably try another color or two because there are just so many gorgeous shades in the range. Lost Cherry and Amazing Grace are top on the list and probably will be my next purchase! :)

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