Beauty Care: ColourPop Melonade & LAX Ultra Matte Lip Reviews & Swatches

Melonade

ColourPop Melonade Ultra Matte Lip ($9.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium-dark red with moderate, cool undertones and a flat, matte finish. It appeared to be slightly less deep compared to the prior formula but with a similar undertone.

Opaque pigmentation in one layer
Fluid, spreadable, lighter-weight
Dried down quickly and didn’t settle into my lip lines as it did so
Long-wearing (7 hours, faded evenly), mostly non-drying

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View All Dupes

These are the dupes the editor has pulled but not yet rated and officially entered.

MAC Self Esteem (LE, $19.00).
ColourPop Ribbon (LE, $6.50).
ColourPop Season 10 (LE, $6.50).
Make Up For Ever M401 (DC, $22.00).
MAC Chateau M (LE, $21.00).
Urban Decay Rock Steady (P, $18.00).
MAC Ruby Woo (P, $19.00).
MAC Russian Red (P, $19.00).
Giorgio Armani Lucky Red (403) (P, $38.00).
Pat McGrath Elson 4 (P, $30.00).

Formula Overview

$9.00/0.11 oz. - $81.82 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have "intense colour payoff" with a "super comfy" feel that "dries down for long-lasting wear" while feeling lightweight. It is "new and improved" for 2023. I think it is more comfortable than the prior formulation, but it has similar pitfalls; namely, the shades often appear a bit "cracked" once they dry down and I smile as the product doesn't seem to really pull into and smooth out while drying down.

The consistency was lightweight, spreadable, and fluid without being too watery or too viscous. As the formula dried down, it remained more flexible than the previous formula and definitely felt lighter-weight, which made it more comfortable to wear. Most shades were semi-opaque to opaque in one layer. They dried down fairly quickly but were forgiving if I pressed my lips together before the formula was fully set.

Unsurprisingly, they were not as long-wearing as the prior formula, but they still lasted between five and eight hours, depending on the vividness and depth of the shade. They were transfer-resistant until they came into contact with more oily food, and they were non-drying overall.

Browse all of our ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip swatches.

Ingredients

Isododecane, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Nylon-12, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Silica, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850).

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.