Beauty Care: Sephora Never Ashamed & High Standards Matte Velvet Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches

Never Ashamed

Sephora Never Ashamed Matte Velvet Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark dusty rose with moderate, warm undertones and a matte finish.

Opaque color coverage in one layer
Smooth, lightly creamy, dense without being thick or heavy
Applied evenly and smoothly without emphasizing lip texture
Long-wearing (5 hours), lightly hydrating over time; settled slightly into lip lines after 3 hours

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.

ColourPop Fatale (LE, $9.00).
Hourglass I've Kissed (P, $34.00).
Pat McGrath Divine Rose (P, $38.00).
MAC Sultriness (P, $22.00).
NARS Vahine (LE, $25.00).
ColourPop U R Mine (LE, $8.00).
Sephora Blossom (P, $14.00).
ColourPop Kate (LE, $10.00).
ColourPop Lucky Strike (P, $10.00).
ColourPop Sphynx (P, $10.00).

Formula Overview

$15.00/0.12 oz. - $125.00 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to have "intense color" with a "matte texture" that "won't crack, fade, or bleed" with long-lasting wear and "8 hours of hydration." The shades were very pigmented with mostly opaque to opaque color payoff in a single layer, as advertised.

The texture was denser and "firm" in the tube, but they had enough slip to apply comfortably and smoothly across my lips without tugging. They felt creamier than they looked in the tube.

Most of the shades in the range applied evenly and didn't emphasize lip texture/lip lines, though there were a few outliers that were more prone to settling into lip lines or just didn't go on as evenly.

They were lightweight, transfer-resistant, and surprisingly comfortable to wear over the six hours they lasted for. A few of the lighter shades wore for four hours, but as most of the range was mid-tone or deeper, they were quite long-wearing overall. They were lightly hydrating over time. They had a subtle, sweet scent but no discernible taste.

These reminded me of Pat McGrath's Matte Trance Lipsticks but with less creaminess/natural shine--a truer matte finish.

Browse all of our Sephora Matte Velvet Lipstick swatches.

Ingredients

Isononyl Isononanoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), Dimethicone, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), Synthetic Beeswax, Lauroyl Lysine, Squalane, Synthetic Wax, Dicalcium Phosphate, Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cellulose, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hyaluronate, CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyhydroxystearic Acid.

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.

Never Ashamed

PPermanent. $15.00.

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

93%

Total

High Standards

Sephora High Standards Matte Velvet Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium-dark pink-coral with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish.

Opaque color coverage in one layer
Smooth, lightly creamy, dense without being thick or heavy
Applied evenly and smoothly without emphasizing lip texture
Long-wearing (5.5 hours), lightly hydrating over time; settled slightly into lip lines after 3 hours