Happy Sunday! I was going to put a bunch of different Espoir items together for a massive post, but decided I’ve been writing way too many essays on this blog lately and thought I’d make something a little lighter to read! Today I’ll be reviewing a lipstick from Espoir’s matte “No Wear” Lip line.
Espoir’s famous “No Wear” line comes in six different finishes and styles. I have previously reviewed the newest “Signature” line on my Instagram (here and here), but this is my first time trying out the M (matte) version.
All of the No Wear lipsticks (minus the Signature ones) retail for 19,000 KRW each, which is on the high end of Korean road shop brands and the sole reason I don’t own forty ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡. The “M” range claims to have a “soft, cashmere fit, with a light texture and moist sheen.” (A sheen sounds a little contradictory for a matte line…)
They had a sale a few months ago so decided it was time to get the colour I had been pining after for almost a year – Modest!
Even though Espoir runs on what I would consider the “expensive” end of Korean beauty, you are getting what you paid for and more with the packaging! The matte line is packaged in a sturdy, frosted black case with a magnetic lid. I can truthfully say that the packaging feels even nicer than my Mac lipsticks! 😀
The inside of the lipstick has glossy embossed letters spelling out “Espoir”…
…and the lipstick itself is also printed with Espoir’s logo!
You get 3.7g of product with these lipsticks, which is 0.7g more than you would get with a Mac lipstick at about the same price.
They have been cut in a sharper version of the traditional lipstick shape, which helps with a precise application.
•○ Swatches ○•
The way I would describe this colour is a rusty terracotta, that leans cool enough to not look orange on my lips (we all know how much I dislike orange lipsticksㅋㅋ). It’s such a unique colour and works great as a daily colour due to how neutral it is.
As for the formula – AMAZE. These glide on like butter with opaque pigmentation, no sliding or creasing, and do not stick to any of my dry spots despite me constantly having cracked desert lips. (ㅡㅈㅡ;) I have friends who rave about these and for good reason; I’d say they’re probably my favourite lipstick formula out of everything I own. They’re just so comfortable!
I did a kiss test (on the left) after putting it on for the swatch photo, and this is all that transferred! The biggest reason I’m not a fan of bullet lipsticks are because they tend to bleed/transfer everywhere on me and I’m too low-maintenance when it comes to lipstick to deal with that. This is why I’m a huge fan of Korea’s gradient lip trend – easy to wear and go about your day without having to worry about getting lipstick everywhere. But the matte formula in these Espoir lipsticks hugs your lips tightly and doesn’t slide or transfer hardly at all! 10/10 in this area too 🙂
As a random thought – when Espoir says “No Wear”, are they making a pun on “nowhere”? Or that the lipsticks have “no wear and tear”? Or that you shouldn’t wear them? Honestly it was only until recently that I started calling them by their name properly – because of the Hangul I thought they were “Norway” lipsticks for the longest time ┐(￣ー￣)┌ I’m still not entirely sure what the name implies, although I have just been informed (as I write this) that it probably refers to the lipstick feeling like you aren’t wearing anything on your lips. That makes the most sense!
•○ Final Thoughts ○•
Pigmentation: ★★★★★
Application: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Staying power: ★★★★★
Price: ★★★✩✩ (19,000 KRW – mostly standard lipstick price but not something I would buy often)
Overall: ★★★★✩ + 0.5
Long story short: I LOVE this lipstick! Glides on easily, comfortable, long-lasting, moisturizing, the works. I totally recommend these for those who love a matte finish but aren’t a fan of the tug/dryness that tends to come with many matte formulas. I can’t wait until they have another sale so I can get another!
I hope this shorter format is more enjoyable to read! I know that the long posts tend to get wordy and tiring 😦 I just have so much to say! Until next time~ ( ･ω･)ﾉ
Jasmineitor & Korea 
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