Medora Matte Lipstick Collection

Medora lipsticks have been in my Mom's vanity drawer along with Swiss Miss and Revlon's. Nearly all of us would have come across these lipsticks at least once in Pakistan. While we see amazing results with lip products from MUA (GBP 1), e.l.f. (USD 1), and WnW ( USD 2), let's check how our local drugstore gem fares in terms of quality, pigmentation, lasting power, and shade range.

All of the shades I've personally used are matte finish. Mainly due to their accessibility. The places I've come across carry most of the matte shades (with testers) - other finishes, not so much. As for the color choice, two of my initial Medora lipsticks were a gift - Gold Opal and Real Red. Sadly, the Real Red was misplaced during my frequent shuttling between Lahore & Karachi last year. I owned True Red from the collection as well, but that was passed onto a dear friend of mine. All in all, I currently have the 5 shades:

Before I talk about their packaging and an overall review, I just have to address (ask) one thing - Till now, all the "matte" shades from every lipstick that I've seen do not contain glitter & a frosty finish. You might be able to see from these pictures that the first from the left and the second from the right visibly has some frosty thing going on. Is it "normal"? It's nothing significant, just something I found weird, so I thought I'd ask. It might just be the desi-ness going on. :-P

After a very weird side-tracking, let's come back to these. Each of these lipsticks come in a cardboard box packaging that has the no significant details written except "Medora of London", the lipstick shade name/number, and "Made in Swat". o.O No ingredients, tagline...nothing. It's not a marketing gimmick I'm asking for. But skipping the ingredient list might be the dealbreaker of some (as it rationally should be). My analysis is very objective on this, despite the fact that I have used this product repeatedly. Lack of ingredients list makes us encounter many risks. 1) The consumers are entitled to full disclosure of what's in their products. 2) The absence might also mean that there is little or no quality-check involved. 3) We don't have FDA, but the necessary approvals of safety might also be missing. So, if you're super sensitive to these issues and have allergies, I suggest that you use caution (swatch and check) while using these lipsticks. Along with disclaimer, I must say that I have been using these less frequently over 1-2 years and that didn't cause any problem in my case.

Coming to the packaging, the grey plastic tube with golden mettalic finish design is cheap-looking. Out of these 5, 3 have really shoddy caps that do not snap shut properly. Pressing doesn't help either. The ones I previously had didn't have reliable packaging either. I couldn't throw them inside my bag for travel except may be in really small pockets in less heat where they cannot open or create a melted mess. This is one of the things which good quality control could have avoided :-/ I've never seen any promotion of Medora ever, so no claims, no frills, no control. Since it runs on word-of-mouth and brand recognition, the brand seems complacent...and almost arrogant, I must say. Being a marketing buff, I should have hated these in principle - but I don't. 

Let's have a look at the swatches and review how the product performance:

Like I mentioned before, these are supposed to be matte, but the Gold Opal has champagne-gold fine glitter and the Purple Passion has pink shimmer. Once worn, the glitter doesn't irritate the lips. However, the residual glitter might remain on your face or migrate to the chin, if not removed properly. That's not a deal-breaker for me because it doesn't happen often.

I could write sonnets on the great pigmentation of Medora shades - these and all others that I have ever swatched. I bet you won't be disappointed - even with other seemingly negative things you might think about these. One swipe is enough to give opaque coverage for most shades. The ones with the glitter might not have the same level of opacity, but a couple more swipes will give you a great color payoff. In terms of how longlasting they are, I'd say it varies for every shade, but they definitely cross the 4-hour mark. Without meals and drinks, they would last even longer. They sure do transfer on the straw, cup, glass, spoon, etc., so watch out. Don't go pecking other people on cheeks, because this "daag" might not get the same appreciation as in a Surf Excel advertisement :-P An aunt of mine kissed my cheek while wearing on of Medora's lipsticks. It was a formal occassion and I was wearing foundation with no touchup stuff. The vigorous rubbing still leaves a rub-stain behind. Medora 1 - Bia 0. -_- Ugh.

Interestingly, these lippies are not the uncomfortable and tugging matte kinds. After first two hours, they do cling to the fine lines on the lips if you're laughing and talking a lot. That, too, isn't very obvious or even bothersome since the formula is creamy(ish).

You can see I have two not-so-normal colors. I've not worn them out yet. The best thing about these lippies are that you can have these bold shades for certain looks, themes, or even shade-mixing. For instance, the Dark Maroon applies very dark brown on lips, but you can blot it a little and add lip gloss. The lasting power will definitely be affected, but it will give a very Maroon-ish undertone with a clear gloss. Similarly, a single swipe of Purple Passion is not alien-looking. On pink or pigmented lips, the sheer look is very wearable. My lips turned light-mauvey-berry toned with a single swipe. Chiffon Blush is a daily routine shade that you can wear to university or work. Gold Opal would look more flattering on fuller lips (I believe). It reminds me of Nars Orgasm collection for some reason. Haha, I realize mentioning Medora and Nars in the same sentence is a cardinal sin - let alone, comparing them :-P I think you can make the Gold Opal with a pinkish lipstick or gloss topping to be very much like the Orgasm collection lipgloss. I'm only saying. Doesn't hurt to try. If any of you attempt, please share the pictures ^_^

They also do get good marks for accessibility. Not everyone is a makeup buff to know better brands or afford the ones with more hefty price tag. These lipsticks are widely available across Pakistan at the price tag ranging from PKR 80 - 110. In metropolitan cities, you might have to do a bit of effort to find shops that carry most of their collection.

Let's sum it up - I'd give these full marks for longevity and pigmentation (my top reasons to love something), but the lack of proper disclosures is a bummer. Here's the verdict after a reminder of my collection :-P

Let me know which is your favorite Medora lipstick - if you've used these already! I simply love your feedback. Like a fuel to my passion.

Cheers,

Bia