ella + mila Velvet Matte in X on the Beach

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post is given to me. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the product. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Here's another product I got from CosmoProf Las Vegas on July 9-11, 2017. I already reviewed Lechat in Fantasea. This is one of the brands at Discover Beauty. It is ella + mila. The owner was kind enough to give us one Velvet Matte to try.

Product Review: ella + mila Velvet Matte in X on the Beach

Where to purchase: ULTA and online at ellamila.com
Price: $18 for 0.14 fll oz/ 4 mL

Made in USA

Description from the website: If I run into my ex, I'd hope to be wearing this liquid magic on my lips.
Ingredients:
Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Styrene-DVB Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Tribehenin, Octyldodecanol, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract*, Ethyl Vanillin, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Limonene
Polish May contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Red 7 Lake CI 15850, Yellow 5 lake CI 19140, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090
Thoughts: When I visited the booth, the packaging was really attractive. It drew me in! Not only that, my friend told me it's a growing brand on Instagram. When I thought about it, I saw this brand somewhere even before visiting the booth. I just couldn't remember where and I think she's right it was from Instagram. The owner was kind enough to let me choose one liquid lipstick. I choose the nude/brown tone.

Here's a closer look at the color.

Here's a closer look at the applicator.

Here's a swatch of the lip product on my hand.

Here's how the lip product looks on me.

Here's an overall look with Tarte Make Believe In Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette on the eyes.

Now for my overall opinion... First of all, there's a slight scent while applying. It smells like peppermint and lasts a few minutes. I just sniffed the product, and it has a mixture of peppermint and vanilla. It's an interesting scent but actually I don't mind. Secondly, I like the packaging. It's simple, clean, and it draws me in. It's well-made and sturdy. There are no scratches and finger marks. It also has a sturdy top. It has a tight seal. I can feel a tight squeeze when I open the top. I cannot see it open or break unless you are rough with the packaging. For that reason, it's travel-friendly. Also, it has the typical doe foot applicator you see in most liquid lipsticks. It's slanted on one side of the tip. It's easy to outline the lips and fill in the remaining. Third, the consistency is in-between liquidity to cream. I actually like the consistency. It's easy to apply and does not tug on the lips. With that said, it went on smoothly and it dried quickly. I would say it dried within several seconds. That's pretty decent for a liquid lipstick. Liquid lipsticks adhere to your natural lips and falls in-between the fine/thick lines. It all depends on the brand and formula of the liquid lipsticks. Some show fine lines only and others show both fine and thick lines. I actually like the fine lines on my lips. The thick lines is not that pleasing to my eyes. Thankfully, this only shows the fine lines and dries nicely. Fourth, the color was not what I expected. I thought it was a pinkish-nude but it's a concealer color or at least on my lips. It's an interesting color. On the website, they have two different models show casing the color on their lips. The colors are way off to each other and none of those colors look the same on me. With that said, the next time I wear this color I will mix it with other liquid lipsticks or lip liners. Anything to brighten the color on me. Pigmented-wise I was pretty impressed. For a concealer color, it showed up easily on my lips. Lastly, it lasted until I ate. The grease from the food soften the texture on the center of the lips. That's where most of the color came off. It's also very comfortable and not drying at all. I did not see any white reside in the center of the lips. With that said, I wasn't the biggest fan of the color but that was my choice. Even though the color didn't match me well, everything else was good with this brand. I definitely don't regret getting this at all and I would love to try other colors in this line.

Pros:
* Vitamin E.
* Slight peppermint scent.
* Simple, clean packaging.
* Well-made and sturdy packaging.
* Sturdy top with a tight squeeze when you open.
* Travel-friendly.
* Easy to outline applicator and fill in the remaining.
* Liquidity to cream consistency.
* Easy to apply.
* Does not tug on the lips.
* Goes on smoothly
* Dries quickly.
* Does not show the thick lines on my lips.
* Pigmented.
* Comfortable.
* Not drying.
* Lasted until I ate.
* Vegan.
* Paraben, phthalates, lanolin and gluten-free.
* Cruelty-free.

Cons:
* I look sickly with this particular color.

Would repurchase: Yes, in other color.
Rating:  4/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post is given to me. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the product. This post is written with my honest opinion.