With the Pop Lip Colour + Primer, which launched last year, Clinique brought us a lipstick that was just about as perfect as could be. Great, intense colour, an easy to apply formula, a comfortable feel and a juicy, non-greasy finish. I had thought before testing them out that the Primer part would be a gimmick – just a word that they had thrown in to make the whole enterprise sound more marketable and unique – but to my great surprise the primer worked. It managed to smooth over minor flakiness and the colour didn’t bleed or wear off quickly. I think, at the time, I called Pop Lip Colour + Primer the perfect lipstick for learners. Foolproof.

Read the original Pop Lip Colour + Primer review…

And now Clinique have introduced a new little gem – the Pop Matte Lip Colour + Primer, which is probably one of the most wearable matte lipsticks you’ll find. If you’ve always wanted to go for that edgy, sultry, retro sort of look but have worried about getting dry lips or accentuating fine lines or flakiness then this is the starter stick for you. In fact, you’ll probably never move on from it if you try it – there’s no real need. It ticks all of the matte boxes (non-drying, vivid colour, a chalky-ish-yet-comfy finish) and, at £16, it most definitely does not break the bank.

Here I am sporting (sporting!) Peony Pop, a pink I thought I’d hate but instantly loved. It’s a pretty, girly shade but the matte finish makes it far more interesting than it would be were it your typical sheeny lipstick. Please ignore my red-tinted eyes, I was exploring the Chanel Le Rouge Collection before I shot this picture…

Nice, isn’t it? It’s the sort of effect you’d get if you gently pat-patted a normal, non-matte lipstick onto your lips. The patting usually seems to take away lots of the oils and you’re left with just the pigment on your lips, a muted sort of finish. The Pop Matte is easier than a load of pat-patting and the in-built primer makes everything look polished and done, so that it’s a posh matte rather than a grungy one. Top marks again, Clinique – these have gone straight into the everyday makeup bag!

You can find the Pop Matte lipsticks at Clinique here – £16 each.