L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss First Impressions + Review

This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, hop over to our Disclosure page.

A matte gloss? What is that? Does that even make sense?

Today we are going to talking about one of my favorite things ever– matte lip products! I’ve been super into matte liquid lipsticks lately, (I know, I’m totally a trend follower. But let’s be honest, a lot of them are pretty expensive.

The ones that are on the inexpensive side, à la ColourPop, aren’t easy to come by; you can’t just run down to your local drugstore and pick them up. I’ve been waiting for an easily accessible product from the drugstore that is as good as those higher end liquid lipsticks I love.

Does the L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out what I think of the product with the oxymoronic name!

…is that a word?

What is a matte gloss?

I reacted to the name “Pro-Matte Gloss” like I reacted to the news that Kimye named North West, well North West. I became confused, and appalled, like someone was trying to pull one over on me. A matte gloss? That makes no sense. I almost dismissed it before even trying it, but after giving it a chance, I conclude that the name isn’t completely bogus.

L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss is well-priced and widely available

The current L’Oréal Pro-Matte gloss was released in late 2015, though was a previous limited release hit stores previously in Spring 2015. Prices range from $7.99 at Target to $9.99 at Walgreens, with variation in between.

I purchased mine at Target. At the time there was a promotion going on offering a free $5 gift card with purchase of three L’Oréal products. Clearly, I wanted that gift card. These promotions are anything but rare, so be on the lookout and try to shop when you can get more for you money. Not that these aren’t worth the full price!

L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss in 10 Shades >> Purchase on Amazon

Available in 10 un-crazy shades

Currently, L’Oréal offer Pro-Matte Gloss in 10 shades. I purchased the shades Nude Allude, (left,) Forbidden Kiss, (center,) and Blushing Ambition, (right.) I chose these to get a balanced feel for the different colors in the range in terms of undertone and depth.

Though I chose these three shades because they seem the most wearable for me, I do consider all of the colors in the range “wearable colors.” There is no navy blue, lavender, black, white, lime green, or any other colors that would seem out of place for everyday wear. As I said, the most outrageous shade is a somewhat loud shade of pink, or perhaps a red.

Beware of the similar packaging

Since these are categorized by L’Oréal as a gloss, the packaging looks basically the same as the their other glosses. Keep this in mind while shopping to avoid going home with a glossy gloss. The cap features a velvety-rubbery texture, so that helps differentiate between the L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss, and L’Oréal’s regular gloss.

On a different front, the cap is actually a pretty good indication of what the product feels like on the lips.

Unique applicator is quite handy

The sponge comes to a much sharper point than most other applicators. This drawing a sharp edge on the edge of your lips very easy. It’s also great for carving out your cupid’s bow.

Likewise, the wider side is great for filling in the larger sections of your lips. The little hole in the middle of the applicator holds on to product as you pull the want out of the tube quite well. This means you double dipping isn’t really an issue, saving precious time.

The tilted shape of the sponge tip also proves unique. It’s great for not only getting the right angle, but also for allowing the user to adjust how much pressure is needed for a particular area. For instance, you could use the downward-turned side for less pressure when applying to the full parts of your lips, and use the upward-turned side for more resistance when applying areas that require precision. It is very versatile.

The texture is very thick and almost moussy

While it is light, the L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss isn’t as light and fluffy as some others, such as the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. Because of this, it’s quite easy to apply too much product and overload your lips.

This causes problems for two reasons. Firstly, the more product you pile on, the less matte the finish looks. Secondly, it can tend to run outside your lip-line or slide onto your teeth, neither of which are good.

L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss swatches beautifully

I find that all of the colors go on with even pigmentation with only one thin coat. There is no need to add layer upon layer of product to achieve full and even coverage.

In the photo above, the right-side swatch of each color respectively is just one swipe of product. The left-side swatch is two swipes layered. As you can see, the left-side swatches don’t look any more pigmented than the right. However, they do look goopier and less matte.

Not matte in the way that we expect, but the name isn’t a complete lie either

In the lip-swatches, I am wearing the shade Forbidden Kiss. I find this to be the shiniest of the bunch. I first applied one even layer, being careful to not apply too much product.

Although it looks slightly transparent in the close-up photo, it looks opaque in real life. Since we don’t often look at our lips, (or anyone else’s, for that matter,) through an ultra zoom lens, I think we’re good.

Being so close definitely heightens the shine. In real life, I say this is slightly more shiny than a satin finish. For the next photo, I blotted the excess product with a tissue in an attempt to mattify as much as possible. With most of the product gone, you can see that there is a nice staining effect left on the lips.

I took the photo below at the same time as the after-blotting photo above. The product looks much better on a whole face than just a pair of faceless lips.

They don’t dry down like your typical liquid lipstick

As you can probably tell, the L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss doesn’t completely dry down like a layer of cement on your lips. Though, they still achieve a relatively matte look.

This is great for those with dry lips, or who just don’t like the crustiness that comes with the drier liquid lipsticks.

Since these contain a more gel-like consistency, the staining power is much greater than chalky liquid lipsticks. Even when the product begins wearing away, color remnants stick around for a while. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about your lips looking like a map of the earth with patches of color missing in action.

This also means that when the color begins fading, such as after a meal, more product can easily be applied and blended in, unlike other liquid lipsticks that get clumpy and uneven if you apply multiple layers after the fact. Since the formula remains a slippery texture on your lips, you can simply rub your lips together to redistribute product if you don’t want to reapply right way.

Lasting power is surprisingly good

On me, the product lasted at least 4 hours with drinking through a straw, but no eating. After a meal, the color is noticeably faded, especially in the center. But thanks to the texture, it’s an easy fix.

The thing to watch out for is the product’s tendency to run and smudge. Unfortunately, I find that the Pro-Matte gloss is prone to transferring onto your chin if you are eating a hefty sandwich. And by the end of the day, I did notice it traveling outside of the area where I initially applied it.

Using a lipliner should help this, but I’m really not that into lipliner, so I haven’t tried this trick. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

Scent is noticeable, but not obnoxious

I’m not exactly sure what these smell like. I suppose it’s some kind of fruit, but I’m unsure of which one. It just smells like a generalized “random fruit,” kind of like a Fruit Roll-Up. Like, you know it’s fruity, but you’re content to just leave it at that; no need to think to far into it.

It is pretty strong when you open the tube and first apply the product on your lips, but it does fade pretty quickly. Either that or I just got used to it.

Oh, and that lip numbing sensation people keep mentioning? It’s true. It’s not terribly scary; it just feels like you went a little crazy with the Orajel topical anesthetic. It not a big deal, and it goes away within about 10-15 minutes.

I’ll definitely repurchase

Overall, I really like the L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss, and I plan to purchase more. They are a great price, they’re easily accessible, and they are versatile. I can achieve a (relatively) matte look, or a glossy look all in one tube. It’s a time and space saver’s dream product.

Clearly, these are formulated with the every-day wearer in mind. They feature little details that make them easy and comfortable to use– much more so than your typical liquid lipstick.

L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss in 10 Shades >> Purchase on Amazon

That’s all for today!

Like this post? Check out this one! >> Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers Review + Demo

If you find this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments. And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!

Till next time. ♥︎

Sign up for my free monthly e-journal, The Millennial Maven Love Letters for exclusive content + millennial inspiration and lifestyle hacks. Plus get instant access to my library of on-the-go style downloads!

FTC- Not sponsored. I purchase all products myself. All opinions my own. Some links may be affiliated.