Swatch and Review: Sleek Lip4 Mardi Gras

Because I have a deep and abiding need to have all the purple cosmetics in the world, I picked up the Sleek 4 lipstick palette in Mardi Gras. This is a limited edition, online only palette that can be purchased from Sleek's shop for £8.99. I mainly wanted it for the really stunning-looking electric purple shade.

Swatches and a review after the jump!

I didn't really care for any of the other shades in the palette when I looked at it online, but I loved the purple and figured that I wouldn't have a problem spending £8.99 on one lipstick I really loved, so getting four for that price when I might not like three of them was not really an issue. As with the last Sleek 4 palette I reviewed here, Mardi Gras offers three different finishes. I'm really into mattes right now and, lucky me,  Rio, the purple colour, is the matte in this palette.

Rio, Carnivale, Masquerade, and Firework from Sleek Lip 4 Mardi Gras Palette

These all swatched really well, even the matte. However, when it came to putting it on my lips, I could practically hear the WAH WAH noise that signifies a letdown.

Sleek Rio Lipstick applied over bare lips, no flash. 

Sleek Rio over bare lips, taken with flash.

I used a lip brush to put this on and I think it took me fifteen minutes to get it to look remotely okay. Every time I tried to brush it on, it just moved around leaving my lips looking patchy and odd. Worst of all, it very quickly left a bright pink stain, so that the edges of my lips looked as if I had lined them in the wrong colour. I don't think the picture above even begins to capture how awful this looked.

My lips after wearing Rio for 5 minutes and then wiping it off.

As you can see in the above picture, the bright pink stain left by Rio is more attractive than the patchy lipstick. And actually, I quite like the pink but I'm really disappointed since I wanted the purple. I will be trying this again with a lip liner underneath to see if it fares any better.

The next shade, Carnivale, is a bright, bright pink with a glossy finish.

Sleek lipstick Carnivale taken in natural light

Sleek Carnivale taken with flash

Despite my initial lack of interest in the other three shades, I found Carnivale really appealing once I put it on. It isn't the colour that it looks in the pan at all. In fact, none of the lipsticks in this palette go onto the lips in the same colour they look in the pan.

 I thought maybe Sleek was being really clever by having shades that mask their true appearance for the Mardi Gras theme, but if they are, it says nothing about it on the website, and I think it's a little bit shite not to let customers know that what they see isn't what they'll get.  Anyway, despite looking like a pale, dusty pink in the pan, Carnivale turns out to be a really eye-catching magenta pink. This one had no issues with application and has quite a long wear time.

Sleek Masquerade taken with flash

Sleek Masquerade in natural light

Masquerade is also a glossy finish shade that lands somewhere between salmon pink and carnation pink. This one also goes on quite smoothly and wears for a good while before needing reapplication. I think this is a great shade, just not on me.

Sleek Firework taken with flash

Sleek Firework in natural light

The last shade in the palette, Firework, also turns out to be my favourite. Firework is a satin finish orangey-red. I would say this leans toward neon in brightness. This goes on really easily with no need for lip liner and lasts ages. I do have to make sure my lips are really well moisturised first, because it will really show any dry skin I have, but otherwise this is a spectacular colour.

So, two out of four for this palette, I'm afraid. It's possible I'm being a little on the harsh side because I was expecting something very different. But I feel that when your website only offers photos of the product in the pan with no swatches, it should be mentioned somewhere that the colours are deceiving. The formula for three of this is excellent, but the patchiness of Rio is a shame.

*As per usual, I have not been paid or reimbursed for this review in any way. I bought the products mentioned with my own money and I have no affiliation with any company linked or mentioned in the post.