I don't really get curious by hype but if it is intriguing enough for me, I do try to find out if it's worth the buzz myself.

I've seen so much local lipstick launches this year even with the virus crisis and to be honest, none ever comes as near as the attention the new Powder Pout Lipstick of Detail Cosmetics garnered. It is a great marketing strategy because all 12 shades are in collaboration with local vloggers. Plus, the brand is quite affordable so I definitely see these lipsticks selling out. (IT HAS FOR LOTS OF ITS SHADES. TWICE--AND ONLY SEVEN DAYS SINCE IT LAUNCHED)

I admit, this is probably my weak point because I follow really only a few beauty content creators whether local or foreign and stay loyal to them for years but I am familiar with most Detail collaborated with. However, because of budget constraints and the fact buying a vlogger lippie of a vlogger I don't personally follow is the cosmetic junkie's version of wearing a band t-shirt of artists I've never heard of, I decided to buy only two shades: Raiza Contawi and Toni Sia. 

I love LOOOVE the boxes so much!

I learned to wear makeup when I was grade school and highschool because of magazines and blogs but in college, that's when I started following tutorials and watching beauty reviews and one of the local ones I do follow is Ms. Rai because 1.)  I love her reviews and 2.) She's an actual makeup artist. Toni Sia on the other hand, just comes in my suggestions quite often and actually has good beauty reviews I watch, too. I mean, I work hard for my money so I better check good reviews for makeup that also works hard for me too, right?

Now on to the lipstick....

I owned one Detail Cosmetics lipstick before and it's this gray colored lippie I've only worn once AND to work during my fresh grad days when I still had remnants of my edgy college self who wore dark lipstick sometimes. And I hated that formula because it was a little shiny and slick but felt heavy for me; like you feel the lipstick on your lips although not as heavy as cement like the way it looked.

The only Detail lipstick I owned prior to the Powder Pout which is heavy, greas,y and kinda patchy for such a bold color

The Powder Pout Lipstick is the exact opposite of that: it's matte and feels light on the lips which I will detail Get it? DETAIL? Charot. It is quite soft and easy to ruin if you are not super careful with the bullet but I accepted not all lipsticks remain immaculate when they're in my possession and I actually use them. Also, I've heard many descriptions on what the smell is from chocolate to popcorn to Play Doh to vanilla and I can confirm that it CAN smell like all those of those but actually, the scent reminds me of butter flavored Nissins wafers specifically. (Yes, the ones in the yellow wrapper!) Although Toni's shade smells much more buttery than Raiza's, which has hints of rubber and chocolate. WOW SCENT MASTER RACE

ALSO, THE PACKAGING IS GORGEOUS--FROM THE BOX TO THE ACTUAL BULLET.

It has a powdery soft finish as opposed to a fully opaque matte finish but this can be built up to make it that way.

Let's talk about the shades I picked up because I think it's the colors, as much as the formula, that makes them my favorite. My very VERY very favorite of the two is Raiza Contawi's! Detail described Raiza's shade, surprisingly called "Raiza Contawi", as a "subtle pink and brown." I'll be that girl who will say, as someone who owns her brownish pinks and pinky browns, this does not have even an ounce of brown. It's more beige based and is an old rose that surprisingly doesn't pull a little purple. All I can say is, it's the only pink lipstick I will buy from now on, no shit. This, and Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Delicate. I'm very picky with pinks and I think Raiza Contawi's is a winner.

Raiza's shade is that universal shade of pink which I haven't quite seen so much in other brands

Toni Sia's shade is that sweet light peach that makes you look so sweet and innocent which I fail to be but hey, this lipstick can fool you

I compared the formula with powder matte finishes of other local brands. The formula actually reminds me of my favorite bullet lipstick which is the Sunnies Face Fluffmatte which feels so smooth and a little whipped on the lips. Yes, the finish on the lips is similar with other offerings but what makes this stand out is how creamy it feels when you swipe it on. Sunnies Face is much pigmented and creamy but a little-JUST LIKE, 12%--more heavy than Detail but Detail feels much smoother on the lips so I don't mind building the color on my lips since it feels so buttery yet light. Penshoppe's Beauty Pop HydraMatte Lipstick is also something I wear often but is not as smooth as both lipsticks. It actually tugs but I tolerate it because it smells like marshmallows and it feels more lightweight than the usual matte lipstick.

Lasting power is impressive for a bullet lipstick. Of course, it transfers if it comes to contact on any surface but it does wear out evenly throughout the day and it leaves a subtle stain. It doesn't dry out the lips and with it being a "powder matte", it blurs lip liners and smoothens out flakes upon application.

Toni and Raiza's shades are above while Sunnies Face in Vacay and Penshoppe in Girl Next Door are in the bottom. Specifically chose the lower two thinking they'd be a dupe but nope. Far from it.

The Powder Pout is comfortable to wear and with the Detail makeover line having shades in the line that I feel cater more to the Pinay skin tones, I think Detail Makeover is the clear winner for me. AND IT'S 199 PESOS EACH. BARGAIN REALLY

Do I recommend this lipstick? The answer is obviously yes and I wonder why I even asked. They're selling like hotcakes on Shopee and Lazada and I see a great reason why! The other vlogger shades seem much more brown based to me but that's not a bad thing for me and are all gorgeous shades! It's just I have similar shades already in my arsenal so I guess Raiza and Toni's colors are just enough for me at the moment. However, if I could, I'd definitely want to get Rei Germar's(which is a deep brownish nude), or Angel Dei's (which looks like a dead on dupe of my one of my fave lipsticks, Sunnies Face Fluffmatte in Vacay!).

On my eyes: Colourpop Going Coconuts Eyeshadow Palette(Put Shredded all over my lid until my lower brows then Coolada on my crease which is followed by Get Crackin all over my eyelid as a blended it extensively using the brush I used for Coolada in a cat eye shape. Added Coolada and Get Crackin' on the lower lashline then deepened the outer corner of my eyes with Nutty. Topped the lid with Coco Crush), Focallure Liquid Eyeliner pen On my cheeks: Maybelline City Bronzer in 200, Focallure Monochromatic Duo Blush in 01 Soft Apricot, Wet n Wild Megaglo Highlighter in Bloom Time On my lips: Mixed both Raiza and Toni on my lips

Another thing Detail Cosmetics Powder Pout did right...

I've seen a number of lipstick launches during the past two years and personally, this is the one launch I've seen much more audiences gravitated towards to. This isn't the first time I bought lipstick out of hype but this is probably the first time I felt I identified myself more with the product, from price point to shades to the formula. It's as if the actual product isn't just something marketed with a famous influencer's face just to earn profit but this product is actually made for US Filipinas and Filipinos by people we idolize and a brand that's easily accessible. Even the promotion of the product in its social media isn't solely just the faces of influencers but faces of actual Pinoys and Pinays who truly enjoyed the product and are excited to have a piece produced by their idols.

I felt the need to bring this up because some lipstick launches, although the common theme nowadays for local makeup brands is "universal representation" in terms of shades, seemed to fall short in some aspects in terms of making the customer "valued". Let's talk about another pretty big lipstick launch a few months ago from another local brand which is pretty steep in price for a scented lip product that barely lasts. While I've seen lots of other girls fork on these lipsticks that cost more than the daily minimum wage locally and post how much they love it on their media, the brand itself chose to only repost IG stories, social media posts, and testimonials of influencers they probably gave free PR boxes of the whole range to. While there is a target market for each brand, there are many of those like me who went out of our way to buy such a pricey product and post our humble reviews only to feel like we're snubbed by the actual brand.

Speaking of shades, another lipstick launch last year released a line of "universal" nudes which in most reviews I've watched barely even passed for most skintones except the content creators who made the line, which is much more inspired by Western influences. I'm alright with brands being inspired by foreign concepts but we can build it to adjust what works for the audience locally, right? And build nude shades that are actually flattering and universal which never include peanut butter tans or cool-toned beiges or dull poop browns.

I do like products from these two brands I just mentioned but I just wish they don't act like the lifestyle they endorse is much more unattainable to a general market yet they promote their products as if it's a necessity to human kind, because of either the aesthetics that copy other minimalist brands or the "skin-friendly" chuchu they advocate.

This is in no way to put brands against each other in this diverse market we have locally. However, if you see in the brand's promotion more pictures, stories, and testimonials of happy and giddy customers that are the average Pinay who adore the one or two lipsticks they buy from the line more than posts and reviews of super stylized women who have the whole collection for free, I guess a brand is doing the promotion to the customer right by showing value to them. That these products are not created for the IG famous lot who will probably only get another PR box of another whole range lipstick line and leave whatever lipstick they just promoted to gather dust but the everyday Pinoy and Pinay who love to wear makeup and wear that makeup along with a real purpose.