I had a pretty hairy experience with the Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Liner and was ready to dismiss the whole brand entirely, but there’s a light at the end of the el-cheapo tunnel. If you’re looking for a highly pigmented semi-matte drugstore lipstick with (disturbingly) powerful staying power, then I highly recommend the Wet n Wild Fergie Center Stage Lip Color.
Fuchsianista (L) and Ferguson Crest Cabernet (R)
The Center Stage collection is the result of a collaboration with Fergie. Yup, as in Fergalicious Fergie Ferg of the Black Eyed Peas. The formula is matte but not as drying as other matte lipsticks, and I’m not kidding when I say it lasts all day too — you’ll have to vigorously wipe at it with plenty of makeup remover before getting it all off.
The packaging looked a little, well, cheap. But what do expect from a drugstore lipstick that retails in American drugstores at USD 3.59? (We bought ours at a little over IDR 119,000 at Watson’s).
The Fuchsianistia is a metallic bright fuchsia, which reminds me of my beloved Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #36. Meanwhile, the Ferguson Crest Cabernet is a cool dark purple. The color payoff is more accurate in the photo above, because it was really tricky to capture the accurate shade on camera once we actually put them on our lips:
See? The final look you see in the photos are nowhere near what the shades actually look like: the Fuchianista (on Shella, left) is markedly less cherry red in real life. The Ferguson Crest Cabernet on me is supposed to be a deep purple, not a deep red.
I highly recommend that you head out to your favorite drugstore to pick this up if you’re in a non-committed relationship with matte lipstick. But if you’re willing to spend IDR 100,000 more for a matte lip shade, then head over to MAC for their wider array of shades in much more appealing packaging.
