The issue with having so many things I love is that there is not enough time to wear them all as frequently as I would like. It happens with shoes, it happens with clothes, it happens with red lipsticks.
Dolce & Gabbana The Only One Matte in the shade 625 Vibrant Red is a true classic red shade. It’s very neutral even though the swatches make it look slightly pink toned. In real life, it’s the quintessential classic, old Hollywood, Snow White’s red.
Texture and application: being a matte, application is not the creamiest, but it’s not uncomfortable nor difficult. The lipstick is on the drier side and tugs slightly at the lips but it’s not patchy or complicated to even out. This also has that classic lipstick scent that is quite nostalgic (this was what my mother’s lipsticks smelled like, in the 90s).
Pigmentation and finish: it’s opaque in one pass and the finish is a natural matte – no shine, but not super matte looking like some liquid lipsticks are. It also stains like a b*tch – better to apply it bit by bit because if I go outside the lip mark it’s a pain to remove.
Longevity: after an hour, it’s still at full opacity. After 3 hours, the shade is lighter, but still fully opaque, and the lips are getting drier. After four and a half hours and some Doritos, the colour is totally gone in the inner lip rim, but everywhere else is still going strong. By this time I would need to reapply. There is very slight feathering, and I would say it’s transfer resistant because it’s a matte, but still transfers (a soft kiss on my baby left him with a bit of red on the forehead).
Packaging and other info: This contains 3,5 grams and the packaging is quite bulky. You have to buy the cap and the lipstick separately, so in total this costs around 50€ (about 37€ for the shade, and 13€ for the cap). You can choose the cap from a total of 8 variations, and I thought the lace would be the most unique but honestly, it looks very plastic-y – it’s very obvious that it is a print and not actual lace, and I would rather have gone with something else.
Final Thoughts: I’m not sure I would get another shade from the range, certainly not at full price, but I don’t regret getting this one. For what it costs, I’m disappointed about the slight feathering, but the shade is magical. It’s the “truest” red I’ve ever found, at least on my lips and on my skintone.
