Colorkey Lipsticks: My First Steps into Chinese Makeup
Colorkey Lipsticks: My First Steps into Chinese Makeup
So, in case you didn’t know, Chinese makeup culture is huge. Their cosmetics industry is growing at an insane rate and becoming a promising business field. To make it even better, China recently removed its law requiring cosmetics to be tested on animals (love it… partially). This change came into effect in May 2021 for general-use cosmetics like makeup and skincare, though some special-use products like sunscreens still need testing.
China, like other Asian countries, has these massive make-up and skin care culture, so obviously they also have these huge stores filled with every type of product you can imagine. Personally, I’m a big makeup fan—but only when it comes to buying it. Honestly, I have no idea how to use half of what I own. That’s probably why I haven’t dived into Chinese makeup yet. Skincare? That’s another story—I love their skincare products (but I’ll save that for another post).
What I do use a lot, though, is lipsticks. I’ve tried some Korean brands like Joycee and others, but recently, I came across a Chinese brand called Colorkey.
The Search for the Perfect Matte Lipstick
I’ve always loved how Asian girls’ lips look so plump and pinkish, always wondering what kind of lipstick they use and wishing I could find one for myself. Here’s the catch, though: my lips are very, very delicate. They crack with everything, and I’ve spent years only using a very specific set of lip balms that actually work for me. The same goes for lipsticks—most of them dry me out or irritate my lips, which makes finding the perfect one almost impossible.
Let’s start with this: matte lipsticks and I have a complicated relationship. Whenever I hear “matte,” my lips immediately crack just thinking about it. So, I’ve avoided matte lipsticks for years. But then, one of my makeup-obsessed friends told me that Colorkey’s matte lipsticks are her absolute favorite because they don’t dry out your lips. And honestly? I believe everything she says about makeup.
When I saw an 8-pack of Colorkey lipsticks on sale during the 11.11 discounts (China’s ultimate shopping day), I thought, Why not? Worst-case scenario, they’d join the collection of lipsticks I never use.
I’ll keep this short: I love them.
The Colors: For the first time ever, I found lipsticks that match my skin tone perfectly. Every shade in the pack works for me, which is wild.
The Texture: Smooth, velvety, and light. They don’t dry my lips at all, which was my biggest fear.
The Overall Vibe: I finally found matte lipsticks that don’t feel like sandpaper. And honestly, for the price? Total win.
Final Thoughts
This was my first real step into Chinese makeup, and if Colorkey is anything to go by, I can’t wait to explore more. If you’re scared of matte lipsticks drying out your lips (like I was), you need to try these.
I’ll keep testing and sharing, so stick around! And if you’ve tried Chinese beauty brands, let me know what you love—I’m always looking for new things to try.
