Are these lipsticks really universal? We test Maybelline’s Lipsticks For All line
Foundations used to be the one makeup product that I could live without. For the longest time, I couldn’t find a shade match for my morena skin among the drugstore choices I could afford. I would have given up on foundations completely had I not found my color match at a high-end brand. While brands have been making an effort to be more inclusive with their foundation shade ranges, the same is not always true for lipstick color options. Ever fallen in love with a lipstick shade only to find that it doesn’t work for your skin tone? It’s a little heartbreaking.
While there are no real rules on what lip colors you can actually wear, there are shades that just don’t look good no matter what you do. That’s why I appreciate Maybelline’s efforts to make even their lipstick shades more inclusive! The Maybelline Made For All Lipsticks (P299 each) is a lipstick wardrobe of 7 universal shades that fit different skin tones. The brand claims to have tested these lippies on 50 different skin tones, to ensure that the colors look great on anyone who wears them.
To check this claim, here’s what the seven colors looked on Nine and I! For reference, Nine is ELDW 2W2 Rattan and I’m a 4W2 Cashew.
Spice For All is a pumpkin orange that reminds me of my beloved Em Cosmetics Faded Clementine. This is probably the first time I’ve seen Maybelline do pumpkin-type shades, so I was pretty stoked! It served pumpkin spice goodness on both Nine and I, but it just pulled a wee bit darker on Nine.
Mauve For All is a mauvey nude with pink undertones. This was surprisingly my favorite among the bunch, and I may have found the perfect nude for me! On Nine, it looked a bit more peachy.
Pink For All is a pinky nude. This is the kind of pink I usually stay away from because it looks so pale on my skin tone. However, it’s a great MLBB for Nine!
Fuchsia For All is a bright hot pink, which actually reminds of the PV pink! It looked so bright and poppin’ on me, while it looked more of a subdued magenta on Nine.
Plum For All is a dark magenta pink. I thought it looked a lot like my fave MAC Rebel on the tube, but it’s actually a lot more magenta on the swatch. It actually looks very similar to Fuchsia, only darker, upon application.
Red For All is a bright true red. This has the only matte finish among all the lipsticks. It looked like a slightly orangey red on me, while it looked like a true red on Nine.
Ruby For All is a blue-based red that reminds me of Old Hollywood glam. Aside from the finish, the color nuance is very similar to Red For All.
All of the lipsticks have a creamy finish, except for Red For All. I really liked the creamy sheen finish, especially on the lighter colors. I did not notice any bleeding while wearing these, but I think a lip brush would be helpful when applying the more vibrant colors.
These lippies are comfortable to wear, but do note that the six creamy lipsticks will transfer off. Nine and I were pleasantly surprised that the lone matte, Red For All, had very minimal transfer. This formulation reminded me of Maybelline’s Creamy Mattes, which have a comfortable that easily glides on.
If you want to build a good lipstick wardrobe, the Made For All line is something to look into. These have the formula of the good ol’ Colorsensational line - creamy, a bit shiny, yet comfortable. But as someone who has a decent amount of experience with the Maybelline Colorsensational lipsticks, I was a bit disappointed with some of the color choices they made. The two reds, as well as Fuchsia and Plum look way too similar once applied. I would have preferred a wine or an oxblood shade (hello, Divine Wine from the Creamy Mattes line!), or maybe even a pinky brown similar to Touch of Spice added into the mix to make it more “universal”. I would say 6 out 7 are universally flattering on different skin tones, but do expect that the colors will render a bit differently for everyone.
Did you try the Made For All Lipsticks? Were the shades flattering on your skin tone? Which color was your fave?
Photography by Nicole Quindara
