Nykaa's Madras Kaapi, Reviewed

Nykaa's Matte-to-Last Madras Kaapi is a shade I was insanely excited to get my hands on. When I finally got it, I remember applying two or three swipes and feeling underwhelmed - it didn’t look like I was wearing lipstick at all. The written descriptions of the shade had me expecting a grungy brown shade which it definitely wasn’t. It was quite subtle and close to my natural lip color, and since it wasn’t exactly what I expected, I didn’t use it for a year.

I tried it again the following year when I wanted a long-wearing lipstick, since all the others I had needed multiple reapplications throughout the day, and that is when I realised how stupid I’d been for not realising what a gem Madras Kaapi was and for letting it lay unused for a year. Its subtlety, the same quality that made me shun it, is what now makes it a versatile all-rounder and my favourite lipstick.

Shade

The shade is a lovely, proper cool-toned brown nude; there is almost no hint of other colours like reds and pinks. Plus, it’s matte. So when applied, it looks truly neutral and lends a minimalist, polished look that never competes with the other colors in your makeup or outfit. No matter what color your outfit is, this lipstick will quietly complement it. 

Its depth is also just right for a wide variety of skin tones- it doesn’t stand out starkly and just blends into the rest of your face naturally. On my light-medium skin, it looks like I haven’t put on lipstick at all people can't tell unless they're standing quite close. This quality makes it a must-have. This lipstick is the closest I’ve ever come to not looking like I have applied lipstick. Earlier, I used to have only deeper lipsticks in my collection because I used to not buy any lighter shade that could possibly wash me out. As a result, many a time, I would end up going out with bare lips because I didn't want to look like I'd applied makeup. But ever since I discovered this shade, I never go out with bare lips and even wear this shade around the house. It’s my go-to when I want to look like I haven’t tried at all. It’s also great for professional and everyday settings. On much lighter skin tones, the shade might read more grungy but the depth can be controlled by the number of swipes.

Longevity 

The longevity is also great. It can fade slightly from the centre of the lips after an oily meal but that’s it.

Texture

It has a watery formula. It’s also not drying despite being a matte. I even find it slightly moisturising! I never feel the need to use a lipbalm underneath, and that also helps prolong its longevity. I'm saying this as a person who almost always has chapped lips. People with much dryer lips may have a different experience.

It can slightly enhance the texture of the lips but that doesn’t bother me a lot.

Overall, this lipstick is a winner- one I’ll reach out to for many years to come. The discovery of this lipstick is what made me realise my 'type' in lipsticks- subtle shades, just deep enough to not wash me out- and motivated me to actively seek out more such shades, which I will be reviewing in future posts.