Rare Beauty Ascend & Energize Lip Souffles Reviews & Swatches

Ascend

Rare Beauty Ascend Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick ($20.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a bright, medium-dark raspberry pink with subtle, cool undertones and a satin finish. It had rich color coverage in a single layer, which spread smoothly and evenly across my lips without emphasizing my natural lip texture or settling noticeably into my lip lines.

The texture was very lightweight, like a velvety powder but with slip (kind of like a silicone-based primer), so it did have that “airy” and mousse-like texture the brand was going for, but it had coverage and substance to it to actually look good on. It’s one of the better-applying and more forgiving of this type of formula in my experience. It stayed on well for seven and a half hours, left a faint stain behind, and felt neither drying nor hydrating over time.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Bite Beauty Radish (DC, $26.00) is cooler, glossier (95% similar).
Colour Pop I Heart This (P, $6.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
Fenty Beauty Candy Venom (P, $18.00) is cooler (95% similar).
MAC Mittai Pink (LE, $20.00) is lighter (95% similar).
Lisa Eldridge Skyscraper Rose (LE, $32.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
Colour Pop Maxed Out (P, $7.00) is cooler (95% similar).
Rare Beauty Heroic (P, $20.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
Colour Pop Runaway (P, $6.00) is warmer (90% similar).
MAC Claretcast (DC, $21.00) is darker, warmer, glossier (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Velvet Violet (16) (P, $55.00) is cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$20.00/0.13 oz. - $153.85 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be an "air-whipped lip cream" with "rich, melted-in color" paired with "nourishing hydration." It's a liquid lipstick with a more velvety consistency and satin to matte finish--some shades seemed to turn matte very quickly while others were a bit denser and creamier.

It has a lot of silicones in it, which gives it slip and glide but not in the typical way a liquid lipstick might feel; it has a lighter-weight feel and a slight powderiness to it. If you're familiar with silicone-based primers, it has a similar glide to it. The fomrula felt "air-whipped" as it was lighter-weight, mousse-like, and had softer edges as it was applied with most shades.

Most of the shades were opaque in a single layer, and I did not have any issues with the applicator over-applying product. It seemed like it was enough product for full coverage, but if one wanted more of a blotted, diffused matte look (which is often how this type of mousse-like formula is used for), it felt very doable without having to wipe off product.

The majority of the shades applied evenly, didn't crack or emphasize my lip lines, and lasted anywhere from four to eight hours (some left a stain). They were more neither hydrating nor drying to me over time. They had a faint, beachy floral scent but didn't seem to have a taste as the lip balm formula did.

Browse all of our Rare Beauty Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick swatches.

Ingredients

Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isododecane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Carbonate, Fragrance/Parfum, Linalool, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract, [+/- May Contain/Peut Contenir: Red 27 (CI 45410), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Iron Oxides (CI 77491).

Ascend

PPermanent. $20.00.

Product

9.5

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

94%

Total

We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!

Sephora Beautylish Ulta Nordstrom More

Energize

Rare Beauty Energize Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick ($20.00 for 0.13 oz.) is a pop of light-medium peony pink with moderate, warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. It seemed to dry down to more of a matte finish after the initial application, whereas some of the other shades wore down (after an hour or so) to this level of matte finish.

It had nearly opaque color payoff in a single pass, which applied fluidly and spread readily across my lips without a fuss. I really appreciated how nicely it applied to the edges of my lips–the color self-leveled a bit and naturally diffused as I worked with it along the edges. The consistency was very lightweight, thin but had enough substance and glide to it that kept the velvety, almost powder-like to a degree, texture workable but adhering. It lasted nicely for five hours and felt non-drying while worn.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Urban Decay Brat (P, $18.00) is darker, less glossy (90% similar).
Colour Pop 1st Base (LE, $6.50) is warmer (90% similar).
MAC Silly (LE, $20.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
Maybelline Pink Sugar (P, $7.99) is lighter, glossier (90% similar).
Make Up For Ever M200 (P, $22.00) is more muted, cooler (90% similar).
Colour Pop Dilly-Dally (P, $7.00) is darker (85% similar).
Colour Pop Sphynx (P, $7.50) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
MAC Feeling Fizzy (LE, $20.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
Kat Von D Saint (LE, $20.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
Pretty Vulgar Baby Doll Against BS (P, $24.00) is lighter (85% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$20.00/0.13 oz. - $153.85 Per Ounce

Browse all of our Rare Beauty Lip Souffle Matte Cream Lipstick swatches.

Ingredients

Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Isododecane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Carbonate, Fragrance/Parfum, Linalool, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract, [+/- May Contain/Peut Contenir: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 27 (CI 45410), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090)].