I’ll be honest, when I heard that Zelens was launching new lipsticks, in my head I thought, oh they’ll be really lovely tinted balms. How many serious skincare companies produce serious colour?

Well let’s find out shall we?

Zelens Extreme Velvet Lipstick Review

Zelens is founded by Dr Marko Lens, a renowned plastic surgeon and skin cancer expert. So it’s no surprise that the ingredients list for this lipstick reads more like a serum. The ingredients are a mix of synthetics and botanicals – not one for strictly green beauty babes.

Aside from an array of emollients and waxes other actives include phytol – extracted from the Bidens Pilosa plant extract from the which increases the production of collagen and elastin as well as stimulating lip skin renewal in a similar way to retinol; tripeptide which also stimulates collagen production and makes lips look fuller; purslane a plant extract which boosts the production of hyaluronic acid and skin elasticity; hyaluronic acid itself in a low molecular weight which boosts lip moisture and fills out lip lines; shiso leaf which has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. What this all means is a ridiculously comfortable to wear matte lipstick.

Annoyingly the full ingredients list is not on the website.

Zelens states that clinical trials with one month of daily use showed results including an increase in lip volume of +20.5%, +10.2% increase of the lip volume curve and +12.8% increase in softness. I have no idea how I would test those myself! I personally didn’t notice any dramatic difference increase in volume in my already fairly voluminous lips but then I wasn’t wearing it every day.

Available in a range of 9 very wearable colours. I would love to see a wild purple in there but I know that’s not the Zelens style!

The lipsticks are housed in a metallic tube with a screw on lid so less chance of handbag mishaps. I can’t be the only one who’s found lipstick smeared on their bags before? #messy

Zelens Extreme Velvet Lipstick Swatches

My my these were love at first swipe.The Zelens lipstick formula is exquisite. It’s got a luxury price tag and doesn’t disappoint. It reminds me a lot of the Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope but a tiny bit more moisturising. Velvetty opaque colour glides on like silk in one swipe. I was not prepared for the level of pigment. Nothing tinted about these babies. We’re talking full-throttle resplendent colour. On my lips, I had to blot the paler colours to make more wearable for my dark skin.

Zelens Extreme Velvet – Deep Red. Everything about this lipstick is sublime.

There is a caramel smell to the lipstick. It’s not sickly sweet and doesn’t linger so don’t be put off if you haven’t got a sweet tooth. Unlike many mattes where your lips have to be in perfect condition to wear, these are very forgiving thanks to all those ingredients. As per the name – Zelens Extreme Velvet duh, the finish is like velvet rather than a flat matte. The deeper colours were particularly long lasting.

Swatches of Zelens Extreme Velvet Lipstick. Top to bottom: Nude Beige, Nude Pink, Deep Red – my fave, Merlot

So top marks to Zelens on these pigment packed lovely lippies. Which colour is your fave?

Zelens Extreme Velvet Lipstick, 5ml, £32 zelens.com and exclusively in-store at John Lewis.