1 Woman Tested Longwear, Matte Lipstick in the Moroccan Heat to See If It Stays

7:30 a.m: Rise and shine! It's already almost 100 degrees, but the air conditioning in my room fools me into thinking otherwise. I slick on sunscreen and minimal makeup and reach for Clinique Pop Matte Lip Color + Primer in Rose Pop ($19), a rich blue-toned pink. I apply a double dose, blotting in between, in the hopes that it'll give it a fighting chance. Will it withstand a day in Morocco? I'm not convinced. I am, however, surprised how nice the lipstick feels. The built-in primer gives it a creamier texture than I'm used to from mattes, though it dries down to a suede-like look. It feels lighter than the liquid mattes I've tried in the past. In fact, it's almost as if I'm not wearing lipstick at all.

8:30 a.m: I indulge in an incredible poolside breakfast, including eggs and bacon, warm pastries, and the bane of any recently applied lipstick: fresh figs. I go to town on a particularly juicy number, then snap the requisite selfie to see how the lipstick is going. To my surprise, it's still there.

10 a.m: We head for a session with Clinique, including a demonstration from Matin. He talks us through three looks: an edgy gold brow, an easy smoky eye, and an '80s look with red lips and bronze shadow. I'm surprised to hear that he often asks his clients to apply matte lipstick straight from the bullet (he then just cleans it up as needed). I've unwittingly applied my lipstick in a makeup-artist-approved fashion! Armed with this information, it's no surprise to find, when I leave the session and locate a suitably pretty wall to pose against, that my pink pout remains intact.

12 p.m: After a solo tour of our amazing hotel, I head for lunch, where I put my lipstick through a buffet of tagines, hummus, lentils, and all manner of delicious stews and salad. All this (and one Diet Coke) later, and I'm dreading my lip selfie. Will there be anything left? I head back to that lovely tiled wall, and surprisingly, the color is still vibrant. It has moved around a tiny bit and built up in the center of my lips. So for extra lasting power throughout the day, I blot and touch up (straight from the tube again). After going five hours without reaching for my lipstick once, I think I’ve earned a quick retouch.

2 p.m: We head to the souks for a shopping trip. It's 110 degrees, and my pale skin is suffering! Though the souks themselves are in the shade, the surrounding streets and the Mosquée Ben Youssef that we visit on the way definitely are not. I can feel the sweat pooling, and I'm glad I have big sunglasses to hide any mascara smudges. But that lipstick, somehow, remains intact.

4:15 p.m: Wallet empty and shopping bags full to the brim, we leave the souks. I'm dripping in sweat and struggling to understand how anyone copes in such high temperatures . . . but I still manage a selfie on the bus home. As you can see, the pink on my lips matches that of my cheeks. Miraculously, despite the fact the rest of me has completely melted, the lipstick has stayed put.

4:45 p.m We're headed for dinner tonight, and as I'm about to take a long and much-needed shower, I decide it's time to wave goodbye to my daytime pink lip. It's given me eight hours of wear in incredibly hot and sweaty conditions with only one quick touch-up. Even as I step out of the shower, I have to wipe my lips with tissue to ensure I don't stain the crisp white hotel towels.

5:30 p.m For evening, I switch to classic red and a different formula — Clinique Pop Liquid Matte Lip Color + Primer in Flame Pop ($19). This comes with a doe foot applicator and slicks on almost like a gloss. However, it dries to a velvet finish that is very similar to the lipstick. The main difference is in the application, rather than the end result. I coordinate it with the '80s-inspired makeup look that Matin demonstrated earlier in the day. I have bronze lids and rich red lips: it's by no means subtle, but I love it. And maybe, when the sun goes down, it will stand more chance of staying put, rather than melting down my face?

8 p.m Rain starts to fall as we head to dinner, but by the time we hit the venue, it's hot and dry once more. After cocktails and starters, I sneak out to the pool area check my lip color. It's still going strong, though the liquid lip does seem to move around a tiny bit more than the lipstick formula (you can see this on the top right of my lips). I wipe off the smudges, blot, and head back for dinner and a fire display. The rain begins to come down once more.

11:30 p.m Back at the hotel after a night of Moroccan thunderstorms, dancing, and continued high temperatures, it's finally time to take off my face, but not before one final selfie to prove this red lasted through a night of partying without a problem.

Overall, I was impressed by how well this lasted in such hot and sticky heat. I would recommend the lipstick for those who count staying power as their number one concern, while the liquid lip would suit those who want a more lightweight feel. The addition of primer helps to reduce the dry feel you often get with matte lipsticks, so the overall feel you get is more creamy and less flaky.

There are 16 shades of lipstick and eight shades of liquid lip color, from deep purples and browns to coral, red, pink, and beige. I have it on good authority that there are even more on their way!

Clinique flew editors to Marrakech, Morocco, for a press trip that included airfare and hotel accommodations.