Review: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

I have been M.I.A. for the past month or so, because I was always studying for my finals and 

I barely had time to eat, so blogging just couldn't happen. 

I'm glad I'm back now and with such an amazing product to show to you!

The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet are my favourite release of the year! (And I'm sure they will be firm favourites of mine FOREVER.) Let's not get ahead of ourselves though!

I bought the next shades: Pink Pong, Hot Pepper and Grand Cru. I had heard something about this release and I expected it to be a dry and boring product, maybe even similar to the Stila All Day Liquid Lipsticks.

I bought Pink Pong and Hot Pepper at my local drugstore (Druni) and when I tried them on at home, my mind was officially BLOWN. 

Texture-wise:

- They are the most buttery smooth and pigmented liquid lipsticks, and blow out of the water pricier options like Lime Crime and Stila's. I just can't define the consistency, but I'll give it a shot: it's soft and silky, doesn't feel heavy on your lips at all, it doesn't dry your lips at all (you can refrain from using a lip balm although I still recommend putting some on) and you can definitely eat without it going anywhere. 

- You DON'T need to wait for it to dry and mattify, because it dries at a slower pace than other liquid lipsticks (LC and Stila), which means that you can rub your lips together comfortably and the more you rub them, the matte-r it becomes. (Even if you don't, it does dry out in time but you won't feel like you need to stay still until it does.)

And something even better, it lasts ALL DAY: I wore Pink Pong today 12h straight, ate a LOT and there was no apparent wearing off or feathering except in the inner area of the lip. I fixed this by putting some lip balm on that area and rubbing my lips together, which mixed the lipstick with the balm, spread the pigment and it looked exactly the same as just after application. 

L to R: Hot Pepper, Pink Pong and Grand Cru.

Below: Grand Cru blended.

- HOWEVER, I had some issues with Grand Cru. It may be something that only happens to me (because the sales assistant managed to make it work on her arm) but when I apply on my skin or lips, it is extremely patchy and weird, which I definitely don't like. Nevertheless, I decided I was going to make it work and apparently if you rub the pigment with your finger/Q-tip/brush, it does apply smooth and it shows a very rich dark red which I'm completely in love with. (See swatches for reference.) 

Grand Cru: directly with the doe-foot applicator - extremely patchy!

How do I make GC work? I dab 2 or 3 dots on my lips and then I use my fingers to blend it (you can use a lip brush too), and I love the soft focus look it creates! Texture-wise, once blended, is the same as Pink Pong and Hot Pepper.

Grand Cru, after blending with my fingers.

About the colours:

• Hot Pepper - bright orangey-red lipstick, the perfect summer pick!
• Pink Pong - bright purplish-pink, fuchsia even. 
• Grand Cru - deep rich pinky red, which I think might be very similar to MAC's Ruby Woo or Russian Red.

On my lips: Hot Pepper

On my lips: Grand Cru

On my lips: Pink Pong

In terms of packaging: they come in a sleek tube and you can also tell what colour you're picking before opening it (something that frustrates me about my beloved MAC lipsticks). The doe-foot applicator works extremely well, applies very evenly (except in the case of Grand Cru, of course, even if it's the product's fault) and precisely.

Final thoughts/opinion:

These were 12,99€ each (£10, 17$) , which in my opinion is an amazing deal for what they do. Oh.. I'm in love.. <3

I can't pick between the three of them, even if Grand Cru is a little bit problematic (although once you know how to work with it, it's a breeze!) I'd give all of them a 10/10! - Bourjois, you've done right by me! 

(I might have to go pick up other shades soon...)

<3 

M.

Stila vs. Lime Crime: The battle of liquid lipsticks

Any lipstick lovers out there have surely heard of the infamous Lime Crime Velvetines, and you might be curious about other options such as the Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick. (I'm still on the lookout for the Hourglass Liquid Lipsticks, but at the moment I have my fair share of liquid matte lip products.)

Comparison + swatches:

(L to R) Stila Beso, Lime Crime Red Velvet; Stila Carina, Lime Crime Suedeberry; Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(One swipe of each, no extra coats)

As you can see in the previous picture, all of them are very opaque. However, I have noticed a bit of patchiness with both coral offerings, but nothing a second thin coat or a lip liner can't fix! However, if I were to choose, I would go with Suedeberry over Carina, because Carina tends to get into the creases and look quite cracked when it mattifies.

Close-up picture for texture reference. 

(L to R) Stila Beso and Lime Crime Red Velvet

In terms of texture, Stila's liquid lipsticks are more creamy, whereas Lime Crime's are a bit more watery. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage... you're probably thinking I'm crazy right now, so let me explain.

• As you can see in the picture, Lime Crime tends to bleed a little, but only when it's still wet (1 minute approx.) That means that if you mess it up, you can go over with a lip brush and clean it up or buff it for a less PERFECT lip. This also ensures that it mattifies quicker than Stila's, which is quite nice when you're in a rush (however, it does require the same precision, so maybe if you're running out of the house you should skip liquid lipsticks all together.)

• On the other hand, Stila's is quite creamy which some people may prefer, however I find that you can't press your lips together for some minutes in case it dries weird or creases, at least with Carina. Beso, and I guess other darker colours are easier to use. (I also have Aria, but I forgot about it altogether when taking the pictures.) *I think Beso is a great colour and it's quite long-lasting, however Carina has cracked my lips and gotten into the creases VERY FAST, which isn't pretty at all. 

Lime Crime Pink Velvet, Lime Crime Suedeberry, Stila Carina, Lime Crime Red Velvet, Stila Beso

Now, what about the colour?

I can assure you Carina and Suedeberry are ALMOST exact dupes [Suedeberry is a bit lighter and orangy-er], and the creamy texture of Carina is more comfortable to apply, although it sets into the creases and feels plastic-y once it has dried down.

Red Velvet and Beso also looked like exact dupes (they're REALLY close in shade) but Beso is a TINY bit warmer than RV. 

I can't say if Pink Velvet will be similar to Stila's Fiore, because I don't own Fiore (and seeing how similar these are in shade, I don't plan to anytime soon.)

And, last but not least, their packaging and price:

Stila has a sleek shiny tube, which holds 3ml or 0.1 fl.oz, for the price of $22 

(Millilitre per $ = 0,1363ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0045 fl.oz.)

Lime Crime houses their liquid lipstick in a frosted glass tube, with a very pretty flower motif on the lid. This tube holds 2.6 ml, or 0,088 fl.oz, for the price of $20. 

(Millilitre per $ = 0.13ml; Fl.Oz per $ = 0,0044 fl.oz.)

This, of course, means that you're getting a little less for every dollar you spend on Lime Crime, in comparison with Stila's. However, it's not a big difference, in my opinion.

Lip swatches:

Lime Crime Red Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Pink Velvet

(1 thin coat, no lip liner)

Lime Crime Suedeberry

(1 thin coat + lip liner* MAC Dynamo)

*You can skip the liner, but you'll have to go back with Suedeberry to reapply where needed.

Final scores:

LC Suedeberry: 8.5/10 

LC Pink Velvet: 9.5/10* 

LC Red Velvet: 9.5/10*

(*I took 0.5 for the price, even though it's not a huge con, it lowers the scores)

Stila Beso: 10/10 

Stila Carina: 7/10

Are you planning on buying any liquid matte lipsticks? Which brand do you prefer? 

What did you think about these?

M.