The Velvet Edition

First there were the uber pigmented liquid lipsticks, then came the oft-drying matte lip creams, and now, something in between is having a bit of a moment in the beauty spotlight. Known as the "semi-matte" lip product, they boast a matte finish that is softer, and not at all drying whilst still being incredibly long-wearing. One such product that has been all the rage of late is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet.

L-R: Peach Club, Frambourjois

These lip products are packaged beautifully - their rectangular plastic tubes with colour coordinating lids are easy to identify, and the black band and font choice add an element of chic-ness. They have a standard doe-foot applicator that apply the product easily. One issue that I know a lot of other people had was with the outer plastic seal. I'm all for sealing products to make sure they're not used, but whoa man, this plastic seal-age was hardcore. There was no perforation, and it was basically STUCK to the tube and unripable man, un-rip-able. I've included some photographic evidence for your convenience - don't attempt it with a fresh manicure, it's sure to be ruined.

Anyways! Onto the formula, which sure is a beaut! The consistency really does seem like a lip gloss, it's rather thin and not as creamy or thick and opaque as your typical lip cream product. It isn't as pigmented as I anticipated and in most cases needs more than one layer to reach opacity, but it doesn't cake/bunch when building up. These don't seem to 'dry down' like other matte lip creams, and when swatched on my hand, they stay shiny(ish). When on the lips though, they do develop into a soft matte finish - which might be due to pressing my lips together? The upside of this is that they aren't drying at all or flake/chip off. They are supposedly "enriched with evanescent oils", seems legit, though I don't find them to be moisturising. I find these still to be incredibly long-wearing, they operate like a stain, and quite a potent one at that. Without eating, they can last from 4-6 hours, with eating you get a slight bit of wear in the center of the lip, but nothing drastic. It's easy to reapply straight over the top though. Despite this, they still do transfer pretty easily (I did manage to get a little on my chin when eating), but because it's a thin and soft matte finish, it's not extremely messy.

Peach Club

Frambourjois (ignore that strand of hair, heh)

The shade range is a decent 8 colours, and while the shades themselves are pretty, I think they could've done better on the range. They're all rather deep, dusty colours, a lot of pink and red colours with not much significant differentiation. I picked two shades which appealed to me most; Peach Club and Frambourjois.

Peach Club is what I would describe as the perfect Autumnal peach. It's a deeper peach with dusty orange hints, almost pulling a bit burnt orange. I thought I would love this more than I do, whilst it's really pretty and different to my to my typical peachy/pink/corals there's something a tad...aging about it? It's just not as fresh, bright and youthful as shades typically like this. Regardless, it still is beautiful and definitely a nice warm shade for the cooler months.

For some odd reason, my lip swatch of Frambourjois is showing up VERY saturated, it's not at all like this in real life or on my computer, so I'm sorry for the misrepresentation! It's closer to the hand swatch, but still a little bit deeper. I would describe this shade as a raspberry red, like the colour of an actual raspberry. It's a pinky-red but with a touch of maroon. I really love this shade, and it's also perfect for the cooler months!

These are very unique products in my collection and have definitely become firm favourites with their comfortable feel, bold colour, matte finish and long wear! The one major downer is the price, AUD$24.00 which is down right ridiculous. Best pick up these babies in a sale peeps!