I don't believe there's a beauty brand currently on the market that hasn't come out with a matte liquid lipstick product - even drugstore brands like Revlon and Maybelline have jumped on board (btw, I'm loving that the drugstore is following make-up trends more closely in the recent times!). However, the European drugstore has had their version of a liquid matte for a couple years now - it's the
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet ($15.40 on Asos for 0.2 fl oz/ 7.7 ml). I would look longingly at the display every year when I'm in Poland, and this time I decided to pull the trigger and buy one of the most popular shades in the range,
07 Nude-ist.
I don't have a huge experience with matte liquid lipsticks because it's not a product I usually find comfortable to wear. I've tried a few stains in the past and I still own a tube of NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo (
reviewed here), but I rarely reach for them - my dry lips don't really appreciate a matte finish. I have heard however that the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets aren't very drying and last on the lips a very long time, so I was hopeful to find a gem.
The packaging is simple enough: I like that it's exactly the size of a regular lipstick, so it fits perfectly into my lipstick organizer, and I like the shape of the doe foot applicator, because it allows me to define the contours of my lips with a lot of precision, making my lips look bigger without needing a lip liner. One thing to note is that this liquid lipstick is not scent-free; I don't think there's any added fragrance, but it has quite a strong chemical scent as you're applying it. It does dissipate though after the lipstick dries down.
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I find the texture of this to be more liquid than mousse-like, as in the NYX Matte Lip Creams - I'm sure there are still silicones in this formula but I'm guessing not as much as in some other matte lip products. Nudist is a nicely pigmented shade, although I do find that it doesn't apply perfectly evenly - it looks a lot more sheer towards the inside of my lips than it does around the edges (you can see a little bit of that in the close-up photo). When freshly applied, it makes my lips look quite smooth, but unfortunately, within an hour or so it definitely accentuates all of my vertical lip lines. Instead of a sensual pout, I'm left with a mouth looking like a shrivelled raisin. Not cool. As for longevity, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed. Even after the product sets on my lips, I still get transfer on tea cups, and it wears off quite easily even through light snacking and drinking.
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| L-R: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist, YSL Rose Stiletto, Bite Rhubarb, Revlon Lip Liner in Pink |
Despite the name, Nude-ist definitely isn't a nude shade on me - but I wasn't really expecting it to be. What I was however expecting was a cooler mauve shade like it appears to be in the tube; it turns out though that Nude-ist is actually a lot closer to the color represented on the cap. It pulls a warm rose with hints of brown on me; very on trend, but not a shade that suits my coloring the best. I actually found Nudist to be very comparable to Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb. Both YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stilleto* (
reviewed here) and Revlon Color Stay Lip Liner in Pink are a bit more pink, but still quite similar.
I think you can tell by now that I'm not completely enamored with this purchase. While I really enjoy how Bourjois Nude-ist looks when I first apply it, it's neither very comfortable or texturally flattering as the day goes on. I don't know, you guys, maybe my lips are just not cut out for this matte liquid lipstick trend.
Have you jumped on the bandwagon? What is your favorite matte lipstick formula?
