Bourjois

Bourjois Paris Rouge Edition Velvet [34 - Belle Amourose] Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - April 12, 2023

The last review for today, and I saved it for something pretty good! This is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet, shade 34/Belle Amourose.

I saw this lipstick at a DM at a huge discount, and I had always wanted to see what Rouge Edition Velvet is like, but never bought one because it was always a bit too expensive. But with such a huge discount I just had to get it! Only later did I notice that there is indeed a reason why it’s so cheap; the fact that that I couldn’t find this shade online when I Googled it should’ve clued me in. But I’ll get to that. This seemed like a gorgeous bright pink colour in the shop, and I quite like bright pink lipsticks! So, let’s check out the famous Rouge Velvet!
 

 

Packaging: a lovely clear plastic case with a cap that doesn’t match the colour of the lipstick perfectly, but it’s very close. The cap closes super tightly! The black serif font is really classy and looks gorgeous on the bright pink! Also, it’s really cool how there is an embossed Bourjois logo on one side! It’s a pretty classy and elegant packaging, perfectly parisienne!
 
 
 
 

Source: bourjois.fr

Ingredients: nothing nourishing and no parabens. The scent is intense, not very pleasant; it’s very plastic and synthetic. To be honest, this might be due to the age of the lipstick. Namely, this particular lipstick was manufactured a bit more than 5 years ago. Aha! So that’s why it was so cheap! Don’t ask how it managed to stay in stock for 5 years; I only realised this after I had already bought it. It’s usually BIPA that has items that are so old, must be that the DM that I bought this lipstick in has less traffic than others. Disappointing., especially for my first Rouge Velvet. The expiration date is 12 months after opening, but how applicable is that even for such an old lipstick?
 

 

 

Colour: this is a super bright and cheerful fuchsia! It’s almost fluorescent, it’s that vibrant! It’s a gorgeous colour for pale skin! And it’s perfect for spring, with all the blooming flowers! I love this colour and I love to wear it, it just makes me happy!
 
 
 
 
 

Worn with NYX Slide On Lip Pencil (Crushed)
The formula is very thick but also super creamy. It glides across lips as if it’s a nourishing lip balm. At first it feels super soft and creamy, and is incredibly comfortable. It is a tiny bit tacky but it’s really not a big deal. But as I am wearing it for a longer time it becomes much, much drier on lips and isn’t as comfortable then. It tends to become dry and crusty on the centre of my lips, which is pretty uncomfortable. That also means that this lipstick does dry out my lips; not a whole lot, but they do feel somewhat drier while wearing this lipstick. The texture is soft matte, quite velvety. There is some slight shine, but is looks incredibly soft, just like velvet. It is easy to apply but it is slightly uneven, like, it always ends up being sheer in the centre but very intense near the edges. So I gotta apply at least 3 layers before it’s even and opaque. Thank god the formula is creamy and comfortable, and very lightweight. So it doesn’t bother me that I have 3 thicker layers on my lips. But still, I don’t know, should it be uneven like this? Could this be a sign that it’s expired, given the ancient manufacturing date?
 

Worn alone, without a primer

It is incredibly long-lasting! Bourjois claim it can last 24h; now I don’t know about that, but it can definitely last 8 hours no problem! It only becomes an issue if you start picking at the drier parts, they can become crumbly. But in general, fantastic longevity! Not a trace of fading or smudging; it looks as perfect as when first applied! Well, besides the drier, crustier parts, that is! It is also extremely food-proof and waterproof! A little bit of lipstick stays on the glass/bottle/whatever you are drinking from, but it does not affect the appearance of the lipstick on the lips. Even greasy food doesn’t do much to it! 
 

Worn with NYX Slide On Lip Pencil (Crushed)

Despite the incredible longevity of this lipstick and the extremely vibrant pigmentation, it is still really easy to remove, even with micellar water! It doesn’t take much rubbing to remove it, but there is one thing! And that is that this lipstick leaves a horrid pink stain! I expected nothing less from such a vibrantly intense pink, but it is annoying nonetheless. Fortunately, the stain can be easily removed by first going over it with micellar water and then using a gel-cleanser. I like to use Nivea’s Rose Touch Micellar Water and Rose Touch Wash Gel combo for this. I was, honestly, really astonished by how easy this lipstick is to remove! Most of my liquid lipsticks tend to be more difficult to remove, so it always blows me away when it is the opposite!
 

Applicator: a small doe-foot applicator. It’s extremely plush and soft! It might seem like there’s not a lot of pigment on it when you pull it out, but there’s actually a ton of pigment on it! There’s more than enough pigment to coat the lips in this gorgeous fuchsia colour. It applies lipstick evenly, at least as evenly as the formula allows as there might be something off with it. It then spreads the formula easily across the lips without any snagging; plus, it is so precise that is extremely easy to line the lips with it. Now, yes, it is tiny, but I actually like it like that, as that gives it incredible precision. Jumbo applicators, like the one in Maybelline’s Lifter Gloss, for example, are amazing, but they lack the fine precision of small applicators. In any case, the applicator is excellent.
 
 
All in all, I really like this lipstick, but it’s not exactly quite what I was expecting. I thought it would be more opaque with a single layer, like Maybelline's, L’Oréal's or NYX’s liquid lipsticks. I am used to having liquid lipsticks that only need one layer to look perfect. This one, on the other hand, needs about three layers before it is full coverage, with each individual layer being somewhat sheer. I don’t know why, but if I apply just one layer it will be semi-sheer on most of the lips with an opaque, sharp line on the edges. Of course, if I try to blur out the line I just end up smudging up the shape. Additional layers solve this, but it is kind of annoying. Putting that aside, the colour of this lipstick is extremely vibrant and it’s just a happy colour, overall! Its vibrant fuchsia makes me happier when I am wearing it, and it looks fabulous on pale skin! It would still look great on darker skin, but I feel like it pops the most on pale skin. It’s a very romantic shade of pink. The formula is really lightweight and quite comfortable, too! At first it is super creamy but after it dries it actually becomes much drier, and less tacky. It’s still comfortable even then, especially compared to other liquid lipsticks (L’Oréal, Maybelline, NYX, I am looking at you!). The longevity is simply ridiculous, with absolutely no fading or smudging after 8 hours; it is also quite water-resistant and totally food-resistant, even if you eat greasy food. The applicator is really cute and tiny, but it is actually super good: it applies pigment richly and is precise enough to be able to line the lips, so you won’t even need a lip liner under it most of the time! I have worn this lipstick both with and without a lip liner underneath; as you can see, the difference is negligible. So why the negativity at the start of this paragraph? Well because I thought it would be better; sure, it does most of the things Bourjois promises it would, but the weird formula just doesn’t feel right to me. This very well may all be due to the fact that DM was selling a liquid lipstick whose manufacturing date is fricking 2017! No way has the formula held up for so long and is still in perfect condition, something must have become worse, and I am willing to bet that the sheerness is exactly that. If not, then, well, I’ll admit that I was wrong. Perhaps if I buy another one, one which was made more recently, will I finally see what’s up with it. Anyhow, I will recommend this lipstick, but only if you find it marked down, I really don’t think it is worth the RRP.
 
 
 
 
Rating: 6.5/10
 
 
Would buy again? Maybe YES (though I think I would like a more nude colour next time, or more rose than pink)

 


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