Review // Bourjois Rogue Edition Velvet Lipstick in Ole Famingo

Bourjois Rogue Edition Velvet Lipstick - £8.99

Ahhh, matte lipstick. An old enemy of mine. Get it right and god, does it look good. Get it wrong and, well, let's just say it should be wiped off immediately and pushed to the bottom of the make-up bag. The problem I have with matte lipsticks is the dryness, the uncomfortable-ness and the heaviness on the lips. Barry M 147 was my first matte lipstick and it really put me off them. It was so drying, so uncomfortable to wear and so unforgiving. Any dryness is immediately highlighted and heightened, the lipstick seeps into any lines in the lips... It ain't a pretty sight. Enter Bourjois Rogue Edition Velvet Lipsticks!

What Bourjois say about them:

"Bold, matte and long-lasting colour with 24 hour hold. It's lightweight, velvety texture and non-drying formula gives extreme comfort that doesn't smudge!"

How to apply:

"Apply using your fingertips for a softer look or use the applicator and build up coverage for an intense statement pout!"

All of the Bourjois Rogue Edition Velvet Lipsticks come in a little screw up tube with a doe foot, sponge applicator inside. The applicator is really daunting and actually, I found it quite hard to use. It was easy to use when filling in the middle of the lips but when trying to get into the corners of the mouth I managed to get it everywhere due to the tip of the applicator being quite large and not small enough for a neat, precise application which is a shame. Ole Flamingo is a hot, raspberry pink. It is very bright and 'out there' so I personally wouldn't wear it during the day to the shops etc as I probably couldn't pull that off but if you could, good on you.

Obviously it is a matte lipstick so it dries matte on the lips. When I first swatched it on my arm, I didn't think it was particularly matte but when dried on the lips it definitely is. The first thing I noticed when I tried to apply this lipstick is the smell. It doesn't smell like vanilla a la MAC, nor does it smell like peppermint a la Revlon. I'm not too sure what it smells like actually but to be honest, it isn't very nice. It is really off-putting. Unfortunately the smell lingers on the lips which I don't particularly like and it tastes a little odd too BUT the lipstick itself is REALLY good.

Once applied, dried, and the smelt dealt with, I really loved the finished look. It dried within moments and feels beautifully velvety and light on the lips. The colour is striking and unlike other matte lipsticks, it doesn't seep into the lips nor does it show up dry areas on the lips too badly. Exfoliating and prepping beforehand is a must generally but when it comes to matte lipsticks, they are a definite, just in case. Bourjois claim the Velvet Lipsticks last 24 hours and whilst I didn't have Ole Flamingo on my lips for that length of time, I did have it swatched on my arm and, my gosh, it was there for days. I scrubbed, and I scrubbed, and I scrubbed, and it would not budge. I found that it came off fairly easily with a waterproof make-up remover but it did leave a little bit of a tint afterwards.

Available in 8 different shades, I believe that if you want to start off in the world of matte lipsticks then this is a great place to start. The colour is pigmented and vivid and lasted a good 4 hours on the lips before I noticed wear. It isn't drying or heavy at all, it is lovely and lightweight and isn't noticeable at all on the lips. The applicator is a little tricky and annoying and the smell of it is really not very pleasant but for the results, I would happily put up with it. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the other shades!