For the most part, Bourjois is a celebrated and beloved brand in the beauty world. They have brought out products that've reached cult status unbelievably fast; from CC creams to lip crayons and so on. Unfortunately, for me, the Rouge Edition Velvets are anything but cult products. To be perfectly honest, I liked absolutely nothing about this lip product.
The Velvets retail for $24 AUD and are available in (I think) 7 shades here in Australia: 02 Frambourjoise, 03 Hot Pepper, 04 Peach Club, 05 Ole' Flamingo!, 06 Pink Pong!, 07 Nude-Is, and 08 Grand Cru. I picked up the shade Grand Cru, and although it looks bright & orangey in the photo, it is in fact a deep slightly berry-toned red.
Firstly, the Velvets are extremely overpriced. I really need to establish my frustration at paying $24 for a product that, everywhere else in the world, you could probably get for about half that. I would be able to come to terms with the cost if the product was amazing and synonymous in quality with brands like MAC or L'Oreal, but it's probably the worst lip product I've ever used. And the bar is set very low.
When I swatched Grand Cru on my hand, I was immediately surprised by its patchiness and lack of pigmentation. (I forgot to take photos, bad beauty blogger, I know!) But I soldiered on because a lot of the time you simply can't tell how a lip product will perform unless you smack some on your own lips. So, I did just that. Or, at least, I tried.
Prior to application, like normal, I exfoliated and moisturised my lips to achieve the best possible outcome. As hard as I tried to achieve that outcome, Grand Cru simply didn't want to cooperate. It was so patchy and crumbly (think: Arnotts Arrowroot biscuits) that I just stood in the mirror for a good five minutes thinking, What the fuck is this? So, I applied another layer, hoping that would ease the patchy outcome of my first attempt. It didn't. In fact, it made it worse. This formula was so bad that the more I tried to fix it, the more it crumbled, disappeared from my lips, and sunk into the lines around my mouth. I don't even have lines around my mouth.
I did a transfer and smudge test after giving up on looking presentable, and the results were okay. This product does transfer and smudge a little, but not so much so that you have to constantly worry about getting red all over your face and clothes. Another positive aspect (well, positive in relation to all the horrible things I've already written) of the Velvets is the staying power. The product lasted a good three hours on my lips, with the absence of eating. I did have to drink my water through a straw, though.
I am so sorry this review is so negative, but I do have to share one last tidbit with you. I'd like to talk about the smell of this product. It is reminiscent of cat piss, hospitals, and fairy floss. Doesn't sound very appealing, does it? It's not extremely strong, but it does hang around for about an hour after application.
While I absolutely hate this product, I know that for the most part this range has been a hit. It could just be the shade Grand Cru causing everyone nightmares, as I've heard rumblings that this one shade has been the one to let down the whole line, but then again I can't share my opinions on that because I've not tried the other colours. This product was a serious disappointment, but I know from other bloggers' reviews that the other shades in the range seem to come highly recommended!
Application: 1/5
Staying power: 2.5/5
Smudging/transferring: 2.5/5
Pigmentation: 1/5
Shade true to the packaging: 3.5/5
Scent: 0/5
