[unpaid/sample] CHANEL seems a good way to start the week, especially as the newness is from their most luxurious lipstick range, Le Rouge 31.
If you recall, Le Rouge 31 is the refillable glass case designed with the mirrored staircase at 31 Rue Cambon that leads up to Chanel’s private apartment in mind. This is one of the things that Chanel is so good at – working original references into modern design.
I asked for two challenges and an easy wear and indeed, that’s exactly what I got. Gosh, I am so out of my comfort zone with Rouge Mystique as you’ll see :-). I find mattes difficult to wear because my lips are always dry and the pigment somehow seeks out little patches that are invisible under gloss or shine lipsticks and amplifies them twenty fold. To get the very best out of mattes, which can look so striking and impactful, you need to put the leg work in on your lips before you wear them. Rouge Mystique is hard left, Rouge Lion is in the middle and Rouge Intimiste at the end.
Here they are up close: Rouge Mystique, Rouge Lion and Rouge Intimiste. Texture wise, they’re very gentle on the lips but packing such a big amount of pigment that you will always need to use a mirror to apply and reapply. Matte formulas have improved so much over the years that they’re not nearly as drying as they used to be but just by their nature will require more powder in the recipe to give that flat, impactful finish.
Rouge Mystique! What do you think? Personally, I would never leave the house wearing a shade as dramatic as this – I’d be far too self-conscious but am full of admiration for anyone who can and does!
Le Lion sure is a power red! It’s a warm, orange toned red that’s going to look incredible for warmer tones. I generally think you shouldn’t really take any notice of beauty ‘rules’ because if you love a thing, you love it, but this is just so massively pigmented that it will take all the colour out of paler or pinker tones.
Rouge Intimiste is the easy, anyone can wear shade and you can top up without your mirror safe in the knowledge that your lip line won’t look wobbly. I feel that it has a very stylish understated-ness about it and the more I look at it the more I like it. So, we had better get to prices. The glass case Le Rouge 31 is £140 with one shade, and refills are £65 each so we really aren’t talking a ‘chuck it in the basket’ kind of a purchase. Personally, I feel it’s a beautiful wedding, graduation or anniversary present with a refill every year – it’s certainly a considered, ‘special occasion’ purchase for me at least but you know, there’s never not a good time to treat yourself. You can find the collection HERE.
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