Givenchy makes some of my favourite lipsticks formulas (Givenchy Le Rouge… seriously so good, go try it!). This Spring, they reformulated their Rouge Interdit lipstick (C$40), one of the iconic lipsticks by Givenchy. I never tried the older formula, but it’s considered to be one of the classic lipstick formulas that had a big cult following.
The new formulation contains 19 shades, plus one marbled shade which is a blend of a classic red and a sheer black, to create a darker, vampier red. Each bullet is made with black rose oil to improve moisture, extra fine oils for comfort and lightness in wear, and the brand’s Absolute Colour Complex, to create absolutely long-lasting colour. The packaging itself is simply gorgeous, it’s housed in a very hefty black lacquered case with a beautiful ribbon that you can pull to reveal the lipstick. Despite it being a plastic case, it feels very substantial and luxurious.
I was fortunate enough to be sent one of the new lipsticks to try. The shade I received is No. 13 Rouge Interdit, a bright neutral red. In terms of the formula, it is probably one of the more gel-like lipsticks I’ve used. It’s definitely not a true cream. It wears very lightweight on me, and is very comfortable to wear. I can normally get very long wear out of most red lipsticks (usually ending with a stain that lasts even longer), but this one lasted a few hours on me before fading, without much staining at the end either.
My biggest gripe about this product is that I felt like it didn’t apply very evenly on me, likely due to the gel-like formula. It is easier to apply, as you don’t need to be as precise as with a cream lipstick, but you do need to go over the lips a few times with the bullet to ensure full and even coverage.
With the launch of the new Rouge Interdit, Givenchy also introduced a range of new Lip Liners (C$35). The one I received is a translucent, designed to prevent lipstick from featuring without altering the look of the colour. While translucent lip liners aren’t entirely new, this is the first one I’ve seen being released that isn’t by a niche brand. On the lips, it feels quite waxy and it does prevent my dark lipsticks from featuring. It doesn’t really extend the wear of lipstick though, as I often rely on my lip liner to be my “last line of defense” from lipstick fading. When lipstick does fade, it just fades completely without another layer of coloured liner underneath. I also found that my lipsticks didn’t stain as much.
The swatches
Givenchy Givenchy Rouge Interdit in No.13 Rouge Interdit. Lip Liner in No.11 Universel Transparent is completely transparent so there’s really nothing to swatch 🙂
Product received as PR samples for review consideration; all opinions are my own.
*Maddy Loves 