I've had Rouge Favori for months now and never gotten around to reviewing it, and since I recently picked up another red lippie, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and review them together! Because I am lazy. I mean, because it made thematic sense. Obviously. (Also, a prefatory note: The Rouge Dior photos were taken in September, when there was still abundant sunshine, while the Thriller photos were taken in November, after the rain killed the sun and peed on it. What I'm trying to say is that the photos are not in the same style, and for that I apologize.)
Let's start with the new one, because Favori's used to waiting. Lipstick Queen is a brand I've only barely explored, having bought their Big Bang gloss in Cosmos at Barneys back in September, but when Beauty.com had their F&F sale, I decided it was time to try some more. And, because I am a study in puzzlement, I figured I should try another gloss! From the queen of lipstick! I chose the sheer red Thriller Chinatown Glossy Pencil, because I was lacking a sheer red and wanted one for my collection.
Thriller is, as advertised, a sheer red, though it applies as a red-pink with my natural lip color.
Grade: B+ (somewhat spendy, but so much product!)
Rouge Favori is Thriller's sexy, confident, classy older cousin twice removed. If Thriller is the girl-next-door who likes to drink iced tea and burn B&BW French Baguette candle (yep, I'm a convert), Rouge Favori is the admired academic (because this is my highest dream) who moonlights as an opera singer and always has at least 3 Amouage candles around the house. You'd hate her if she weren't so darned nice.
I purchased Rouge Favori to wear to the wedding of a friend of the boy's back east, because if I was going to be meeting his friends, I wanted to feel as confident as red lipstick requires you to be (plus, it matched my dress real nice). It's part of Dior's Rouge Dior lipstick line, which are full coverage and long-lasting, and it certainly fits right in; it's described as a "cherry red", which is pretty accurate as long as you're thinking of Bing cherries and not Lamberts––it's basically a very slightly magenta-infused cool red.
Lip balm, blotted off after 20 minutes––I find Fresh Sugar to be good for this because it's not too heavy
Lip liner all over
Favori applied from the tube and spread with my finger (ring or pinky)
Blot
Reapply Favori
Re-blot
Apply translucent powder
Reapply Favori
Re-blot
Reapply Favori
Smile at how pretty I look
So, no, it's not really a low-maintenance shade, though careful initial application makes it last 6+ hours with only occasional minor touch-ups. I do make sure to put whoever I'm with on "lipstick duty" to let me know if it's looking ragged so I don't have to obsess over my mirror, but I pretty much don't need to do any fix-ups any more often than I go to the bathroom, so that works out nice.
Basically, Rouge Favori is pure red luxury from start to finish. It's moisturizing, it's comfortable, the Dior case is classy, and it's just SO PRETTY. Though the boy can attest that it is definitely not transfer-proof, or even transfer-resistant. But when you want a slightly pinky opaque red cream that feels and looks amazing for a special occasion, Rouge Favori is worth the hassle. And, yes, the price. $32 for 0.12 oz, available from Sephora and Dior counters
Grade: B (high-maintenance and holy balls that's expensive, but totally worth it)
Do you have a favorite red lippie? What do you think of these?
Post-rain Lipstick Queen Thriller, pre-rain Dior Rouge Favori
Let's start with the new one, because Favori's used to waiting. Lipstick Queen is a brand I've only barely explored, having bought their Big Bang gloss in Cosmos at Barneys back in September, but when Beauty.com had their F&F sale, I decided it was time to try some more. And, because I am a study in puzzlement, I figured I should try another gloss! From the queen of lipstick! I chose the sheer red Thriller Chinatown Glossy Pencil, because I was lacking a sheer red and wanted one for my collection.
Thriller swatched 3x
Thriller is, as advertised, a sheer red, though it applies as a red-pink with my natural lip color.
See?
It's a gloss stick that's been around for years, long before Clinique Chubby Sticks and the like, but is similar in concept and execution to all of those. Unfortunately it is not a twist-up pencil and must be sharpened, but the indignity is softened by a) the inclusion of its very own sharpener, and b) the fact that it's 0.25 oz, which is way bigger than any others like it (NARS', which must also be sharpened, is a mere 0.09 oz, and other twist-ups hover around 0.1 oz). It has a slightly plasticky smell that I'm not crazy about, but it fades quickly. It's similar in texture to Chubby Sticks, at least as far as I remember, firm and...not waxy, per se, but not soft and creamy either. The pencil format is super fun to apply with, and you can go a long time without needing to sharpen––I've worn it 10+ times and haven't yet needed to use the sharpener.
Taken in the car, during the 15 minutes we had sun a few weeks ago. Have no idea what else I'm wearing.
I prefer swiping it over my lips several times to build up the color somewhat, and because it helps it last longer, but you could also get away with applying less. I find it to be not drying and possibly a bit moisturizing, which I've come to discover is no laughing matter in my lippies, and it lasts 2+ hours even with my neurotic lip rubbing. Compared to Cosmos, it's less smooth and silicone-y, but it has a similar finish, lightly glossy but definitely not shiny or goopy. I thoroughly enjoy using it and am glad to have it in my collection. Bonus: paraben and silicone free! $20 for 0.25 oz, available from Barneys, Space NK, and Beauty.comGrade: B+ (somewhat spendy, but so much product!)
I purchased Rouge Favori to wear to the wedding of a friend of the boy's back east, because if I was going to be meeting his friends, I wanted to feel as confident as red lipstick requires you to be (plus, it matched my dress real nice). It's part of Dior's Rouge Dior lipstick line, which are full coverage and long-lasting, and it certainly fits right in; it's described as a "cherry red", which is pretty accurate as long as you're thinking of Bing cherries and not Lamberts––it's basically a very slightly magenta-infused cool red.
Rouge Favori swiped once (top) and Revlon Red lip liner swiped once (bottom)
It's quite creamy, though not to the point of slipperiness, and it just glides on like butter. I initially applied it with a lip brush, but I actually prefer straight from the tube and blending it out with my finger––it doesn't spread weirdly, and it's much more efficient. I've worn it many times, and find that it performs best with a lip liner as an all-over base; I use Revlon Red lip liner because it was readily available, but it's not quite as cool as Rouge Favori so I'm passively looking for something else. The Revlon one applies just wonderfully, though, so if you're looking for a true red lip liner, I recommend it. To make it last without fading (because I am paranoid about ring-around-the-mouth syndrome, which I experienced when I just lined the outside of my mouth), my routine is: |
| See left––this photo taken indoors, so it appears warmer than in sunlight |
Lip liner all over
Favori applied from the tube and spread with my finger (ring or pinky)
Blot
Reapply Favori
Re-blot
Apply translucent powder
Reapply Favori
Re-blot
Reapply Favori
Smile at how pretty I look
Sunshine and pre-haircut! My, how times have changed
Basically, Rouge Favori is pure red luxury from start to finish. It's moisturizing, it's comfortable, the Dior case is classy, and it's just SO PRETTY. Though the boy can attest that it is definitely not transfer-proof, or even transfer-resistant. But when you want a slightly pinky opaque red cream that feels and looks amazing for a special occasion, Rouge Favori is worth the hassle. And, yes, the price. $32 for 0.12 oz, available from Sephora and Dior counters
Grade: B (high-maintenance and holy balls that's expensive, but totally worth it)
Do you have a favorite red lippie? What do you think of these?
