Dark Crimson Velvets: Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon, Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge in #9 – review, photos & swatches
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photos: we heart this
Fall into Sephora’s COLOR VISION for the season’s hottest hues
Not all reds are created equal. Were the bright, true reds we looked at earlier in the week a bit too vivid for you? Today we’re toning down the brightness, but turning up the intensity with two of the most opaque, dark reds around.
New for fall: Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon, MUFE Aqua Rouge in #9, tarte Glamazon Lipstick in Wild, Stila Liquid Lipstick in Beso
I am a lover of all things Hourglass, and Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon ($28) is no exception. From the always beautiful bronze metallic packaging to the rich blue-based blood red shade, this lipstick is a showstopper.
3 things to know about Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick:
1. Wow, is this opaque coverage! I’m talking lush, breathtaking pigment. The kind of pigment I hope for with all lipstick, but rarely find.
2. Icon goes on creamy and dries to a comfortable matte, thanks to a whole slew of vitamins and fruit extracts. Just don’t over apply it; it will crack if you layer to much, but more importantly – you don’t need to.
3. This lasts a LONG time. They say it will last 12 to 14 hours (it’s funny to me though, who’d want to wear lipstick that long?) I got a solid eight hours of wear, which included two meals and an aqua aerobics class and it looked as good at hour seven as it did at hour one. By hour eight, I felt pretty dry so I added balm on top. I got another 4 hours, but it didn’t have the same rich coverage anymore.
Bonus: it’s scentless and has a flexible, flattened doe foot applicator that really hugs your lips while using it.
Time for a TIP: With opaque, long wearing products like these two, exfoliate your lips a few hours before you apply. A bit of prep will assure you’ve got a smooth canvas to work with. There are great lip scrubs on the market, but DIY girls can make their own with sugar in a base of just about anything (Vaseline, honey, and cocoa butter all work great).
From the makeup masters we have Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge in #9 ($24), a dark brick red that’s got a trifecta of traits: a crazy amount of pigment, color that doesn’t budge AND a super glossy finish.
3 things to know about Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge:
1. This is a 2-step application; one side is a full coverage matte lip color with a doe foot applicator, the other side is a clear topcoat with a brush that locks in color and adds tons of shine and moisture.
2. Aqua Rouge is a beauty meets science triumph. “High molecular weight polymers” meet oils that impart moisture then vaporize to make for a waterproof lip color that once dry, it’s not going ANYWHERE. You have to you physically remove it. Even when the top coat wears away, the color is still there (just add more to shine it up again).
3. If it’s good enough for Madonna , it’s good enough for you. The #8 shade of Aqua Rouge was created specifically for her latest world tour!
we heartsters, what kind of red do you go for; dark, bright, opaque, glossy? Meet us in the comments to talk all things crimson!
Buy Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick HERE
Buy Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge HERE (a Sephora exclusive)
Or shop all of Sephora’s fall COLOR VISION selections HERE
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also may contain an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I got to test the MUFE Aqua Rouge #9 – burgundy, the kind of deep, rich red that really does make me feel ready for fall. I’m usually a bright red kinda girl, but this duo might just take me to the dark side of red for good. First of all, it gives new meaning to “long wearing”– I guess Madonna doesn’t have time for touch-ups! I applied the color (love the doe footed applicator), let it dry for a minute or two, then sealed it with a brush full of the clear lacquer. I put it on before going out for a long evening of dinner and drinks, and it did not budge. At all! When it was time to take off my makeup, it looked as if I’d just done my lips. As @stef said, even when the shine is gone, the color is still perfectly imprinted on the lips, and it’s easy to add a little more shine. Amazingly, the product isn’t drying at all. My lips actually felt moisturized afterwards. If you’re looking for a long-wearing dark red, MUFE #9 is a winner.
Part of the reason I’ve been hesitating to wear dark lip color and red lip color is that they usually need to be reapplied fairly frequently. But I’m blown away by the wear that you ladies are getting with these products, especially @Stef –EIGHT HOURS, with TWO meals AND aqua aerobics?! I don’t really know of many lip products that can make it through one meal, much less two!
That Hourglass red is hot! Gotta love the packaging too.
Are these amazing or what? Are they all for real? That Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Iconis the richest red I’ve seen in a while! Wow-wee! Looks like you had a lot of fun with them.. @stef, your face is amazing with all the great lipsticks! Hot lip lady!
Thanks @irene – I feel pretty lucky to be able to wear all reds. Like I won some sort of beauty lottery!
Wow, 8 hours?! That’s some serious staying power! Wearing dark lip colors intimidates me a bit because I almost always forget to reapply “in time” and end up with a ring of color around my lips, or worse. Knowing that my lip color will last for more than a few hours really makes me feel more comfortable taking the plunge into the fall’s red lip trend.
I have been dying to try a dark red lip for a while now! I think this helped me out so much, given that my skin tone is similar to Stef’s. I really love the Hourglass color on her and I think that I will try it out this fall!
I love a glossy red – but not too glossy! I like for it to last a bit on my lips. The packaging for the Hourglass Lipstick is sooo pretty and futuristic looking!