French brands at the department store took forever to jump on the liquid matte lipstick bandwagon: Guerlain, YSL and Dior only launched their permanent versions last year! But there is one affordable French makeup brand that was way ahead of the trend: Bourjois. They launched their Rouge Edition Velvet back in 2014 and it's now one of their best-sellers, coming in more than 35 shades! Is it worth trying? Let's find out!



The Rouge Edition Velvet tube is as cute as it is functional. It's wider and shorter than the average tube of lip product, which gives it a chubbier look and makes it easy to toss in a pocket. It also contains a tad more than the average liquid lipstick with 7.7 ml (YSL Tatouage Couture, similarly shaped, contains 6.6ml). The clear plastic tube lets you see the product through and the cap is in the same color, so you always see what shade you're grabbing no matter how you store your lipsticks.


The doe-foot fuzzy applicator is slanted and precise, and it pulls just the right amount of product out of the tube for me. The lipstick has a subtle fruity scent, I want to say raspberry? It's rather pleasant and not too strong, and it makes me realize that I like foodie scents in my lip products a lot more than perfume-y florals. Who wants to eat perfume?

Bourjois promises "light texture, extreme comfort" with this lipstick and I think they really deliver. The texture of the Rouge Edition Velvet feels wonderful on the lips. It's a very creamy, almost mousse-y texture, so it's on the thicker side rather than runny or too liquid. And yet it feels very lightweight! The formula is dimethicone based which explains how it can be so velvety smooth and still not become heavy. I wouldn't say that it's hydrating, but it is really comfortable throughout the wear on my chronically dry lips.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist

The shade I'm showing you today is 07 Nude-ist, which is a lot less nude than I expected! It's a slightly muted pink with a just a hint of brown undertones, and on my lips it turns into a warm medium pink. It's very close to opaque in one swipe and easily to build to full pigmentation. It dries down to a velvety matte finish within a few minutes, and becomes slowly more matte as it wears.


The great thing about this Rouge Edition Velvet is that it looks really smooth for a liquid matte lipstick, and it remains this way throughout the wear. It doesn't make my lips look to wrinkly - of course a matte lipstick will never make your lips look as plumped as a gloss, but it doesn't turn them into old prunes at all. It wears off elegantly without cracking, flaking or leaving a ring around the lips. It fades evenly and actually lasts really well, even through a light meal.


The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet gets two thumbs up from me! If you're looking for a comfortable and smooth liquid matte lipstick that comes in a ton of fun colors, it's a great option.





The product featured in this review was purchased by me. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you click on those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!