While my favourite Bourjois red was a matte finish, as a rule, I find most matte formulas drying, uncomfortable and generally unpleasant to wear. So, yes, when I put the first swipe of pigment onto my lips, I was consciously seeking the bad and more than willing to overlook the good.Īvailable in two finishes-matte and satin-I first found myself drawn to the satin finish lipsticks. In fact, when I received the most beautiful box of Rouge Hermès lipsticks and found myself swooning over how pretty they are, the minute I remembered the price, I felt a little bit of rage build up inside of me. When a lipstick costs £58, I really want to hate it. Each.Īs a beauty editor, I’d love to tell you that I approach each new product launch with no bias or preconceptions, but I just can’t lie to you like that. In chic, reusable metal casing that looks more like some sort of high-end fashion accessory than a lipstick, the Rouge Hermès lipsticks are the Silk Twilly scarf of makeup. In true Hermès fashion, they were by far the most fashionable makeup product I’ve ever seen. Setting eyes on the glossy, chic bullets, suddenly the formula didn’t matter anymore. Just another super-luxe fashion brand cashing in on rave reviews of overpriced beauty products that deliver mediocre results, right? But then, the images were released, and admittedly, I did a complete 180. I must admit that when I learned that Hermès had plans to launch a beauty line, starting off with 24 lipsticks, for some unknown reason, I experienced no excitement whatsoever.

Since that dreaded moment, I have spent a lot of time in search of the perfect red replacement.

So when Bourjois decided to pull itself out of the UK market last year (don’t even go there-it’s still too soon), suffice it to say that I had a small meltdown. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Hot Pepper cost a delightful £8 and used to have people stopping me in the street to ask about it. My go-to red lipstick has recently been discontinued. Before we really get into this, I want you to understand exactly where my head has been over the past few weeks.

Hermes lipstick