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Laura Mercier Mocha Rouge Lip Velvet Review, Photos, Swatches


Laura Mercier Mocha Rouge Lip Velvet

Long-Lasting Lip Color: Laura Mercier Lip Velvet

Laura Mercier Mocha Rouge Lip Velvet ($22.00) is a brightened up adobe brown–there may be a little redness to it, but not too much warmth–it’s not the easiest color to describe. It’s very neutral, despite its richness in pigmentation.

Lip Velvets are long-wearing liquid lipsticks. If you’ve been around the beauty-sphere for a bit, MAC’s Lac Lusters, which have been long discontinued. I know some of you are wondering how it compares to my beloved Chanel Rouge Allure Laques, and I don’t think they’re the same product. Oh, they’re most certainly similar–but they have different qualities that may appeal to you.

Lip Velvet is lightly creamy, very smooth, and intensely pigmented. It comes with a doe-foot wand applicator that’s fairly easy to use, but with the color richness, it’s best to apply with a mirror. The formula is also much more matte (I’d call it semi-matte, though) with some of the dryness associated with mattes. The product feels fairly dry on the lips, but it’s not actually drying. It’s not particularly hydrating, but it seems to retain whatever moisture you already had in your lips before applying it–making it no better or worse.

The color hugs and clings to lips and gives me around six hours of wear, plus a residual stain that lingers thereafter. This really is a long-wearing product that doesn’t dry your lips out (but just be prepared for it to feel a little… well, matte and dry!), which is a huge plus and often a failing of long-wear products. It goes on opaque in just one swipe, so you don’t need much product at all to get full-coverage color. The finish isn’t quite matte, as it does have a slightly glossy sheen, but it’s mostly matte.

Chanel Rouge Allure Laques are more moisturizing and not quite as thick, plus they’re very much glossy. There’s no “matte” in Rouge Allure Laque; it’s shimmery, glossy color. I think just the difference in finish really makes them two different products, or at the very least, products to consider together rather than trying to pick one over the other.

Lip Velvet’s do beat Chanel on wearing time, though – they certainly last longer, and even the lighter shades tend to persist for hours. I hope Laura Mercier will add some more shades that *pop* during 2010–the existing shade range is a bit everyday, neutral, and work-safe. (Not bad things, but I’d love to see more variation!)

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  • Product: 28/30
  • Value: 9/10
  • Ease of Use: 4/5
  • Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: For long-wearing lip color that doesn’t dry out lips but lasts for hours, Laura Mercier’s Lip Velvets are a good place to start.

Availability: Blue Mercury

See more photos and swatches…

21 Comments

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Kristina Avatar

MAC lac lustre was my HG. I have been looking for a substitute but I’m not crazy about the colour range of these; they are too dark.

I’m with you, I hope the line brings in more shades, because the formula on these are excellent.

Claudia Avatar

Your photos are stunning and your hands and lips show the colors so beautifully. You are to be commended for your photographic skills! I love this blog!

Catherine Avatar

Oh, I think this is actually a very pretty wearable shade! It reminds me a lot of Baked Earth stickgloss which is practically my go-to lipstick. I have positively loved every single one of the Laura Mercier lip products that I’ve tried and now that you’ve said these are non-drying I’d love to try these too!

But I totally feel you. Laura Mercier is amazing at making amazing formulas in super easy-to-wear, flatters-all colors, but I also often wish she had a little more “pop.” Stickglosses are my absolute favorite lipstick formula ever – the only one that doesn’t dry my lips at all and I wish there were a hot pink! I hate going outside my HG formula just to find a bright color because usually that means I just won’t ever reach for it!

mkdallas Avatar

I have the LM Lip Velvet in Cherry Blossom and I love it. Just like you said, they are very pigmented and last forever. My only issue is the color selection; it’s really limited and very dark. I’m pretty fair (NW25) and Cherry Blossom is the only color that I can wear. I hope she will throw in a few lighter offerings in the future…the brick and mauve shades currently available just look terrible on me. I have to say I wouldn’t consider them “neutral” at all. That issue aside, the formula is great; more like a true liquid lipstick than the Chanel Rouge Allure Lacques or the Dior Creme de Gloss. There is no shimmer or frost in these either, which is really nice…just pure color.

cole Avatar

Im starting to get into a 90’s brown mode, makeup wise that is. I dont have any browns that aren’t nudes, thanks for reviewing different color ranges, not just what everone would like.

Susan M. Avatar

This looks like the terracota color I’ve been looking for! I have a ahrd time finding the right shade for my skin tone(NC42). Will def buy.
Thanks!

christina Avatar

I bought this with the same initial impression you had. The problem is, it doesnt stay in the right place. It faded into the creases of my lips and got on my teeth. REALLY BAD. I’ve NEVER had lipstick on my teeth before using this product. It didn’t dry over time so it just stayed this way too pigmented lip color that moved everywhere. I was so disappointed.

Carmen Avatar

this shade is absolutely gorgeous and looks terrific on you. You have the most beautiful lips to wear lipstick! I will definitely check out this shade!

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