Rouge G de Guerlain Matte Lip Color

The Matte formula is supposed to have a "semi-matte" finish that has "the perfect balance between hydration and vibrant color" and contains "hylauronic acid and blurring powders" to help "smooth and volumize the look of lips." The coverage was semi-opaque to opaque, somewhat buildable, but there was enough slip that it was better to keep it two layers or else I experienced the color clumping up on itself and becoming more uneven in overall application. The texture was velvety and thin, I get that "blurring powder" feel that some of the recent matte formulas have had in them--a little "dry" and more prone to clinging on my lips. They wore between three and six hours but fade evenly and more red-based shades left faint stains behind. I didn't find any of them hydrating, and some of them felt drying to me. They had the typical violet scent but no taste.

For me, Rouge G was all about making my lips look better: smoother, plumper, and delivered good wear with a hydrating formula, but the Mattes left me wanting, as they weren't hydrating, didn't smooth out my lip lines for the most part, and felt a bit tight to wear after a few hours. One of the tell-tale signs of a drying formula is during the swatch-a-thon; given that there were only 11 shades to swatch, it should have been easy, but my lips felt a little raw afterward, which is typical of swatching more drying formulas for me.