August 21, 2012

Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge ($24) to your rescue for long wearing lip color this Fall. This new selection of smudge-proof, high impact liquid lip color delivers some seriously dramatic lip looks.

Available in 12 shades these are incredibly long wearing lip colors.

Wow! You might NEED to explore these.

This week is probably the worst day in the world to try out Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge because I did a little parasailing while I was on vacation and proceeded to get some crazy dry, chapped lips after that are still bugging me days after the fact.

This new collection is available in a range of soft beiges and bold berries with a double ended tube design that contains a liquid lip color on one end and a transparent gloss on the other.

I only tried the one shade (I got two shades but only one suited my coloring) but it’s very dramatic so you might want to save it for evenings out. Unsure if you want to head into the office with lipstick on this bold. Granted, it might be bold but it is beautiful to say the least.

I actually had a brief panic attack as I wore it briefly prior to going a full day with it in place. During that brief period I wanted to remove it and try the other shade I had gotten so I wiped it off with a tissue. Needless to say it wouldn’t budge. I proceeded to do so with a wash cloth, it didn’t go anywhere! I thought perhaps I was simply stuck with red lipstick till the end of my days. I had to remove with an oil based eye and lip remover (ha, I never thought I’d actually use my eye makeup remover on my lips) and even than it didn’t want to go anywhere.

So yes, it’s long wearing.

After successfully removing it I gave it the all day test. And yes, it wears all damn day. The color remains quite fresh and vibrant through pretty much all your daily activities including eating and drinking. I do think it looks unflattering, unnatural, and a bit too dramatic if you don’t touch up the gloss factor. Obviously, the clear gloss will be the first to wear away. When it does I do suggest reapplying as often as needed as it keeps the lip color looking polished and refined. Versus the fact that when the gloss wears away the lip color looks a little mmmm…for lack of a better word, clowny…or at least on me it does.

Surprisingly it doesn’t feel dry or look dry. Even on my lips which are dry and cracking, color looked very fresh and smooth. As my day progressed I didn’t feel like moisture was being sucked out my lips nor did I feel like the color was left looking dry, flaky, or less than smooth.

The formula on the lip color is a velvet-y semi-matte formula that has a smooth, even application. A single swipe yields excellent pigmentation and the sponge tip applicator flawlessly applies color. Since the color is so vibrant and the texture of the lipstick is rather thick you might experience some migration particularly on aging lips. I think a clear lip liner will keep the color from moving around too much. Typically lip color like this on my mouth loves to adventure around my face. I didn’t have any issues here, no migration, no movement, it seemed to stick around fairly well. I did have some minor hiccups on my lower lip line upon first application but a swipe of my thumb evened the color out.

Clear Gloss, Burgundy, and Nude Beige

Nude Beige

Burgundy

The clear gloss is the a thinner formula with a high lacquer shine. At first I thought it was some sort of setting gloss which would allow the lip color to wear longer. But it’s actually simply a gloss with a mirror like finish. I think the gloss is essential to the best wear of the lip color. As without it the lip color seems a little too bold for me and a bit too clowny.

Overall, I must say that Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge was a surprising product for me. I typically don’t like long wearing lip products but Aqua Rouge wore very comfortably, had a lightweight feel, and produced a very sophisticated lip look for me. I’m unsure if I’d be comfortable sporting it in a daily look but for evening wear it’s stunning to say the least. I do think they should release more shades. I think the beiges are terribly unflattering from what I’ve seen so far. Nudes are fine but something with a bit more pizazz would be nicer versus the duller beiges they went with.

But color options aside, these offer a great way to wear your lip color from sun up to sun down with very little maintenance work to maintain the look.

Muse Approved for purchase.

Available now at Sephora and Sephora.com

Tried it?

Do share your review!

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • K.B.

    I currently have Rosewood in my Sephora cart, and I’m trying to decide if I should pick up Pink as well. Yay double beauty points for VIBs! lol Burgundy looks gorgeous on you!

  • LINDARRAGNAR

    These look really nice!
    -not gonna lie maybe I’ll buy nude beige at sephora this week – if your a VIB you get double the points

  • Kiss & Make-up

    I’m experimenting with longlasting lipstick as we speak, so I’m glad you posted this article 🙂 This sounds like it does its job well!

  • Kitten

    Muse! Welcome back from your vacation! These sound like so much fun! Question…I’d like to try one, but now I’m not sure what color! And I’ve developed a love for my Revlon Balm/Stain in Honey…I don’t want to be disappointed by a bad color >_<

  • Linda

    Muse! I found a neat trick today using these MUFE Aqua Rouges. The beiges are terrible and flat, right? Well, if you apply the beige/nude color and then apply your normal lipstick right on top of it (before it dries), it locks in your lipstick like crazy! I’m on Hour 7 right now and I’ve eaten breakfast, lunch, and had two cups of coffee and it hasn’t budged. This is a great way to get long wear out of your favorite lipsticks (and you can use up the MUFE Aqua Rouge beiges that are unflattering).