Chanel L’Impatiente Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick Review & Swatches

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in L�Impatiente ($32) is a limited edition shade release with the Chanel Holiday 2012 Makeup Collection.

It’s actually a terrifying shade for me as it is the ultimate in a vampy lip look but after trying it I must say I really like it.

This is a blackened berry wine red which looks almost grape in the tube. I thought it applied considerably lighter and berry-ish on my mouth than what it looks like in the tube so don’t write it completely off at a glance. Try it, swatch it, play with it on counter and decide after if you need it. Chances are you’ll be surprised how wearable it is with clear gloss on top.

The formula is a true matte but has some moisture to it however the color does apply a tad patchy. That just comes with the territory of a dark shade in my opinion so be prepared to apply a few strokes to get the smoothest, most opaque finish. What I dislike about shades like this is you have to pay proper attention to the inside of your lips as well as the outside. As opening your mouth will reveal a line of skin (as seen in my photos below) that isn’t very pleasant looking when paired up with a darker lip color. I suggest using a lip brush for application so you can fill in your mouth completely including the inside seam of your lip line for a finished, completed look.

Although it has some hydrating factor it goes rather dry after three hours in and the color begins to flake. I suggest exfoliating well prior to use and apply a balm under the color for the best wear and finish.

Overall, the shade is quite dramatic for a Holiday look and this might make or break your purchase as the formula is a tad uneventful for me since I don’t like mattes. However, the shade is unique enough to head to counter and check it out particularly because it’s one of the more wearable darkened wine shades I’ve tried that actually works for me.

It’s available now on Chanel counters as well as online at chanel.com

Did you pick anything up from the Chanel Holiday 2012 Makeup Collection?

How about this lipstick?

Thoughts?