Sunday, August 5, 2012

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge in Light Rosewood (14) review + swatches

          If there was a makeup Olympics, MAKE UP FOR EVER would sweep the stands in the waterproof category. The brand takes waterproof makeup seriously and creates products with performers, including synchronized swimmers, in mind. MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes, Aqua Shadows (reviewed here), and Aqua eyeliner are well loved staples in my collection. Now, MAKE UP FOR EVER is expanding their waterproof Aqua line again with twelve MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge Liquid Lip Colors. I'll show you #14 Light Rosewood for today's post!


           The MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge Lip colors have dual ended packaging. One end houses the color itself, while the other is a clear gloss. The two ends have a doe-foot and synthetic pointed  brush type applicators respectively (see photos below).


          MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge Lip Color is a liquid, but it's not wet or gooey like a gloss. It's more like liquid lipsticks that you may be familiar with. The color is very pigmented and dries very quickly. The feel is matte and definitely not moisturizing, however I don't find that it dries or peels my lips either. Once it's on, the color does not budge at all. Only a few minutes after application, I drank from a glass and there was no imprint left on it! I also took a hot shower and again, no budging or smudging. After eating a meal and some other things I re-examined the color. It was definitely there, though a bit weaker due to all the activity. The color clings to your lips like a stain, however there is actually a color layer on top that lasts through the water (i.e. it's not just a stain). (It's also worth noting that after swatching my arm (below) the color refused to wash off with water, soap, and even dish soap! I had to resort to using pure olive oil to dissolve all the color off my arm.) Hence, I feel pretty comfortable commending Aqua Rouge for its long lasting wear.


          MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge in 14 Light Rosewood is actually quite dark. I would say it's a deep rose. There's not too much burgundy or purple mixed in, which I like. I've swatched Light Rosewood below without the gloss layer so that you can see the matte finish the color itself has. I pulled out a few of my lip products for some comparison swatches. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Caline looks similar in the tube, but is lighter and pinker when swatched. Bobbi Brown Rich Color Gloss is a lighter rose. Bobbi Brown lip color in Brownie is a bit warmer and more beige.


           I'd say the new Aqua Rouge line is another gold for MAKE UP FOR EVER. The sheer staying power is impressive. It's obviously great for the pool, but I think it's nice as an everyday product. Normally I get nervous wearing darker colors like Light Rosewood, since accidental smudges are more obvious. However, since the Aqua Rouges don't seem capable of smudging, I'd feel comfortable wearing this around without constantly checking myself. The only downside is the Aqua Rouge formula isn't creamy or moisturizing, though I think this comes with the territory. It looks like the current collection is focused on basic beiges, berries, and reds and not as many brights or 'pretty' colors. They're great for fall; I'm hoping MAKE UP FOR EVER will release more pretty pinks and peaches come spring. Overall, color me impressed!

          Thanks for reading! Have you spotted MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge in stores yet? Would you wear lipstick to the pool if you could? What's your favorite long lasting lipstick formula?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.  

23 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review Dovey! I saw these a while ago, but got too distracted by all the other goodies so I didn't take a closer look. I'm actually not a big fan of REALLY long-lasting lip products. The only long-lasting lippie I have is NARS Mexican Rose. Despite the fact that I really like the color, it's absolutely maddening to remove it by the end of the day. That's why I don't wear it often enough! I have no idea how my lips will react to a formula that is not moisturizing either, since they could really wrinkle up!

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    1. Hi Sunny, For the record, I heard about MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge on your blog first! I was pretty excited when I saw the display; I haven't seen them on 'real life counters' yet, but I'm hoping to play around with them more once I do. I think Aqua Rouge is so long lasting that it is harder to remove. Though, once I reached the end of the day, it wasn't full power so Philosophy Purity directly applied to the lips got the rest off!

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  2. I'm getting into mufe recently because I just discovered their store here. I saw this line their and it looked really promising. The only thing that kinda drew me back was the shade selection, it's very beige idd, so I agree with you, I really hope they will bring out some brighter shades!

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    1. Hi Teri, Wow, I haven't been to a MUFE store yet! I've only had the chance to experience them thru Sephora. The color selection isn't what I'd normally gravitate towards, so I'm definitely hoping for more light and pretty shades!

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  3. Wow, those are some tests you put it through! My lips get really dry with these types of things, so I wonder how this would fare. I like the color and wonder if there is an even deeper color - it would be perfect for fall.

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    1. Hi Larie, AH, a deeper color? Actually, considering that this is termed 'light', there most likely is! :)

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  4. thanks for this review! i'd look for these if i need waterproof lippies. usually the balm or gloss comes with shortens the wear time, but i guess this is not the case. i find it impressive!
    light rosewood color is very pretty. perfect for the coming season. ;)

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    1. Hi Lena, Thanks for the comment :) The gloss doesn't last as long, but it seems to seal things in? I'm intrigued too, because there are definitely situations where waterproof would be nice. I think I need this in a lighter color!

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  5. Wow - they have a unique definition of Light Rosewood! That is definitely dark in my book! I haven't looked at MUFE much. However, the release of the Rogue Natural lipsticks caught my eye earlier this summer. I generally steer clear of longwear lip products just because of how much they tend to dry out my lips. Even though it is dark, it is a pretty color & I bet it is gorgeous on you!

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    1. Hi Kristi, Haha, I'm glad you agree with the color. I'm wondering if there was an accidental name switch between this and 'Rosewood' which happens to be a much lighter pink. I don't wear long-wear often either, but it would be convenient on those super busy days!

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  6. Wow this is unique! I like the duo idea, I love glossy lipstick so I guess this is a good choice. We can choose to use only the lipstain or both.

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    1. hi Memoiselle, I agree, it is quite different. It's surprising and kind of cool to see a duo lip product from a big brand.

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  7. It sounds promising, but most lipsticks like this dry my lips out. I think I will try it out first and see if this one fares any better!

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    1. Hi Tracy, Let me know how if you get the chance, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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  8. This looks like it will be pretty popular with lipstick-lovers out there! I, however, pretty a much sheerer, more moisturizing formula, so I'll probably pass :/ Looks lovely though!

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    1. Hi Becca, I love a sheer lippie too, but I can definitely see some long wear situations in my future :)

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  9. Nice to see that MUFE gets more love, I remeber some time ago very few bloggers revewed this brand and I never understood why. It's my fav 'basic' brand, that has all the colours, great aqua shadows and lipsticks. They could have more foundation shades (my only concern though), the packaging is not always that appealing to me but I believe in the quality the products have so it doesn't bother me that much. I yet have to try the liquid lipsticks, I agree the shade range is very limited but I also hope they will release some more shades soon. My fav long lasting lipsticks are NARS pure matte and Guerlain Rouge Automatique (Nars lasts longer though).

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    1. Hi Claire, I totally agree with you! Make Up For Ever has always been one of my favorite lines. I appreciate their focus on creating great basic colors, though because of it they don't generate as much 'limited edition' interest. I do also second the wish for more foundation colors. I've purchased HD and Face and Body, and the colors work pretty well, however I wish they carried some colors with peach or slightly pink tones. Beige doesn't fit me so well and neither does simple yellow. But again, small quibbles for an overall quality line!

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  10. Rosewood looks like the perfect moody neutral for fall!

    In terms of formula, I had one that looked and was supposed to do almost the same from MAC a long time ago. But the MAC flaked quite a bit during meals and I didn't want to end up eating my lipstick and ditched it. I like your dedication in testing this so rigorously. :)

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    1. Hi Liz, Thanks! I did my best to put it through the reps :D And Eep, the idea of adding a little extra MAC flavor into your meal sounds less than ideal!

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  11. Dear Dovey, why are your pictures (and you) so awesome?

    I tried the Chanel version of this and my lips cried out in tears, and unfortunately I think it'll probably do the same to this. Pity, because I love the colors :(

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    1. Thanks Xiao :) Oh no! I don't think I'd wear longwear everyday either for the same reason. Plus it's fun to reapply once in a while :P

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  12. These are in no way unique. It has been done before by Revlon, Mac, and Chanel. I purchased #9 (I would only purchase these types of long wearing lip colors in red, due to the fact the color is high maintance in a regular formula). These are drying!!! You can ONLY use the gloss from the duo o hydrate your lips. If you use another product (chapstick, eos lip balm, etc.) the color breaks down. My revlon version was adaptable to at least chapstick. The applicator is useless you will need to use a lip brush!!! The price is absurd for the amount and for a formula that has been done repeatedly by other brands.

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