Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Matte Lacquer Swatches

L-R: 501, 502, 503, 504, 200, 202, 300, 400, 401, 201

Thankfully, my swatches of the new Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Matte Lacquer are infinitely better compared to the Burberry ones. Apologies for the messy numbering. The lip glosses were scattered around the counter and I swatched it all before I was told that I missed #201.

I couldn't test these out at the counter because I had to go for a facial immediately after and the SA mentioned it was really staining. My impression based on swatching is that these are really creamy, equal to or better than the Guerlain Rouge G L'Extraits. Without trying it, I cannot say if it will be drying.

The Lip Maestros are now available online at Nordstrom. I swatched the above at Saks Fifth Avenue New York.

Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

I'm usually not swayed by packaging Who am I kidding? I'm totally swayed by packaging, and the new Burberry Lip Velvets are just dripping sex.

Nothing sexier than a sleek tube that resists fingerprints

So much so that the Lip Mists and Lip Covers, both similarly packaged and once lauded for exquisite design, look tacky in comparison. Gunmetal, what?

L-R: Lip Velvet, Lip Mist

Regardless (or regrettably so), I can't just put down $30 on every good looking lipstick I see, so what's in it kind of matters. After swatching the entire line, I decided to test the formula with Military Red No. 310. As you know, I already have a veritable collection of red lipsticks that I'm likely never able to use up in my life time, but there's something ridiculous about the vibrancy of this color that made me have to have it.

I know it's way too early to bust out earmuffs, but it's the only thing I have in my wardrobe that matched such a red. The photo shoot turned out to be absolute fun because of it - believe me, much prancing was involved.

(By the way, props are totally a new feature on Messy Wands.)

Earmuffs are from Kate Spade New York, purchased two years ago

The formula is moisturizing and not altogether matte (that seems to be the case when a brand calls a product "velvet") because there is a slight sheen when applied to the lips. The lipstick is non-staining, but it will stay on your lips until you apply some sort of remover to it. I wore it for five hours without feathering or bleeding (and took it off only because it was the end of the day). As for the color, my lips looked like Christmas.

Ingredient List:

Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310 retails for $30 and is now available at Nordstrom. I purchased mine from Saks Fifth Avenue New York.

Shop the Products:
· Skin: Mistura 6-in-1 Beauty Solution*, Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Frais/Cool, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer

· Eyes: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Fantasme, Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liquid Liner in Noir, Guerlain Noir G Mascara, Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in 01 Moss Green

· Lips: Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Lip Pencil in Rose, Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red No. 310

The product(s) marked with * was provided by the company for editorial consideration

Sneak Peek: Burberry Lip Velvet Long Wear Lipstick Swatches

Guerrilla swatches of the new Burberry Lip Velvet Long Wear Lipsticks, below:

L-R: No. 306 Pink Amber, No. 305 Honey Suckle, No. 304 Redwood, No. 303 Antique Pink, No. 302 Peony Rose, No. 301 Pink Apricot 

L-R: No. 312 Hawthorne Berry, No. 311 Bright Poppy, No. 310 Military Red, No. 309 Fuchsia Pink, No. 308 Pink Azalea, No. 307 Rose Pink

I haven't made my purchase so I can't say for sure how they wear. I tried on Bright Poppy and Military Red in store and they both went on smooth and even. They didn't sap moisture from my lips (at least, in the twenty minutes I had them on) and I must say I am definitely intrigued. I've been wanting to invest in a good matte for some time, but haven't been able to settle on a formula. Military Red might come back with me by the end of this week.

These are now available at Saks Fifth Avenue New York. I would like to thank the wonderful folk at Burberry who allowed me to swatch up a storm at their counter. If you would like to speak to a Burberry specialist but don't have a counter near you, please give them a call at 212.940.2836, and tell them I sent you!

Sneak Peek: Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Swatches

Hooray! The Chanel counter at Neiman Marcus Boston came through and I was able to get swatches of the new Chanel Rouge Allure Velvets. I took these after I got home so I probably smeared half of it on the inside of my coat. Picture more vibrancy to the colors below for accuracy.

Clockwise: 40, 41, 34, 39, 32, 37, 38, 36

Here's what the numbers correspond to:

32 - La Ravissante

34 - La Raffinée

36 - La Caline

37 - L'Exuberante

38 - La Fascinante

39 - La Somptueuse

40 - La Sensuelle

41 - L'Exquise

My fleeting impressions after wearing La Caline for an hour (do note that these are first thoughts based on brief experience and are subject to change):

• Formula is smooth. Does not tug during application - a novelty when it comes to matte formulas.
• It is not moisturizing, but I don't think it's necessarily drying. When I applied La Caline my bottom lip was chapped, and the lipstick picked up on the dryness and emphasized it. But my top lip was fine and the lipstick looks a-okay on it. This is a potentially high maintenance lipstick because you'll have to exfoliate beforehand.
• Very pigmented.
• Doesn't seem to be completely matte. There is the slightest sheen/glistening when you apply the lipstick. An hour in, that glistening has faded somewhat. The lipstick settles to a very very natural-looking finish (after all, our lips are naturally matte).
  

Quick update: Rae from The RAEviewer posted a review of La Ravissante and it looks ravishing on her. Take a peek at her post to see how the Rouge Allure Velvets perform in action.

Released in conjunction with the new lipsticks are three new limited edition nail colors and one limited edition matte top coat. The nail colors are a red-fuchsia Pirate, fuchsia Rose Exubérant, and rose beige Rose Caché. I was unimpressed by Pirate till I placed the Mat Top Coat over it, where the color deepened into what we see in the promo ad. I purchased all four of these polishes and will review it in full soon.

The photos below are terrible, but I hope it gives you at least some inkling of how the polishes look. 

L-R: Pirate (layered with Mat Top Coat), Rose Exubérant

Rose Caché

As mentioned yesterday, the Rouge Allure Velvet lipsticks ($32 each) and new nail polishes ($25 each)  are already available on the Chanel website. I purchased mine from Neiman Marcus Boston. It should arrive at all other Chanel counters soon, if not already. What do you think? Will you be picking any of these up?