Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder: Review

Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.

New from Chanel comes a new range of liquid lip colors intended to create a vibrant, blurred effect. Infused with nourishing oils and "ultra-thin" but concentrated pigments, the Rouge Allure Liquid Powder ($46 for 9 ml) comes in six flattering shades. I've got full reviews and swatches to share with you today. To read on, click......

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder

Packaging:
The Rouge Allure Liquid Powder comes in a squeezable, semi-rigid plastic tube. Each tube is colored to match the shade inside and the plastic has a matte, smudge-proof finish. The lip color dispenses from a fuzzy doe-foot applicator dotted with several rows of small openings. As I will elaborate in the next section, due to the nature of the formulation, it's best to dispense very little product at a time to ensure a smooth and non-patchy finish.

Formulation:
Described as a matte liquid lip color with a blurred effect, the Rouge Allure Liquid Powder has a creamy yet lightweight formulation. To my surprise, the application is quite tricky as the formulation doesn't build at all. Any excess pills and patches easily, creating visible threads and chunks of color on the lips. I was only able to make things work by applying very little product on the lips and blending furiously to achieve a soft, tinted look. The formulation is not drying per se but it's also not very moisturizing. In terms of wear, the lip color is fairly transfer-proof as long as only a very thin layer is applied to the lips. Any excess will come off easily through eating and drinking. The formulation reminds me somewhat of the Urban Decay Lo-Fi Lip Mousse (reviewed here), albeit in a liquid form. The Rouge Allure Liquid Powder is also a bit similar to certain shades of the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink (example here) in that the formulation is difficult to build and any excess bunches easily with any lip movement.

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder

Overall, this is a strange, unexpected product. I found the promotional images (of model Vittoria Ceretti wearing what I presume to be the shade "960 Avant-Gardiste") to be very misleading as the Rouge Allure Liquid Powder formulation is nowhere near as opaque and buildable. These lip colors are admittedly more flattering in person than in the close-up swatches below but the overall concept is not my cup of tea. If you like the current blurred matte lip trend, then these are worth a try. However, if you prefer a more tradition matte lipstick or struggle with dryness or fine lines on the lips, then it's best to avoid these. See below for a breakdown of all six shades.

950 Plaisir: This is a soft peach nude. The color is quite patchy and tends to settle into fine lines.
952 Evocation: A dusty pale rose, Evocation is also patchy but slightly easier to work with than Plaisir.
954 Radical: This is a bright reddish orange. Similar to the previous shades, the formulation doesn't build well so I can only make it work as a very sheer wash of color.
956 Invincible: A nice true red, Invincible is slightly more intense than the previous shades when wore as a thin layer but it still doesn't build very well.
958 Volupté: This is a bright pink that appears a lot more berry-like in the tube. This shade in particular does not build well given how intense it appears. Nevertheless, I can only wear it as a very sheer but slightly patchy layer.
960 Avant-Gardiste: Perhaps the most buildable out of all six, Avant-Gardiste is a rich wine red. The finish is ever so patchy but it is probably the shade to get if you want the most intensity in color.

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "950 Plaisir"

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "952 Evocation"

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "954 Radical"

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "956 Invincible"

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "958 Volupté"

Chanel | Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in "960 Avant-Gardiste"

Availability:
Chanel is available at all Chanel Beauty counters and www.chanel.ca. The new Rouge Allure Liquid Powder is available as of August 1st, 2018.