The item in question is Makeup Forever's Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in No. 9, Copper Pink, which is a sheer my-lips-but-better shade of slightly warm pink.
Makeup Forever is a subsidiary of luxury retailers LVMH and is available exclusively at Sephora, also an LVMH subsidiary. Can you feel the marketing tonight? Wheels within wheels, people!
More marketing: this particular sample was part of Sephora's 2014 birthday gift, meaning it's a deluxe sized sample, and I got it for free. Um ... a while ago. But it's not quite as lame as it sounds, because my birthday is in December. No mockery, please; I've only been holding onto this lipstick sample for 15 months.
And how is the lipstick, Poppy?
In texture it's very like a lip butter, like Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine or Revlon's Lip Butters. Unlike the Revlon, it doesn't migrate outside of my lipline, and unlike the Chanel shades I own, I can actually see this lipstick on my lips.
It's semi-shiny, which admittedly is not the current mode. In my estimation, however, a sheer, slightly shiny formula like this is fantastic when you want to slap on some color and get on with your day. Lasting power is decent: a couple of quick swipes of this and I'm good for a few hours, as long as I don't spend them drinking coffee. With a shade like this, you don't have to worry about it wearing off too quickly or unevenly. And the shade is so forgiving that I'd feel comfortable reapplying without a mirror.
Mmmm, Guerlain-y
The one problem people appear to have with this lipstick is the fragrance. It's quite pronounced. It doesn't bother me, though, because like Guerlain's Rouge G lipstick, it smells like violets. After years of wearing Guerlain's Les Meteorites powder, I have a Pavlovian response to the scent of violets. It makes me drool. (And chase cats.)
In fact, I could take the Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural line as a knock-off of Guerlain's Rouge G, because aside from its lack of Guerlain's incredible fancy-pants Place Vendome packaging, this Make Up For Ever lipstick is pretty close in consistency, level of pigmentation, and fragrance. Also, both lipstick formulas are extremely moisturizing—"HOORAY," shouts she of the chronic dry lips.
Guerlain's Rouge G sells for $54 whereas Makeup Forever's Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks sell for $20, so this lipstick could be considered a mid-range doppelganger.
If you're wondering to yourself "Since when is a $20 lipstick mid-range?" I feel forced to riposte "Since Physician's Formula started selling their foundation for $18.99 at CVS."
One of my favorite lippies!
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