Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in 105 Brun Vintage swatches, review and photos

I was swatching the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks at Sephora and wondering why I wasn't wowed when the SA from the Givenchy counter invited me to try out the Le Rouge Intense Color Sensuously Mat lipsticks which launched in 2013. The moment the semi-matte formula hit my skin, I knew I was picking up at least one. There are 12 shades in this range and they differ a bit in various parts of the globe, but there are naturals, roses, reds and browns in all sets.

Here is the review and swatches of the Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick in #105 Brun Vintage.

Packaging

The external cardboard box mimics the leather finish of the tube inside.

The metal lid goes the whole length and is covered in soft black leather that gets scratched easily.

The Givenchy logo is stamped on top of the lid and the name is along the side of the tube. Two square "studs/jewels" keep the lid in place.

The tube isn't as heavy as the Guerlain Rouge G (those are 100gm) but these are definitely not as lightweight as your regular bullet tubes.

Formula, pigmentation and staying power of Givenchy Le Rouge lip colour

Full coverage in one swipe, as you will see from the swatches below. Creamy, semi-matte formula, no drying. Givenchy says these lipsticks contain microspheres that get into the fine lines and lock moisture in, plumping up your lips 50x more. I certainly don't need plumping, and didn't notice the plumping effect with this lipstick. So if you are purse-mouthed (lucky thing!) and want some plumping up, this isn't the solution.

The formula is lightweight and contains no parabens. Ingredients include camelina sativa seed oil, spilanthes acmella flower extract (just babbling about whatever seems to be a seed or a flower) and hyaluronic acid. No bleeding or feathering noticed, and it stays on for much longer than Urban Decay Revolution and Guerlain Rouge G L'Extrait lipsticks though not as long as Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet or Lancome Rouge in Love. I haven't had to reapply for up to four hours, though it transfers a bit more than the Chanel and Lancome lipsticks mentioned. Once more, before we move on - beautiful formula.

Swatches of Givenchy Le Rouge lip colour in Brun Vintage

Although shade #105 is named Brun Vintage, I notice more pink than brown. This is a beautiful dusty pink (I know, I can't resist those) - the brown part is missing in natural light, though you can see undertones in artificial light. Here it is swatched on my forearm.

And here are the swatches on my lips, all in natural light. Subtle enough for daytime wear. I know a lot of my lipstick swatches look similar but that is because I buy and wear dusty roses, pinks and neutrals most of the time. I think this lipstick actually improves the texture of my lips.

Bottom Line
Brun Vintage is a great colour and I find the Le Rouge formula better than the Givenchy Rouge Interdits in terms of staying power and pigmentation. I'm going to buy #103 Brun Createur next time!
Disclaimer: My own money. Not PR. I have received my first-ever PR sample and will be reviewing it shortly!