Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick #29 Satin Rosewood review, swatches, photos

After using - and owning - no other lipstick apart from Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Lip Colour, reviewed here, for years, I spent the latter half of 2013 building up a decent lipstick stash. And most of them were dusty rose/pink shades.
I hit the MUFE counter at Sephora wanting to try out the Aqua Rouge lip colours. Although I ended up picking up shade #10 from the fabulous, long-lasting range (will review soon), I didn't really come across an Aqua Rouge shade I lost my heart to, the kind of dusty rose I was looking for - not even Aqua Rouge Rosewood. That was when the SA showed me the Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks.

Here is the review and swatches of the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in shade #29 or Satin Rosewood.

Packaging of MUFE Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks

Neat, no-fuss glossy-metal black case. I like the packaging of Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet and Givenchy Le Rouge, both recently reviewed, better. This could do with a little bit of zing, maybe the logo could be engraved or embossed instead of painted on?

Formula and staying power of MUFE Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks

MUFE claims this lipstick has 50% more pigment than other lipsticks, and these are certainly intensely pigmented, even the paler shades. The formula is more waxy than I expected; certainly non-drying, but it does feel heavier on the lips than the Chanel and Givenchy.

The staying power is decent; you can get five hours' wear easily, though it will not last through a meal. The lipstick transfers quite a bit - this was after one bite of a delicious California plum. You don't want to sip water delicately in public while wearing this lipstick.

The reason the Rouge Artist Intense lipstick feels so waxy is that there are two different waxes in the ingredients - rice bran wax and candelilla wax. But there are no parabens.

Swatches of MUFE Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick #29

Shade #29 or Rosewood has a satin finish and is a beautiful mauvey-neutral pink shade with subtle brown undertones. I love that this is a tad more mauvey than my regular dusty rose shades. The forearm swatch below is in direct sunlight.

Here is the on-lips swatch, taken in artificial light (I know, I know, but I was late coming home). This is one of my MLBB shades, much to my delight, and I love how it looks both warm and cool in different kinds of lighting. I'm noticing subtle shimmer in these photographs, which I didn't notice in person - blame my camera. The shade looks subtle enough without washing me out.
Bottom Line
I cannot remember how much I paid for this lipstick, but this was definitely a good buy in terms of shade and pigmentation. This is a perfect shade for work and everyday wear, though you've got to remember that it will transfer.
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