Having a handful of lipsticks has never stopped us from adding a few more shades to our current makeup arsenal before. But what if I told you I’ve found an essential gamechanger that’s bound to be part of your collection?
Enter L’Oreal’s newest Rouge Signature line. With the dual promise of being unbelievably lightweight while giving ultra-pigmented shades, it was only right to hold on to our reservations. But it was nothing short of a delightful experience for our skepticism to be proved wrong as I discovered that the brand’s newest lip innovation does deliver what it promises.
The Rouge Signature creations are a hybrid of the versatility of lip stains and the diversity of the liquid lipstick’s colors. It’s a long-wearing, nondrying, nonsticky, and pigmented formula. Because it is effortlessly buildable, you can go for a naturally blotted lip, trendy ombre lip, or a bold intense semi-matte one.
The Rouge Signature creations are a hybrid of the versatility of lip stains and the diversity of the liquid lipstick’s colors. It’s a long-wearing, nondrying, nonsticky, and pigmented formula. Because it is effortlessly buildable, you can go for a naturally blotted lip, trendy ombre lip, or a bold intense semi-matte one.
The formula is watery, but magically turns into a creamy texture when layered. Despite the thin consistency of the product, its colors are surprisingly not streaky. And no matter how hard or how much you smack your lips, the pigments don’t move around. Even when it’s partly like a liquid lip stain in nature, the colors also don’t tend to concentrate on the cracks and imperfections of one’s lips. The technology behind this is insane.
The line currently has 10 shades, including I Dream, I Rule, I Enjoy, I Play, I Embrace, I Choose, I Represent, I Don’t, I Explore, and I Am Worth It. The Rouge Signature line is sold at P390 each.
It’s also interesting to note how L’Oreal invites people to take ownership of its lip colors with the names it has given the collection’s shades. The brand encourages one to identify with the bold personalities each color is trying to embody.
Multifunctionality has become a standard feature when it comes to contemporary makeup releases. We want products that we can use all over our face, making it easier to achieve that monochromatic makeup look. But what’s interesting is how this one product is able to give you different results.
With one layer, it perfectly functions as your go-to my lips but better shade. When just a little of the product is dabbed, it helps you achieve that second skin style that K-beauty has introduced. And as you apply more of the Rouge Signature, it transforms into a traditional creamy matte.
On the cheeks, the pigmentation isn’t as strong, but it gives you a natural flush with that desirable dewy glow. On the lids, the Rouge Signature helps you achieve that trendy high-gloss eye look when directly applied. Its applicator also gives you bold eyeliner looks that’s perfect when you’re going for that fashion editorial feel—just be a bit wary of the color transfer.
On the cheeks, the pigmentation isn’t as strong, but it gives you a natural flush with that desirable dewy glow. On the lids, the Rouge Signature helps you achieve that trendy high-gloss eye look when directly applied. Its applicator also gives you bold eyeliner looks that’s perfect when you’re going for that fashion editorial feel—just be a bit wary of the color transfer.
It does have some cons, however. The lippie line takes a bit of time to dry after application. It’s during this period when the formula feels the heaviest, before it finally feels as if you don’t have any makeup on. Its colors are disappointingly transferrable, so you’ll be sure to leave a lip stain on your coffee cups.
But even when the colors transfer easily, reapplication seems to be a bit unnecessary—yes, this includes even the aftermath of meals. You’ll surely have a decent amount of color left on your lips, and the liquid formula does a good job of making sure you’ll still have a tinge of color at the end of the day. Like we told you, it works a lot like a lip stain so a bit of color always ends up staying.
I sat down with L’Oreal’s group product manager, Maia Ang, to talk more about the makeup giant’s newest creation:
Tell me more about the Rouge Signature line.
Tell me more about the Rouge Signature line.
Maia: It’s our newest lip innovation. L’Oreal Paris has always been about offering everyday luxury for women. It’s about giving quality products at an affordable price. Rouge Signature combines the best of both worlds. It gives you the intensity and pigmentation of a liquid lipstick, but it’s super lightweight as a tint. It’s a hybrid of both products in a way, that’s why our claim is “less feel, more color.”
How long did it take L’Oreal to develop this formula?
Maia: It took a few years. What’s great about the company is that we have a history of research. It’s always been a combination of beauty and science, where every product is backed by technology. The pioneer of this technology is actually the Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet and YSL Tatouage Couture, our sister companies. The technology was originally developed for luxury lipsticks, but for us we really wanted to democratize and maximize beauty. We believe that beauty should be for everyone, so we adapted and studied the technology, tweaked it a bit so it can be worn every day by every woman.
The color selection of the lip line is more on the bolder side, how were the shades chosen for this product?
Maia: It took a few years. What’s great about the company is that we have a history of research. It’s always been a combination of beauty and science, where every product is backed by technology. The pioneer of this technology is actually the Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet and YSL Tatouage Couture, our sister companies. The technology was originally developed for luxury lipsticks, but for us we really wanted to democratize and maximize beauty. We believe that beauty should be for everyone, so we adapted and studied the technology, tweaked it a bit so it can be worn every day by every woman.
The color selection of the lip line is more on the bolder side, how were the shades chosen for this product?
Maia: I’ve been in makeup for a couple of years already, what’s been very interesting to see is the evolution of trends, what is popular. Five to six years ago, every woman wanted a nude—a pink—something that was for everyday. And it was only in the recent years that Filipino women started to think: “You know, it’s okay to be a bit different, it’s okay to be more intense and loud.” And they really own their color.
That’s one of the biggest trends we’ve been seeing in the past few years, more and more people have been choosing bold colors. They’re looking for reds, corals, deep mauves. The 10 shades of the line are mainstream colors, but in the mix are deep reds, bold mauves. It’s a new twist on the classics.
So many liquid lip products have been introduced in recent years, what makes you say that this one is an innovation?Maia: It’s really like a tint. I really love the wear. For me, the color, you can literally get it with any brand. Color is color, right? But it takes a certain kind of technology to have the color wear of Rouge Signature. With lipsticks, it’s always a compromise. You either have the intensity of color but it has a heavy feel (on the lips), or you can have a very comfortable feel but the color can come off as too light. This line combines the best of both.
I noticed that the shade names—like I Explore, I Dream, I Represent, etc.—appear to be a call to certain personalities, with wearers identifying themselves with the lippies itself and not just its shades.
Maia: That’s really what we want to encourage women to do—to find their signature color. We will be introducing 10 Rouge Signature girls who will embody each shade in the collection. Heart’s shade is I Am Worth It. Mari Jasmine, Divine Lee, Patty Tiu will also be part of it—each showcasing a signature shade. So it’s really about discovering what your signature is—what do you want to represent? What is your promise for yourself?
What are your personal favorites from the 10 shades?
Maia: That’s really what we want to encourage women to do—to find their signature color. We will be introducing 10 Rouge Signature girls who will embody each shade in the collection. Heart’s shade is I Am Worth It. Mari Jasmine, Divine Lee, Patty Tiu will also be part of it—each showcasing a signature shade. So it’s really about discovering what your signature is—what do you want to represent? What is your promise for yourself?
What are your personal favorites from the 10 shades?
Maia: I’m a dark lippie kind of girl, so my shade would have to be I Enjoy. Our star shade of course is I Am Worth It, worn by Heart Evangelista. She did Paris Fashion Week and that turned out to be her favorite shade. I Enjoy and I Am Worth It would land on my personal top 2. A classic red lip will never go out of style, you know? Any shade of pink, based on what the trend is, can be a little more cool-toned, warm-toned, depending on what’s popular at the time. But a true red is a classic. It’ll last through all the years. I think that’s why it’s the star shade, it’s such a universal color—it looks good on any one and everyone.
Any tips on Filipinas who are still qualm about wearing bolder lip colors?Maia: A makeup artist taught me before to line your lips with concealer. When wearing dark lip shades, make sure you put concealer around the area, it stops the bleed and helps you perfect the lines. Just try it. I Am Worth It would be the top shade we recommend. It’s a true red in an incredible new formula. Try it on with a first layer, and keep building it.
Photos by Karl Davin Hui
Photos by Karl Davin Hui
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