There’s a certain speed that is necessary when talking about a limited edition product. Add in the fact that it’s Chanel, then the festive factor and subsequent gift buying pandemonium, and I need to talk even faster. The Chanel Rouge Allure lipsticks aren’t going to be lying around the beauty counter for long.
Chanel’s 2019 Christmas beauty offering included a range of Rouge Allure lipsticks that are quite simply beautiful. So many brands choose to bring out a festive red lipstick at this time of year. Christmas – bold lip – red. It’s a guaranteed popularity vote – an easy A. Who isn’t interested in a red lipstick for Christmas? So when Chanel released not one, not two, but six festive lipsticks I was interested. And when I saw how unique they each were, how obviously not-just-red, I was online, bouncing from out of stock to not currently available, trying to get my hands on the goods. Back to that fast talking:
If you’re after a festive lipstick, but aren’t a strictly red lipstick wearer, this is the collection for you. Yes, there is a classic red in there, but there’s also so much more. I like to think of these lipsticks as the Christmas lip colour for you no matter where in the world you’re celebrating; rich berry reds for those trudging through snow, or electric and bright pinky hues for those in the tropical sunshine. More sensibly, they also suit a vast range of skin tones and makeup vibes – win, win.
Rouge Délicieux is an easy to wear, nudey-plum. It is by far the most easy going, least dramatic of the bunch. This shade is definitely less rosy than I had hoped, leaning a little browner, a little more winey on the lips, but it’s a good every day colour.
Rouge Splendide, by contrast, is an incredibly vibrant, bright pinky coral but without the usual orange tinge. This is like Christmas by the beach, for those celebrating in the southern hemisphere. Up the bronzed skin a touch, keep the rest of your makeup simple, and this lipstick really pops.
Rouge Majestueux surprised me as I had thought it perhaps too deep and vampy for my taste from online descriptions. Swatched on my hand, it’s a beautiful berry-pink tone. Applied on the lips its perhaps a touch deeper, a touch more red, but still an extremely wearable, winter-wonderland type red.
I couldn’t resist the classic – it is Chanel after all – and so I searched high and low (and endured the patience of international shipping) for Rouge Spectaculaire. This bright, fiery red is the sort of colour that brightens the whites of your eyes and teeth spectacularly. It’s collectable, vintage-feeling and completely perfect for the holidays.
There is also a more orange-red available in Rouge Magnifique, and a deep, winey hue in Rouge Noble.
You can’t talk about Chanel and not mention the packaging. These lipsticks have been released in gorgeous gold-trimmed black cases with the classic push-button top that’s adorned with a brushed gold Chanel logo. They feel incredibly luxurious and special and would be a beautiful gift for someone special, or to yourself.
The lipstick texture is creamy and they have a gorgeous shine on the lips – a welcome change after so much matte – but the pigment is strong and one swipe gives an incredible deep wash of colour. You’ll have to rush to pick these up before they sell out, but if you do manage it they are guaranteed to be colours you’ll wear year round – not just on Christmas Day.
Find Chanel Rouge Allure at Chanel.com, David Jones and Nordstrom.