Initial Review: Rimmel Show Off Lip Velvet

First off Happy New Year!!!!!!!

So matte liquid lipsticks seem to be all the rage for the new year.  So long glossy stains, it was a fun ride.

So I got these at Walgreens where at the time of this post they were buy one get one half off (Remember when everything was buy one get one free?  Who's the ass that came up with buy one get one half off?).  You also got 3,000 points with a $10 Rimmel purchase.  I honestly still don't get how the Walgreens reward card works though, I just know I need it to get certain discounts so I'm all in.  At $5.29 each regular price they come up to a little less than $4 each after the discount.

Colors

From top to bottom: Meteoric Matte, Apollo, Atomic Rose and Burning Lava

These came in 5 colors.  I got 4 of them (minus Orange-ology).  The ones I got were: Burning Lava, Meteoric Matte, Atomic Rose and Apollo.  Apollo is a US exclusive shade.  These 4 shades while a sparse selection, cover every basic lip need I could have.

Apollo: Creamy beige color that gives a "concealer lips" effect.  This one is great to pair with heavy eye makeup.

Atomic Rose: A peachy coral shade that looks great for a more natural look.

Meteoric Matte: A berry/wine color that leans more towards berry.  A great vampy shade that isn't too dramatic.  Would go great with simple winged liner.

Burning Lava:  Classic red!  Darker and more blue than Big Bang from their Show Off Lip Lacquer line.  This is just an amazing red that everyone should have.

Packaging

The packaging is very similar to the Lip Lacquer packaging.  The differences are that there is a silver band on the tube that says MATTE.  It also says Lip Velvet instead of Lip Lacquer on the package.  The entire tube also has a slightly matte effect to it while the tube for the Lip Lacquer is shiny.  

The differences between the Lip Lacquer and the Lip Velvet

One gripe I do have is that the applicator seems a bit too big for the tube (either that or the reducer opening is too small).  I have had to pull harder to get the wand out of the tube than I had to with the Lip Lacquers.  This has resulted in some product splatter so I would be careful with opening them, especially the bright colors.  

Also, if a tube has been opened and tested it's harder to tell with these than with the lip lacquers.  You will need to see if product is gathered around the reducer to be sure it wasn't tested.  I assume this is due to the difference in formula.

The tube looks like it hasn't been tested

But pull the wand all the way until you can see the reducer to make sure.  This was already tested twice.

Formula

No complaints here.  The pigmentation is on point as with the Lip Lacquers and the product glides on very smoothly.  It has a silicone feel to it that you may or may not like, I find it similar to Chanel Rouge Velvet.  The smell is also kind of weird but it doesn't stay on your lips.  With this formula I find that less is more.  

Top to bottom: Burning Lava, Meteoric Matte, Atomic Rose and Apollo with flash.

Top to bottom: Burning Lava, Meteoric Matte, Atomic Rose and Apollo indoors.

Top to bottom: Burning Lava, Meteoric Matte, Atomic Rose and Apollo under my daylight bulbs.

For a matte lip product, it really isn't very matte.  It's more of a demi matte when I apply it like my other liquid lipsticks, if you want this to look as matte as possible then make sure to apply the product with a light hand.  Don't worry about coverage since it's super pigmented.  You can also blot the lips after application to matte it out more.  

The darker colors will stain your lips so be aware of that.  I find them to be comfortable to wear and they don't dry my lips out.  They do transfer a little bit (especially around the mouth opening) but overall the color stays put.

Value

These are great!  At around $5 each regular priced, you can buy all 5 colors and it would still be cheaper than getting one Chanel Lipstick.  You don't need a lot of product at all so these will last a long time even with everyday use.  These also tend to go on sale quite often so if you don't get them this time then don't worry there will always be a later opportunity.  Overall I really do like Rimmel lip products.  I have never been disappointed in anything I tried and the price point makes them a great value for the quality offered.

Hope this was helpful.  If you have any questions leave them in the comments.  Again Happy New Year to everyone out there.  May your new year bring joy and prosperity!

Live Happy!