It’s crazy that after 7 years of beauty blogging, I’m still discovering new brands. Clarins is definitely not new to the beauty world, but I haven’t personally had a chance to try them until now. That’s a huge mistake because I’ve been loving the Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks! The most unique thing is that every one of their 20 shade comes in 3 finishes (regular, sheer, and velvet)! This is such a fantastic idea since I’ve heard so many times from people loving a shade but not the finish.
For the review today, I have all 3 formulas of shade 742 which is a beautiful true red. This is going to be a very pretty color to wear for the winter and holiday parties!
Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant
If you are looking for a more sheer finish, the Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant is the formula for you. It is described as a moisturizing perfect shine sheer lipstick. It goes on with medium pigmentation and a slightly glossy finish. For this shade, the color is definitely more than just “sheer” but for a lighter color, your natural lip color may peek through. I’m usually a huge fan of glossy lips but for bright reds, I don’t like it as much. I find it slips easier than matte or satins and therefore you run a higher risk of smearing the lipstick. It is still pretty but I prefer the next two finishes more for this specific shade!
In terms of packaging, it comes in a classic lipstick bullet with a very reflective light gold color. The one bit of detail is the “c” with an angle on the lid. There is a really nice weight to the cap which makes the lipstick bullet feel luxurious. However, the twist up is a bit loose and doesn’t give that super smooth feel of my other high end lipsticks. Overall, it’s a simple classy packaging, although a tad boring for my liking.
Clarins Joli Rouge Velvet
The newest finish to join the Clarins family is the Joli Rouge Velvet. Matte lips have been popular for quite a few years now with liquid lipsticks being all the rage. They’ve honestly never really worked for my lips especially the nude shades. The Joli Rouge Velvet finish is exactly like it’s name, with a velvet softness. There’s no visible sheen but it doesn’t look like it’s sucking all the moisture out of your skin. For the shade 742, I liked this finish the best! It tugs a bit more on the lips but I like that with bold shades as it gives me more control in the application. I also think reds look better opaque and without gloss.
Clarins Joli Rouge
The classic Joli Rouge is the moisturizing long-wearing lipstick. The finish on this has a slight satin sheen and almost a slight gloss look as well. The color goes on very smoothly and creamy. It leaves a slight stain and wears for a long time even if you are drinking and eating. It’s not wipe resistant though so your cups and napkins will definitely have lipstick marks. But I wore this to a dinner and it still looked quite respectable at the end.
All of these lipsticks are enriched with mango oil for moisturization. They definitely feel really comfortable and weightless on the lips! I also like the fruity scent. I know some people don’t like scents but this one doesn’t smell artificial at all and is only noticeable for a little while. Unlike liquid lipsticks, these feel super comfortable on the lips! I don’t think they are moisturizing enough to wear on a daily basis but one night will not leave your lips dry!
Here is a swatch of all three of them side by side: Joli Rouge Brillant, Joli Rouge Velvet, and Joli Rouge. As you can see, it is the same shade but the Joli Rouge Brillant pulls way more pink because it’s a more sheer color. I think it’s such a fantastic idea to have choices of finish in all the lipstick shade offerings. I just decluttered my red lipstick collection last year but looks like I’ll have to do another round soon with this and the Lancome lipstick I just got as well!
Which of these formulas do you like best?