This month Burberry launches a new lip formula called the Liquid Lip Velvet ($34 each for 6 ml). There are 14 shades total with full opaque creamy coverage in bold matte colors. They have a lightweight whipped texture that covers the lip flawlessly and beautifully. The formula is just exquisite especially given the fact that these are full coverage and very matte in finish. I ordered five shades sight unseen based on online stock swatches. In the past I’ve been smitten with a number of the neutrals and nudes from Burberry as they are typically well executed and extremely flattering. (Review of the Kisses formula here.) I had high hopes for these as they looked perfect in the tubes! However out of the five shades I ordered I felt a bit let down after testing these – the colors just don’t work for my skintone.
The Liquid Lip Velvet formula is excellent – it’s unscented, smooth, offers perfect flawless coverage. For a matte liquid lip product it’s everything that I could dream of. However I found the shades I picked lacking. There was something missing in each of the colors I tested. They looked either too light, too dusty, a bit faded, or just simply did not have the right undertone for my olive skin. Being that they are matte I do think you need a smooth lip surface otherwise flakes or dry patches will be emphasized. They are also not transfer resistant. The light airy whipped texture makes these super comfortable to wear, but once on the lips they don’t set or stick like the ones from Anastasia Beverly Hills or Kat Von D. As long as you don’t touch your lips though they last remarkably well and don’t slide or bleed.
Close up of the sponge tip applicators:
Swatches, without flash:
Light Nude is a pale light beige cream
Fawn Rose is a dusty light cool neutral rose pink
Primrose is a bright blue-based pink
Dark Rosewood is a brownish rose
Fawn is a brown nude tan
With flash:
Lip swatches, below I’m wearing the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundations in Bisque and Sable mixed. Light nude is too pale for my complexion but I like that it has smooth streak-free coverage. Fawn Rose looks ok in the lip swatch but when seen on the entire face it washes me out. Primrose is such a gorgeous pink but has too much blue for my olive skin. Dark Rosewood looks a bit dark when seen against my whole face. Fawn is the one shade I think I can wear easily.
Comparison swatches of the nude shade:
- Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Noble
- Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Light Nude
- Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme in Riche
- NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Stripped and Unlaced (review here)
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Stripped and Pure Hollywood
- By Terry Velvet Rouge #1
- Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bow N Arrow
- Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Fawn Over Me (review here)
- Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Bestie (review here)
Comparisons of the pinks and rose shades:
- Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick in Baci and Fresco
- Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Fawn Rose
- Bare Minerals Gen Nude Matte Lip Color in Slay
- NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (review here)
- Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Slow Burn (review here)
- Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet in Dark Rosewood and Fawn
- Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Hot Cocoa (review here)
- Cle de Peau Radiant Rouge #12 (review here)
- Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint in Rose
Bottom line I have a love hate with these. The formula is really quite good and I love how comfortable they feel on the lips. As much as I love the long lasting power of traditional liquid lipsticks, sometimes the way they dry down just doesn’t feel all that great. The Burberry Liquid Lip Velvets feel like cashmere on the lips. I’m really bummed the colors didn’t work as I had hoped for me. I think my coloring for my skintone right now makes it where the ones I picked are unflattering, flat and dusty-looking on my skin. Based on the online stock photos I suspect I would have found the darker shades like Oxblood or Bright Plum more flattering on my olive yellow skin. I do think I can pull off the shades Fawn Rose and Dark Rosewood with a bit of tweaking if I add a soft rose or pink lipliner. On one occasion I mixed Fawn Rose with MAC Dervish and it helped warm up and deepen the color a bit.
If I were to do this one over, I would have passed on all of the colors. I do regret buying these. That being said I am more of a gloss and regular lipstick person.
You can find the Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet online now at Sephora and Nordstrom. They retail for $34 each. I have one more liquid lipstick review to do before I do a roundup and comparison of liquid lipsticks I’ve tested. Do you have a favorite formula? If you tried these let me know what you thought!
