REVIEW: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick

hello readers!!
i had the fabulous opportunity to review two lipsticks from Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Natural collection.

let's start with the packaging: i love it! the lipsticks come in a sleek rectangular casing with the words "Make Up For Ever" divided onto 4 sides. the cap slides off like a regular lipstick and has the clicking noise when it has been closed securely.
each lipstick is 3.5 g and retails for $22 CDN at Sephora. there are a total of 50 shades available within the Rouge Artist Natural collection and 18 of them are sold at Sephora. the rest can be purchased by email or by phone. these 50 shades can be divided into 3 types of finishes: satin, iridescent and diamond.
the two colors i received were: N15 (Pink Brick) and N32 (Diamond Pink Violet).

this Natural collection was released in April this year after the success of the Rouge Artist Intense collection. MUFE decided to expand Rouge Artist Natural just a bit by including two limited edition lipsticks under their La Boheme line.

MUFE uses the terms "wearable", "sheer yet radiant" and "natural coverage" to describe these lipsticks and i completely agree with them. i was initially a little intimidated by the color once i took off the cap. once i applied it though, the color was more translucent. the lipsticks glided on my lips very easily due to their creamy texture. it is possible to build the color if a more opaque color is desired. i find that these felt like a lip butter in that they are moisturizing AND pigmented at the same time. i also feel that i can apply it (pretty) confidently without using a mirror. note there is the "lipstick scent" to it and a slight taste. the wear of these lipsticks are pretty good - if you are careful while eating/drinking, you probably can avoid reapplying it but personally, i prefer to since you'd lose most of the shine factor.

and onto the swatches...

N15 Pink Brick
when i first looked at the sticker at the end of the tube, i thought it would be a light coral-ly color. however, the lipstick itself resembles its name "Brick" but rather than "Pink", i feel as if it's more of a brownish red. on the MUFE website, this color is categorized under the "Brown" family. i believe this shade falls under the satin type of finish. it's a warm color that makes me look older but in a good way (like you know how a hot pink would probably be more of a "young" color?). let's call it a "sophisticated" color.

top right to bottom: artificial light; natural light

N32 Diamond Pink Violet
this one is obviously a diamond finish since it is packed with glitter. the shade has a blue undertone that is just a little too blue for my taste (on that note, a little too sparkly too). this one is listed under "Fresh Pink" on the MUFE website. when first applied, i could feel the grittiness of the glitter when i pressed my lips together but as time went on, it was less noticeable. after five and a half hours in which i had some snacks and drank tea, most of the pink had faded but the glitter was more resistant. i actually preferred this lighter pink hue.

top right to bottom: artificial light; natural light

swatch on my arm - one swipe of each:

left to right: N15 Pink Brick; N32 Diamond Pink Violet

top to bottom: artificial light; natural light

overall, i am very happy with the quality of these lipsticks. i can wear them comfortably when i apply one layer and when i feel a little more adventurous, i can pile a couple more on. i'd like to look into other color options, probably something under "Coral", "Beige" or "Warm Pink" next time i am at Sephora. i don't tend to spend a lot of money on just one lipstick (i usually buy drugstore brands) since i always buy so many but if i find a really nice color, i just might fork it over.

have you tried these yet? what do you think?

disclaimer: i received these lipsticks from Make Up For Ever Canada for review. much thanks to Charlotte for the opportunity. the opinions above are a reflection of my honest feelings.