Review: Guerlain Rouge G in Grenade

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Update: Curious how the Rouge G re-launch (2018) stacks up against the original? I’ve got an updated review right here.

This was my first-ever luxury brand makeup, a holiday gift from me to me. I’ve had it so long that I keep completely forgetting to review it and it occurred to me not long ago that I should go ahead and do that. Otherwise it might show up in my empties before I got to! As you can see from the little nub that’s left of it, it’s been good to me.

(Jump to the summary)

Packaging

Guerlain Rouge G’s are one of those products where the packaging really matters – not gonna lie, it’s one of the main reasons I bought this one. It comes in a metal case, and I don’t mean plastic with a tiny shell of metal. It’s for-real metal. The top is held on magnetically, and the G logo button at the bottom holds shut a lid that has mirrors on both surfaces. When you take the top off the mirrored lid automatically springs open. Pretty damn clever, if you ask me. Lipstick is really the only makeup I touch up during the day, so it’s nice to not need a separate compact mirror. Also, it just looks really, really luxe.

Despite all the many things I love about it, the Rouge G case does have some drawbacks. It’s pretty bulky, which can be annoying in a slim clutch. It’s also heavy. Not heavy enough to make a noticeable difference in my regular purse, but in a tiny wristlet I can definitely tell it’s in there. And as you can see from mine, the potential for scratch-age is there. Granted, I’ve been tossing this lipstick into my bag for something like two years so I actually think it’s doing ok.

Color

Grenade, one swipe

Left: Rouge G Grenade, Right: Burberry Lip Cover Claret (reviewed here)

Left: Rouge G Grenade, 2 swipes, Right: Burberry Claret, 2 swipes

Grenade is a bright, semi-sheer watermelon pink with fine shimmers. According to Guerlain’s product description, the Rouge G line uses ruby powder to give it its shine. So maybe the price isn’t all for the name & packaging, but I can’t help thinking of the diamond cream from Arrested Development. I won’t say it’s a perfect universal color for every person and situation in the whole world (because I don’t believe there’s any such thing) but it does go well with just about any makeup colors I’ve tried. Hence the tiny little stub – it’s one of the lipsticks I wear when I don’t know what lipstick to wear.

Texture, application & wear

Here’s a closeup shot of the shimmers for you, because my macro lens was getting lonely. That picture makes it look a little bit gritty, but I promise you it’s not. It applies smoothly and evenly, even straight from the bullet, without gathering in lines. Basically, the texture is just beautiful. The formula has hyaluronic acid spheres and wild mango butter (not sure how that’s different than non-wild mangoes?) that makes it very moisturizing. It’s not slippery or thick, it just keeps my lips feeling nice and healthy.

I typically get about 3 or 4 hours of full-color wear, even with my extreme coffee addiction. After that it leaves a good stain for an hour or two, so I can wait until after lunch to touch up.

For those of you that have feels about fragranced lipsticks, this one does have a noticeable (though short-lived) scent. Here’s what Guerlain has to say about it:

Top notes sparkle with a lemon, orange and bergamot accord. The rose and iris heart exudes sweetness. The vanilla and tonka bean dry-down gives Rouge G all of its intensity.

I, on the other hand, would say it has a fruity-floral scent. And this is probably why I don’t really do fragrance reviews. Even though it looks like that fragrance should be coming out of a bottle instead of a lipstick tube, don’t worry – it’s not strong enough for other people to smell it, and it wears off pretty quickly.

Guerlain Rouge G ($53) is available at nordstrom.com and sephora.com