Nars 'Red Square' vs Bourjois 'Hot Pepper'

I'm pretty ashamed to admit that my lipstick stash is about 80% sheer products.  Despite this though, I'm a sucker for the perfect bright red lip - and when reviews started popping up all over the place for the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets I had to go pick one up!  The main reason I tend to avoid brighter lippies is that they'll wear off my lips in no time at all - even the longer lasting formulas, so I decided to give 'Hot Pepper' a go to see if it lived up to the hype.

'03 Hot Pepper'
The packaging feels very sturdy, thank goodness
(you wouldn't want this stuff getting all over the
inside of your makeup bag!)

As a matte lip cream goes, it feels very comfortable and gel-like on the lips.  The first time I applied it, I slathered it on like nobody's business as the colour was coming out quite sheer.  Unfortunately, this meant it never dried properly and it wore off in under an hour.  In subsequent applications, I worked a small amount into the lips and to waited for it to dry properly and then layered up.  I also didn't use a lip balm immediately before, instead patting it on afterwards to stop my lips drying out completely (this does mean you lose a little of the matte effect, but I otherwise I'd end up with lips like the Sahara!)

A couple of weeks later though, I caved and purchased the one lip product that had been on my lust-list for months - Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Red Square'.  Immediately upon using it I realised that the colour is almost identical to the Bourjois!

You get 2.4g of Nars, and 6.7ml of Bourjois.
However, as the latter is in lipgloss-esque packaging
it's likely to expire earlier (much harder to keep hygienic.)

The pencil form is easier to use on the go, and the scent is much nicer - tart cherries compared to the almost industrial plastic-y Bourjois.  The wear time is pretty similar - although I have noticed that the Nars oxidises to a berry shade (underneath, not on top, you only see once all the product has worn off i.e. in the evening).  This also happens with a lot of lip products with me, so it may just be the pH of my lips (sorry!)  Having had a little Google, a couple of other people have recommended using 'Hot Pepper' as a base to stain, and then topping up throuout the day with 'Red Square'.  This definitely works well, as 'Red Square' is a lot less messy to apply and it means that you don't end up with any patchiness (and I can justify the purchase of both to myself - oh dear...!)

L-R: Bourjois 'Hot Pepper', Nars 'Red Square'
Pretty much dupes, right?

I've also found that using a proper lip scrub dramatically improves the wear time.  The Lush one called 'Mint Julips' tastes divine, but if you're on a budget there are plenty of recipes online to make your own.  My favourite balm to prep with is Nuxe's 'Rêve de Miel' - this completely healed my lips one time when they were wrecked by windburn and I can't live without it.  I'll leave this on whilst doing the rest of my makeup, and then wipe the excess off before applying the lipstick.  A fantastic cheaper option is the Body Shop's Cocoa Butter balm - which smells delicious and really does help to clear up dry areas (I've even used this on patches of dry skin on my face in emergencies!)

And here's a pic of the prep 'n' prime products, tacked on at the end.
Not the most travel-friendly packaging, but it sure does feel luxe!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets are £8.99 at Boots.
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are £18 at Space.nk (free delivery code here).
Lush 'Mint Julips' is £5.50 here.
Nuxe's balm is £9.50 at Space.nk.
The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lipcare Stick is £4 here.

xxx