Review and Swatches: Rockalily Lipstick in Roulette Red

Rockalily is a company founded by the wonderfully named ReeRee Rockette, a classy dame who dresses in a vintage inspired rockabilly style which goes hand in hand with a great red lip.  The lipstick range was born in response to a lack of a perfect lipstick in the market - Rockalily lipsticks promise great pigmentation, comfortable, non-drying wear, and a non-feathering matte finish.

First impressions of the packaging are good - I love the tattoo inspired leopard and lily graphics on the box.  The lipstick itself, however, was less love at first sight - the tube is black plasic, a mix of matte effect and shiny, and it's rather lightweight in the hand.  It feels a little bit hollow, and a little bit cheap, in fact - which, given that the lipstick costs £14, is a little bit disappointing.

The shape of the bullet is unusual - it's a slim ovoid shape, as opposed to the more common teardrop shape.  The smaller surface area makes it much easier to apply this colour straight from the bullet than a "normal" lipstick - and it also allows for much more precision around the edges of the lips, which is a definite bonus as far as I'm concerned (I rarely use a lip brush for red lips).  

Whilst I was disappointed with the packaging of this lipstick, I am absolutely bowled over by the pigmentation, texture and wear.  A single pass over the lips deposits rich, opaque colour with a semi-matte finish, and the colour feels comfortable on the lips for hours and hours.  After four or five hours, it fades down into more of a cherry-stain, and reapplying over the top of the left overs is perfectly easy to do.  The fade is completely even, with no red outline and bare inner lip at all, just an even, softened red throughout.

My lips haven't felt dry or uncomfortable at all whilst I've been wearing this lipstick, and I've been wearing it a fair bit since I bought it.  In fact, the formula is so wonderful that I've been wearing it more than my much loved (and much more expensive) By Terry lipstick.  I've already bought another (in the wonderfully named shade of Sailors Beware), and I'll definitely be looking out for new shades being added to the collection.  If you're a lover of a red lip... BUY THIS.  You won't regret it.

Rockalily lipsticks are available exclusively from the Rockalily website, where each lipstick will cost you £14 + P&P of £2.50.  There are 4 permanent shades available. with 4 limited edition shades around at the moment.  Tried Rockalily?  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments!