Price: $1000 per year GWP
Sephora has three tiers for its customers: BI (beauty insider), VIB ($350), and yours truly, VIB Rouge ($1000+).
If you spend more than $1000 in a given year, you are given the “VIB Rouge” status until the exact date of the next year. (ex. status earned on “Nov 21st, 2016” will last till “Nov 21, 2017”) People debate over the merits of this status, but for the sake of this post, I’d love to focus on the gift you receive upon renewing your Rouge status.
This is the 2016 Rouge renewal gift in its customary red box.
The design of these boxes seem to change every year, but they’re all red (or rouge, in french).
2016’s gift is a mini version of NARS blush in “Goulue,”a limited shade exclusive to the VIB Rouges.
I’m pretty happy with this gift; NARS is famous for their iconic blushes, and their formula is superb. Beautiful color, too. They saved a good one for the Rouges.
You receive “0.14 oz / 4 g ” of product with this deluxe sample blush.
I have an “Orgasm” blush in this size that lasted me a year (with good use), so I expect this to last a while.
That gorgeous shade though.
The shade is a muted dusty-rose with just enough glow, something that might appeal to those who dislike Orgasm for its excessive shimmer. I happen to like both blushes, but this one will get more daily use.
Swatch in natural light. As all NARS blushes go, “Goulue” is very pigmented and buttery smooth. It lasts forever on me.
On my cheeks.
Do go light-handed with this blush!
I believe it compliments all skin tones (it has near perfect five stars from over 130 reviews on Sephora), but it will be easier to go clown on lighter skinned ladies. I was shocked when I first dabbed the tiniest amount (barely grazing the surface with my brush) and ended up with clown cheeks.
No heavy-hands, unless you want to rock that look.
Now the 2015 gift.
Left is the 2015 Rouge Gift Box. Right is the 2016.
2015’s Rouge Renewal gift (my very first) was Marc Jacob’s lipstick in “240 So Rouge,” another VIB Rouge exclusive shade in a LE package.
This was also a limited shade, and I believe it’s gone for now… (why…)
A true blood-red, super pigmented, creamy. Glides on like a dream.
You receive ” 0.03oz/ 1g” worth of product, which is equal to your regular deluxe sixed Marc Jacobs lipstick.
Trying to find a dupe, I played the crazy-lipstick-lady game… and I really suck at this don’t I. Swatches in different natural lighting. Far left is “So Rouge.”
I’ve idly dubbed all of these shades a generic “red” at one point, and it’s only now that I’m realizing how wrong I was.
The closest dupe I could find color-wise was MAC’s Ruby Woo, but MAC doesn’t compare to MJ’s consistency and wear. MJ’s Le Marc formula was much more forgiving on my dry lips than MAC’s matte formula.
Formula-wise, a close dupe was Revlon and Nars Audacious (but Audacious wins on longevity and pigmentation).
I wish they would make these beauties a permanent instead of whisking them away so soon.
Goulue is still around, so snap one up if you like this shade. I really don’t need more red lippies so I’m okay with having missed a full-sized “So Rouge,” but I’ll be sad if “Goulue” disappears.
Thanks for reading my review and have a beautiful day 🙂
How do you like the VIB Rouge gifts? Would you rather they stayed around and became permanent? Would you buy a full size of these?
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