Surratt Lipslique in Ladybug

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I indulged in a few Surratt Beauty products way back in April of 2014, when they were exclusive to Barneys.  Founded by Troy Surratt, the line is supposed to combine "the elegance of Paris, the innovation of Tokyo, and the experience of a top New York makeup artist" - Troy himself, who began his career working with makeup legend Kevyn Aucoin and also helped launch Tarte Cosmetics.  No slouch there.

I didn't review Ladybug at the time since the products were hard to locate and the dwindling stock wasn't being replenished online, as far as I could tell.  However, now that Sephora is carrying Surratt Beauty, time to remedy that!

Ladybug is described as a warm coral, and does a really good job capturing the color of real ladybugs.  I can remember rock climbing in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina once and getting swarmed by Ladybugs.  Fortunately, that's not an insect swarm that would scare me, and you don't want to freak out when clinging to a rock face.

The Lipsliques have a design feature (some would say a flaw) that's important to be aware of:  they twist up but will not twist down.  Beyond that, they are easy to apply and Ladybug provides a sheer, glossy  medium orange tint to the lips.  The formula features Macadamia Seed Oil and Vitamin E and wears comfortably for about 3 hours on me, which is decent for a relatively non-sticky gloss.

Here's the biggest drawback for me in acquiring more Lipliques:  they are $34 and they are small - about half the size of a Revlon Lip Butter.  Which they kind of remind me of, except Revlon's Lip Butters are about $7-$8.  I'm not sure there's anything distinct enough about the Lipsliques unless you find a unique shade (Ladybug is somewhat unique to my collection), but there are 18 different shades to tempt you. 

Cantaloup Artistique Blush by Troy Surratt

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I'm not sure when orange became one of those colors that I naturally gravitate towards, but I know it has to have been after high school.  Back then, I thought orange was one of the ugliest colors, ever.  Funny how tastes change.

Enter Cantaloup Artistique Blush by Troy Surratt, a new cosmetic brand exclusive to Barney's.  Described as a "golden melon", this is a color I'm simultaneously drawn to and that pushes my blush color boundaries.

The packaging is both sleek and minimalistic, as

founder Troy Surratt believes that “All good design eliminates excess waste and is responsible.” With minimal and recyclable materials, his Artistique Blushes reflect that philosophy.

Housed in a custom-tooled case, with no aluminum separating the makeup from its holder, the plastic container can be recycled once the blush is finished.  It will also fit into build your own palettes that are sold separately, using an adhesive backing.  Not sure how I feel about that, although I get that using a magnet would have defeated the whole easy to recycle aspect.

The color is actually quite soft, although it does have a decidedly yellow undertone.  I've worn it on it's own and wasn't quite sure if it took me into sallow territory without providing much color.

Cantaloup alone

I love the formula, however, which is finely milled and one of those that melds nicely into the skin with a natural looking finish.  So, I decided mixing it over a cream blush was the way to go, as it warms up the underlying color but the color mixing keeps it from leaving me jaundiced looking.  Below I'm wearing it over Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide cream blush in Nectar (review here).  Win/win, I think!

Cantaloup over Nectar

The Artistique blushes come in ten different shades, retail for $32, and are exclusive to Barney's New York.  Really nice formula - I like!