Chanel Murmure Glossimer: Sample Series v. 7

I'm gathering that the French "murmure" means to whisper softly, and Chanel's Murmure Glossimer is indeed a soft whisper of coral pink.  It reminds me of the inside of a conch shell that I picked up while snorkeling in St. Martin in the West Indies.

The formula is lightweight, relatively non-sticky, and comfortable to wear.  For a sheer and somewhat milky gloss, Murmure does provide some color to my lips.  Soft color, but color nontheless.  It also has the benefit  of minimal settling in my lip lines, and would make a nice lip tint or lipstick topper if you are looking for more color impact.

At $29.50, I'm not sure it's a color I would invest in, given my currently overflowing stash of lip glosses.  I do think it's lovely and like the formula though!

BECCA Beach Tint Blush in Watermelon

Disclaimer:  This was a GWP.

BECCA Beach Tint blushes are gel/cream based tints for both your cheeks and lips, although I find them better as a cheek tint.  I received Watermelon as a GWP when I purchased several BECCA products a while back, which may have been what motivated me to delve into the line to begin with.  Well, that and all the positive reviews on BECCA products I've read online.

Described as a bright pink, I'd say it's more of a medium rosy pink that is very wearable on my slightly tanned summer complexion.  It's definitely not an "in your face" color, and in fact I found I needed to build up color in order to have it make an impact on it's own.

My application technique was to place a pea sized dab on a mixing tray and then use a small stipling brush to apply to my cheeks.  You have to work fairly quick to smooth out the color before it sets, but I did find the result to be a smooth and natural looking flush of color.

I've got oily skin and I found that Watermelon wore on me for about 7 hours before I noticed fading.  To extend wear, I've worn it under a powder blush, which lasted all day.  There is a fairly strong fruity scent, but I found it pleasant and it was more noticeable straight out of the tube as opposed to after applying.  As to the water-resistant claim?  I have no idea. 

As a lip tint, the effect is subtle but natural looking.  On their own they are a bit drying, but topping with a balm solves that problem. 

Watermelon on cheeks and lips

I've read that these have a tendency to separate in the tube, so shaking vigorously prior to applying is important, but I haven't experienced any separation issues yet.  I like Watermelon enough that I'm très tempted to purchase the beach tint/cream shadow set available for VIB's at Sephora, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  It's definitely a good deal at $44, as the Beach Tints are $25 each and cream shadows are $24, and you are getting two of each.  I may have just talked myself into getting the set.

Watermelon on cheeks

Odds and Ends: Cargo 75% off at Ulta, Butter London Haul

Well, I was going to tell you about some deeply discounted Cargo products at Ulta (online only), but when I went back to look for them, nothing is showing up.  Hmmm, not sure if that is a glitch or what, but looks like Ulta will no longer be carrying the Canadian makeup brand Cargo, as everything was deeply discounted at 75% off at ulta.com in the sale section early Sunday morning.  I picked up several items, assuming they honor my purchase.  Weird that no Cargo products are showing up now, unless they all sold out!

Last week I scored quite a few Butter London polishes on sale at Ulta.  The neutral toned Boxing Day Fashion Pack mini's ($17.50, still available) definitely appealed to me, but I also couldn't pass up 3 full sized Butter London's at such a good price ($19.50, sold out, but another set available).  Factor in that a mini Snog is a GWP with any $35 Button London purchase, and I now have 9 new colors.  Not that I need them, but I have 'em.

It's also 3X points for Platinum Rewards members and 2X for regular members, which is always nice.  One hundred rewards points will get you $3.00 off a purchase, and with the double or triple points they can rack up quickly:-)

Boxing Day Fashion Pack

NOTD: Cinnamon Water-Based Nail Polish by Suncoat

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I received Cinnamon in my May Eco Emi box, and the color and water-based formula intrigued me.  I'll admit I was a bit skeptical and was envisioning that this would wear about as long as, well, a hot minute.  Guess who was pleasantly surprised?

Application was not without it's issues, as the first and second coats were a bit uneven looking, with both bald spots and visible brush strokes.  So, I did a final 3rd coat, not really expecting much.

Cinnamon dries down to a rather dull finish that wasn't particularly fetching, so I topped it with Seche Vite and figured 'what the hell, I can always put glitter on top'.  Turns out it was pretty enough with a top coat that I've let it be, and after 4 days of wear I've got minor tip wear with some minor tip wear.

So hey, I'm pleasantly surprised at how nice this is!  Apparently, a water-based nail polish has been long sought after, but issues such as poor wear and a long drying time had to be overcome.  Suncoat came up with some innovative technology, and now there is a nail polish that is:

• ~65% water
• environmentally friendly
• does not dry or discolor nails
• virtually odor-free
• non-flammable
• Mineral pigments and natural ingredients based

It's not 100% natural, but if you want polished nails without overloading yourself with chemicals, these may be a viable option.  I seem to remember receiving another one of Suncoat's polishes last year, I need to search my stash and try it out as well.  Suncoat's water-based polishes are $9.99 each and come in 22 different colors. 

Linking up with The Nail Files hosted by Jennie Shaw:

Chanel Bohème Rouge Coco Hydrating Sheer Lipshine: Sample Series v. 6

I love samples, especially when there is enough product to allow you several uses so that you can really form an opinion. Factor in some of the more expensive brands like Chanel, and it's doubly nice when you can sample prior to purchase. 

Bohème was one of four new Rouge Coco Shine shades released this spring, and it's a lovely medium strawberry pink on me.  Interestingly, I've seen it described as a coral orange and as a fresh radiant red, but it definitely leans pink on me. 

It's sheer but can be built up enough that you get some color impact.  I like the finish a lot - plenty of sheen without the stickiness that can come with high shine.  The texture is lightweight and comfortable to wear, with a lasting power of about 3 hours. 

Quite pretty, but I'm not sure that it's unique enough to motivate me to purchase at $35.  I'll definitely use up the sample, however, and reserve the right to change my mind :-)

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!

MAKE Luminous Lip Gloss Cream in Dragon Fruit

Disclaimer:  This was a GWP.

MAKE is a newish brand that also has a mission to give back, with 10% of retail sales going to the nonprofit organization We See Beauty Foundation, which benefits women-run, worker-owned cooperative businesses.  I got Dragon Fruit as a gift with purchase from Barneys, and I really like it!

I love that I'm getting a vibrant, high shine medium pink color in this gloss.  It gives plenty of color used alone, but my optimal combo turned out to be using it on top of a lip tint such as the Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tints. 

I found the gloss to be moisturizing, comfortable to wear, with a slight minty scent, relatively non-sticky, and a wear time of about 3 hours.  Good formula and no complaints here!  These are $25 and I'm seeing 22 different colors in the line, including a really intriguing blue with pink shimmer called Sea.