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marcelle rouge xpression

Marcelle Rouge Xpression: Couture

April 25, 2011

18 Comments

I’ve been trying my best not to overwhelm the blog completely with Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipsticks, but I thought I’d share another lip swatch! This one is Couture, a gorgeous sort of russet red. Marcelle lists it as a pearl finish, but don’t let that disuade you from trying it on – it has a really pretty, subtle pearl to its finish, but nothing chunky or 90’s!

The mini-review:

Rouge Xpression lipsticks are, in short, absolutely gorgeous. They wear well, don’t strip my lips of moisture, and come in an impressive range of shades. Paraben-, silicone-, and scent-free, they’re fast becoming one of my go-to formulas for opaque, non-irritating colour!

More Rouge Xpression:

Skin swatches and product photos of Couture {here} and {here}
Full review {here}

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

18 Comments

A stunning lip for any occasion: Marcelle Rouge Xpression swatches and descriptions

February 22, 2011

Rae Chen

11 Comments

Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipsticks are fast becoming one of my favourite drugstore lipsticks, and these lovely new shades definitely played a part in this change!

{full formula review}

A full review of the formula can be found here, but if you want the two-second rundown: the line is blissfully scent-, taste-, silicone-, and paraben-free, and the shades are all incredibly well-pigmented. They’re creamy, non-drying, and packaged sturdily and chicly. As an added bonus? This time ’round, the creams are all creams, the pearls are all pearls, and each shade’s only been named once :P

702 Attitude, 804 Paris Rose, 853 Jezebel

Attitude is a warm medium-nude. It is darker than 700 Enchantment, but lighter than 701 Exuberance, and more caramel (less pink tones) than both.

Paris Rose is a soft pinked coral. On my colouring, it’s very bright – almost fluorescent – but would look much more subtle on medium skintones. I should have a lip swatch for this by the end of the week; I just need to crop the photos ;)

Jezebel is a cross between mauve and pink; ideal for cooler skintones but certainly still wearable for warmer ones.

All three of these shades are cream finishes.

702 Attitude, 804 Paris Rose, 853 Jezebel

855 Cleopatra, 856 Mauve Avant-Garde, 901 Amour

Check out the rest!

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

11 Comments

Marcelle Rouge Xpression swatches

February 21, 2011

Rae Chen

7 Comments

While prepping tomorrow’s post, I realized that I had somehow managed to take all nine of my swatches in the wrong order – and this is after I had taken all the photos, picked the best ones, cropped, resized, and colour-balanced them… (getting photos up on theNotice is quite a process; I’m a bit of a neat freak >.<)

Anyhow, I thought I’d share these today – want not, waste not and all! The new swatch photos will be going up tomorrow as scheduled, but in the meantime:

Above, L-R: Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipstick swatches in Attitude, Jezebel (dupe for Delightful), and Mauve Avant-Garde.

Above, L-R: Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipstick swatches in Amour, Paris Rose, and Cleopatra.

Above, L-R: Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipstick swatches in Couture, Romanesque, and Féline.

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

7 Comments

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick: part two (shades)

January 27, 2011

Rae Chen

9 Comments

Intro/part one {here} with the verdict (which will be copied into this post) and a full review of the formula!

L-R: 700 Enchantment, 701 Exuberance, 750 Sensation, 751 Provocative, 801 Sentimental, 851 Obsession, 950 Delirium

The creams

As I mentioned in part one of this review, I don’t understand Marcelle’s naming system. The two most recent cremes (Delightful and Curious, in the Trend collection) really are, well, creams – but these four aren’t! While less pearled than the pearls, they do still have shimmer through their formulas. They’re the four “natural” shades of the collection, though; perhaps that has something to do with it.

L-R: 700 Enchantment, 701 Exuberance, 750 Sensation, 751 Provocative

700 Enchantment: a neutral, medium-nude. Very, very finely milled shimmer, which (ironically) I’d say makes it a true pearl finish!

701 Exuberance: a darker mauve-brown with noticeable (larger) gold shimmer. This would make a gorgeous nude shade for darker skintones (think NC40+), I believe, or a nice dark neutral for lighter skintones.

750 Sensation: again, a cream finish spoiled by gold shimmer. However, because of the slightly darker nature of the shade, the gold is less obvious. Similar in depth to Exuberance, but Sensation is a sort of warm brown-berry, rather than a neutral brown.

751 Provocative: a warm brick-red with a moist (actual) cream finish and rather a lot of attitude!

L-R: 700 Enchantment, 701 Exuberance, 750 Sensation, 751 Provocative

The pearls

These three all do have a more pearled finish, and are the “brights” of the collection, to contrast the natural-toned creams. However, they’re still not “true” pearls by my definition – Sentimental is too frosty, for instance, and Delirium is too much of a cream. more Rouge Xpression fun »

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

9 Comments

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick: part one (formula)

January 27, 2011

Rae Chen

6 Comments

I recently caught wind of the fact that Marcelle will be launching some new Rouge Xpression lipsticks soon (to be more precise – nine shades later this week), so I wanted to share the shades I already have with you today. I’ve done a bit of a review of them before (with the Trend collection), but never a dedicated post!

The formula: I like the Rouge Xpression formula, though not as much as Marcelle’s Rouge Vitality one ;) They’re fairly solid in the tube but feel light and creamy once applied, and wear for a good 3-4 hours. I do have an issue with slippage for a few of the shades (the more pigmented ones), but it’s nothing that a bit of a lip base can’t fix. I don’t notice any plumping, but I like that they don’t dry out my lips, and I LOVE that they don’t have a smell or taste.

Cream finishes: 700 Enchantment, 701 Exuberance, 750 Sensation, 751 Provocative

The shades: Alright, so I do have problems with the shades. For starters, the “cream” vs “pearl” labels seem to have no actual meaning – to me, a cream finish should have zero glitter or shimmer, and a pearl finish should have very finely milled shimmer (for, well, a pearlescent finish!) However, Marcelle seems to have re-appropriated these terms, and shades in both the creams and the pearls have noticeable shimmer!
more Rouge Xpression fun »

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review

6 Comments

Marcelle Cleopatra Rouge Xpression Lipstick swatches

July 2, 2012

Rae Chen

30 Comments

The product: Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipstick in Cleopatra

Last year, I was all about Marcelle Paris Rose, but… I think this year’s colour is going to be Cleopatra. I’m kind of crazy about this bright, blue-based fuchsia, so I thought I’d update the blog’s swatch photos of it — the old ones make me want to hang my head in shame, and I figured it was the least I could do for such a gorgeous product.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression lip swatch in Cleopatra

One of the things I love about the Rouge Xpression formula (aside from the fact that it comes in some seriously gorgeous creme-finish shades) is that it’s paraben-free, silicone-free, and scent-free. Basically, that translates into a comfortable lipstick that isn’t going to give you scent-headaches or make you break out if you wear it as a blush (something that Cleopatra is particularly brilliant for), which is just a little bit north of awesome.

The ingredients

Polybutene, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Polyethylene, Octyldodecanol, Cera Microcristallina, Nylon-12, Phenyl Propyl Dimethyl Siloxy Silicate, C30-50 Alcohols, Avocado Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Oligopeptide, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid.

+/- Mica, Red 7, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Red 21, Lake Yellow 6, Lake Yellow 5, Lake Red 6, Blue 1, Lake Carmine.

Read a review of the Rouge Xpression formula { here }, and see Cleopatra in a colour-blocked lip look (along with Paris Rose) { here }.

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

30 Comments

Marcelle’s new Rouge Xpression lipsticks: a Curious Delight?

December 13, 2010

Rae Chen

8 Comments

What they are: Marcelle Rouge Xpression lipsticks in Delightful and Curious

Delightful Rouge Xpression lipstick

The formula: I haven’t done a full review of the Rouge Xpression line yet, though I do intend to. For now, here is a quick breakdown of the lipsticks. I like them less than the “regular” Marcelle lipsticks (the Rouge Vitality line), but that doesn’t really say much, seeing as the Rouge Vitality formula is one of my absolute favourites! The Rouge Xpression formula is a solid one, and despite the fact that I’m not head-over-heels for it, I’d still definitely recommend it.

Curious Rouge Xpression lipstick

Not drying, but do need to be layered over lip balm if you’re in need of moisture,
Both paraben-free and scent-free,
All of the shades (that I’ve tried so far) are of medium pigmentation,
The colour goes on smoothly without skipping, and stays where it belongs (no slippage with wear), and finally,
They feel sort of like a Lancome Color Fever, but less slick. Velvety and powdery, if you get what I mean?

Curious, Delightful swatched on ~NW15 skin. Indirect sunlight.

Read more

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Fall/Winter 2010, Lips, Marcelle, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

8 Comments

Marcelle Velvet Gel Spring 2017 review, swatches, photos

January 18, 2017

Rae Chen

7 Comments

Marcelle Buff Nude lipliner, Rosy Nude Velvet Gel Lipstick

Also wearing: Fitglow Beauty Vita-Active Foundation in VF1, Marcelle Kohl Eyeliner in Mother of Pearl and Chocolate, Annabelle Supernova Mascara

The products: Marcelle Velvet Gel Rouge Xpression Lipstick, Waterproof Lipliner, and Waterproof Eyeliner; Marcelle Kohl Eyeliner

This spring is all about gel-textured mattes (hello, eyeliner revolution of 2006), and I’m feelin’ it. As much as I love how comfortable and wearable lipglosses and sheer lipsticks are, the occasional heavy matte is just gorgeous – enough so that I’ll make my lips put up with it a few times each month, comfort be damned.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Velvet Gel Lipsticks and Velvet Gel Lipliners ($11.95 CAD each)

For me, the highlight of these launches is the new Marcelle Velvet Gel Rouge Xpression Lipsticks. They’re a five-piece collection with Karine Vanesse, and they rock.

Marcelle (whom I love, but who tend to fudge their copy) promises that these lipsticks will deliver extreme colour, smooth glide, and an ultra-lightweight feel… none of which I particularly agree with. BUT I still think these (and their corresponding velvet gel lipliners) are pretty great!

Marcelle Velvet Gel Rouge Xpression Lipstick review

Marcelle Velvet Gel “Buff Nude” Lipliner + Velvet Gel “Rosy Nude” Rouge Xpression Lipstick swatch

The Velvet Gel Rouge Xpression Lipstick formula has a matte finish and medium opacity that’s reminiscent of the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipsticks that I reviewed recently. The formula feels heavy and comfortable, and with the liners underneath, the resulting lip is extremely matte.

I feel like matte lipsticks reinvent themselves every 5 years, and this gel trend is just the newest iteration. First there were the powdery mattes, then the silicone-y ones; now, there are the sticky velvets. Like the Rouge Artists, the Marcelle Velvet Gel formula shows wear after only two hours, and it feels really comfortable–until your lips feel suddenly parched and tight, 8 hours later.

Buff Nude + Rosy Nude lip

Marcelle Velvet Gel Waterproof Lipliner review + Universal Anti-Feathering Lip Liner ($9.95 CAD)

My favourite shade of the Velvet Gels is Buff Nude – a gorgeous, putty-brown pink. The lipliners in this collection pack a lot of pigment while the lipsticks are medium-sheer, so for a natural-looking lipstick, I like Rosy Nude… and for lips that look big and plush, I like to layer my Buff Nude lipliner with the Rosy Nude lipstick.

If you decide to dip into this collection (it’s a lot cheaper than buying a Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist + a lipliner, for sure), I would definitely recommend that combo!

Swatches, eyeliners, & more »

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Eyes, Grouped reviews, Indie brands, Lips, Marcelle, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2017

7 Comments

Annabelle & Marcelle Holiday 2016 giveaway | 30 items worth over $340!

December 2, 2016

Rae Chen

172 Comments

All year, I’ve toyed with the idea of running four giveaways throughout the month of December. But this fall, an even better opportunity fell into my lap: the chance to host a giveaway of the ENTIRE Annabelle and Marcelle Fall 2016 makeup collections, plus a few of Marcelle’s latest and greatest new skincare innovations.

I am a huge Annabelle/Marcelle fan, and I could not be more psyched to get to share this incredible volume of products with you guys. Even more, I’m shipping this straight to one lucky reader from theNotice HQ, so it’s open internationally for all of my readers who have been tempted by my Annabelle posts for years (but haven’t been able to order themselves!)

How to enter

The list of items included in this prize is freakin’ LONG, so I figured I’d put the “how to enter” ahead of it – save us all a little bit of scrolling. To enter, use the widget below! (And let me know if you have a Gleam/Rafflecopter preference! I’ve enjoyed using Gleam as a reader, but this is the first time I’m running a giveaway using it.)

This giveaway is open internationally and will close on December 25th at 11:59 PM (MST)… so some lucky reader will probably be waking up to a particularly lovely Christmas present on Boxing Day!

What’s in the prize…

In this prize are over 30 different products, including the entire Annabelle mascara lineup and ALL of the new TwistUp Metallic lip colours and BigShow Gel Lipliners.

This big gift basket has a value of $349.50 CAD altogether, and it comes with a few awesome perks, too: not only are Annabelle and Marcelle Canadian-owned, but all of their products are cruelty-free from start to finish.

Skincare products marked * contain silicones, and products in bold are a few of my all-time favourites!

Annabelle BigShow Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Waterproof Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle Expandable Mascara ($10.95 CAD)

Annabelle Outlash Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle Lash Launcher Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle Blast Off Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle Supernova Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Heartbreaker ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Purple Panache ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Heavy Petal ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Nude of Fame ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Crazy Coral ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle TwistUp Metallic in Rock & Rose ($9.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Red is Love ($8.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Nude Attitude ($8.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Fall for Fuchsia ($8.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Call Me Pinky ($8.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Royal Purple ($8.95 CAD)

Annabelle BigShow Gel Lipliner in Meet Rosie ($8.95 CAD)

Marcelle New-Age LumiPower* ($24.95 CAD)

Marcelle 3 in 1 Micellar Gel Eye Make-Up Remover ($13.95 CAD)

Marcelle Hydra-C Eye Contour Gel Cream* ($24.95 CAD)

Marcelle Ultimate Fringe Effect Mascara ($12.95 CAD)

Marcelle Ultimate Easy Lash Mascara ($9.95 CAD)

Marcelle Face Powder in Translucent Medium ($14.95 CAD)

Marcelle Flawless Compact Foundation* ($17.95 CAD)

Marcelle Flawless Skin-Fusion Concealer in Light to Medium* ($10.95 CAD)

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in 840 Pink Lace ($11.95 CAD)

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in 875 Berry Blossom ($11.95 CAD)

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick in 960 Show of Pink ($11.95 CAD)

A few more snapshots of the prize bundle!

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Fall/Winter 2016, Giveaway, Holiday 2016, Indie brands, Marcelle

172 Comments

Marcelle Pink Lace, Berry Blossom, Show of Pink review, swatches, photos & more | Fall 2016

August 29, 2016

Rae Chen

6 Comments

The products: Marcelle Fall 2016 collection – Rouge Xpression Lipstick in 840 Pink Lace, 875 Berry Blossom, and 960 Show of Pink; Ultimate Easy Lash and Ultimate Fringe Effect Mascaras; and Face Powder in Translucent Medium

Have you ever looked at a makeup collection and thought, “Okay, this is me. They made this collection for me“? Because that’s exactly how I feel about Marcelle’s fall collection this year.

The collection contains a new Flawless foundation and concealer that, unfortunately, I won’t be able to cover because they contain silicones, but I am all about this collection aside from that. It features three really wearable lipsticks, a couple of mascaras, and my favourite face powder ever, so I knew the second I saw it that I was going to be a fan.

The Rouge Xpression lipsticks

Three new Rouge Xpression Lipsticks ($11.95 CAD each) are being launched this August from Marcelle, and though the Rouge Xpressions aren’t my favourite Marcelle lipstick formula (give me Rouge Vitality or give me death!!!!), I still quite like them.

The Rouge Xpression lipsticks are creamier and more slick than the Rouge Vitality lipsticks, and they feature a fragrance-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free formula with omega 6 fatty acid-rich avocado oil.

I’ve been getting the most wear out of Pink Lace, a really wearable pink-nude that’s just a shade lighter than my natural lip colour, but the cool pink Berry Blossom and coral-pink Show of Pink are lovely options for bolder shades. I don’t know – I’ve been feeling the muted lip pretty hard recently. Maybe it’s all the 15 degree days we’ve been having this August.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipstick swatches: 840 Pink Lace, 875 Berry Blossom, and 960 Show of Pink

Marcelle Pink Lace – a really easy, wearable nude lip

The mascaras

I’m too busy trying out all of the new Annabelle mascaras to test these right now (more on that soon), but I love that they released two separate Ultimate mascaras. Mascara is one of those products that’s really subjective, so it’s cool that they’re recognizing right out of the gate that some people are going to prefer an easy everyday lash while others will want that full-on fringe.

A good eyeliner is a good eyeliner across the board, but what constitutes the perfect mascara could be either a really natural looking lash, like in the Marcelle Ultimate Easy Lash ($9.95 CAD), or something with as much volume and length as humanly possible, like in the Marcelle Ultimate Fringe Effect ($12.95 CAD).

The ingredients listed online are the same for both, so I’m guessing that these two mascaras feature the same formula with a different brush (à la Eyeko). The Easy Lash mascara has a traditional bristled brush with short bristles on one side and long bristles on the other, while the Ultimate Fringe mascara has a springy, flexible silicone brush with short bristles all around.

The face powder

Marcelle’s loose face powder got a black-and-clear makeover a couple years back (the original featured a white lid), and seeing it being re-promoted to bloggers makes me happy beyond words. I LOVE Marcelle’s Face Powder ($14.95 CAD), and I can’t even begin to tell you how many other makeup lovers I’ve converted over the years.

It’s just so good, you know? It looks totally natural and has a transparent “skin” finish, but it instantly makes your skin look better than normal. Whether you’re trying to make your base product look more like skin or you’re just trying to make your own skin look totally flawless, this stuff just magically makes it happen.

Tunakitten may not know what pants are, but he still knows what’s cool.

It lasts forever, too – I’ve had my jar of Translucent for half a decade and have spilled huge amounts of it twice, but it’s still half full. For $14.95, it’s a crazy good deal.

(My only complaint? The new packaging is really squeaky, and it makes the experience of using it way less luxurious. I wish you would go back to your old factory, Marcelle!)