Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick

When Chanel comes out with a new product they get my attention. I'm not talking about a new blush color or Glossimer color...I'm talking about an entire line of lipsticks. Rouge Coco will replace the existing Rouge Hydrabase line...which honestly, I wasn't a fan but I know many people loved that line. And to you, I am very sorry. Hopefully the New Rouge Coco will meet your expectations. The new formula includes a compound Chanel calls “Hydratendre Complex”. It is supposed to soothe and soften your lips. 30 NEW colors now grace the Chanel displays at local stores and boutiques. There are four color families: roses-pink (nine shades), reds-corals (eight shades), violets-berries (four shades) and neutrals-brown (nine shades). Apparently each lipstick is named after a period in Coco Chanel's life. Names like Camelia (a deep rose), Mademoiselle (a soft warm pink) and Paris (a bright red) make you wonder exactly what the full story is and it would have been nice to have a little snippet on the box explaining what each name meant to Ms. Chanel.

Some say lipstick sales are “recession proof” and may even usually go up. Why? Because it’s an inexpensive way to look beautiful and freshen up your look. Chanel is banking on this theory and also trying to entire a younger customer base that is more infatuated with lip gloss than lipstick. With Chanel's introduction of Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour they hope to bring back the lost art of sexily applying your lipstick. Of course using Vanessa Paradis, the French actress (and Johnny Depp’s main squeeze), as the face of the campaign doesn't hurt in reaching out to that younger clientele either.

image from stylefrizz.com

I will say that the on line swatches from Chanel.com, Neiman Marcus and other retail outlets are the suckiest swatches that ever sucked. In other word. They are TERRIBLE. On NeimanMarcus.com you cant tell any of the colors apart. They all look like brown blocks. Is this a joke? Honestly with all the technology we have today why do retail on-line swatches SUCK so very much?
What are you supposed to do if you don't have access to a Chanel counter where you live? I recommend that you look at many DIFFERENT blogs for swatches. Don't rely on just one blog to pick your colors as different skin colors, heaviness of the swatch application and lighting all play a factor in changing the color. Look for as many examples of the color as you can before your purchase...because at $30 a tube you don't want to buy a color that doesn't look good on you.

The 2 colors I purchased are Perlé #02 and Lune Rousse #36. I think I swatched about 15 different colors before I decided on those two. That's what I mean about swatches on line. Had I not looked at some swatches before I wouldn't have even know to look for Perlé.

Perlé #02 is a pink based beige with gold shimmer. This is one of the few nudes that does NOT pull orange on me. I think that it was in the Violets section of the display. Perhaps that's why it does not look orange on me. I wear this with Chanel lip liner in Nude and it's a fairly good match. The color is definitely a frost, so it is unforgiving to fine lines in your lips. It tends to look and feel drier than the creme formula of the Rouge Coco line. It is long lasting. It did not stain my lips per se but it didn't seem to wear off quickly, so that's a big plus.
AND

Lune Rousse #36 is semi warm toned deep blood red similar to Foile De Grenat by Guerlain but a little more sheer and a little warmer. This does not turn fuchsia on me at all, so that's how I know it's a good warm red. I wear this with Chanel lip liner in Sienna, which is a perfect match for this color. The formula on this is a tad more hydrating and makes your lips feel soft and plump. The color is well pigmented and lasts a long time. It does stain the lips a bit so you could get away with taking even more time between applications.

All in all I am in love with both colors. I like each one for different reasons and I can see getting a lot of wear out of both shades. Will these replace the Holy Grail status Chanel Rouge Allure lipsticks? Meh. Probably not. I found the color range in the Rouge allure to be more appealing to me. Plus I love the "Click Click" of the Rouge Allure case. That's not to say that Chanel didn't pay attention to detail with the new Rouge Coco lipsticks. There is a definite "Click" when you close the lipstick and there is a teeny tiny Chanel logo INSIDE the cap of the Rouge Coco Lipsticks.
That's interesting..but I'm not sure many people will even notice that. One thing I like is that when you say the word "Coco" your lips form a perfect pout to apply that lipstick!