As a self-proclaimed lipstick hoarder, I could not be more excited than when I received a gorgeous box from Karen Murrell with five beautiful lipsticks. The Karen Murrell Summer Bouquet Lipstick Collection* is not only beautiful too look at but also great in quality. The lipsticks have a clean formula (natural waxes, natural moisturizing oils), nice pigmentation, a very lovely finish, and an absolutely delicious scent.
The Summer Bouquet Collection includes five shades, with a flattering shade for everyone. The color range is inspired by the flowers’ hues and goes from a pale pink with lavender hues to a bright, vibrant reddish-pink.
1. Lavender Laughter, blue-ish pink with a hint of lavender hue
2. Camellia Morning, a bright, Barbie pink (dupe of Ilia Beauty Lipstick Crayon Call Me)
3. Poppy Passion, vibrant reddish pink
4. Peony Petal, peachy-pink (dupe of Ilia Beauty Shell Shock)
5. Orchid Bloom, a warm, peachy nude (dupe of Kjaer Weis Lip Tint Dream State)
The shades are swatched in the image below 1 to 5 from left to right.
The Shades: I personally like all of the shades, but as expected I have been reaching for the nude shade, Orchid Bloom (in the center below), more than the others. Depending on your skin tone and/or how bold you are with your makeup, you may find Lavender Laughter more difficult to wear because it’s quite pale. Some of these shades are sheer in one application, but they do build-up to a more intense hue and are very vibrant. I find that Peony Petal, which is a beautiful peachy-pink shade, is slightly less pigmented than the others.
The Texture & Finish: The texture is my favorite part of this lipstick. It’s very creamy, feels very moisturizing on the lips, but does not feel slippery like most of the more sheer lipsticks that I own; also they look almost completely matte without feeling drying. Yep, it’s that good. It also has a pleasant cinnamon scent that I wasn’t sure I would’ve liked, but I ended up enjoying and don’t find to be overwhelming. The wear-time was also surprising, as I got a few hours with no fading at all (until I had lunch).
The Packaging: Everything about the packaging is biodegradable. The tubes have “Nothing Nasty Touches My Lips” written across them and are made in PLA (polylactic acid), which dissolves in the environment after only 100 days. I am always pleased to see cosmetics companies committing to sustainability!
I am really enjoying the Karen Murrell formula and I hope to see it at some US retailers in the future because I would love to add more of them to my collection. In the meanwhile they are available at the official website Karen Murrell.
*PR Sample
