I thought some of you might be contemplating Le Metier orders for Neiman Marcus’s Camp Gorgeous event, so it seemed like a good time to swatch the brand’s lipsticks. Just a note before we begin: My counter was missing testers for Kona, Bali, and Madaket. I also didn’t find Palm Springs — a shade which appears on Neiman Marcus’s site, but not on LMdB’s site. I thought it was unusual but not impossible that LMdB should make both a “Palm Beach” and a “Palm Springs.”
The full name of these lipsticks is Color Core Moisture Stain Lipstick (but let’s just call them Color Core). I tried on Riviera, and I thought Gaia, of the Non-Blonde, described my experience perfectly: Color Core is not a super creamy lipstick (nothing like YSL’s Rouge Volupte), but it’s not drying either. It stayed in place surprisingly well (through talking and carefully eating some crackers), and the pigment stayed behind after the lipstick feeling was gone.
San Tropez is nude brown creme. Captiva is a deeper, redder brown (like terracotta clay). Summerland is a deep pinky brown nude. Miami is light bubblegum pink, and frosty. Marrakech is a deep, muted, sundrenched coral pink frost. Ibiza is a brighter, pinker, warm pink frost. Riviera is hot, orange-red creme (reminiscent of NARS Heatwave, but glossier). It was certainly bold, but not overwhelming on my lips. China Beach is a deeper warm red creme. Sydney is a deep-but-warm red-brown. Nevis is a gold brown frost. Paris is bright, bold, cool purplish pink creme.
Thailand is a dusty mauvey pink shimmer. Bondi Beach is mauve creme. Fiji is bright, bold, bubblegum pink creme. Dubai is mauvey pink creme. Cannes is just a little less mauvey, a little more pink than Dubai, and it’s frosty. Castello is a shimmery/frosty brown that reflects red-purple (so it looks deep red-purple in the swatch). Uma Paro is frosty magenta. Palm Beach is a frosty coral. Rio de Janeiro is similar (also frosty), but more pink. (Palm Beach is slightly more red/orange than Rio de Janeiro.) Bombay is cherry red creme, cooler than Riviera or China Beach. Monaco is red rose creme.
Color Core lipsticks are $32 each.
Thank you Karla!!!! I own Ibiza and can’t wait to try some more shades!
Karla, what would you say is the difference between Palm Beach and Marrakech? I’m trying to decide between the two? Thanks.
Palm Beach is more intense, more red. Marrakech is comparatively pink.
Thank you so much for swatching these!!! I have been waiting so long to see the lipstick swatches and just recently they opened a counter at a nearby Neiman’s…of course! Still very grateful for the swatches most blogs are only interested in the glosses, also very nice,but it always helps to have an idea of what you want before hitting the counter. Ironically I ended up buying Palm Springs, beautiful color very cool toned light pink but with a gold shimmer that makes it unlike any other light pink. Its a little scary when you first apply it but once it settles it really is very pretty.