If you haven’t already heard, I’m 100% a vamp girl (check out my past trend post here and a smoky eye to go with it!).
So you can imagine how excited I was when this perfect winter combo arrived at DIVAlicious headquarters for testing.
FYI, below were the top three purples already in my makeup bag:
(From left to right): Dior Addict Extreme in Black Tie, Sephora’s Cream Lip Stain in 07 Dark Berry, and Lancome’s Rouge in Love in 391N Fiery Attitude.
I highly recommend all of these, especially Sephora’s lip stain if you’re looking for something extra vampy that’ll last you through anything and everything!
So yes, I do set my standards high when it comes to my personal vamp collection, and putting Cargo’s Essential Lip Color in Bordeaux to the test was no joke. As a nice complement, I had Cargo’s Swimmables Water Resistant Bronzer to pair with it.
~CARGO ESSENTIAL LIP COLOR in BORDEAUX
As with many berries and deep burgundies I have tried in the past, I did not expect the color payoff to be as promising as it originally appeared in the tube. And to me, the darker, the better. Cargo describes its Bordeaux as a “deep wine”, and well, let’s just say that my lips perfectly matched the color of the red wine I was sipping on last night.
As for application, I was a little surprised. I do praise my Dior Addict Extreme lippy for its amaaazingly smooth glide, as well as the way it keeps my lips hydrated for HOURS. When applying the Essential Lip Color, I realized a very fine line of differences between the two, and that’s definitely a check plus in my book. It wasn’t until after I did some research that I found this lipstick is actually packed with olive oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil to support its moisturizing features, which made me love it even more for its natural ingredients. It’s even gluten-free!
You can bet my lips were not only plump and full (which I think is an essential factor for any vamp lipstick), but also felt creamy and soft. I did enjoy the fact that there was a bit of shine as well, rather than a completely matte or overly glossy finish. Finally, (and thankfully), no flakes in sight!
~CARGO SWIMMABLES WATER RESISTANT BRONZER
So I’m a virgin when it comes to waterproof bronzer. But everything happens for a reason, and this timing is perfect because I’ll be heading to the beach in less than two weeks! For now, waterproof means longevity, which in terms of bronzers, is quite rare for me. Cargo definitely lives up to expectations when it comes to long-wear with this bronzer — rain or shine!
Ever since LDiva’s crazy contour tutorial for Cosmopolitan.com (with yours truly as the model!), I’ve been testing out ways to really highlight my cheekbones to achieve a semi-KimK look. Swimmables was able to contribute greatly to this by giving me a seriously flattering summer glow. Pigmentation was shockingly a double thumbs-up, and it only required 2-3 swipes on the cheeks to visibly see a deep bronze color. I really enjoyed that the finish was natural and there was no sign of any cake-alert (woo-hoo!). Blending was extremely easy as well, so a quick application works with this bronzer.
Since everyone’s preferences are different, the only thing I should note is that this bronzer is super shimmery. While this doesn’t bother me much for day and is great for evening, other divas may prefer to wear this bronzer solely at night for a more glam face.
~VERDICT?
This is actually my first time trying out anything from Cargo Cosmetics, and so far, I’m absolutely loving it. After getting a taste of the quality of their products, I definitely think I’ll be making more purchases. Both the lipstick and bronzer surprised me in different aspects, and exceeded my expectations in others. This vamp combo? #WIN.
<3
-Jessica
Note: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own. Samples were provided for review.