Chanel Rouge Allure 136 Melodieuse

I caved in, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

The moment I saw Shari’s swatches of the lipsticks from Chanel Notes de Printemps Collection, I had a feeling it will only be moments before I make the purchase. A few more enablers here and there, some pros and cons written down at the back of some paper, and here I am, with the Rouge Allure Melodieuse in my hands.

Can anyone blame me? First of all, it’s a coral. Remember my love for corals awhile back?

Anyhow, a little bit of information on moi regarding Chanel, the Rouge Allure lipstick line is one of my favorites from Chanel. (That, and a few others.) Pigmentation-wise, I have no objections. The packaging? Total luxury.

The Collection:

Notes de Printemps

Spring makeup strikes a colorful chord with light, joyful notes by CHANEL. At its heart, the collection, a chorus of fresh, luminous reds, sets the season’s tone for cheeks, lips and fingertips.

The Promise:

The next generation of ROUGE ALLURE dresses lips with unmistakable attitude. The formula includes concentrated, ultra-thin pigments to offer radically intense color with full coverage and a satin finish, leaving lips supple and protected with lasting comfort.

The Review:

Melodieuse is described as a bright coral red. On the tube, maybe. I can clearly see the red undertone under direct sunlight but really, it translates to more of a pinky coral on the lips. One swipe offers medium coverage that’s buildable. I get a fuller (is there such a thing?) pinky-coral shade — and sometimes, there are days when I see the red undertone — easily with two swipes of this. Application is easy-breezy due to the creaminess of the lipstick. It wears for a full 4 hours with no feathering before I had to reapply. Although it applies lightly and comfortably, it was neither drying nor hydrating on me, something I can solve with a dab of lip balm before slicking this on. Also, it has a light perfume-y scent that’s very particular to Chanel lipsticks.

Can you see the red undertone?

In all honesty, I was a bit disappointed with Melodieuse. Well, just a tiny, wee “bit”. I’m still mildly in with love it though. I just had higher expectations when I came across the words “bright coral red” and judging from some arm swatches I’ve seen across the web, it gets the description bright across. And I was ever so hopeful when other photos show hints of red peeking through.

This retails for $35, available in all Chanel counters and Php 1,650 in Rustan’s Beauty Source here in the Philippines. But… I bought mine from an online seller, @Klangsboutique for Php 1500 only.