Dark and Lovely- Nuance by Salma Hayek at CVS

I have been looking forward to visiting some of the things on my wish list from Sephora's HOT NOW Fall catalog...too bad my visit this past Sunday forgot to take into account that they close at 5:00..On the dot. (The nerve)...

What to do???  Well, there's always CVS, open and just a few doors down.  Thank Godness, because the beauty itch must be scratched, one way or another...
I obviously need nothing, so I meandered the cosmetic aisle and came upon a section of cosmetics called Nuance by Salma Hayek.  I pondered what the criteria was for choosing Salma as their "brand Empress".  If being a brunette beauty was the criteria, why not Penelope, Eva or Mary Louise?

No clue. 

Here's the story:

About Salma Hayek
Born and raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, Salma Hayek was heavily influenced by the women in her family, in particular her grandmother. Hayek's grandmother had an incredible impact on her upbringing and remains an inspiration to her today. A trained cosmetologist, her grandmother passed along beauty traditions and secrets to Hayek, inspiring her to continue to seek out the best, most effective beauty solutions around the world. Hayek conceived the NUANCE Salma Hayek collection with a desire to honor her grandmother and share her beauty secrets with all women. Nuance is exclusive to CVS drugstores.
In the interim, they were having a buy one, get the second item at 50% off, so I plotted my twofer...

I've never been lucky with tinted moisturizers... it's hard to put my finger on exactly why not.  Part of it, is that I am always looking for something that will impart a beachy glow, put still provide some coverage.  As well, I'm not giving up my own moisturizer of choice, so if I adding on another layer of moisture, (plus tint) I don't want to have to use a Swiffer to remain matte and tidy.

There was a little window in the packaging of the Flawess Wear Tinted Moisturizer, so I knew immediately that Nuance Medium/Dark was exactly my shade.  The description reads: Oil-free, sheer coverage delivers a radiant glow for all skin .  Done.

I decided my 50% off item would be the Ultra Shine Lip Gloss. I could tell from the deep rich pigment of Berry 130, that this was going to be more than just a gloss...

So, how did it all work out??? 

Rather splendidily!  Flawless Wear Tinted Moisturizer is a bit of a wonder.  It has a cool, gel consistency.  It does provide a bit of coverage.  It did impart enough of a "tan" that I didn't require any bronzing powder, (which I have been less inclined to use this summer, since I much prefer "dewy" to matte and flatte) and it stays perfectly put, until I remove my makeup.  A very happy surprise.  I would definitely purchase this again.

I don't wear reading glasses, but I'm fairly certain the back of the Ultra Shine Lip Gloss says it contains "mimosa extract" and mango seed oil, in addition to vitamins A, C and E.  I don't have a clue what "mimosa extract" is, but I can tell you it tastes heavenly.  

Good thing this is a richly pigmented product, because if it was a sheer gloss, it would have been gone in 30 seconds...I'm pretty sure I did more than just taste this. This is a true hybrid of lipstick and gloss...even if you snacked on it, there is still a healthy dose of color left on your lips.  It is housed in my favorite type of gloss packaging a squeeze tube with a slanted tip applicator. I think I might love it.  In a pinch, I could leave the house with  just one lip product...have you evah???

I bet not.

Forgive me for not looking at prices...When you are locked out of Sephora, chances are good you just did your wallet a favor.  Whatever their price, they are worth their weight in gold...or mimosa extract.

So my lovelies, if you have tried Nuance by Salma Hayek('s Grandmother), do let me know what you think and if you haven't I recommend you do.

A happy ending.

xox,
DD