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Chanel Sirocco Glossimer Review, Photos, Swatches

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer ($29.50 for 0.19 oz.) might look like a soft peachy gold in the tube, but it’s virtually colorless on the lips. The base is mostly clear on my lips with a fine dusting of pale peach shimmer–it’s very subtle, barely-there shimmer. From afar, it looks like I’m wearing clear gloss or some shiny lip balm. The dupes are endless! Any gloss that has a tiny bit of shimmer but is otherwise clear will do.

Chanel’s signature gloss formula is supposed to deliver shimmer and “high-shine glow” with shades that range from “sheer and natural” to “sparkling and rich.” The formula is supposed to be both comfortable and long-wearing. Though it can be hard to make the distinction, there is a line between sheer and clear. If you want a comfortable, hydrating product that doesn’t have any color, I think you ought to opt for lip balm, which will do a better job at moisturizing your lips.  This is just too close to clear to be “sheer and natural” to me.  Maybe if there was more shimmer or even the slightest tint to the base color it would reach a level of sheer that makes sense.

I totally get the appeal of Glossimers; they can be really dazzling and sparkling, nearly breathtaking in the sunlight, but this lacks the shimmer that gives that effect.  I’m a fan of the formula, generally speaking, but some of the more recent releases have been disappointing.  Sirocco lasts about two and a half hours before the shine is gone, and since there really isn’t any color, the rest of it appears to be gone, too.  The texture is thin without being too thin, comfortable, non-sticky, and keeps lips feeling good while its on.

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer (Diffused Flash)

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer (Studio Lighting)

Chanel Sirocco Glossimer
Chanel Sirocco Glossimer

32 Comments

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wwendalynne Avatar

Far from exciting and a definite no for me.  I can only see it being used as a top coat to gloss up a lipstick, but even then, I would buy something a lot less expensive for the purpose.

KRISTANNA Avatar

 @Christine (Temptalia) ITs really odd that Chanel is putting a lot of these types out. In the past Chanel has had some really almost opaque glossimers boardering on a liquid lipstick or real pigmented gloss, But t hen again Ive never been impressed with the current creative director vs directors in the past.

Y Avatar

Here I go again ,you do realize that some glosses are clear and can still be a good gloss! When the colour is ins a tube it will always be darker unless its a really opaque gloss. 

Miss J Avatar

Some glosses are clear. And some glosses are SHEER. This one happens to be described by Chanel as sheer, which it is not as it comes off colorless, which is clear. It was downrated for a number of reasons. Not one. She rates based on the product claims made in relation to personal experience with the product.

Christine-Temptalia Avatar

There’s a huge difference between clear and sheer — this gloss formula is described as both sheer and more pigmented, but this is clear.  It doesn’t even have the regular dosage of shimmer you’d find in a Glossimer so it is even more painfully obvious how colorless it is. I rate and review products based on what the *brand* says it’s supposed to do – it doesn’t matter if someone out there is content with it being a certain way (that’s why there is a review and lots of words where I describe what is good/bad so if someone likes it a certain way, they can disregard a critique for something that’s a happy accident for them). I’m focused on what the expectations should be based on how the brand markets and describes the formula. 
 
I was trying to think of a way to get this across better, because I feel it is important to make a distinction between clear and sheer….
 
Would you describe Vaseline as clear or sheer? Would you say that Vaseline gives you a really great sheer lip look?
 
Now say a gloss brightens or adds a hint more pink to your lips, would you call that clear? Or would you say that it gives you a great sheer lip look?
 
That’s the distinction to me!
 
FYI – this gloss lost points not just for the pigmentation issue but for poor wear, which I mentioned specifically in the post!

Quinctia Avatar

There’s a difference between translucent and transparent!  Nothing wrong with Chanel making a clear glossimer, but several that aren’t marked as such is certainly a bummer if you’re into lip gloss.

Kafka Avatar

To me, “sheer” is a textural thing that pertains to the thinness of an item. To wit, sheer stockings — vs– opaque ones or tights.  “Clear,” by constrast, pertains to colour. You can have sheer black tights but you can’t have clear black tights.  People may use “clear” and “sheer” interchangeably in common parlance but, imo, that doesn’t mean that they are correct or that they are the same thing technically and linguistically, particularly when it comes to the issue of texture vs. colour.

Kafka Avatar

To me, “sheer” is a textural thing that pertains to the thinness of an item. To wit, sheer stockings — vs– opaque ones or tights.  “Clear,” by constrast, pertains to colour. You can have sheer black stockings but you can’t have clear black stockings.  People may use “clear” and “sheer” interchangeably in common parlance but, imo, that doesn’t mean that they are correct or that they are the same thing technically and linguistically, particularly when it comes to the issue of texture vs. colour.

Adabear Avatar

Absolutely not. Sheer simply means that it’s not opaque or semi-opaque; however, it should still definitely add a noticeable tint and/or shimmer to your lips. When I buy a product advertised as sheer, I expect it to add color that other people can notice. Besides, how many people really want to spend $30 on essentially clear gloss? It’s a ripoff.

Miss J Avatar

No, they absolutely do not mean the same thing. Clear = Transparent. Sheer = Translucent. Similar does not equate to being the same. Something that is sheer should still somewhat resemble what is in the tube, not go clear.

Miss J Avatar

Say someone is wearing a sheer top. Someone comments, “Damn, she’s wearing a clear top!” This would be an incorrect statement, I mean, unless this chick was walking around with a clear saran wrap top…or a clear plastic rain thing… Something that is sheer distorts what is beneath the veil of sheerness.

Quinctia Avatar

Chanel, just make a totally clear Glossimer labeled “clear” already, and get back to adding something else to the other ones. :/

Meredith from lushli Avatar

I love your honesty when it comes to reviewing products – especially designer ones like Chanel that carry a lot of expectations.  The gloss looks very pretty in the tube but when applied it looks no different than Vaseline’s clear balm!  A great review – very helpful!

mbengmellow Avatar

It’s tricky to have some clear colored glossimers like this, the color on the tube looks promising, almost all of the glossimers are. This makes me think that I have to be extra careful around the glossimers 😀
 
Kinda relieved I didn’t get them and opt for rouge allure glosses instead… 

Kona Avatar

I love the look of this on you! I just wish that the gloss would taste better ( like Estée Lauder & MAC). It seems to feel plastic like to me at times. I’m a sheer natural look gal, but love flavored glosses and tend to not use ones that don’t have a pleasing flavor.

Maya Avatar

Wow.  This is quite the disappointment after the AMAZING Glossimers in the “Roses Ultimes” collection (or whatever that was called) this spring.  That was proabably my favorite Glossimer release to date

darkForest Avatar

This is what annoys me the most, something I expect to be sheer (at least a BIT of color or sparkle or something!), is completely clear for 30$.. when there are like, wet n wild ones you can get for like, a dollar lol

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