Balms Away!

ZOMG Epically Epic goodies!

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The Soctopus came home to an amazing -dare I say it- epic mail day this afternoon. Less than one week after placing a custom order, my Epically Epic Soap Co. order arrived. (Side note: service from Epically Epic Soap has always been outstanding. Always.) This order included a lip tint ($3.75), a lip balm ($3.75), and two Many -Purpose Balms ($8.50). I've ordered from EESC many times over the past several years, and I've always been happy with my purchases. This is no exception.

This order included the Cranberry Lime balm, Summer Nights balm, Rainbow Sherbet lip balm, and Peach Macaroon lip tint. The balms are amazing. Cranberry lime smells like cranberry ginger ale, light and clean. Summer Nights is one of my favorite scents. This is the second balm I've ordered in the same scent, because the first tin was used up with love. It is a peach/patchouli scent, which sounds odd on paper but is magnificent in person. It also goes nicely with the Peach Macaroon lip tint, which leaves a light wash of peachy coral color, like a flush, and smells like sweet peaches on the lips. The Many-Purpose balms are smooth and light and sink into the skin quickly without leaving an oily or greasy residue. I usually carry one in my purse to use as a cuticle balm, hand lotion, and hair smoother. It truly is "many purpose." I own an Argon Oil Hair Mist in Summer Nights as well, and find it to be an excellent skin oil as well. The Hair Mists aren't currently available as the new web store gets up and running, but it is worth messaging the shop owner, Allison, for availability.

I cannot recommend products from Epically Epic highly enough. Go! Go now! Go get yourself some Rainbow Sherbet lip balm! The prices are reasonable, and the goodies are outstanding.

*All items purchased by me, for personal use. All reviews are the opinion of The Soctopus.*

An Ode to Dragon

There are red lipsticks, and then there are red lipsticks. As every girl who wears red lipsticks knows, there is always one red that stands above the rest. Revlon Cherries In The Snow. A good, cherry-tinged, classic red. MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red. And, last but not least, Chanel Dragon.

Dragon is, lamentably, discontinued. It came to us in two different incarnations, InfraRouge and Rouge Allure Laque. InfraRouge was a creamy, semi-matte lipstick, while Rouge Allure Laque was a long-lasting full-coverage stain/gloss. The lipstick version came first, and was EPIC. It was a true, darker blue-red, with subtle red-on-red shimmer. This lipstick changed my life. I wore it in high school, almost daily. I got married in Dragon. This color was my holy grail. And then Chanel discontinued it. For no reason. Dragon was a cult favorite from the day it was launched. It was a huge seller, and consistently sold out at cosmetics counters. But Chanel discontinued Dragon none the less, and for years, I lived a washed-out, Dragon-less life.

Then, suddenly, Chanel released a new product, Rouge Allure Laque, and, lo and behold, one of the shades was named "Dragon." Could it be? Was it the same Dragon I loved and lost? A quick run to Nordstrom confirmed that, yes, the formula was different, but the red was indeed Dragon!

I, however, only discovered the re-emergence of Dragon after Chanel had already discontinued it. So I went on a search across Washington and California, looking for the impossible dream: one last tube of Dragon that had, somehow, been passed over. (*Insert montage of storefronts passing by in the rain*) Dragon was nowhere to be found, as everyone else had already purchased the last few tubes. And back-ups. Finally, on vacation in San Diego, in Nordstrom, I found one tube of Dragon that another woman had on hold. The LAST tube of Dragon. And I convinced the Chanel clerk to sell that tube to me.

The end of this epic saga is that I own one last, coveted tube of Dragon, which I almost never wear. That blurry picture up top showcases the magic that is Dragon. Red. Slightly shimmery. Heavy. Sexy. It is, and will always be the best red. Until Chanel brings it back, AGAIN. (Note to Chanel: please do this...I will pay *almost* anything. Love, the Soctopus)