Cargo Cosmetics have been around in the UK for a while but haven’t been that easy to get hold of. I think at one time I remember that Sainsbury’s was a stockist – so if you never shoppped there, you’d never see it. However, the brand has taken over its own distribution so it has landed in a more sensible place (Debenhams) which makes it more accessible and in better company than loo rolls and tins of beans.
The products that I really rate from Cargo are the Swimmable Blushers – so called because they’re waterproof. They look like a regular powder blush but have an almost imperceptible waxy feel to them which doesn’t stop them diffusing beautifully on the cheeks. I’m not even a powder blush fan and I love these.
I’m popping this picture up because as luck would have it, one of the Swimmables had come loose so although it looks like a gigantic tin of blush, you are actually getting less that you’d imagine. However, a little goes a very long way with these blushes so even at £19 (on offer at the moment for £17.10) it’s going to last nicely. You really do only need a tiny, tiny bit.
Similar to this
The three shades here are Ibiza, Bali and Los Cabos.
I’m also really impressed with the ColourSticks – shown here in Champagne and Santorini. They’re very blendable with good pigment and a sheer finish.
The swatch is literally one swipe so you can see that they’re well pigmented. In fact, Cargo does very well overall on pigment – I think it looks more shy than it actually is, so these will last because you need very little. They’re £16.
I’m a little bit less excited about the glosses – or maybe it’s that the colours I have are so light, but although they have a milky finish which I love, there isn’t a lot of pigment there, and they didn’t last particularly long either. I don’t ever mind reapplication with a gloss but I felt they disappeared quite quickly. Thankfully, they don’t smell of vanilla, but instead have just a light, fruity scent that’s lovely. These are £12 each and the shades are Sahara and Stockholm (milky pink).
Cargo has been around since 1996 – available in the US in Target I think – and is definitely worth exploring if you don’t know the range. So far, everything I’ve tested is good quality with a very decent colour selection HERE.
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7 comments
Really nice outer packaging too! x
Funny I bought some Cargo on Saturday in my local Debenhams. The brand is half price at the moment, not sure if they are discontinuing in certain stores or altogether???
I bought St.Tropez eyeshadow and a blush in Tonga
I haven’t tried any of these things but I do have a couple of palettes that I love, both of which I picked up discounted (TK Maxx/ Fragrance Direct I believe). The eye shadows are really nice quality.
Em x
http://themusingsofem.blogspot.co.uk/
Sainsbury’s only had Cargo at their flagship store – which is near us, although I can’t see how it’s different to a normal one – and the stand was always locked! It’s been great being able to pick it up in Debenhams. 🙂
You did a wonderful job on the Mumsnet thread. :). Dunno why of all people they picked on you!
Thanks Mrs Tubbs! Just sad that there is so much anger about it but I can see why. We’re not all bad!
I find Cargo lip glosses to be really low-pigment and can barely tell the diffference between them once they’re on the lips.
Love their eyeshadows, though! I just wish their packaging for individual pans wasn’t so cheap and tacky when they aren’t a cheap brand.
I get the anger, I totally get the anger. What they don’t get is just how much anger there is among bloggers about this as well. We’re not all the same and we’d love for the ASA to do something about the notorious non-disclosers.