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I have to say it – the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily colour balms are exceptionally good. There’s some kind of magic in these that makes them long lasting, sheeny and sheer but they’re on the edge of sheer: there definitely a colour pay off that isn’t obvious in the swatches but springs to life on the lip.
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The texture is such that they’re at the tipping point of solid becoming liquid: they’re very, very soft (and don’t over rotate the stick – you need to keep it really low in the bullet for it not to smoosh if you go at it too hard). But the softness – oil ratio, I guess, means that you get a glorious sheen and a kind of radiance on the lip that’s glossy but not drippy.
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There are 16 shades, nominally broken up into nudes, pinks, purples, corals and reds, but I’ve separated them into ‘brights’ and ‘not so bright’ for swatching purposes.
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So, as you can see.. they’re not that glamorous in the swatching: it’s quite rare to come across something that swatches so poorly on the arm but is a whole other thing on the lip, but prime example right here! From bottom to top: Lucia, Concetta, Maria, Rosa, Isabella and Caterina.
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While the emolient ingredients aren’t listed, the formula does feel hyrating – very much so actually – and it’s not sticky at all. Most importantly, despite a (very mild) vanilla fragrance, it doesn’t leave a back-taste in the mouth.
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From bottom to top: Carmela, Anna, Onofria, Annunziata, Antonia, Angelica, Carmela (accidentially got this twice!) and Agata.
Recommended shades are Onofria if you want to try a vampy wine-stain sheen but find full pigment too much, and everything summer, Caterina, in a glorious orange shade. They’re £27 each and launching at Harrods any day now.
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