I can’t get enough of Chanel Lilis #647 Le Vernis. It’s on the toes this week. See it swatched on the fingers and compared here.It’s different enough from other corals to justify getting. It’s limited-edition so I recommend buying sooner than later. Chanel regret can be expensive.
Chanel Summer was released over a month ago but you I’ve found most counters near me still have plenty of stock. You can still find the collection at Chanel counters, beauty studios and retailers. It’s also online with free shipping at Chanel.com and Nordstrom.com.
Have you picked up Chanel Lilis?
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The Chanel Collection Avant-Première has arrived in the US with three new shades of Le Vernis in Starlet 575, Paparazzi 579, Cinéma 581 and one repromote of Provocation 599 from Fashion’s Night Out 2012 (each $27 on Nordstrom). I purchased the three new ones. Each shade has rich flawless coverage. They are beautiful classics with a modern twist. I am particularly happy that the shimmers in Starlet and Paparazzi aren’t the typical secret shimmers Chanel does sometimes. They actually show up this time without being full on frosts.
Starlet 575 is gorgeous rich peach shimmer. There is a slight hint of pink mixed in which prevents it from looking lobster-like on your hands. This is limited-edition and hands down a definite must-have.
Paparazzi 579 sounds familiar but is actually a new shade. There was another Paparazzi by the number 208 previously released. The two are completely different shades. The new Paparazzi 579 is a stunning dusty bronzey mauve rose shimmer. I love it. I thought it would be similar to April but this has a softer quality (scroll down below for comparisons).
Original 208 vs New 579 Paparazzi:
Cinéma 581 is a classic red. As Café Makeup noted, Chanel has mastered the perfect reds (see her swatches here). I found Cinéma to be very similar to Dragon. Cinéma is slightly cooler-toned and slightly more jelly-like in texture.
Provocation was previously featured in September when it was released during Fashion’s Night Out. Chanel has now added a number 599 to the color. See the prior feature here.
Comparisons on the nail wheel show Starlet and Paparazzi are fairly unique. Cinema is very similar to Dragon. Same set on both wheels just different lighting.
The Summer L’Été Papillon de Chanel shades (see them swatched here) was fun and different but the Avant-Premiere shades are better suited for my neutral loving self. I adore each shade.
All Chanel Avant-Première nail colors are available now for $27 each online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. They should be arriving at all Chanel counters across the US very soon. I found the three new colors in store at Nordstrom last week.
YSL released a new nail lacquer called Rose Baby Doll ($25 for 0.34 fl oz/10ml) as part of their Rose Baby Doll collection. It’s a stunning deep hot pink rose cream that is perfect for summer. The color has an impressive amount of pigment which provides full coverage with just one coat. It also comes with a well designed wide flat brush that allows for near-perfect application with a single brush stroke. I’ve been testing Rose Baby Doll for several days and it works extremely well with top coats from Chanel, Dior Gel and Posche. I’m on Day Three with no signs of chipping or tipwear. The color is a classic rich sophisticated rose pink that is bright and vibrant but still deep enough to not look neon. However since deep fuschias are fairly standard colors and easy to find among most brands, you will definitely be able to find something similar in color.
Here it is swatched against the YSL Rose Baby Doll ad. The bright sunlight washed out the magazine photo a bit but I found the color to be pretty close to the ad. The color is mostly a fuschia rose, sometimes it looks warmer and with visible red undertones, others it’s more cool-toned.
Some comparisons showed that YSL Rose Baby Doll is closest to Chanel Pulsion. The difference is Chanel Pulsion is cooler and YSL Rose Baby Doll is warmer. The next closest option is Chanel Rose Exhuberant which is just a few shades lighter.
Bottom line: I can’t stop staring at my nails – the color is really stunning. The quality, pigment and lux packaging make this worth every penny. YSL Rose Baby Doll has the perfect mix of fuschia, rose and red to give a deep yet modern looking pink. However given the fact that deeper fuschias have been done frequently with permanent and limited releases, you may want to shop your stash first.
YSL Rose Baby Doll Nail Lacquer is limited-edition, available at Sephora and other YSL retailers while supplies last.
Tom Ford Pink Lust Lip Lacquer ($30 for .5 fl oz/15 ml, limited-edition) is sheer soft pink pearl gloss that comes in a squeeze tube. Much like the other Tom Ford Lip Lacquers Vinyl and the limited-edition Gold Dust from last year, Pink Lust has a lip-balm feel and texture. It’s smooth and lightweight with a very sheer veil of shimmer. The pink shimmer is one of the prettiest shimmers I’ve ever seen in a lipgloss.
Packaging and applicators are the same as the prior lip glosses released (Vinyl is the white which is still available, Gold Dust was limited from last year, see it here):
Swatched it goes on very sheer. It’s difficult to capture the sheen, but here are two views I hope help some. Be sure to check it out on Temptalia and Makeup and Beauty Blog as well.
Swatched in direct sunlight:
Swatched under artificial light shows the sparkles a bit better:
Comparisons to some other pale pink lip glosses will show how Tom Ford’s Pink Lust is paler when swatched, but once on the lips sheers out so it’s not so pale:
Overall thoughts are a bit mixed. I tend to fall in love with pale pink shimmer glosses regardless of how sheer they are. The price point of Tom Ford beauty items in general are priced at the higher end of luxury beauty products. $30 for a sheer gloss that feels like a balm is definitely a splurge. Yet I love the way this looks and feels on the lips. I’ve had Tom Ford’s prior lip lacquers for a while so I knew what to expect with pigment, coverage and feel. Pink Lust performs just like his other lacquers. It has a moisturizing feel without too much slip. The color is very sheer but I still love the subtle glow of the sparkles. Based on the swatches above I think it’s definitely something dupe-able from other brands and formulas.
Tom Ford Pink Lust Lip Lacquer is a limited-edition shade and retails $30. It sold out almost immediately at counters and online as soon as it was released. However I’d recommend checking your local Tom Ford counters to see if they will be receiving a second shipment. It’s available online for pre-order on Saks.com.
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Tom Ford’s new Cream Color for Eyes in Escapade and Pink Haze are the stars of his summer beauty collection ($40 each for .21 oz/6g, both limited-edition). These are a cream shadow with a unique formula that’s a cross between a traditional cream eyeshadow and whipped mousse cream. These new colors are the same formula as his original release from last year (see formula review and swatches on Platinum and Spice here) but with new and improved richer pigment. Both are pigmented enough to wear alone on the lids with mascara for a simple look. The new cream shadows from Tom Ford are extremely versatile in what you can pair with each shade. I have used both layering a bit of a bronzey copper (like NARS Fez, Urban Decay Lost and NARS Cordura) for a bit of depth. Lasting power was excellent for me – they stayed put all day long well into the late afternoon.
Escapade is a stunning peachy gold that has a pink/opal iridescent sheen. It has a beautiful mixture of colors that makes it a stunning neutral with kick that is absolute perfection when applied. I love how it applies smoothly with the fingers. Pigment can be easily controlled by layering.
Pink Haze is a lovely warm rose pink shimmer. I normally avoid warm rosey shades on the eyes because they tend to pull too warm often clashing with my olive skin. Pink Haze has a bit of a silvery sheen to it making it perfect. It’s not too warm and not too pink. I do prefer this one with a lighter hand blended out on the lids though.
Although the two shades Escapade and Pink Haze are neutrals which might seem like repeats of other releases, I found the two to be fairly unique with the depth of shimmers. Some comparisons and notes below:
Chanel Emerville Illusion d’Ombre is more transparent, sparkly and pinker than Tom Ford Escapade, both are lovely neutrals, the Tom Ford has a lot more coverage/pigment and is more peachy (both are different enough to justify owning)
Laura Mercier Gold Metallic Creme is a warm gold shimmer compared to Tom Ford Escapade which is more peachy/creamier
Chanel Abstraction is close to Tom Ford Pink Haze, Abstraction is warmer/more pink and has a lot more complexity in the sparkle with gold flecks
Laura Mercier Pink Gold is more silvery and cooler-toned than Tom Ford Pink Haze
MAC Vintage Selection and Armani Eyes to Kill #29 are shown for additional comparison purposes but aren’t similar
Because the shimmers made photographing swatches difficult, I’ve included several shots, hope this doesn’t confuse you, but each of these shades change depending on how the light hits the sparkles:
Bottom line gorgeous. Given the pigment, ease of blending, lasting power and size of product, I think these are worth every penny for the splurge. Both shades have sold out online so I recommend checking your nearest Tom Ford counters to see if they can help locate one for you.
Tom Ford Illuminating Cheek Color is new for summer and comes in two limited-edition shades Blush Guilt 01 and Bronzed Amber 02 ($58 each for .42 oz/12g). Both are packaged in a convenient twist-up stick very much like his stick foundation. Blush Guilt is a sheer pale seashell pink shimmer. It’s a dreamy glimmering pink that goes on very sheer on my skin. It does show up pink but the effect is extremely natural on me – even more natural than the Fire Lust Liquid Skin Illuminator. Bronzed Amber is a warm darker bronze shimmer that sheers out to a beautiful warm bronzed glow. It looks deep and dramatic when swatched but blends out to a beautiful natural bronze.
Both shades have a dewy texture with a sheer finish. They can be layered for more color but are still fairly natural shades. I was surprised how much I fell in love with Bronzed Amber. I expected Blush Guilt to be my favorite, but once blended out the color is borderline too light for my skin to wear alone. It’s a color that needs a bit of extra work with layering of bronzer or blush. Although the shimmering quality is just beyond gorgeous on the skin.
Swatches were a bit difficult to capture due to the dewy nature, light keeps reflecting off each shade. I recommend seeing swatches on The RaeViewer and Best Things in Beauty for a better idea of what they look like on the skin.
The Tom Ford Illuminating Cheek Colors are quite emollient but they do stay put a surprisingly long time for such a dewy product. On me I don’t end up getting greasy as fast as with some other cream blushes, but by afternoon, I can definitely feel that my face feels moist from these cream blushes. I wouldn’t recommend them for oily skin, although they can be set with a powder. Compared to NARS Multiples, the Tom Ford is dewier and sheerer. I personally prefer the finish of the Tom Ford sticks because the transparent quality gives you a more natural luminous glow. On the other hand I prefer the pigment of the NARS sticks because they offer more color without any added blush/bronzer needed.
Here are some of the shades compared below to Armani, NARS and MAC. You can see that the colors of Tom Ford Blush Guilt and Bronzed Amber are quite unique.
All shades swatched with a heavy hand below:
I think Bronzed Amber is a must-have, but Blush Guilt is definitely the hit shade of summer. There’s something irresistible about a shimmering seashell pink blush.
Tom Ford Illuminating Cheek Colors ($58 each) are limited-edition. Right now both Bronzed Amber and Blush Guilt is still available online at Saks. Bronzed Amber is still available online at Neiman Marcus. If you’re interested act fast, the Tom Ford Summer items are selling out very quickly. (Tom Ford locations posted in the Fire Lust post a few posts below).
Shop the items at Saks:
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Tom Ford Vapor Nail Lacquer ($30 or .41 fl oz/12 ml) is a new limited-edition pearly white for summer. It’s a semi-sheer metallic shade that looks silvery against my olive skin. It has a lovely soft yet crisp clean look. Unfortunately, like many metallics, Vapor applies with visible brush strokes making it look streaky on the nails. It’s a shade that requires careful application – something I need practice with to achieve a smoother finish. Some more photos, close ups and swatches:
Swatched with one coat, the color applies smoothly but quite sheer with a transparent glow. Two and three coats give more coverage but increases the visibility of brush strokes. Here it is swatched with two and three coats, you can see the finish isn’t very even:
Tom Ford Vapor is nearly identical to Chanel Attraction. The Tom Ford is softer, less streaky, and less harsh looking, but the colors look very close on the nails. I’ve worn Attraction on several occasions, each time I end up taking it off within 1-2 days simply because I find it clashes with my skin. Vapor is much more flattering to darker skins because it has a transparent quality. Here is Tom Ford Vapor compared to other pearly whites:
For me, this is a miss mainly because of the visible brush strokes. I’m still determined to play with it until I can get a streak-free application. The color has a lovely softness to it. I prefer this shade to Chanel Attraction although the Tom Ford still appears to be somewhat high-maintenance.
Tom Ford Vapor is a limited-edition color and retails for $30. It is available at select stores (see the Fire Lust post below to see store locations) and online at Saks.com and NeimanMarcus.com.
