2010

Chanel Rouge Noir Le Vernis: Can You Dupe It?

November 15, 2010

Where has the time gone? In August, I featured a Chanel Rouge Noir 18 manicure with the intention of writing a dupe post shortly after. It seems I have lost track of time. Chanel Rouge Noir is one of those shades that has reached cult status as one of the most highly sought after shades. Is it simply because it’s hard to find? I’m not entirely sure. It is indeed a gorgeous dark chocolate cherry vampy kind of shade. I love how it will look reddish with one coat and get darker and more vampy with each progressive coat.

What makes Chanel Rouge Noir unique is the reddish base which prevents it from appearing like a straight black. It has a flawless glossy finish with 2 coats. It’s pure love. It’s currently available in the US in one of the Holiday Trio Nail Sets (with Rouge Noir, Gold Lamé reviewed here and Coromandel reviewed here). For those who don’t like Chanel, can’t find this shade or don’t want to splurge on a trio for 1 color . . .

The question is: Can you dupe it?

I pulled shades I thought would be similar. Some turned out to be very close, others not so much so. Here is Rouge Noir compared to colors from OPI, NARS, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Rococo Nail Apparel and Dolce & Gabbana.

I’ve swatched these with 1 coat and then 2 coats so you can see the reddish base in virtually all of these. What I find intriguing is Chanel Rouge Noir vs. Chanel Forbidden. In the bottles above, Rouge Noir looks darker. However when swatched the results are different. (See more vampy swatches here in different lighting.)

With a high flash you can see the reddish base colors come out:

One Coat Swatched:

Two Coats Swatched (Thick):

The verdict: Yes, it can be duped! My take: the closest colors I found are Rescue Beauty Lounge Au Chocolat and Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia (with 2-3 coats applied).

If you cannot find Chanel Rouge Noir #18 individually, no need to fret. There are quite a few colors that are similar. Even if the colors aren’t an exact dupe, the effect of each are similar enough that you can barely tell the difference from arm’s length. Hope this helps many of you!

A Rescue Beauty Lounge Au Chocolat manicure will be featured shortly. Enjoy the last bits of your weekend 🙂

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Armani Gold Rush Collection Picks Holiday 2010

November 13, 2010

I’ve been a long-time fan of Armani ever since I first saw it at the London Heathrow Airport back in 2001 for their natural looking elegant makeup line. These days their collections seem to have more pizazz with brighter colors that are anything but natural. I still love what they release. This Holiday, the Armani Gold Rush Collection has some beautiful options. My local Neimans didn’t have any testers for the new items but these days I feel familiar enough with the line I didn’t need to test anything to make my purchasing decisions. Also thanks to Karla Sugar (see her Gold Rush Swatches Part 1) I knew I had to have the black and gold shadows.

The items I picked out: Gold Rush Highlighting Shimmer Powder ($55), Eyes to Kill Shadows #13 Black and #15 Copper ($32 each)

The Gold Rush Highlighting Powder is a soft sparkly gold. It’s softer in texture making the shimmer powder pigmented and easy to pick up with a brush. (Some shimmer powders are harder in texture making the finish sheerer.) If you are familiar with the Spring Nude Contrasts Shadows (reviewed here), the texture and finish of the Holiday Shimmer Powder is similar. It’s somewhere in between finely milled shimmer and chunky shimmer with uber-tiny micro sparkles.

* the above photo shows the upper 1/2 with the mirror reflection so you can see the shimmer in different light, the powder is one color, not duo-colored

I don’t have large visible pores on my cheeks (just had foundation/powder on), but when I applied this over my cheeks – I suddenly had visible pores. I tried it again over a foundation/powder/cream highlighter, it had a much better result. It’s not SUPER sparkly but the sparkle is definitely visible. As beautiful as it is, I think this would be better suited for the eyes or décolleté – but that’s only my personal opinion.

Here it is compared to NARS Albatross and MAC New Vegas. From the swatches it’s hard to see the sparkle – I recommend clicking to enlarge for better viewing. The NARS is more finely milled but can go on frosty if applied to heavily. The Armani has no frosty finish, but has visible microsparkles.

The Eyes to Kill Shadows are AMAZING. The Copper Shade #15 is more of a golden-bronze rather than copper but I love it. This is a high sparkle color but blends out beautifully. The Black Shade #13 is a soft cool-toned black. They come with a little black cover inside. I’m not exactly sure what the purpose of these are – they don’t really seal the shadow since there is space around the cover once inside the pot. I’ll have to ask my makeup artist the next time I go. I completely forgot to check the silver shade.

The shimmer is very subtle but this is one of the few cream black shadows that give a soft smokey eye without looking too harsh. I found both blended better with the fingers than a brush. They have an interesting texture – not quite a cream, not a powder, not quite a mousse. It’s like a blend of all three types of shadow formulas. I recommend reading the description on Armani’s Website for a better description.

Left = #15 Copper, Right = #13 Black

* Numbers on the shadows have been updated and corrected, #15 is the Copper Shade, #13 is the Black Shade

Swatch comparisons to the other brands and colors:

Since they didn’t have testers of anything I passed on the lip items since I knew they would be bright. I did pick up a few more Rouge d’Armani Lipsticks (not part of the holiday collection) and the new Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara (all which will be reviewed in the near future).

All photos and content are copyrighted. Please do not republish or hotlink images.

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Loving Right Now: Shimmering Pales

November 10, 2010

L to R: Le Metier de Beaute Whisper & Armani Holiday 2010 Shimmer Powder (to be reviewed soon)

Top to bottom: Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, MAC Gel Lipstick (on tube #3), D&G Perfection Lipstick

L to R: Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, NARS All About Eve Eyeshadow Duo

OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, MAC Bare Study Paint Pot

MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, Le Metier de Beaute Whisper Highlighter, D&G Perfection Lipstick, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, NARS All About Eve Duo, Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond Lip Glace, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Gel Lipstick

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YSL Holiday Nail Lacquers & Golden Glosses

November 7, 2010

YSL has a beautiful holiday collection this year filled with lovely metallic golds, champagne pinks and shimmery colors. I’m going to split up my reviews into two parts. First up are the Holiday La Laques ($20 each) in 139 Gold, 140 Pink Gold, 141 White Gold and two of the Holiday Golden Glosses ($30 each) in 38 Golden Champagne and 39 Golden Chestnut.

The Golden Glosses are typical YSL style and loaded with sparkle. They are on the sheer side and have the signature YSL gloss scent – sweet and like candy. These are non-gritty and smooth in texture. If you bought any of the Golden Glosses from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (#31, 32 or 33) then I’d say you don’t need either of these new holiday shades. The effect is similar.

Golden Champagne #38 is a soft pink with gold sparkle
Golden Chestnut #39 is a warm beigey-tan with gold sparkle

Comparisons to some other Golden Glosses. For many of these I can barely tell the difference in the tube unless I look at them closely in direct sunlight. Some have a different sparkle than others. There are some with a straight gold sparkle. Others have a multi-colored sparkled infused in the gloss. There are differences in the base color as well. Some have a more transparent finish while others have a more opaque creamy finish. All are still on the sheer side. Those wondering how these compare to MAC – the YSL Golden Glosses are like Dazzleglass Cremes without the grittiness. In my opinion the YSL are much better than MAC.

This is the first time I have tried YSL’s nail polishes so I won’t be able to compare these to previous shades. All I know is their number system drives me nuts to no end. Magazines will often list the products by name while the testers at counters are all labeled by number. Many times I’ve just given up trying to match the name and numbers. The holiday nail colors are frost-finished colors with rich pigment. The finish can be streaky if you’re not careful but the coverage is just incredible. The result is a high-shine metallic, almost foil-like finish.

Gold #139 is a pale gold frost
Pink Gold #140 is a copper pink-gold
White Gold #141 is like a sterling silver color (this is sheerer than the others)

The metallic nature of these polishes made it difficult to photograph. Here is one taken at an angle so you can see the color without the shine washing out all the color from the flash:

Photographed with a high flash:

Comparisons to other shades:

YSL #139 Gold Comparison Swatches:

YSL #140 Pink Gold & #141 White Gold Comparison Swatches:

Overall thoughts: I’ve been exploring YSL more and more lately. After buying several Golden Glosses I’ve found that most of them are pretty similar on the lips, so in the future I’ll probably stick to the regular non-shimmer shades. I found the Holiday Collection at Bloomingdales which only carries currently sold product, like most department stores. The other shades shown for comparison purposes have been discontinued meaning they were no where in any store to be pulled for comparison purposes.

I like the nail polishes for their excellent quality and rich pigment. I do find them a bit too metallic-y for my taste. I would have liked a more sophisticated shimmer rather than something that looks like chrome. Still I am impressed. The colors are unique and even in my extensive nail polish stash I don’t have anything quite like these holiday colors. I have Pink Gold #140 on my toes right now and I have to say it looks a lot better on the toes than the fingers.

Coming up soon: the Holiday highlighter and Gold Touche d’Or.

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Chanel Soho Collection Spotted at Nordstrom!

November 6, 2010

There was much confusion about the Chanel Soho Collection that was released in select Chanel Boutiques for Fashion’s Night Out. Was it exclusive to the Soho Boutique? Was it all Limited Edition? Would anything be released online?

The collection was released online in a few select boutiques. Today there are only 3 items left on Chanel.com (Soho de Chanel Powder, Steel Le Vernis, Star Glossimer). Those who waited too long or prefer to see/test things in person before buying, the GOOD NEWS is that the collection is now available at Chanel counters. I’ve seen this at Nordstrom and confirmed this with my a few other Nordstrom Locations in Southern California and Bloomingdale’s (none of which are the Chanel Studios).

The items from the collection, reviews, swatches & comparisons:

Soho De Chanel Highlighter $65 & Stupendous Quad $56- both reviewed here
Strong Le Vernis $23 – reviewed here
Steel Le Vernis $23 – reviewed here
Stunt Rouge Allure Laque $32, Star Glossimer $27, Stunning Rouge Coco $30 – reviewed here

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Dolce & Gabbana Ethereal Beauty Collection for Holiday 2010 * Updated*

November 5, 2010

I was on the phone calling up Nikki from Saks Houston as soon as Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog gave us a sneak peek at the Dolce & Gabbana Holiday Collection. Nikki put me on the wait list and called me as soon as it came in. (Read about why I love Nikki here.) I was thrilled that it came in time for Saks’ Friends and Family event and also in time for the Saks GWP from Dolce & Gabbana. I saw the holiday campaign ad in Elle and it made me go “oooh pretty.” What arrived in the mail was not exactly reflective of the ad campaign or the holiday spirit but still gorgeous, nevertheless.

My first thoughts: This looks like something for resort. My second thoughts: The promotional ad looks like it’s simply been photoshopped from season to season rather than a true application of the holiday colors. Of course these are just my own thoughts. These days resort seems to be the new holiday when it comes to designer fashion and beauty collections.

The items I picked out with Nikki’s help:

Cashmere Bronzer – soft warm bronze
Rosebud Blush – medium coral-peach

Honey Lipgloss – creamy nude beige
Shimmer Lipgloss – opalescent shimmer
Shimmer Shine Lipstick – pale shimmery champagne
Rosebud Shine Lipstick – cool shimmery soft rosebud pink
Desert Classic Cream Lipstick – complex brownish copper

Cashmere Lip Pencil – nude brown pink
Cinnamon Lip Pencil – nude cinnamon
Shimmer Eyeliner – pale champagne shimmer
Desert Eyeshadow Quad – matte bone, shimmery sandy gold, matte warm tan brown, matte dark warm chocolate

Update here – the swatches and comparisons below:

Bronzer & Blush thoughts: Cashmere Bronzer is very similar to their Desert Bronzer. The difference is that Cashmere appears to be warmer in undertone. Both have a subtle finely milled shimmer that doesn’t really show up on the skin, however both just make the skin glow with that healthy tan look. Rosebud Blush seems more Apricot/Petal to me versus Rosebud-y. I envisioned a pink color but instead a brightened peach came. I love it even if it’s not very holiday. It’s brighter than the Dolce & Gabbana Peach and Nude blushes as you can see below. The difference in the compact is subtle. I’m afraid the swatches make them look the same but the difference can be seen when you apply them on the face.

Lipstick & Lipgloss thoughts: I really liked the Shimmer, Rosebud & Desert lipsticks from the holiday collection. The formula of the shine lipsticks aren’t the best because of the glossy texture but I love them anyways and don’t mind reapplying. I couldn’t find a dupe or comparable shade to Desert. Here are some similar shades to Shimmer & Rosebud.

The Dolce & Gabbana Lipglosses are beautiful in my opinion. They do have that Dolce & Gabbana flowery scent but it’s not overpowering. Those who wonder how Shimmer & Honey compare to other shades, here’s the lineup:

Thoughts on the eye items: Dolce & Gabbana Shimmer Eyeliner is very similar to Stila’s Kitten Smudge Pot (which I have barely used). I like the texture of the Dolce & Gabbana much better. The Stila was a bit hard to work with (it has a slightly different texture than the other smudgepots in my opinion).

The Desert quad – I’m sorry to say seems rather boring. They could have spiced up the matte shades and made it more special. Still I really love the pigment and texture of Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadows. They’re really easy to blend and have a lovely velvety texture. Here it is compared to Chanel Beiges de Chanel (long d/c) and the new Bobbi Brown Day To Night Warm Eye Palette from this holiday.

Overall thoughts: Love the Rosebud Blush and all the lip items. Bronzer & Eye Quad – ok, but not must haves. I think there are better options from the Dolce & Gabbana line.

If you’re in need of a good Dolce & Gabbana rep I highly recommend Nikki from Saks Houston. She is incredible and described everything spot on. You can check out my post on the fall collection for her contact info or e-mail me directly.

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What’s That Nail Color? It’s Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised . . .

November 5, 2010

A few of you have asked what nail color I was wearing last Sunday. It’s Rescue Beauty Lounge in Bruised ($18), a beautiful cream mauve plum. Unfortunately it’s currently sold out online, most likely due to the recent holiday 5-hour sale. I don’t believe it’s a limited edition color so it should be available for purchase. I’ve been in love with this color ever since I first got it back a few months ago. Rich color, opaque finish, smooth texture. You do need 2 coats to get full coverage but I find most of the Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes to be similar in quality as Chanel’s recent colors (Rouge Fatale, Riviera, Khakis etc.) which I love.

I thought I would have more creamy non-shimmer plums but it appears that most of my plums are more on the vampy side (versus mauve-plum). Here it is compared to a few other shades. I’m sure there’s a dupe from OPI or Zoya, I just haven’t found one with quite the same undertone.

L to R: OPI Yankee Pankee Plum, OPI Queen of West Web-erly, RBL Bruised, RBL Moulin Rouge