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October 2013

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Chanel Accent #84 Powder Blush | Holiday 2013

October 8, 2013

Chanel Accent #84 Joues Contraste ($43) is new for this holiday. There are two versions, the US version and the baked version released everywhere else. I ordered mine from Nordstrom.com and received the US version 6g/0.21 oz which is made in France. This one is a sparkling mixture of rose mauve and beige. It’s beautiful and has both warm and cool tones mixed together. At some angles it’s clearly beige, at others it’s more of a dusty mauve rose. On my skin it applies like a neutral mauve with a hint of beige. The sparkles and shimmers are more visible in this color than most traditional Chanel blushes and I love that it’s different from anything they’ve released. It’s a cross between their regular blushes and highlighters.

More photos below will show the complexity. Note this was difficult to photograph. The blush has more of a beige-colored base, but the shimmers are cool-toned mixed with mauve and silver. It will look different depending on what light and angle you hold this at.

Natural light:

In sunlight:

Swatched heavy and light, two views, it swatches mauve on and pinkish on my arm. On my face it’s slightly more warm but still clearly mauvey-brown. This will vary depending on your skintone. (I have a lot of olive/gold).

I pulled some other Chanel blushes I thought might be similar based on what I saw in the pan. I thought it could be a dupe of the discontinued Orchid Rose or Rose Dust. For some reason Chanel discontinued a lot of their classic blush shades. By my comparisons, the new Accent is unique and different. Much to my dismay most of my comparisons are discontinued colors. Here are comparisons to Rose Dust #54, Imprevu 59, Orchid Rose, Rose Temptation, additional swatches include Tempting Beige and Tweed Rose (still on Chanel.com).

Blushes, same set with 2 views:

Swatches, same set with two views:

Chanel Accent proves to be an easy to wear neutral. It’s a dusty mauve without being too brown or cool-toned. On my olive skin it adds a nice definition to the cheeks without being too natural or too harsh with the shimmer. I’m wearing it today with the Le Métier de Beauté Saint-Domingue Eye Kit and Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine. By Chanel comparisons, Accent is different enough from other Chanel colors to justify purchasing. Update: For reference see Temptalia for the baked version swatches and Best Things in Beauty for the US version on lighter skintone.
Chanel Holiday should start arriving at counters soon. My Nordstrom only had a few pieces so far. You can find Accent at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com.

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Le Métier de Beauté Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope | Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus Exclusive

October 6, 2013

Le Métier de Beauté Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope Eye Kit ($95, limited) is an exclusive release to Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. So far it’s only online at Bloomingdales.com but you can probably still find this in store or have your Le Métier de Beauté specialist locate one for you. The colors in this kit are beautiful but 2 out of the 4 are repeats from previous kits. I still find the kit worth having but you may want to shop your stash if you have a lot of the kaleidoscope kits.

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Level 1 is a seashell peachy pink shimmer. It’s different from other pinks Le Métier de Beauté has released and makes a stunning all over shade that brightens the lids.

I didn’t have time to swatch the comparisons side by side, but did photograph them side by side to give you a better idea of how each layer compares. Here is Carnaby Street compared to Saint-Domingue (Saks exclusive) and Antique Poupee (Bergdorfs limited release 2011).

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Level 2 is a shimmering complex taupe. I found it to be identical to the taupes from other kits such as Antique Poupee and Come One, Come All.

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Level 3 is a matte mauve. It applies beautifully on the eyes to add a bit of contour and warmth. It’s identical to the mauve shade from Nouvelle Vague.

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Level 4 is a metallic teal. It’s a repeat from the Oscar de la Renta/Ready-to-Wear kit from Bergdorfs back in 2011. I’ve compared it next to the green from Penelope (also discontinued) to show that the Carnaby Street kit is more teal.

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Swatches, two views:

For those trying to decide between the two latest kits from Le Métier, here is Carnaby Street compared to Saint-Domingue (Saks Exclusive). I can’t say one is better than the other, they are both stunning options in my mind. However Saint-Domingue is easier for me to wear. The teal in Carnaby Street is gorgeous but I need to add a bit of brown or black to darken it for my complexion (teals can sometimes make my olive skin look sallow).

Overall, the Carnaby Street Kaleidoscope is a lovely release from Le Métier de Beauté. It is a modern palette of colors with unique shades compared to other brands (although a few repeats from other kaleidoscopes). You can find it online now at Bloomingdales. Did you get Carnaby Street? What did you think?

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Weekend Reads

October 5, 2013

Happy Saturday! This weekend loving these reads:

If you’re on Instagram, follow these lovelies:

Follow the beauty look book via Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin
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Le Métier de Beauté Saint-Domingue Kaleidoscope | Saks Exclusive

October 4, 2013

Le Métier de Beauté has released a Saks-Exclusive Kaleidoscope called Saint-Domingue ($95, limited). I spotted it in their fall fantasy catalog and ordered it immediately from Saks Houston for a gift card event. It’s breathtaking. Each shade is unique compared to the past releases from Le Métier de Beauté. It’s a stunning combination of colors that is perfect for fall.

The top shade is a satiny nude pink. There is a slight hint of shimmer but it applies more like a matte.

The second shade is a matte grey base with very subtle flecks of sparkle. Note this one pulls more blue on my arm but in real life applies more neutral on the eyes. It’s not as pale or as cool as the grey from Splendid Frost.

The third shade is a shimmering plum gold. It looks almost identical to Silk Road’s plums but it applies with much more pigment and sparkle. It’s also not quite as purply as Silk Road.

The last shade is a stunning soft steel dove grey shimmer. I couldn’t find another shade like it. It applies like a dream.

Most kits are designed to layer each color. This one I prefer to apply more like a traditional quad (lightest all over, then each darker shade worn progressively closer to the lashline).

Swatched individually then blended together:

I think it’s a must-have. It has the perfect blend of matte and shimmer. The pigment and blendability is phenomenal. I can’t rave enough about this one. You can find it at select Saks Stores or at Saks.com.

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Chanel Le Vernis Rouge Rubis #677

October 3, 2013

Chanel’s latest for nails is their Rouge Rubis #677 Le Vernis ($27). Bits of Chanel’s holiday collection have been trickling in stores and online at Nordstrom (see this post for what’s online now). I ordered mine sight unseen from Nordstrom.com. When it arrived I thought it might be just another basic red. After applying it I think I have found my holy grail red (it beats Dragon and Pirate in my eyes). It’s a drop-dead gorgeous jelly red. The formula is absolutely amazing. It’s the jelly of all jellies. Smooth flawless coverage with a slight transparent look due to the thin jelly-like finish. One coat covered the entire nail perfectly but I almost always do at least two coats. The texture is on the thinner side like Pirate making it super easy to apply – flawlessly. It’s a bright true red that just glows. There’s no orange or blue base/undertone. Just a straight classic bright red with a naturally glossy finish.

Here it is swatched with two coats, with Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat and Chanel Brilliance Extreme Top Coat. Here you can see the slight transparent/jelly-like finish with a high gloss shine:


In natural light it glows:

In direct sunlight it’s electric:

For comparisons, I think you can almost always dupe reds. I did find this one unique in Chanel’s line. There’s not a single color that has the same brightness while still being a true red (others have blueish bases or a distinct bright orange undertone). Here are a few comparisons, I believe most are still available for purchase right now:

  • Chanel Cinema (reviewed here) is darker and slightly dusty (not quite as bright)
  • Chanel Rouge Carat (reviewed here) flashes more blue/cool toned due to the shimmer
  • Chanel Pirate is more blue-based
  • Chanel Dragon is a darker red
  • Chanel Rouge Fatal is even darker
  • Chanel Lotus Rouge almost looks mauve next to Rouge Rubis
  • Guerlain Rouge d’Enfer #121 is very similar but slightly more orange and slightly darker
Bottom line it’s a must-have. Chanel Rouge Rubis #677 retails for $27. It should arrive at all Chanel counters very soon, right now it’s available for purchase online at Nordstrom.com.

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Pinks: Diorshow Fusion Mono Chimère #821 and Armani Eyes to Kill Rose Popillia #30

October 2, 2013

I’m loving shimmery pinks for eyes right now. Two new discoveries include these interesting hybrid gel-creams, in particular Diorshow Fusion Mono in Chimère #821 ($30 for 6.5g) and Armani Eyes to Kill in Rose Popillia #30 ($33 for 4g). There are pinks that can be impossible for me to pull off on my olive skintone, but these two have an interesting mix of sparkle and shimmer that they don’t look like traditional pinks on the eyes.

Diorshow Fusion Mono Chimère #821 is an iridescent multidimensional mousse-gel type of shadow. It mimics a similar feel to Chanel Illusion d’Ombres with the slight bounce it has when you press the product with your fingers. In general I found the Diorshow Fusion Mono shadows extremely shimmery (almost glittery) with a sheer finish. Chimère #821 was one of the few shades I felt was the least metallic making it the easiest to wear for someone conservative like myself. The texture blends easily on the lids without a base. It’s a lovely swipe-and-go kind of no-fuss shade. Lasting power was excellent on me.

Armani Eyes to Kill Rose Popillia #30 was released with the Fall 2013 Collection. I blinked and it sold out. It has sold out online multiple times and been on backorder. Luckily I was able to test it instore to know it was a must-have (and I immediately ordered it online). Rose Popillia #30 is a complex mauve-pink-taupe-lavender kind of shade. It has a similar complexity and multi-chrome finish to MAC Vex (but easier to wear). I’ve been a longtime Eyes to Kill fan and this one is no exception. Lasting power is amazing on me. It’s one that is impossible to describe properly. The mix of colors makes this one truly unique.

More photos and swatches, you can see the pigment is easy to control by layering. The shimmers are visible but not over the top:

Swatched in sunlight with flash:

Without flash in sunlight, you can see how the color flashes different due to the complexity:

Comparisons to other pinks including Armani Eyes to Kill #29 (swatched here), Chanel Abstraction, Tom Ford Pink Haze (reviewed here), MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot.

Both = love. Dior Chimère is definitely easier to find right now (not sure if it’s limited). I ordered mine online at Nordstrom.com. Armani Rose Popillia on the other hand sold out near me at mutiple counters. I waited for a week while it was on backorder but it shipped quickly. You may have better luck than I did tracking it down at your local counters.
Have you checked out the new Diorshow Fusion Mono cream shadows or the Armani fall collection?
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