Yearly Archives

2013

Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer: Gatsby #110

August 14, 2013

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Gatsby #110 ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz) is a metallic champagne pink. It’s rich pigmented shade with a metal-like finish. I found the color to be unique compared to other metallic pinks. Gatsby has a slight mauvey tone to it. The formula was a bit difficult to work with – I found this one to be thicker than most shades that applied with a streaky finish and visible brush strokes. Once dried and with two coats applied the strokes blended out a bit. The metallic quality is a bit sharp with this one contrasting with my olive skintone. I’m not sure whether I like it or not – I’m on the fence with this color. More photos and swatches below.

In sunlight:

Swatches:

A few comparisons below to Le Metier de Beaute True Romance, Guerlain Petite Robe Noire and Chanel Violette.

Overall – still undecided. I know it’s expected that brush strokes are visible with metallics. I’m not sure if the photos captured those streaks. Gatsby is a lovely striking shade that’s neutral but with that edge from the shimmer. You can find Marc Jacobs beauty exclusively at Sephora.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer: Petra #140

August 13, 2013

Marc Jacobs Petra #140 Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer ($18 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz, Sephora.com) is a rich complex sparkly plum-taupe-silver. It’s one of those shades loaded with multi-colored shimmers giving a foiled metallic look (think along the lines of Chanel Graphite and Delight). Petra has a thick formula that requires a slow and steady application. You need to let the first coat dry entirely before you apply the second. I had to redo several nails as I tried to smooth out the first coat (which didn’t work too well). The finish is smooth and streak-free. It has a smooth texture and feels like one of those shades that will adhere well to the nail and last a long time.

Here it is swatched with two coats, although one coat covered the nail entirely. It’s mostly a purply-taupe on me, but looks silvery depending on how the light captures the silver flecks.

In sunlight with flash:

In sunlight, no flash:

I couldn’t find anything quite like Petra. In the store it looked like it could match a few OPI shades but when I pulled comparisons, I couldn’t find any dupes. Here it is compared to Rococo Metal Jacket, OPI Holiday Glow, OPI The World is Not Enough and Dior Aztec Chocolate (now called New World Purple). All of these shades are rather complicated shimmers. Here are 2 sets of the same shades so you can see the shimmers:

I love the color. I wish I had this in an eyeshadow and eyeliner form. I wish I had this color in my closet as well. It’s perfect for this time of year and I found it unique. It’s a beautiful complex metallic without being too glitzy. I love that Petra has a lot of purple, taupe and brown mixed into the color with a tiny bit of silver. I’m currently testing and swatching half a dozen nail polishes or else I’d have this color on my nails the rest of the month – tips and toes. Marc Jacobs Beauty is currently exclusive to Sephora.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquers – Preview

August 12, 2013

Marc Jacobs Beauty launched at Sephora last week. I stopped by my local store to check out the line and picked three of the Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquers ($18 each for 13 ml/0.43 oz). There is a wide range of colors and textures to pick from. I saw creams, shimmers, frosts, glitters and some sheers. I picked out three of the shimmery shades in Gatsby, Le Charm and Petra as my first intro to the line. I’m working on reviews and swatches as fast as I can on each shade. For now, here is a sneak preview. The bottles are so cute. They have a pull off cap and I love that the bottles feel very sturdy. Part of the display at Sephora.

The packaging and brush:

Gatsby, Le Charm and Petra close ups:

Detailed report to follow shortly. Did you check out the Marc Jacobs Beauty collection at your Sephora? Did you pick anything up? I’m all ears for what everyone has tried 🙂

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Chanel Affinité 65 Le Blush Crème de Chanel

August 12, 2013

Chanel Affinité 65 Le Blush Crème de Chanel ($38 for 2.5 g/0.09 oz) was one shade missing from most counters near me. Stores had received testers but no product to sell. Chanel.com had the color available for a few days before selling out. I had my name on the waitlists and was thrilled to find it arrived in stores at Nordstrom and online Nordstrom.com. Affinité #65 is a hot cool-toned pink. It’s quite pigmented and visible on the skin – it’s one of the brighter shades out of the six that were released for fall. Other Blush Crèmes in Destiny, Presage, Revelation and Inspiration were reviewed here. Out of all the shades, my top three picks are Présage, Révélation and this one Affinité.

Since Affinité is very pigmented, it does require blending on the skin for a more natural look. I’ve found either a foundation brush or regular blush brush work fine. My favorite is Tom Ford’s Cream Foundation brush but any brush will do. I don’t recommend applying over dry skin. It does work ok over a powdered face, but for easier blending, apply a sheer illuminator first to the cheeks. The slightly emollient base helps the color blend easier. Swatches, heavy and blended:

Comparisons below to Chanel Revelation (warmer), Edward Bess Love Affair (the EB has more blue and is dewier), MAC Dollymix Powder blush (similar in undertone):

Overall love. It’s a beautiful bright pink shade that is easy to wear and coordinate into looks for both day and evening. It’s layerable so you can adjust the intensity to your preference. I’m happy I was able to find it. I’m not sure why it’s one of the hard to find shades, perhaps it was just one that sold out very quickly – the good news is that Affinité is not listed as a limited item on Chanel.com even though it is sold out. If you had difficulty finding this the past few months, know that you can find it now at Nordstrom.

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Loving Right Now

August 11, 2013

Marc Jacobs Beauty launched last week at Sephora. I had some fun at my local Sephora Friday Night. The packaging was surprisingly fun. I limited myself to 3 nail polishes (although I did not test in store, I just had a manicure). Fall collections are trickling in. Bergdorf Goodman has received the Tom Ford Fall collection. Some Neiman Marcus stores have Guerlain fall. I’ve seen reports of Jo Malone’s Peony and Blush Suede arriving in stores although I haven’t seen it yet in person. Sneak peeks of Bobbi Brown’s Chocolate collection have surfaced. Marc Jacobs nail polish reviews to come soon. Right now I’m loving:

What’s on your fall wishlist?

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Diorshow Mono Mordoré 653 and Gris Montaige 047

August 9, 2013
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Dior released four single shadows as a Nordstrom Exclusive with the fall collection. These are new in the US, although available in other countries (see swatches on Front Row Beauty). I picked up two of the shades Mordoré 653 and Gris Montaigne 047 ($29 each for 2.2g/0.07 oz, Nordstrom.com). Both are in the Diorshow Mono formula which has allows either a wet or dry application. This was my first time trying these shadows even though the formula was released months ago with other shades.

Mordoré 653 is a beautiful warm bronze metallic. It has a lovely shimmery finish to it. On me it pulls very warm but not red. Swatched on the arms it looks identical to Armani Eyes to Kill #5, but Dior Mordoré is easier to wear with less yellow/orange and slightly more bronze. The pigment is very rich but smooth and easy to layer. Blending with this color is easy – some coppers and warm bronzes blend out to look reddish or yellowy on the skin, this one stays true to color.

Gris Montaigne 047 is a classic metallic grey silver. There is a blend of different kinds of silvery shades which prevent it from looking too metallic or foiled on the skin. Silvers can be hard for me to pull off – this one has enough grey to not turn blue on the eyes. I could not find a dupe for this one.

More photos and swatches:

Comparisons below to Urban Decay Half Baked, NARS Fex, Chanel Le Bronze, Armani Eyes to Kill #5, Burberry Pearl Grey, Chanel Furtif, Chanel Infini, Armani Eyes to Kill #21 and Armani Eyes to Kill #17.

In the US you can find both Dior Mordoré and Gris Montaigne at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com. I’m new to the Diorshow Mono formula but so far am pleased with the two shades I tried. Are there any other colors you’ve fallen in love with that I need to try?

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Chanel Paradoxal 509 Le Vernis – Revisited

August 4, 2013

On the nails this past week: Chanel Paradoxal 509 ($27 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz). This color came out years ago with the Fall 2010 collection but remains a classic. It’s a lovely dusty grey purple cream that has that Chanel shimmer in the bottle but applies more like a cream. If you look closely at the nails (once it’s applied) you can see a beautiful sheen. I do wish the shimmer was more visible but it is still a lovely classic shade with a twist – different from your traditional vamps or reds. Chanel Paradoxal worked well with shades of black, white, navy and even orange from my work wardrobe. Many have tried to dupe it with less expensive alternatives. See the verdict on Lacquerized, Pink Sith, and The Swatchaholic.

Here you can see how the shimmer flashes depending on the light:

From the Fall 2010 Chanel Campaign:

Swatches with two coats:

You can find Chanel Paradoxal 509 at all Chanel retailers. Do you find yourself revisiting older classics? What are you wearing on your nails right now?

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