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2013

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Three Things: Diptyque Room Spray, Diptyque Candles and Bottega Louie Macarons

June 25, 2013
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Currently obsessed with Diptyque. I love that the Diptyque room sprays are making a comeback. I found three at my local Nordstrom and decided to start with Baies ($65 for 3.4 oz). I’ve been a huge fan of the Baies Candle and was curious to see how the Room Spray compared. Both are similar with the mix of roses and blackcurrant leaves (floral but not too floral, sweet but not too sweet). The Baies Room Spray is quite a bit sweeter with the blackcurrant more prominent. I spritz rooms with just one spritz to fill the entire room. Lasting power is quite good – it lingers for several hours.
Two new candle discoveries include the Feullie de Lavande (a mini gift with purchase) and the new Diptyque Minä collection in Joie, Infini and Ciel ($65 each, spotted in stores at Nordstrom and Barneys NY Beverly Hills, online at Nordstrom.com and Diptyque.com). The new candles were created by minä perhonen and the house of diptyque inspired by poems written by Akira Minagawa. The candles are cased in a semi-transparent white glass with beautiful designs. More details on each to come as I open them and start to burn. The first one I’ve opened is Joie which is a fresh floral, I will write more about it in the upcoming days.

Finally I’m obsessed with Bottega Louie Macarons. I’ve never been to Paris to try the real french macarons but I hear Bottega Louie makes ones closest to the ones in Paris. My favorites are Vanilla and Earl Grey. If you go to LA, I highly recommend you visit Bottega Louie for a treat. Click over to Styled Notes to see a detailed feature on Bottega Louie.

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Le Blush Crème de Chanel

June 22, 2013

This fall Chanel has released six new colors of cream blush called Le Blush Crème de Chanel ($38 each for 2.5 g/0.09 oz). I had my heart set on one of each shade but my local counters have not received all the shades yet for sale. At the counter the Chanel artist applied a bright peach called Présage on me along with the peachy Rouge Coco Mystique and I fell in love in an instant. I left with four of the shades and have been putting them to the test this whole week. The colors are all creams without shimmers.
  • Destiny 61 is a neutral beige brown/tan
  • Présage 62 is a bright peach
  • Révélation 63 is a perfect pink/peach watermelon-like color
  • Inspiration 64 is a pale powder pink
My two favorites are Présage and Révélation for the color. They brighten the face with just the right amount of color. Destiny is a good basic tan, but I found slightly boring for my skintone. Inspiration is borderline too pale for my medium skintone.
The texture of these creams is not quite a cream-to-powder but not quite as emollient as regular cream blushes. They are described as a power-cream. They definitely dry down when applied but don’t really feel powdery on the skin. I really like that these have a lightweight feel but are quite pigmented.
I tried several different application methods. With fingers or a regular foundation brush I found application to be a bit tricky for my skin. I either applied too much color or it looked uneven. Color didn’t last more than 2 hours. Layering over a sheer liquid illuminator like Tom Ford Fire Lust or MAC Strobe Liquid helped smooth the application but sheered out the color a bit and also diminished lasting power. After testing with several brushes, I found that my Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush proved to be the best tool for these. It provided the smoothest, most even and longest lasting application (well through the late afternoon). I suspect how these apply on you will depend on your skin type (mine is fairly normal, I don’t get oily except in humid weather and my skin isn’t dry). Your mileage may vary – some will prefer fingers others may find a brush works better.
Some more photos and swatches:

 Swatches, swatched with a heavy hand to show the rich color, note that the colors are easily blended out for a flawless glow:

I was hard pressed to find dupes or similar colors in cream blush shades. Most of my cream blushes have some shimmer or are in a different formula making colors a bit difficult to compare. Here are a few I thought were similar. After pulling the shades, it turns out the Chanels are really different. 

Comparison swatches:

I wanted both of the darker shades and will probably purchase once they arrive at my counter. For now I’m in love with Présage and Révélation.
The Le Blush Crème de Chanel is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Chanel.

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Photo of the Day

June 21, 2013
I don’t have anything new to post for a review at the moment. Currently working on several reviews all at the same time. Up next will be some shades of the Le Blush Crème de Chanel. I’ve been putting them to a rigorous test this week. Thoughts, photos and swatches will be up soon. For now, just wanted to share a random nail wheel shot. The colors are washed out from the bright sunlight and flash, but for inquiring minds, the left side is from the Chanel Élixir review. The right side is from the YSL Rose Baby Doll review. Check those features to see which color is which.

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Chanel Mysterious 601 Le Vernis – Fall 2013

June 19, 2013
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Chanel Mysterious 601 Le Vernis ($27, Nordstrom.com) is a deep khaki military green. It’s a full coverage cream. Although this is a very deep shade, there’s a muted quality that prevents it from looking black on the fingers. I never thought I could love a khaki-green colored shade for the nails, but this one is quite polished and distinct looking on my fingers. Below shown with two coats.

Comparisons below to some Chanel and Dior:

My heart still belongs to Elixir from the fall collection, but Mysterious is a nice alternative to black, grey or vamps. I can’t say that Mysterious is a must-have for me, mainly because I’m usually drawn to non-green/khaki shades for nail polish. I found Alchemie unique, but for some reason, I can’t get excited about Mysterious. If you’re on the fence and trying to decide between a few select items from fall, I would say skip Mysterious and go for one of the cream blushes or lipsticks in the collection. Those are the winners in my mind.

Right now, Chanel Fall 2013 has been spotted in stores early. I found mine at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. For now, the only place I can find it online is at Nordstrom.com.

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Nordstrom.com Chanel Beauty Samples (Online Only)

June 19, 2013
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Nordstrom.com samples: Le Weekend de Chanel, Le Nuit de Chanel and Le Volume de Chanel.
I just received a package from Nordstrom.com and wanted to share a current promotion they have. They have deluxe Chanel samples while supplies last. If you haven’t tried the Resynchronizing skincare this is a great opportunity to sample them. Unfortunately as of today the Le Volume mascara sample is no longer available, but they still have an awesome selection. I suggest you order soon to take advantage of the offer! (I purchased a backup of Élixir 589 Le Vernis.)

Details online at Nordstrom:


For a limited time, choose three free CHANEL beauty samples with any
makeup, skincare, grooming or fragrance purchase. Online only. This
offer does not apply to in-store pickup orders. Samples are limited and
subject to availability, and substitutions may apply. You may choose a
maximum of three samples per order. Samples cannot be shipped to PO
boxes, military APO/FPO or international addresses. Your samples may
ship separately from the items you purchased.

Happy Shopping!

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Chanel Élixir 589 Le Vernis – Fall 2013

June 17, 2013
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Chanel Élixir 589 ($27 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz, Nordstrom.com) is a beautiful milky warm red pink. This color is hands down my favorite shade out of the three released for fall. It looked stunning on the runway at the Fall-Winter 2013/14 Show. The color has a beautiful mix of pink and red with just the right amount of warmth to make it different from other pinks from Chanel. It’s a classic color that I hope will become part of the permanent line. It applied smoothly with full coverage with a single coat. Swatches below are all with two coats. It’s a color that isn’t quite as dramatic or sharp as red, not quite as soft as baby pinks, and not quite as attention-grabbing as bright fuschias. It’s somewhere in between. The pink/red is noticeable, but Élixir has a soft gentle-looking feel. It looked striking against black on the runway. I suspect it will be a shade that will be easy to incorporate into any wardrobe color combination. (Photo below via Vogue and Chanel.com.)

Some close up shots:

Swatches with two coats of color and a layer of Poshe Top Coat:

Many have asked how this compares to other Chanel pinks, in particular May and April. I pulled out some to compare: May, Rose Insolent, Fracas, April, Infidele, Cinema and Suspicious. Most of the shades have been previously featured before (links provided for reference).

Nail swatches of a few for extra detail:

Definitely a must although some may find it too similar to other rose pinks to justify purchasing. The fall collection has started to trickle instores now. Some counters are still waiting for pieces of the collection to arrive in their next shipment. Chanel Le Vernis in Élixir 589 is available now online at Nordstrom.com with free ship and currently has a nice selection of 3 Free Samples from Chanel to choose from (while supplies last, online only). 
Did you pick up Élixir?
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Chanel Alchimie 591 Le Vernis – Fall 2013

June 16, 2013
Chanel Alchimie 591 ($27 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz, Nordstrom.com) is new for fall. It’s a mossy olive shimmer with a hint of gold and khaki. The color has a very smooth streak-free shimmer and applies beautifully with two coats. I’m usually not a fan of greens on the nails or olive colors since they tend to clash with my yellow/olive-toned skin, but Chanel always does greens beautifully. I’ve worn this for almost 4 days now and I’ve had no chips or tip wear. I love that it’s a work-appropriate neutral with a bit of edge.

Swatched:

Many have asked how it compares to Peridot from several years ago. Here are some swatches and photos. Peridot has a more visible shimmer/iridescent quality. It’s also brighter and more yellow/gold. It literally glows on the skin. Alchimie is a more subtle and conservative version with more olive and green. I think they are different enough to justify owning both.

Alchimie is definitely a must-have. The Chanel fall collection is starting to trickle in stores now. I spotted the items at my local Neimans and Nordstrom. It should be arriving at all Chanel counters and online soon. For now you can find it online at Nordstrom.com.
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