Chanel lovers are well aware of the words “Chanel regret” after waiting too long to purchase a limited-edition nail polish only to find it has sold out. I have backups (both brand new) of last year’s Chanel Cosmic and Magic Le Vernis shades and one winner will receive both (swatches and original post here). Both shades are no longer available for purchase. There are four ways to enter, this one is a US only giveaway. You must be 18 years or older. Enter for a chance to win via the Rafflecopter widget below (comments in the post will not be considered qualifying entries).
The holidays are just around the corner and the next couple of months will be very busy ones. During the holiday season I find myself always gravitating towards warm gold and champagne shimmery shades. They are easy to coordinate with different outfits and makeup looks. I find warm golds and champagne also help brighten and warm up the complexion. Holiday beauty releases are starting to trickle in at Nordstrom and I’ve teamed up with them to share my some recent holiday beauty discoveries – all gold and champagne themed.
I have my picks split into different categories for lips, eyes, highlighters and nails:
For lips, there are a number of stunning shimmery gold and champagne glosses new this season. I like neutral golds for layering. They can bring a nude lipstick to life or when layered over a brighter pink, peach or red, soften the lips and give them a nice glow.
Dior Gold Rain is new from the Golden Shock collection which is a sheer but sparkling gold.
Burberry Nude Glow Lip Glow isn’t a new shade but I like to use this one year round. It’s a soft gold shimmer.
NARS Soleil d’Orient is a shimmering champagne that has a slight hint of pink. It’s pigmented enough to wear alone but also looks good over nude lipsticks.
Charlotte Tilbury Ibiza Nights is good for those who want more sparkle, it has the prettiest mix of shimmers but isn’t over the top.
Bobbi Brown Malt Shimmer Lipstick comes in a special-edition gold packaging this holiday which is fun. It’s a warm shimmery coppery shade with gold shimmer.
Golds are always in for me. They are neutral but easy to dress up. I like neutral gold eyes because they won’t overpower the face if you wear a bolder berry, pink or red lip.
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows are a long-time favorite. I like these applied on the lids with a brush. The pigment is really incredible and easy to layer for more intensity. If you use a damp brush the color transforms into a more intense and more metallic look. Any variation of Armani gold looks good on most skintones, they create some of the prettiest universally flattering shades. My favorite Armani likes to wear Eyes to Kill 6 packed on the lids and combine it with soft peach cheeks and a nude lip, the look is really quite stunning.
Dior Versailles 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette is a beautiful palette of pale shimmers and one deeper chocolate shimmer. The middle gold shade has a bit of a chunky sparkle which is nice for subtle layering.
Laura Mercier Rosegold Caviar Stick Eye Color (mini) is another year-round classic. I like this as a base on the lids to help bring out the pigment in shadows. It’s also good as a highlighter. Sometimes on lazy days I’ll wear this on the lids and just finish with mascara for a no-fuss look.
Gold shimmers and highlighters are a must for me, especially during the holiday. The warmth of the gold ones can enhance the skin naturally and make the complexion look more alive.
Armani Fluid Sheer 10 is a nice neutral gold. I like this dabbed on top of the cheek bones (after powder, foundation and blush) with a foundation brush to add highlight. It’s also good as a cheek base to use underneath blush.
Bobbi Brown Bronze Glow Highlight Powder is a shimmering warm gold. It feels almost like it has a slight gel texture but it’s still a powder. The shimmer on this one is medium-to-high, but not frosty.
Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow is another good gold highlighter. I like this used all over the face as a primer to illuminate the skin or mixed in with foundation to give it a glow.
Gold and red seem to be the hit shades this holiday for nails. There are a number of different gold polishes, some with glittery effects, others more subtle. I’ve been playing with three over the weekend.
Dior Mirror is a sheer white gold shimmer in the special holiday packaging. It has a transparent quality with two coats, I prefer three with this one.
Guerlain Coque D’Or Night at the Opera is a neutral gold shimmer (this one is my favorite).
Bobbi Brown Scotch is an interesting warm copper sparkle. It has smooth even coverage with two coats but the color is primarily sparkle.
Left to right: Guerlain, Dior and Bobbi Brown
What are your favorite colors to wear during the holiday? Do you have any favorite gold or champagne makeup shades or do you prefer the more dramatic plums and reds?
I’ve received numerous e-mails about the Tatcha Travel Kit I featured about back in September. It sold out shortly after I reviewed it and was out of stock for weeks. The good news is that it’s finally back in stock on Tatcha.com!
You can see my original post for more details and thoughts on the contents, but here is a quick recap of what the Travel Kit set includes:
LUMINOUS Deep Hydration Lifting Mask – 20ml | 0.68oz
LUMINOUS Dewy Skin Mist – 40ml | 1.35oz
LUMINOUS Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask – 5ml | .16 fl. oz.
INDIGO Soothing Silk Hand Cream Travel Size – 10ml | .34 fl. oz.
It retails for $125, currently exclusive to Tatcha.com. (All items are available for individual purchase except the pouch which is currently available only as part of this Travel Kit.)
On my desktop right now I have the Fall/Winter special edition of Lucky, Garance Doré + Rifle Paper notepad, Christian Louboutin
book, Diptyque mini photophore with Freesia and the new Diptyque Spice candle for holiday (review soon). Even though Chanel released several almost-identical looking reds, I’m currently obsessed with Chanel Expression which has a slight pink base making it a softer red. For lips, I’ve been loving the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks, in particular Stoned Rose and B*tch Perfect.
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation Swatches – Beauty Professor
Many thanks to everyone who entered my Tom Ford Nude Dip Giveaway. I am completely floored at how many entries I received. I really enjoyed learning about everyone’s favorite neutral eyeshadow palette picks – I received over 300 comments and it appears that the most popular pick is hands down anything from the Urban Decay Naked series. The winner selected via the Rafflecopter widget is Madison T, congrats!! (E-mail madisonti***[email protected], check your inbox!)
I’m late to the game in sharing these beautiful palettes with you, but better late than never, right? For the Autumn/Winter Collection Burberry Beauty released two new Complete Eye Palettes ($60 each for 5.4 g/0.19 oz, made in Italy) in Nude Blush No. 12 and Slate Blue No. 20. I’ve been a huge fan of Burberry eye shadows in both the single and quad formats, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of the fall palettes.
Nude Blush No. 12 is a unique palette of rosy tones. All the shades are medium-to-dark in color with various finishes. The shades in this one include a soft nude pink satin, a warm copper pink, a soft mauve blush and a deeper eggplant shimmer. The texture is buttery smooth and they adhere well to the lids. All the colors layer well together in this one. The colors are truly unique compared to most other palettes I own. At first glance, it looks similar to Plum Pink No. 06 (which I do not own). Swatches on Silverkis shows Nude Blush to be a warmer and more unique option. You can see from Color Me Loud that Nude Blush is similar but warmer than Tom Ford Orchid Haze. To me this palette is a simpler and more subdued version of Urban Decay Naked3.
Slate Blue No. 20 is a beautiful palette of cool tones. This one is way outside of my comfort zone as I almost never wear blue shadows on the eyes. The colors are smoky in undertone making it a stunning palette. I experimented with this one a number of different ways, my favorite way to wear this is to use the deeper shades along the upper lash line but combined with a more neutral palette like Dark Spice. The pigment of the Slate Blue shades is medium but layerable. The colors have a slight transparent quality giving them depth. You can apply the shades damp for more color and a dramatic look.
Both are beautiful additions to the Burberry Beauty lineup. My favorite of course is the neutral option in Nude Blush which makes me very happy that I didn’t get Plum Pink when it was released. The Burberry Complete Eyeshadow Palettes retail for $60 each. They are available online at Nordstrom and Saks (available in store at select counters). Also available online at Burberry.
Many thanks to Burberry for sending these for review consideration.
SK-II Skin Refining Treatment (1) has been a miracle worker in improving my skin. It’s a night time skincare treatment that helps to refine the skin and remove dead skin cells overnight. I have been using it regularly since September and it is gentle but very effective at clearing up the complexion and giving it a more radiant look.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (3) has been a staple this past month. During my move, I had most of my beauty items packed away in bubble wrap and boxes, I kept a small handful of things in a makeup case for regular use. This was one of them, I used this almost exclusively the past few weeks. It’s versatile and goes with just about any kind of look. Swatches and review can be found here.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Moonlight (4) is a new shade I discovered in the Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set for this holiday. I just reviewed it a few days ago but purchased it the first week of October (sometimes testing takes a long time for me). I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this color soon. It’s the perfect platinum warm taupe shimmer.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard and Ginger (5) are my two newest concealer discoveries. I’m super picky when it comes to concealer (I’ve used Clé de Peau Beauté and By Terry almost exclusively for years, swatches of all Cle de Peau Beaute shades here). I’ll have a full review up next week, but the NARS lives up to the hype. It’s quite incredible.
Wayne Goss Brush #16 is a large super soft domed brush (6). I bought it from Beautylish which describes it as being “designed for controlled application and pristine blending.” This brush is one of the largest shadow brushes I own. I’ve been using it to apply Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder under the eyes. It’s a soft but dense brush that picks up the powder nicely and gives smooth application.
Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder Shade 2 is another new favorite (7). The powder comes in three shades, I was matched to #2 which is a very good match for my Chanel 30 / Tom Ford Bisque 04 skin tone. I’m normally not a fan of pressed powders because I find that they look chalky or end up darkening my face (I prefer powder foundations instead). This one by Charlotte Tilbury changed my outlook completely. I saw it applied on my friend who is very fair in Shade 1. The artist brushed it over her skin as a touchup without adding any foundation or concealer and the effect was quite incredible.
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics (8) is the best matte eyeshadow palette I have tried. You can see swatches in this post here. I’ve been reaching for this one quite frequently as my no-fuss go-to everyday kind of palette.
By Terry released six tinted shades of her cult classic Baume de Rose called the Baume De Rose Nutri-Couleur. I splurged on four of the shades but I’m smitten with the plum shade in Fig Fiction (10).
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil (11) is a regular favorite. The past month I’ve been using it more frequently as my hands and fingers have been dryer than normal. It smells like lush coconut. Works like a charm to fix dry cuticles.
Tom Ford Spanish Pink (12) is my favorite nude pink lipstick of the moment. There’s nothing like it that I’ve tested. It has just the right amount of warmth in it to make it look slightly peachy but not too much. Swatches here.
Chanel Phenix 687 Le Vernis ($27, limited-edition) is the new polish for holiday. It’s part of the Collection Plumes Précieuses de Chanel. It’s a beautiful classic red cream. The formula is very fluid and applies smoothly like most Chanel nail polishes. In my mind, Chanel can do no wrong when it comes to reds, but Phenix is very similar to past nail polish releases. I don’t mind similar colors but for those who don’t want dupes, you many want to shop your stash before buying. Still, if you’ve tried a lot of different reds you know how there are a multitude of variations. Some are darker reds, others brighter, some with different undertones like blue or orange. Finding a good red that doesn’t clash too much with your skin or make it look drab can be challenging sometimes. Chanel Phenix is a bright red with the perfect mix of orange and pink in it to brighten the hands and give them a polished classic look.
More photos and swatches of Phenix, it applies perfectly with two coats:
In terms of comparisons, there are Chanel reds that are extremely similar. From arm’s length they will look identical. I tried to do some swatch comparisons, but if you’ve photographed reds before, you know the challenge in capturing the differences no matter what lighting you use. I’ll add descriptions to explain what I see the differences are, but bottom line is that many are extremely similar.
Chanel Coromandel is deeper in color and more opaque, it also has more orange
Chanel Rouge Rubis is almost blue-toned compared to Phenix, it has a cooler undertone
Chanel Dragon is darker and more red making Phenix look almost orange next to it
Chanel Pirate is quite a bit darker, sheerer and definitely more blue-toned
Chanel Enthusiast (discontinued) is the closest match to Phenix, but Enthusiast has more orange undertone and is more opaque
I find Chanel Phenix to be a gorgeous brighter red that pulls slightly warm. I think it will be flattering on most skin tones. If you already own a lot of reds, you may want to skip Phenix and opt for something more unique unless you are a die-hard Chanel fan or collector.
