Chanel just launched the Jardin de Camélias Collection exclusively online at Chanel.com in the US. I ordered the following items:
Sakura #87 Blush ($43, Euro/Asia baked version)
Jardin de Camélias Illuminating Powder ($70)
four Aqualumière Glosses ($29.50 each) in Eau Rose #86, Rosace #87, Pink Pivoine #88, Baie Rose #89
two Rouge Allures ($34 each) in Fleurie #139 and Charmeuse #142
I’ll be uploading more detailed reviews as quickly as I can. I swatched and photographed everything over the weekend but need to do a bit more testing. For now here are swatches for your reference. Quick note on the glosses, they all apply very sheer on the lips like most Chanel glosses do.
Without flash:
With flash:
You can find the collection now online at Chanel.com.
Stay tuned for the swatches and photos of the Chanel Sakura Blush and Jardin de Camélias Highlighter next. I’ll be adding a few finishing touches and thoughts on my review for these during my lunch break. Review should be up the review in a few hours.
Le Métier de Beauté released three new Kaleidoscope Kits at the end of last year in limited quantities at select stores and they are finally available online at Bloomingdales ($95 each). There is a new face kit called The Total Look, a blush kit called Cheeky Chic and an eyeshadow kit called Strada. When my local store received these they did not have testers. I limited myself to one: The Total Look Kit which has two eyeshadows in a bronze and champagne, a pink blush and a light bronzer.
Swatches, note I applied the blush and bronzer with a light hand. The colors are well pigmented once applied on the face but still soft.
I pulled one of my older discontinued kaleidoscopes in the Flawless Face Kit to compare for you (the Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills edition had Jojo Eyeshadow instead of the translucent pressed powder). If you missed out on the older kit, the Jojo Eyeshadow, Whisper Highlighter and Echo Blush can be purchased individually.
For the top two shades, the pale pink in The Total Look is more shimmery and frosted compare to the Whisper Highlighter:
Here you can see The Total Look has a softer effect than Flawless Face:
I pulled a couple different shades from different kits for swatch comparisons. Galatea’s Bronze (discontinued) is darker than The Total Look. Nouvelle Vague’s (review here) shimmery pink is darker than The Total Look. The Blush Kaleidoscope (review here) is darker and more pigmented than The Total Look.
The Total Look Kaleidoscope Face Kit is a classic staple. I’m glad it is finally available for purchase online. I waited to write about this because I suspected like most Le Metier de Beaute kits it would sell out in the blink of an eye and cause those to miss out heartache. Although pricey at $95 per kit, note this breaks down to $23.75 per kit. For the size and price note that many other brands have shadows priced the same or higher per shadow.
If you’re new to Le Metier de Beaute or don’t own a lot of Kaleidoscopes, this is a great kit to start with. If you own a lot, I think you can skip although I found the colors in this one to have slightly different nuances making the colors unique. The convenience factor is a plus. I brought this with me in a couple trips in the past few months. Be sure to check out Best Things in Beauty for her swatches and a snapshot of all three kits.
Tatcha’s latest release is the Indigo Collection with new body and skincare products formulated to soothe, renew and soften the skin. For those new to Tatcha, the line was created by Victoria Tsai who based her products on Japanese geisha practices. More behind her story here. I discovered the brand thanks to some of my long-time readers who have been raving about the line for months. Several reached out through email and convinced me to order the Gold Camellia Lip Balm (which I adore). I was fortunate to meet part of the Tatcha team in San Francisco last month and they kindly sent me samples of the Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter ($48 for 200 ml/6.7 fl oz) and Soothing Silk Hand Cream ($38 for 60 ml/2 fl oz). Both products are made with the stems, leaves and petals of the Indigo plant. This is combined with other anti-flammatory ingredients to help soothe irritated skin. Both the hand and body cream have a blue tint to the product. I was worried the color would transfer or stain clothing but the good news is the color disappears upon application. The Indigo products have this beautiful scent that I find impossible to describe. It’s a relaxing refreshing spa-like scent that is very calming.
The products come beautifully packaged as you can see below. Anyone who has ordered from Tatcha online knows that everything arrives with everything from the products to samples wrapped beautifully.
I’ve been testing these for the past month and both perform exactly as described. The Silk Body Butter is rich and with a medium-thickness for texture and blends easily. I rarely use body creams because I find them to be either too heavy in texture and scent. (I prefer dry oils.) The Tatcha cream blends easily with only a tiny bit and the scent balance is perfect. I can wear this at night and apply before bed without the scent interfering with my sleep. (I am sensitive to scents when it comes to being able to fall asleep.) A little goes a long way and it absorbs quickly into the skin and soothes any dry areas that might be irritating. If you’ve applied this and it feels sticky – it means you’ve applied too much.
The Soothing Silk Hand Cream is a new favorite. It also has a rich in texture so you only need a little bit. This past month has been a dry one for me causing my hands to be extra sensitive and dry. I alternate hand creams on a daily basis (between L’Occitane, Aerin and Diptyque) and the Tatcha has proved to be the most neutral in scent making it the most appropriate for my conservative corporate work place. It comes with a purse-friendly squeeze tube that seals all the way so you don’t have to worry about it leaking all over your bag.
I have the Soothing Body Butter nearby when I’m at home either on my home work desk or by my nightstand. I have the hand cream in my purse and have been reaching for it more than others lately. I can see myself using up the hand cream within a few months and will most likely need to replenish soon.
You can find Tatcha at online at Tatcha.com (lovely samples with every order) and Barneys New York. The line is available in stores in the US at Barneys in New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco. (PS follow Tatcha on Twitter @tatcha_v for extra sample codes.)
Have you tried anything from Tatcha? What are your favorites?
I swatched all of the new Aerin Beauty Rose Balm Lipsticks a couple of days ago here. Today I’ll show you my picks along with lip swatches. Aerin Beauty Rose Balm Lipsticks ($30 each for 0.14 oz/4g). These are buildable lipsticks with a moisturizing feel. There is a very soft rose scent which I find similar to the Rose Hand and Body Cream. It’s a sweet soft rose that fades after a few minutes. For reference it’s not as strong as the rose scent in some Chanel lipsticks. The Rose Balm Lipsticks have a soft shine to them which makes them look like a shiny balm but they have the pigment of a lipstick (meaning more coverage on the lips than the MAC Lustre formula). Coverage is quite good from medium to full coverage. They apply better on the lips versus the hand or arms. You do need a smooth lip to apply. If you have any flakies, I recommend prepping your lips with a balm first for about 5 minutes or so to smooth them out. Since the colors adhere well to the lips they can enhance anything that is chapped or peeling.
I tried Poppy in store and photographed it on the lips before it faded. I purchased Coral Sand, Liebling, Pretty and Wild Lilac for myself. I bought Geranium for my mother as a Valentine’s Day gift so it is not swatched below.
Swatches without flash:
Swatches with flash highlight the shine factor:
Close ups and lip swatches shown below of each shade I bought. Here is Poppy which I tested in store but did not purchase. If I remember correctly Poppy may have had a tiny bit of shimmer in the tube but on the lips the shimmer does not show up.
Coral Sand is a fresh peachy shade. The Aerin rep in San Francisco was wearing this color and it brightened her whole face (she had light skin and dark brown hair). I think this one would be flattering on almost anyone. It’s the perfect shade of peach for the transition into spring.
Liebling is a cool mauve. It looks darker in the tube than it applies on the lips. On me it pulled very blue-toned due to my olive skin. I saw it on some cooler-toned lighter skinned women at the counter and it looked amazing on them. I like this one but it’s a bit too cool-toned for my taste – but I usually have a hard time wearing anything mauve on the lips.
Pretty is the perfect pink in my mind. It’s a neutral soft pink that doesn’t wash out the skin. This one is my favorite out of the collection.
Wild Lilac is a dark vampy wine color in the tube. Similar to Clinique’s classic Black Honey, this translates into a brighter wine on the lips. On me it pulls cool-toned however on the hands it swatched more red. The color on your lips will probably depend on your skintone. I swiped it twice a bit unevenly before I photographed it. If I had pressed my lips together to blend a bit it wouldn’t have been quite as blotchy.
Geranium is a stunning brighter rose pink cream. It’s the kind of color my mother loves. She’s a loyal Estee Lauder and Chanel fan and likes anything bright. I thought this new lipstick would be right up her alley.
One last photo:
Overall thumbs up. If you’re an Estee Lauder fan you will love these as well. The overall feel of Aerin’s line is like an updated modern version of Estee Lauder. My heart still belongs to Chanel, Tom Ford and Edward Bess for lipsticks, but Aerin’s Rose Balm Lipsticks are close behind as a new favorite. My must-have shade after testing these is Pretty although Perfect Nude is still calling my name. See all the lip colors swatched in this post.
On my radar for what’s new in beauty. I splurged on almost all the Hourglass blushes and have been testing this week (they are now on Sephora.com). They are all amazing. In my mind the best blushes released this year.
Armani has two new products that appear to be exclusive to Saks right now. There are four new shades of a Sun Fabric compact ($54 each) along with seven new shades of Cheek Fabric ($46 each). Have you seen these yet? I haven’t seen them anywhere in stores yet. If you have please share in the comments. I’m dying to hear your thoughts.
My heart skipped a beat with the Chanel Jardin de Camélias collection (Chanel.com limited-edition exclusive). My order arrived last night so I will be busy photographing and swatching this weekend. For curious minds, I ordered the blush, highlighter and all the lip products. (Temptalia has been uploading reviews and swatches of the collection on her blog.)
I’m dying over all the new NARS Matte Multiples and don’t know whether to order now or wait to test in person (now at Narscosmetics.com and Sephora). I know I need the two pink ones.
Finally, Bobbi Brown has a fresh peach collection Nectar and Nude. I haven’t bought a Pot Rouge since she repackaged them into compacts but the new Hibiscus Pot Rouge might be worth checking out.
The latest from Aerin Beauty includes 10 new shades of Rose Balm Lipstick ($30 each for 0.14 oz/4g). I’ve been impressed with the Aerin Beauty lipsticks but the new Rose Balm formula takes lipsticks to a whole new level. These are moisturizing, full pigment, cream colors with a natural sheen. For a slightly glossy-finish lipstick these are long lasting and have surprisingly good coverage. These come in a heavy weight gold tube. The packaging is sleek and has a simple classic design.
I played with these a couple weeks ago when I was in San Francisco and came home with Liebling (a cool rose). Last week I purchased a few more shades and have been thrilled with each color. It’s amazing that every single one of the colors is beautiful and naturally flattering. I will have lip swatches up this weekend of the colors I bought. For now here are all the shades hand swatched. I have my eye on the Perfect Nude shade because it really is a perfect nude. In my attempt to try colors I don’t usually go for, I skipped it for now.
Instore lighting, sorry for the bad quality, this was taken with my iPhone. Top Row: Whisper, Lady Beige, Cabana, Coral Sand, Pretty. Bottom Row: Liebling, Geranium, Perfect Nude, Poppy and Wild Lilac.
The shades described:
Whisper is a pale pink that has a slight sheen to it
Lady Beige is a transparent but pigmented flesh nude
Cabana is a peachy nude
Coral Sand is a coral peach
Pretty is the perfect natural pink
Liebling is a cool rose pink (this is the only one that has a slight hint of shimmer)
Geranium is a bright pink rose
Perfect Nude is a neutral cool nude pink
Poppy is a rose warm poppy shade
Wild Lilac is a cool wine-plum
Shades photographed at different angles. These were taken in the evening. Some of the photographs make the colors look shimmery but it’s really just the sheen/glossy finish that is reflecting.
I hope you find these swatches helpful if you don’t have an Aerin counter near you. Aerin Rose Balm Lipsticks are $30 each. You can find them at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and all Aerin Beauty counters now.
Diptyque has re-released their candle Rosa Mundi ($65, limited-edition) along with a new hand cream Eau Rose Hand Lotion ($28 for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz). Fun fact: Rosa Mundi was my very first Diptyque candle several years ago. I never finished burning it – for some reason it was stored in one of my cabinets hidden behind boxes. I burned it again this past month and the scent is the exact same as this year’s version although the glass is a bit different (brushed with the older release versus a gloss finish with this year’s) and the wax this year is pink (my original candle is white).
The Rosa Mundi candle is a lovely sweet rose scent. It’s has a strong and sweet mix of rose and honey with a slight hint of a powdery perfume-like scent compared to the regular Roses candle. It’s described as a rose with a “soothing, sparkling scent that features notes of blackcurrant, lychee, damask rose, centifolia rose and honey.” It’s quite a mix of scents combined into one candle. I find this one to be quite feminine and girly.
Here is the original Rosa Mundi candle from several years ago. The Rosa Mundi released today smells exactly the same. The differences are in the floral design of the vase and the wax this year is pink. Many have asked for my thoughts on Rosa Mundi versus Roses. Rosa Mundi is stronger and sweeter with a more complex blend of scents while Roses is more of a pure rose floral scent. Both are really lovely. If you want something more neutral, go with Roses. If you don’t mind stronger girly scents you can’t go wrong with Rosa Mundi.
Eau Rose Hand Lotion is a beautifully packaged hand lotion. It comes in a small white squeeze tube with a beautiful floral design on the front. It seems a bit small for a $28 hand cream but the scent is really lovely, texture nicely moisturizing and it’s compact enough to fit into your purse. Similar to Rosa Mundi candle, the Eau Rose hand lotion has a mix of many different scents. It has bergamot, blackcurrant, musk, cedar and honey. It’s a lightweight liquid lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves the hands feeling fresh but well hydrated. It contains a blend of macadamia oil and aloe vera. The scent is quite strong for a lotion but not overpowering.
Compared to the Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream (another favorite), the Diptyque is slightly sharper in scent. The bergamot, blackcurrant, and cedar give it an extra kick making it different from your traditional rose scent. Aerin’s Rose Hand and Body is thicker in texture but feels like it blends all over better for a body and hand cream. The Aerin cream has a softer sweeter candy-like scent compared to Diptyque. I can’t pick between the two – they are both amazing in their own unique way.
Overall both beautifully designed luxurious scented items that are well worth the splurge. I always thought I didn’t like rose scents – this was until I smelled Diptyque Roses which has opened my mind to not rule out roses as soon as I see the name or it listed in a description. Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose are beautiful additions that are strong florals but not so overpowered with powdery-ness like some rose scents are.
You can find the Diptyque Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose at all Diptyque locations now, although my local Nordstrom sold out of the hand lotion by the time I got to the counter (which was the week before Valentine’s Day). They kindly ordered it for me with free shipping – I bought four of the hand creams as gifts and everyone was smitten with the beautiful packaging.
