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May 2015

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Chanel Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder for Summer 2015

May 18, 2015

For summer Chanel has a new limited-edition powder called Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder ($65 for 8 g / 0.28 oz). It’s called an illuminating powder but to me this is more of a soft satiny bronzer. There is a very slight sheen to this when you swatch it and look at it in the pan. On the skin it looks glowy but not shimmery. It has a similar effect to that of the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colours in No. 30/40 but with a more bronzed and luminous effect.

The bronzer has an ultra soft but dense texture. It seems a bit harder/firmer in formula compared to traditional powder bronzers, almost creamy but not quite. This makes the color easy to layer and build in terms of pigment. A looser brush will give you a more sheered out glow while a denser brush will give you more color, almost like a contour on my medium Chanel Beige 30 skin. The Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder comes with the embossed camellia pattern which is so so gorgeous.

On my skin, this is a medium neutral bronze that pulls slightly warm on my medium skin, but it’s not as warm in tone compared to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers. The warmth prevents it from looking muddy on my skin (I cannot wear cool-toned bronzers or contouring products easily).

A heavy swatch below:

The Chanel Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder will have a similar effect to a number of other bronzers. If you already own a lot of other bronzing powders you may want to shop your stash. What I find unique about this season’s Chanel is the texture. The firmer/gel-like almost cream to powder texture seems particularly good for warm weather. It adheres really well to the skin but melds in naturally. It doesn’t look fake or look like it’s product just sitting on the skin. I liked that it didn’t emphasize pores or clog pores too. Lasting power is very good from early morning until late afternoon without fading. I pulled a few bronzers and Les Beiges powders to compare:

Tom Ford Gold Dust (Full Size and Small Travel Size for size reference)
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder No. 30 and No. 40 (review here)

I’m one who can’t resist a Chanel bronzer, this one is no exception. Right now I am a Chanel B30 but am getting a bit of color so the darkest I will get is probably a B40 (foundation equivalents for me right now are NARS Punjab, Tom Ford Bisque 04 (foundations in rotation listed here). I haven’t used a MAC foundation in years because the formulas don’t work for my skin type (I break out in a really bad allergic reaction to those) but I was always matched to a NC30-35. I suspect if you are anywhere from the Chanel B40 or darker range this bronzer will look more like a subtle natural contour or nude illuminator on your skin rather than a bronzer. I found it worked well on my normal combination skin but if you are super dry, you may need some kind of a creamy base on the cheeks to help bring out the color more.

I give this one a huge thumbs up but I am a huge fan of bronzer in general. There are a number of new bronzer releases out this time of year. I would say the Chanel Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder is a good in-between option in terms of warm but not too warm if you’re light to medium in skin tone. I’m still testing out a number of bronzers to see which one I like best. Initial thoughts: The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers are warmer and more luminous, the Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint Powder Duos are a lot softer and lighter in color if you’re fair and don’t like darker dramatic bronzers, the Guerlain is probably the best bet for you. Tom Ford repromoted both of their bronzers in white/gold packaging and a mini size, both are classics. If you want a matte bronzer Terra has no shimmer.

The Lumière d’Été Illuminating Powder is limited-edition. You should be able to find it at all Chanel counters and boutiques now. Online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and Neiman Marcus.
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Chanel Collection Méditerannée Summer 2015 Rouge Coco Shines: Intrépide, Amorosa, Rêveuse

May 16, 2015

For summer, Chanel’s Collection Méditerannée has four Rouge Coco Shines ($36 each) in Intrépide 497, Amorosa 487, Rêveuse 477 and Insoumise 507. I picked up three of the shades and think they are perfect summer neutrals. The Rouge Coco Shines this season have pretty good pigment for a sheer lip shine – there is still that sheer semi transparent quality that allows the lip to show through. I like all three for easy swipe-and-go kind of colors. They add a nice color and cover the lip entirely with a natural glossy sheen. On my pigmented lips they look a bit different than what you see in the tube. There’s a lot of color in the base of these but there is a really pretty shimmer mixed into each which make them look slightly different on the lips. 

The three shades I picked up are the lighter neutral options: Intrépide a coral pink with gold shimmer, Rêveuse a neutral nude peachy pink with a slight champagne sheen, Amorosa is a cool-toned brown rosy nude with silver shimmer

If you’re familiar with Rouge Coco Shines, you know that they swatch sheer on the hands/arm but meld beautifully with the lips. On the lips the color shows up much better while on the hands and arms you will see the sheen with a slight tint of color.

Applying the Rouge Coco Shines with a lip brush will give more pigment and coverage compared to when you apply straight from the tube. Here are side by side swatches tube vs brush application.

Here are swatches and close ups. Each lip swatch is on my bare lips swiped straight from the tube. Note that I have pigmented lips so my natural lip color makes these look different than they may appear on you. The colors are sheer but still cover the lip entirely.
Intrepide is a soft but bright pink with a coral sheen and gold shimmer:

Rêveuse is a neutral nude peach pink, in the tube it’s peachy, on my lips it looks more nude/pink

Amorosa is a neutral cool-toned brown rose pink, it has silvery shimmers

One last shot of the Summer 2015 Rouge Coco Shines alongside the Stylo Eyeshadows and Bronzer.

I think each of the three Rouge Coco Shines I picked up are utter perfection. So far, only Amorosa is listed as limited-editon for now. Sometimes with new releases of neutral Rouge Coco Shines I worry that they will be too light or sheer for my pigmented lips and end up being invisible. All three are indeed sheer but have really good pigment and coverage for a sheer lipstick. I’m pleased with each one that they not only show up well but also require no color tweaking to make them work. As with all other Rouge Coco Shines the lasting power is medium to average. I get several hours (3-4) of wear without fading or budging as long as I don’t snack. They have an ultra hydrating smooth feel without any detectable scent as far as I can tell. I don’t think I would call them moisturizing like a lip balm, but they don’t dry out my lips or make them peel by the next day so I give them a huge thumbs up.

The Chanel Collection Méditerannée for summer should be out now at all Chanel counters and boutiques. I’ve spotted it at a number of counters now. Online at Chanel.com, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

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Chanel Collection Méditerannée Summer 2015 Fresh Effect Eyeshadows in Caroube and Laurier Rose

May 15, 2015

Chanel has brought back the Fresh Effect Eyeshadows this summer in five limited-edition shades ($34 each). These are twist up cream shadow sticks with high amounts of shimmer. They have a cooling effect when you apply on the lids. This year’s shadows all seemed to be very rich in pigment. The two I picked up were the only neutrals in the collection. Both blended easily on the lids but seemed to dry relatively quick. If you are one who likes to take time blending, I recommend adding a creamier base underneath to help slow down the drying time of the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadows. 

I picked up Laurier Rose 127 and Caroube 147. Both are high in shimmer and rich in pigment. Laurier Rose is a warm golden peachy rose. If you’re one who can’t pull off rose-toned eyeshadows you may want to skip this one. It’s very rosy and warm. I suspect it will look much better on medium to tan or darker skin tones. On me it’s very very warm. I have to tone it down a lot with a lighter champagne shadow (cream or powder) to make it wearable.

Caroube 147 is a really pretty plummy bronze shimmer. This one is my personal favorite. It has a good mix of cool-tones with bronze to make it a nice easy-to-wear color. For me it’s a no-brainer. I can wear it alone or on top of a champagne eyeshadow like Chanel Emerville Illusion D’Ombre, add mascara and be done with a simple eye look.

For both colors I found lasting power to be really good. On the days I tested these, they lasted from early morning until late afternoon without budging, creasing or fading. I like that there is no fall out with these – the texture is creamy but cooling and adheres really well to the lids.

Close ups and more swatches of both colors:

Quick swatches below of Laurier Rose Stylo Eyeshadow toned down with Emerville Illusion D’Ombre layered on top, Tom Ford Defining Eye Liner Pen, I’m not a fan of this look, it’s too pink for my skin tone

Caroube Stylo Eyeshadow swatched on bare lids, it dried pretty quickly, I recommend a creamy base first to help with the blending and layering. I like Edward Bess Sunlight All Over Seduction (but it’s not shown on the lids below).

Some comparison swatches below to show how deep/shimmery the Chanel Summer Stylo Eyeshadows are:

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eyeshadow Duo Golden Peach (review)
YSL Full Metal Eyeshadow #5 (review here)
NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow (swatched here)
YSL Full Metal Eyeshadow #7 (reviewed here)
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection and Bronze Moon (review of Bronze Moon here)
Chanel Abstraction Illusion D’Ombre

Every season I always look forward to Chanel’s new releases, especially the colors they launch for summer. For me the highlight of the summer beauty for Chanel is the bronzer and lipsticks (review soon). I wanted to love these eyeshadows, Laurier Rose falls short for me mainly because the color doesn’t work with my skin tone although I do really like the formula. It blends well, the shimmer is ultra fine and just enough glitz to show up on the lids. Lasting power is also phenomenal which I think is key for warm weather. Caroube is a winner in my book but not really mind-blowing. It’s a good staple bronzy shade that is easy to wear and something I can see myself wearing all summer long. I’m one who can never have enough bronzy shimmer eyeshadows so I do love this color but I can’t call it a must-have.

There are three other colors of Stylo Eyeshadow in the summer collection in a teal, purple and green. None of which are colors I wear so I passed on those shades. You can find all the colors now at Chanel counters. I bought mine from Nordstrom but you can also find these now at Chanel.com, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. All five shades are listed as limited-edition.

Have you checked out the summer Stylo Eyeshadows yet? What did you think?
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Chanel Collection Méditerannée Summer 2015 Le Vernis: Terrana, Lavanda, Coquelicot, Méditerannée

May 14, 2015

For the summer Collection Méditerannée Chanel has released four limited-edition Le Vernis Nail Colours in vibrant summery shades ($27 each for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz). The four colors include:
  • Terrana 697 is a cool-toned bronzey plum metallic which smooth shimmer
  • Méditerannée 707 is a bright cream sea blue
  • Coquelicot 717 is a vibrant warm jelly red
  • Lavanda 721 is a bright jelly purple cream
Based on what they look like in the bottle my first impressions were that three of them looked like standard brights while Terrana appeared to be a murky bronze. Of course once you swatch them on the nails, they look quite stunning. Chanel always manages to mix up the most beautiful nail polish colors that have a unique twist making them extremely flattering against the skin.

Terrana is a cool-toned bronze. It’s a metallic color but the shimmer is pretty smooth with minimal brush strokes showing through. You do need two coats. It has a slight jelly finish making it look lush and ultra glossy on the nails.

Some comparisons swatched below:

Mediterranee is a beautiful bright blue. It has a tiny bit of teal but still pulls more towards a cooler-toned blue. I don’t usually like to wear bright blues on the nails but this one has enough cool undertone and depth to prevent it from looking over the top bright. This one is my favorite in the collection.

Coquelicot is jelly red perfection in a bottle. Every time Chanel releases a new red, I swear it is the best red they’ve made. It is very similar to Enthusiast and some other warm reds but I can’t ever resist a red from Chanel. This one has a bit of warmth. The texture is a bit thin but applies like magic with one coat. I like two for richer coverage but this one is really good even with one.

Lavanda is the one my local Chanel reps were most excited about at the counter. It’s a stunning purple cream. Mine seemed to apply a bit thick but there weren’t any application issues and with two coats I was able to achieve full coverage. This one still has a semi-jelly finish so if you’re rushed you may still see some of the nail show through. For Lavanda, I think you need to wait for the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.

Bottom line all four = pure love for me. I’m a die hard Chanel Le Vernis fan at heart and these four are exceptionally beautiful. In my book they area all must haves but if I had to skip one color it would be the red Coquelicot mainly because I have so many other reds from Dior and Chanel that are similar. Out of all four my favorite is the blue one Mediterranee – it’s such a pretty deep but bright blue. I think it’s backup-worthy.
You can find the Chanel Summer Collection now at all counters and boutiques. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also online at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.
Have you checked out Chanel Summer yet? What did you pick up?

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On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

May 13, 2015

Happy Wednesday everyone! Here are some new releases that are on my beauty radar this week.

1 / Dior has released a Peter Philips Collection on Dior.com inspired by the Cruise 2015 show. The two nail polishes in NYC Peach 130 and BKLYN Pink 560 caught my eye along with the Diorette Addict 179 Lipstick. I ordered both nail polishes and will share swatches as soon as they arrive.

2 / With warm weather and sun I’m on the hunt for a good sport sunscreen. Most sunscreens irritate my skin with the exception of Chanel UV Essentiel SPF 50 and Clarins (the one I use has been discontinued), but they aren’t sweat proof for outdoor sports and are prone to stinging the eyes with the tiniest bit of sweat. I have my eye on the Jack Black Sun Guard SPF 45 (which is supposed to be water resistant), Clinique Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Cream and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40. Do you have any recs for a good sport sunscreen for sensitive skin?

3 / Marc Jacobs Beauty has released 18 shades of Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer which have replaced their original Sheer and Full Lip Vinyls. I’ve been playing with these for a few weeks now. First impressions = thumbs up, they give the lips a smooth cushiony feel. I will have swatches and the full review next week.

4 / L’Occitane has launched their Pivoine Sublime Tinted Lip Balms which are inspired by the peonies sustainably grown by Jean-Luc Rivière in the foothills of the Vercors Mountains of Provence. Each tinted lip balm is enriched with shea butter and three of them have a colored tint. Review soon!

5 / Burberry Beauty has six shades of Lip & Cheek Blooms. I have Rose, Orange Blossom and Poppy shown above which were sent to me for review. I haven’t had a chance to play with them yet but the colors look really pretty in the pots.

6 / Charlotte Tilbury has launched her Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows in the US. I have high hopes for these but haven’t ordered any of the colors. I’m trying to narrow down my picks to 2 or 3 colors! If you’ve tried these what did you think? These are available now at Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom, Beautylish, and Charlotte Tilbury.
7 / Givenchy has a new lipstick called Le Rouge-À-Porter. There’s something striking about the long sleek silver tube that makes these look incredible. I’m trying to resist the urge to order sight unseen as online stock swatches make it difficult to see what the colors really look like.

8 / Last but not least, Chanel Les Beiges has started to trickle in. I saw it in store at Saks Fifth Avenue, I still haven’t had a chance to properly play with the summer collection but I have high hopes for the nude nail polishes. It’s also online now:

What’s on your beauty radar this week?
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Christopher Kane for NARS: Quantum and Violet Atom Multiples + Silent Nude and Starscape Blushes

May 12, 2015

There are four limited-edition cheek products in the NARS x Christopher Kane Collection for summer. There are two Powder Blushes ($30 each) and two Illuminating Multiples ($39 each). I’m in love with all four items although I will say upfront the blushes can probably duped while the multiples are the colors that are more unique. The four shades in this collection:
  • Silent Nude Blush is a warm-neutral beige nude with a matte finish (no shimmer)
  • Starscape Blush is a neon warm pink that comes in a satiny matte finish
  • Violet Atom Multiple is a pale iridescent lilac that flashes opal and green
  • Quantum is a violet pink with a satiny sheen (this is exclusive to NARS Boutiques and NARS online)
Swatches of all four Christopher Kane + NARS cheek items:

Both powder blushes are classic shades which makes them pretty standard. If you’re looking for something super unique you may want to skip these and shop your stash for something similar. That being said, I really like both of these. They work well for my skin tone and they have a rich velvety texture that blends nicely on the skin. They add a natural wash of color that is easy to layer and build. 

Swatch comparisons to: Burberry Hydrangea Pink, Tom Ford Narcissist, Tom Ford Wicked, NARS Desire, NARS Gaiety, NARS Zen, Chanel Les Beiges 40, Burberry Earthy, Marc Jacobs Dream Filter Contour Duo (right side)

I find true nude blushes hard to find for my particular skin tone. Many either turn grey, look more pink rather than nude, disappear on my skin or just look like bronzer. Burberry Earthy and Dolce & Gabbana Tan are my perfect nude blushes, but NARS Silent Nude comes in close third.

Starscape is a soft but bright neon pink. It’s easy to layer and on my medium skin it brightens the complexion. It adds just the right amount of pop of color to the face to give it some life. It’s a bright color but layers nicely so you don’t have to worry about overdoing it. One swipe on each cheek is sufficient for me to get enough color. It’s very pigmented but still applies smoothly. 

The multiples are both very unique and the colors are flattering on medium-toned skin. The texture is a bit more gel-like rather than emollient like most of my other NARS multiples. You may have to swipe off the top layer on a paper towel to get the product going. Quantum gives the cheeks a really pretty berry stain. This one is exclusive to the NARS boutique and www.narscosmetics.com. Violet Atom gives the prettiest sheen of shimmer. On the skin it almost disappears but it makes the skin glow with a very interesting greenish/silver/lilac shimmer. I like this one on the eyes as well. For both, I apply these straight on the cheek in a back and forth swiping motion and then blend with fingers.

Swatched comparisons to two other discontinued multiples:

All four items are winners in my book. I like that they are different from the traditional peach or bronze shades you think of when it comes to summer colors (although I’m one who can never have enough bronzer or peach blushes). They work to add color to the face in an easy effortless way and even though each is distinct in color, they are versatile enough to go with a number of different lip colors: pink, peach, nude or plum. I like layering the colors in this collection together. The combination possibilities are endless. Violet Atom Multiple is my favorite of the four items, it’s such a unique color that I wouldn’t have ever thought to pick out or even dream up, but it gives such a pretty sheen to the skin. I don’t think I have seen anything like it before.
The four Christopher Kane for NARS Cheek Products are limited-edition. The Quantum Multiple is exclusive to NARS Boutiques and NARS Online. The other three items are available at all NARS counters and online at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Selfridges.

The two Christopher Kane powder blushes were provided courtesy of NARS for review consideration. Multiples purchased by me.

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Christopher Kane for NARS Eyeshadows: Parallel Universe and Outer Limits

May 11, 2015
There are two limited-edition eyeshadows in the Christopher Kane for NARS summer beauty collection: Parallel Universe Eyeshadow Duo ($35) and Outer Limits Single Eyeshadow ($25). I bought both of these from the NARS boutique on Melrose sometime last month – the artists on site were all wearing Outer Limits on their eyes and it looked so beautiful on each of them even though they all had different eye colors and skin tones. I played with both in store and even though they are both very different from what I usually gravitate towards I bought them.

Parallel Universe is a unique shimmer duo. The texture is almost creamy with a very soft shimmer. The texture of the shimmer is ultra fine and almost duo-chrome. There are beautiful flecks of multi-colored shimmer in each color. The left side is a grayish pink opal color, the right is a violet color. The colors in the duo are a bit too light for me to wear alone. I need a darker black or plum shadow/liner to define the eyes but both give a really pretty wash of iridescent shimmer. Online reviews seem mixed on this one but I’m completely in love with the shimmers, texture and the way it blends on the lids. I give this one a thumbs up. Lasting power is very good on this one, similar to other NARS duos and lasts from early morning until late afternoon without fading or budging.

Some swatch comparisons:

MAC Lovely Lily Pigment (discontinued) 
Chanel Utopia Illusion D’Ombre (discontinued, review)
MAC Quick Frost Pigment (discontinued) 

Outer Limits is a glittery peachy yellow eyeshadow. This one looked so beautiful on the girls at the NARS boutique. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a glitter eyeshadow from NARS, but based on how it looked on the artists at the store, I convinced myself to try something new and different and give this one a go. I’ve tried this one several times and each time it’s been a complete fail. The glitter particles are too large and chunky and it’s not something that melds with the lids. I can wear a number of Bobbi Brown, MAC and Tom Ford glittery shadows (for special occasions), so I was hoping the NARS Outer Limits would also be a wearable glitter for me. It looks so pretty in the pan. On the lids (wet or dry) it’s uneven and patchy with tons of glitter fallout. I couldn’t wear this for more than 10 minutes without taking it off – glitter fell all over my lashes.

Swatch comparisons:

Tom Ford Cream Shadow in Escapade (discontinued, review)
MAC Jardin Aires Pigment (discontinued) 

I give Parallel Universe a thumbs up. It gives the lids the prettiest wash of color that’s so different from your regular neutral champagne or bronze for summer (which I adore, but sometimes it’s nice to try something different). I really wanted to love Outer Limits. It’s so pretty in the pan and it swatches really pretty on the arms/hands with the peachy yellow gold mix. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I would recommend trying before you buy if you can get to a NARS counter or store to see it in person if you’re unsure.

Both Parallel Universe and Outer Limits are limited-edition colors for summer. You can find them now at counters and stores. Online at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Saks and Sephora.

Have you checked out the Christopher Kane for NARS Collection yet? What did you think?

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