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2015

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Armani Luxe is More Holiday Collection – Luxe is More Palette, Eye Tints and Lip Maestro

November 17, 2015

Armani’s holiday collection this year is called Luxe is More and the items launched are definitely luxury beauty pieces. I’ve been a fan of Armani for a long time but found that my favorites were previously released items such as the Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows and older blush formula. Many of the items have gone through reformulations and revamps and I haven’t kept up with new launches as much. The holiday collection did catch my eye and I splurged on four items:
  • Luxe is More Palette ($140) has ten eyeshadows, one finishing powder and two shades of cream foundation
  • Eye Tints ($38 each) come in shades 16, 17 and 18, I picked up 17 and 18
  • Lip Maestro ($36 each) launched in six new shades, each color has a velvety matte finish, I picked up one Pearly Nude 508
Up first are the individual items for lips and eyes, Lip Maestro 508, Eye Tint 18, Eye Tint 17:

Swatches of the three colors below, Lip Maestro 508, Eye Tint 17, Eye Tint 18:

I’m an Armani Eye Tint lover. These are shimmery cream eyeshadows that come with a sponge-tip applicator. They look super shimmery and frosty but blend out to a smooth finish with a glow. Swatches and review of some other shades in this post here. There are three new shades with the holiday collection, I picked 17 and 18 even though I suspected there might be duplicates in my current stash. I’m a sucker for a good neutral shimmer and these looked so pretty at the counter. Eye Tint 18 is a silvery cool shimmer. Eye Tint 17 is a champagne pink shimmer.

Some swatch comparisons below:
Burberry Wet and Dry Glow in Optic White (review)
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #9 (review)
NARS Velvet Eyeshadow Stick in Goddess (review)
Armani Eye Tint #12 (review)
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in Angel (swatched)
Burberry Wet and Dry Glow in Shell (review)
Armani Eye Tint #8 (review)
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color in Twilight (swatched)
NARS Velvet Eyeshadow Stick in Oaxaca (review)
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #4 (review)

I think the Eye Tint 17 has a similar effect to Eyes to Kill Intense 9, the Eye Tint has less frost/shimmer and a tad bit more pink, but the overall finish is almost identical. Eye Tint #18 pulls more silver/cool on my skin but that’s because I have a lot of olive. If you’re more pink it will probably look more neutral.

Next up is the Lip Maestro in Pearly Nude #508. The Lip Maestros this round have a matte finish and are more like a velvety matte liquid lipstick. Finish is sheer to medium but you can build the color. Lasting power is pretty good, much better than the regular Armani Glosses and the thick texture adheres well to the lips. Pearly Nude is more like a pearly pink with a very slight cool undertone. There is a slight sheen to it because of the pearl shimmers, but the finish is definitely matte.

Swatch comparisons below to:
Armani Gloss D’Armani 503 (discontinued)
Surratt Beauty Lip Lustre in Soigne (review)
Marc Jacobs Hi-Shine Enamored Lip Lacquer Rebel Rebel (review)
NARS Lip Gloss in Baby Doll (swatches)
NARS Lip Gloss in Ophelia (swatches)
NARS Lip Gloss in Risky Business (swatches)

Last but not least is the Luxe is More Palette. I swatched this in store and fell head over heels in love with the colors – I think any neutral makeup lover would gasp with awe at how pretty this palette is. The pigment of the shadows is medium but buildable. The shimmer is very fine – visilble on the skin but not frosted. All the colors have shimmer with the exception of two (top row has a matte cream, middle has a soft matte black). I’ve been playing with this for over a week and have mixed feelings. It’s no doubt beautiful, stunning and gorgeous for an understated glowy eye look. The price is over the top and even though you do get 10 eyeshadows, a powder and two cream foundations in a large sturdy double-tiered mirrored compact, it’s over priced and you can dupe the shadows with other brands. Also the bottom tier has a powder and foundation that seems like it will only suit light to medium skintones. I’m lucky in the sense they are a perfect match for me, but if you’re super fair or tan to dark, the bottom deck won’t match your skintone.
The palette does come in a black pouch with two eyeshadow sponge-tip applicators. The bottom deck has two black sponges for the face products. For me they are all too small to be super useful, although they are good for touch ups.
After playing with this, I think based on my past reviews of other natural palettes like the Chanel Fall Les 5 Ombres and Dior Eye Reviver Palettes, most of you will either love or hate this. I find the overall feel to be similar to the Dior Eye Reviver Palettes in the sense that it’s natural with a subtle shimmer (versus high shimmer frost). The Armani Palette does have more shimmer and the pigment is slightly richer than the Dior. Compared to the Chanel, the Armani has better pigment, but it’s still a very natural-looking palette. If you want high impact color and pigment, I would not recommend this for you. Still if you can get to an Armani counter, definitely test this.
I am really happy with this palette, but I do think it’s extremely expensive and very splurgy. By comparison, you can get the MAC x15 in Warm Neutrals or Cool Neutrals for $85 each. Or if you want to build your own MAC palette, you can do so at the MAC stores or online for $160 (palette + insert cost $10, each pro-palette shadow is priced at $10).

Swatches of the shadows in the top deck include: matte cream, shimmering shell, shimmering gold, shimmering pale gold, silver, white frost, shimmery cool mauve, shimmery taupe, satiny plum, matte black

Bottom deck has two shades of cream foundation, I like these under the eyes as brighteners for me, and one finishing powder that disappears completely on my skin, it’s a nice setting/touch up powder

Palette ingredients:

Bottom line, I love the Eye Tints, but I knew that I would. I do think they are very similar to other shades so if you already own a good champagne shimmer or silvery shimmer, no need to get these as they will be dupes. The Lip Maestro in Pearly Nude is a gorgeous neutral pink with a very slight hint of cool undertone. The formula is strange to me as it’s a matte, but has a sheen to it. I’m usually not a fan of matte lip colors but this one is nice. I did find that I had to layer the color to get it to show up on my pigmented lips, but I didn’t have to pack it on. If your lip pigment is light to medium, you probably won’t have to layer like I did. The Luxe is More Palette is the ultimate splurge. So many of my readers are almost anti-shimmer with eyeshadows, if you are ultra conservative with shimmer and like a soft glow, you will really like the colors in this palette. They are natural and understated but give the eyes a brightened look effect. If you’re one who likes more pigment and color payoff, I recommend you try it in person before splurging.

You can find the Luxe is More Collection at all Armani counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Selfridges and Giorgio Armani Beauty.

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Uncategorized

Bite Beauty Discovery Set – Holiday 2015

November 16, 2015

Bite Beauty always launches the cutest sets during the holidays. I can’t tell you how many times I waited too long in past years and missed out. This year I ordered early and have swatches to share of the Discovery Set for Holiday 2015 ($55, limited-edition, exclusive to Sephora). This year’s set has a mix of minis along with full size products. It’s listed as a $110 value and contains:
  • 0.18 oz Agave Lip Mask in Clear (mini size) 
  • 0.03 oz Line and Define Primer in Clear (mini size) 
  • 0.031 oz Mini Matte Cr猫me Lip Crayon in Glac茅 
  • 5 x Lush Lip Wipes 
  • 0.15 oz Luminous Cr猫me Lipstick in Pepper (full size) 
  • 0.11 oz Lush Fruit Lip Gloss Honey (full size) 
  • 0.09 oz High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate (full size) 
  • Bite mirror 
The set comes packaged in individual boxes like this:

I already own Pepper Luminous Cr猫me Lipstick reviewed + swatched here, but decided to buy the set anyways. It’s one of my favorite neutrals – the Bite Beauty line has a lot to offer for neutral lip lovers with different undertones like brown, plum, pink, mauve etc. This set was the perfect way for me to try a lot from the line at a value price.

First up are the lip care and accessories:

The Lush Lip Wipes have been on my wishlist for a long time because I find the concept so interesting, even if it does seem like it’s not necessary. These are makeup remover pads designed to take off lip color while hydrating the lip. It’s supposed to leave a matte finish. I found it cleaned the lip entirely of color for regular lipsticks. It removed 85% of the color of the red lip pencil I tested from the set although there was still a red stain left on my lips. I did test them on the Kat Von D Lolita Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and it removed the product perfectly (usually I have to do several swipes of makeup remover).
The Line and Define Primer in Clear is a lip primer designed to prep the lips for color. The description says it’s supposed to plump the lips although I didn’t feel any plumping properties. The texture is on the thick side and does tug at the lips a little (at least for me). I was worried it would make lipstick stick versus glide, but I was really impressed with how smoothly lip crayons and lipsticks applied with this. It helps with lipstick feathering and lipstick goes on better and smoother. I’m not sure that I see lipstick last a lot longer, although I usually end up wiping off lip colors with snacks or drinks anyways. I would seriously consider buying the full size once it’s used up.
Next is the mini Agave Lip Mask. I’ve tried this formula in the tinted versions in Champagne and Smashed. I really really love the formula as a hydrating lip treatment. The clear is nice to have but I really prefer the red one even if it’s super sheer. If you want to use this as an overnight treatment, clear is the way to go so it doesn’t stain your pillows.
Up next are the color items:

I already own and reviewed Pepper Luminous Creme Lipstick here. If you don’t have it yet, you need it. It’s also available in the Mix and Mingle Mini duo with Caf茅 (swatched here).

I’ve gone through a couple of the Mini Matte Creme Lip Crayons from last year and really like the formula (I can’t remember which color I bought because I used it up and threw away the empty container). Glac茅 is a perfect your lips but better just slightly deeper mauve. Once this is used up  I’m repurchasing the full size. The formula glides on smoothly and adheres really well to the lips. I like that it’s a twist up formula so there’s no sharpening required.
This is my first time trying the High Pigment Pencil formula, and WOW, these really are high in pigment. Pomegranate is a bold red that packs in a lot of color and pigment. It has a slightly glossy sheen. Lasting power is pretty good and I didn’t experience any smudging or bleeding. If you have any other color recommendations for this formula let me know.

Last but not least for color is the Honey Lush Fruit Lip Gloss. I’ve tried the Lip Gloss formula before and the colors are so good, but formula just doesn’t work for me. It’s thick and doesn’t apply on my lips smoothly. Honey is such a gorgeous nude but went on my lips super blotchy. It does work better layered over any of the Bite Beauty Lipsticks to add a bit of shine, but when worn alone it’s just not cutting it for me.

Lip swatches below, I’m wearing the Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Natural #5 (for skintone reference, all shades swatched in this post here):

 

Bottom line, LOTS to love with this set whether you’re new to Bite Beauty or looking for a good gift to give this holiday. If you’re iffy on 2-3 items then I’d recommend you opt to purchase items individually instead of the set. With the exception of the Honey Lip Gloss, I give all the other items a huge thumbs up.
You can find the Bite Discovery Set online and in stores at Sephora. Do note it’s limited-edition. If you’re a VIB member, don’t forget today is the last day to shop the VIB 20% off sale with code VIB20 at checkout.

Have you checked out any of the Bite Beauty sets this year? If you have any Bite Beauty favorites please let me know in the comments. I’m still pretty new to many of the formulas and would love your recommendations!
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Uncategorized

Splurge vs. Save

November 16, 2015
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A few holiday treat ideas whether you’re looking for a splurge or something more affordable.

There are so many good sets this year, I’ll have holiday gift guide roundups of the best gifts I’ve found by price point and recipient coming soon. I love a good lip and hand duo – who doesn’t need an extra boost of moisture during the holiday season? La Mer’s The Replenishing Collection Duo ($75) is quite the splurge with a 1.7 oz of The Hand Treatment and 0.32 oz. of The Lip Balm. A more affordable option is the L’Occitane Shea Butter Hugs and Kisses Duo ($20 each) which is perfect for sensitive noses and skin. The Hugs and Kisses Duos come in a variety of other scented options (this one for example is to die for!!).
For the lips, matte full coverage lip colors are often in. They have bold color, rich pigment and matte formulas tend to last longer. Hands down the one of the best matte lipstick formula is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks ($32 each) because it’s a luminous long-wearing and hydrating matte. Very Victoria (swatched here) is an amazing nude. 1975 Red is a limited-edition color that’s a vibrant bright warm red (swatched here). Buxom Bold Gel Lipstick ($22) is a more affordable option. The Matte formula is pretty darn good and priced right (plus if you’re a Sephora VIB you can get 20% off until November 16th with code VIB20). Swatches of all the Buxom Bold Gel Lipsticks here. I found Buxom Sinful Cinnamon to be an almost exact dupe for Charlotte Tilbury Very Victoria. Also Buxom Wildfire is identical in color to Charlotte Tilbury 1975 Red. I will say though that the Charlotte Tilbury formula really can’t be beat (or matched).

For the holiday season, quick and easy gifts are candles. I’m a huge fan of Jo Malone and Diptyque candles for pine scents. Jo Malone Pine and Eucalyptus ($65) has the perfect Christmas-y vibe to it. A couple cheaper alternatives for holiday home scents are the Nest Birchwood Pine ($35) and Henri Bendel White Spruce ($35).

For the nails, I love a good sparkly gold, bright red or deep vamp, but for those who like a good neutral nude pink that will give your hands a polished look without making them look dead, Tom Ford Sugar Dune ($35, swatched here) is my holy grail nude pink cream. Dior Lady (review here) also reached holy grail status but was limited-edition and I’m so sad you can’t find it anymore. The closest dupe I’ve found is Essie Topless and Barefoot (swatched here). It’s a really good neutral that isn’t sheer and gives the hands a polished feel.

Last but not least for those who love flat zip pouches, the Tory Burch York Duo Leather Pouches ($195 for set of 2) is quite the splurge. Both are made of textured Saffiano leather and are very thick and sturdy. I own the Black and Light Oak duo, I really like both, but it was a big ouch to the wallet. A less expensive alternative but something still high quality is the Truffle Privacy Clutch ($54). It’s made of textured leather and is quite sturdy. With these two, you can’t compare them exactly since one is a duo and one is a single, but the function is similar. I use the Truffle Privacy Clutches more often – the shape, size and simple sleek design is versatile as a makeup bag, pouch for your purse or a clutch. For those who like smaller pouches Truffle launched the Privacy Wristlet ($48 in three colors).
Have a great Monday!

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Chanel

Chanel Vamp, Rose Fusion Le Vernis and Le Top Coat Lam茅 Rouge Noir – Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude

November 15, 2015

There are two new nail colors in this year’s Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection for holiday in Rose Fusion Le Vernis and the Le Top Coat Lam茅 in Rouge Noir ($27 each). In the US Vamp 18 is the one of the re-promoted colors in the collection while other countries received a special-edition Rouge Noir 18. I have swatches of Vamp, Rose Fusion and the Rouge Noir Top Coat along with comparisons below. Both of the new shades are limited-edition.

Rose Fusion #757 is a sparkling duo-chrome purple, silver, taupe shimmer. It has tiny flecks of blue and silver shimmer and has a beautiful iridescent glow to it. There is a lot of shimmer and frost in the color but it applies smoothly on the nails and the brush strokes smooth out nicely. At first glance I thought it would be a duplicate of Sweet Star (reviewed here). Swatch comparions show that Rose Fusion is warmer while Sweet Star looks more cool-toned and silvery.

Shown below with two coats and a top coat. It’s a color that shifts depending on how the light hits it. If you google swatches of this it will look different in every photo – I love how unique it is. The shimmer is perfect for this time of year.

Swatch comparisons below to:
Chanel Sweet Star (discontinued, review here)
Chanel Graphite (discontinued)
Bobbi Brown Scotch (discontinued, swatched here)
Chanel Illusion D’Or (discontinued)
Chanel Le Top Coat Lam茅 in Rouge Noir over Rose Fusion and Vamp

I’ve reswatched Vamp for reference even though it’s not a new color. Also as promised in my Rouge Allure Picks post, I’ve added more comparisons for Troublante and Singuliere. (Troublante is definitely still a must-have on my list.)

Swatch comparisons below:
Chanel Terrana (reviewed here)
Rescue Beauty Lounge Elvis in the Cloud (swatches here)
Louboutin Scarabe茅 I (swatched here)
Chanel Cosmic Violine (discontinued)
Chanel Rouge Noir 18 (not available in the US, but often repromoted)
Chanel Accessoire (review here)
Chanel Fantastic (discontinued)
The Le Top Coat Lam茅 Rouge Noir is stunning. It has a clear jelly transparent plum base with gold flecks that settle to the bottom of the bottle. You need to give it a good shake to mix up the shimmers. One coat will cover the nail with gold flecks. I prefer to use two coats. Suspended glitter polishes can sometimes be a pain to apply – often times you have to pack it on to get the glitter to show up evenly. This one is perfection. Over Rose Fusion the top coat adds more warmth and subtle sparkle. On a contrasting color the gold flecks are really pretty.

The Le Top Coat Lam茅 Rouge Noir over Rose Fusion. I was really sad to take this off the nails to swatch it over Vamp. Two coats of the Rose Fusion and one coat of the Top Coat.

Two coats of Vamp and two coats of the Lame Top Coat:

One last shot below, if you compare this one to the ones above you can see how Rose Fusion shifts in color with different light:

Bottom line both of the new colors are winners. Rose Fusion is a pretty metallic that’s edgy and unique but still conservative enough for everyday wear. The Le Top Coat Lam茅 Rouge Noir is simply stunning (I’m backing it up). Also in case you haven’t checked out Troublante from the Rouge Allure collection, I highly recommend you do. Rose Fusion and Le Top Coat Lam茅 Rouge Noir are both limited-edition. I recommend buying sooner than later as we all know Chanel regret is heartbreaking once the color is gone from counters.

You can find these both at Chanel counters and stores now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.

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Hauls Sephora

Sephora VIB Rouge Sale Beauty Haul

November 13, 2015

The Sephora VIB Holiday 20% off sale starts today for VIB Members in store (with your e-mail code or coupon mailer) and online with code VIB20. I am a VIB Rouge member and tested the code today to see if it would work (because several e-mailed me asking me to test it) but it doesn’t. I have a roundup of what I bought last week when the code worked for VIB Rouge Members along with some quick swatches of the color/makeup items. I shopped in store – there were a few things in my online cart that were online exclusives but I didn’t check out before the sale ended – no biggie since I splurged on a lot of other goodies. Here’s the damage below.

For my husband, I picked up the Dior Sauvage Eau De Toilette Spray in the 2 oz bottle. He prefers smaller bottles because they take up less counter space. I had the 3 piece gift set on my list for him, but it’s an online exclusive and he’s picky about after shave lotions. I decided to stay with what was safe. I also picked up the Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum for him. It’s a fresh scent but still has enough masculine notes to wear year round. Sephora has the exclusive on the small 1 oz size so I thought I’d try it. I should have just bought the regular 1.7 oz size but my curiosity got the best of me with the tiny bottle.

For makeup, I picked up the following:

  • Burberry First Kiss Fresh Gloss Lip Balm in Coral Glow which is a stunning coral balm, it hydrates, feels good on the lips, and gives a healthy tint of color with a stunning glow
  • Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks in Melted Nude and Melted Chihuahua have been on my list for ages, I can’t believe it took me so long to buy these, Melted Nude might just be my new holy grail nude lip color, Chihuahua is what I wanted Kat Von D Lolita to be on me
  • Cover FX Illuminator in Sunlight has had so many raves, I had to try it, I’ve worn it 2x so far, I’m undecided about it, it’s like but not pure love, for the price it’s good
  • Sephora Colorful Contour Powder in Fiji and Highlighter in Secretive can’t be beat at the $15 price tag (for each), I was hoping Secretive would be a dupe for Chanel Coups de Minuit, but the Sephora color is a lot sheerer in finish, Fiji is a nice warm subtle contour
  • Cover FX Illuminating Primer is another highly raved about primer, I have high hopes for it, currently testing, will report soon
  • Bite Beauty Mix and Mingle Duos in Caf茅/Pepper (for me) and Latte/Cortado (as a gift) of course I could not resist these cute lip duos, Caf茅 is the best light pink ever, I wish it was available in the full size lipstick

Below swatches alongside a few other shades:
Burberry First Kiss Fresh Gloss Lip Balm in Coral Glow, Sweet Plum, Rose Blush (swatched here)
Too Faced Melted Lipsticks in Nude and Chihuahua
Kat Von D Beauty Lolita Lip Duo (swatched here)

Chanel Coups de Minuit (swatches here)
Sephora Colorful Highlighter and Contour Powder

For hair, skin, body I picked up a few items to restock and a couple new items:

If you shopped the sale last week or are planning to shop the VIB Sale this weekend, let me know what’s on your list or what you picked up. Would love to hear about your hauls 馃檪

If you’re shopping in store, you can show the card or e-mail you received for the VIB Code or Coupon. If you’re shopping online at Sephora.com use code VIB20 (good for VIB members only), you should be able to use it multiple times online from today until November 16th.

Happy shopping!
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Chanel

Chanel 脡tincelle, Rose de Lune and Coups de Minuit – Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection

November 13, 2015
For lips and cheeks I picked up three things from the Chanel Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection. There are two new limited-edition L猫vres Scintillantes Glossimers in Rose de Lune and 脠tincelle ($30 each) and one limited-edition Joues Contraste Lumi猫re Highlighting Blush called Coups de Minuit ($45). The color theme of the items I picked out are light, shimmery and glowy for holiday – the lips and cheeks have a soft luminous finish perfect for a polished understated look. If you want more color or oomph, there are lipsticks and lip liners that can give you a bold look which you might want to look into.

My picks:

Up first is the Joues Contraste Lumi猫re Highlighting Blush, Coups de Minuit. I think this is the first time I’ve seen this particular formula even though Chanel has launched a number of beautiful pressed highlighters in the past. Coups de Minuit is a light soft luminous champagne with a pinkish tinge. It’s very smooth in texture and the shimmer is ultra fine and glowy (not frosty). On my medium-toned olive skin it’s subtle but does show up. I like it as a highlighter on the cheekbones or on top of blush. I think it’s a winner which is huge considering it’s the baked format (and I’m usually not a fan of the baked formula).

Swatched comparisons below to:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light (reviewed here)
Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duo in Moodlight (review/swatches here)
Chanel Winter Shimmer Blush (discontinued)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle

The two Limited-Edition Glossimers in Rose de Lune and 脠tincelle are both very sheer colors loaded with lots of sparkle. They are almost like micro-glitters in the tube but on the lips the shimmer is very subtle (at least on me). Since they are sheer they will give your lips a very subtle tint with lots of shine if you wear these alone. I have played with Rose de Lune on top of lipsticks and it’s a very pretty layering color. I suspect 脠tincelle will look stunning layered over plums and mauves but I haven’t had a chance to layer it yet. So far I’ve worn it alone and even though it’s sheer it gives my lips a healthy soft berry tint – perfect for my neutral-makeup-loving self.

Swatch comparisons below:
YSL Gloss Volupte in #10 Or Rose
MAC Lipglass in Purpurine (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Seashell
MAC Cremesheen Glass in Softly Lit
Buxom Lip Polish Mini in Starr (swatches here)
Chanel Glossimer in Equinoxe (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Braise (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Spark 04

Overall huge thumbs up for the two glossimers and highlighting blush. I was seriously tempted by the Rouge Allure Lipsticks in Rouge Noir and Vaporeuse but I already own Rouge Noir (although it’s an older formula) and the pink looked a bit pale when I swatched it on my hand at the counter. If you tried it let me know your thoughts. Stay tuned for the review on the holiday nail polishes – I’m going to be working on editing swatches and comparisons this weekend. I hope to publish the post by Sunday (fingers crossed).

All three items featured above are limited-edition. You can find them now at Chanel counters and stores. Also online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Chanel.com along with all other Chanel retailers.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Signe Particulier, Illusion D’Ombre Rouge Noir and Le Volume de Chanel – Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection

November 12, 2015

I picked up four eye makeup items from the Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection. All are listed as limited-edition with the exception of the Illusion D’Ombre. I’ve been such a huge fan of Chanel for years and the holiday collections usually are absolutely stunning so I had high hopes for this release.

What I picked up, below from left to right:
Illusion D’Ombre ($36) in Rouge Noir
Les 4 Ombres ($65) in Signe Particulier
Le Volume de Chanel ($32) in Rouge Noir
Le Volume Ultra-Noir de Chanel ($32) in Noir Kh么l

I am a lover of the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows. I own almost all of the colors and wear them on a regular basis. They offer the prettiest amount of sparkle to the eyes without being over the top and they layer nicely together. I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea (some feel they are too sheer or too sparkly). I’m a huge huge fan. When I found out there would be a Rouge Noir color launched I knew I would either love or hate it since I rarely like reddish colors for the eyes. I absolutely love this color. It’s dark enough that it doesn’t look red, but at the same time it’s red and plum enough that the color shows up on the eyes. This one does take some layering, it’s not a one-swipe wonder, but I think it’s gorgeous. That being said, after pulling some other deep wine eyeshadows, I do think it’s very similar to Armani Eyes to Kill #2 and NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Subra reviewed here. Both the Armani and NARS have deeper richer pigment with one to two swipes while the Chanel requires some building. The nice thing about the Chanel is you can swipe it over the lids for a softer wash.

I had very high hopes for the Les 4 Ombres in Signe Particulier. The eyeshadow quad releases from past seasons have been phenomenal with beautiful designs, excellent pigment and stunning unique colors. This year’s was one of the first disappointments from Chanel for me. I did swatch in store and saw that the pigment was very sheer and patchy. I thought it was just an over-handled tester that caused such poor application. I tested the brand new one I bought at home multiple times with several different brushes and applicators. The texture is very smooth and silky to touch but application is so sheer I could barely see any color payoff on the skin. I regret buying this. The colors are a soft sheer pale pink, a medium taupe shimmer, a deep plum-red, and a yellow gold shimmer. The packaging and embossed design is so so gorgeous. I wish the color payoff and pigment was better. If you love this – let me know what brushes you use, would love to figure out how to make this work.

Swatched below with a heavy hand, and the colors still are very sheer:

Finally there are two new mascaras in the holiday collection. I’m a fan of the Le Volume de Chanel Mascaras so I knew I had to try the Rouge Noir version. I’m thrilled with it – it thickens, volumizes, defines and doesn’t smudge or flake. I might need a back up of this. In addition to the Rouge Noir, there is a new deep dark black called Le Volume Ultra-Noir de Chanel in Noir Kh么l (also limited-edition). I had high hopes for this and a few swipes applied an ultra dark color. It looks amazing and it’s super dark. The formula thickens the lashes evenly for a volumized look. The downside is it smudged terribly on my eyes. I tested it on several occasions (5 different days to be exact) before deciding it was a flop for me. I thought on the first occasion that I might have not powdered my concealer properly, so the next few times I tried the Noir Kh么l on one eye and a regular Black Le Volume on the other eye. Each time, I had one side that smudged (the new one) and the other side did not (one with the classic formula/color).

I’m desperate to make the Ultra-Noir mascara work, if you tried it and love it, can you please share what makeup or skincare you use under the eyes?

I did consider purchasing the eyeliners in Rouge Noir and Or Safran, but decided against buying since I tend to wear black, brown or bronze colors. If you picked those up or tested them let me know what you think! Overall the eye makeup products were either hit or miss for me. The Le Volume de Chanel in Rouge Noir was an absolute hit for me. I love the Rouge Noir Illusion D’Ombre but it’s not an absolute must since it’s so close in color to other shades I own. Misses were the Les 4 Ombres and Noir Kh么l Mascara.

You can find the Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection items at all Chanel counters now. Also online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Chanel.com along with all other Chanel retailers.

Did you pick up anything or try the colors from this collection? What did you think?
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