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 Lamé 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.
Chanel Le Top Coat Lamé 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.)
The Le Top Coat Lamé 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 Lamé 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 Lamé 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 Lamé 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.
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 Café/Pepper (for me) and Latte/Cortado (as a gift) of course I could not resist these cute lip duos, Café is the best light pink ever, I wish it was available in the full size lipstick
The Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser is one of my favorite clarifying cleansers, I’ve gone through a couple bottles already and repurchased another one during the sale, I was contemplating the GIFTSEXY Ultimate Anti-Aging Set which is still on my wishlist, I’m going to wait and see if there will be any Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals
There were also mini Glam Glow samples for beauty insider points in store so I redeemed some points for the newest one
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 🙂
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.
For lips and cheeks I picked up three things from the Chanel Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection. There are two new limited-edition Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimers in Rose de Lune and Ètincelle ($30 each) and one limited-edition Joues Contraste Lumière 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 Lumière 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).
The two Limited-Edition Glossimers in Rose de Lune and Ètincelle 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 Ètincelle 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.
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).
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.
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 Khôl (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 Khôl 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 Khôl Mascara.
Here’s a sneak peek at my picks from the Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection for holiday 2015. I stopped by the counter a few weeks ago and have been playing with everything. It appears that the US did not receive the Rouge Noir 18 Le Vernis shade this round and instead featured a repromote of the Vamp 18 Le Vernis color. I have swatches and comparisons coming up so stay tuned, but many of you have been e-mailing me asking what I picked from the collection. Here’s the list:
I’ll have swatches and the full review for eyes, lips and cheeks today. Nail polishes are still going through the test so I’ll have swatches + comparisons up as soon as possible, but it’s most likely going to go up next week. Everything I picked up is listed as limited-edition except Vamp Nail Polish and Rouge Noir Illusion D’Ombre.
The holiday shopping season has begun and there are a number of great beauty and grooming sets this year to suit every kind of recipient at multiple price points. I wish there was a one-gift fits all to make holiday shopping easier and more efficient but this is rarely the case for me. If you want a one-stop-shop, Nordstrom makes it really easy to find gifts for everyone in one place. They will gift wrap your gifts or give you beautiful silver boxes and ribbon to pack things up yourself which makes gifting easy. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom today to share some of my top picks for gifts by recipient.
For the home, you can’t go wrong with the holiday scents and gift sets from Diptyque. The Holiday Colored Glass Trio ($100 for 3) for this year is absolutely stunning with a huge wow factor. It comes with three 2.4 oz candles in this year’s holiday scents Sapin, Oliban and Liquidamber. I can’t get over how beautiful the packaging is this year. The Diptyque boxes are always beautiful as well.
There are a number of options and if you’re new to Diptyque you might be slightly confused with the options. I’ve done a size comparison post before, but the quick version is shown below.
1.2 oz is the smallest size available and only available in the 5 Piece Mini Candle Set (5 pieces for $75) or 10 Piece Mini Candle Set ($130). These sets are usually only available during the holiday seasons.
2.4 oz candles are sold individually or in sets. Holiday scents with special packaging are usually priced higher ($35) than the ones with the clear glass jars ($32). There are sets available usually in trios.
6.5 oz candles are the standard size and priced at $60 for the ones with clear glass. Holiday or seasonal editions are priced higher, this year’s version is $70. These are typically sold individually although this year there are a few fragrance + candle sets available.
For the beauty lover who travels a lot, the Laura Mercier Stroke of Genius Set ($98) comes with six short-handled brushes in a dark brown pebbled clutch. I’ve bought many Laura Mercier Brush sets over the years, they always make really good high quality travel size sets. The ones included in this year are Flat Eyeliner Brush, Eye Crease Brush, All Over Eye Colour Brush, Ponytail Brush, Cheek Colour Brush, Secret Camouflage Brush. I’ve bought previous season sets for my mom and aunts and the brushes are well-loved.
For your BFF there are a number of good mini color sets from Laura Mercier. Picking makeup for friends or family can be tricky but Laura Mercier has several sets under $50 that have universally flattering shades. One is the Laura Mercier Haute Lips Trio ($38) which has a full-size Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour in Petal Pink, a deluxe size Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Pink Dusk and mini Lip Pencil in Baby Lips. I picked up one below but don’t have swatches because it is indeed a gift for one of my friends. Another good trio set is the In the Glow Trio ($38) for cheeks and eyes, these have clutch-sized minis perfect for on-the-go or evening touch ups.
A luxe gift for your BFF is the Chanel Turn Up the Shine Glossimer Set ($92). This is a luxurious splurge, but for that someone extra special you can’t go wrong with Glossimers. This year’s set has Beige Star, Rose Tendre and Murmure, all creams and non-shimmers. I have all three shades and love them. For the person who wants natural color and shine this is a good one. If you think shimmer is preferred, the two shades from the Vamp Attitude holiday collection are stunning. I’ll add swatches below.
For the extra extra special someone or beauty lover who has almost everything, the ultimate splurge is the Armani Luxe is More Eyeshadow Palette ($140). When I saw this pop up online I thought there is no way this palette is worth the high price tag. I swatched it in store and was so amazed by the shimmer and pigment. The palette is pretty large too and the colors have the most exquisite shimmers. I’ll have a detailed review soon. For now a sneak preview of the top and bottom layers. It has 10 eyeshadows, two concealers and one powder.
For the men in your life whether it’s a boyfriend, husband, brother, dad, uncle etc. you can’t go wrong with Kiehl’s or Jack Black. So many of my friends have asked me for grooming recommendations for their boyfriends or husbands. They often want to help steer them into better grooming habits without being too pushy or hurt feelings. I’ve found starter sets with good packaging often get used – no extra nudging or pushing required. The Kiehl’s Men’s Starter Kit ($43) is something I bought for my husband and he’s discovered a number of good staples. It’s priced just right and has a little bit of everything for face, body, hands and shaving. Jack Black’s The Jack Pack ($49) is also another good one, my husband swears by the Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser but it’s not for everyone (some people like my brother-in-law don’t like the thick mask-like texture).
Either way, both Kiehl’s and Jack Black have good sets to fit everyone’s tastes. There are a lot of unisex sets and I’ve found the holiday offerings have a good sampling of products for those just starting out or looking to try something new. (The Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Cream also comes in a trio this year and it’s my husband’s favorite hand cream formula.)
Last but not least, one thing I like to do for smaller gifts is split up sets and mix and match things. It’s like giving stocking stuffers but one step up. I’m completely obsessed with Sugarfina Champagne Gummy Bears ($7 to $20 depending on size) and I’m so excited Nordstrom has these!! There are a few sweet sets which you can’t go wrong with. I think it would be really fun to mix a small box of gummies with a hand cream and mini candle from a set or mini lip gloss.
I hope you found some ideas from my first holiday gift guide this season! What do you have on your list? I’m up for more inspiration or suggestions as I’ve just started my holiday shopping and have a lot more on my list.
Many thanks to Nordstrom for teaming up to sponsor this post. All items purchased by me. As always, all opinions my own.
I’m excited to share one of my latest discoveries in skincare today which is the Kate Somerville Clinic in Los Angeles. It’s a hidden gem in Los Angeles and if you are ever in Southern California, I highly recommend you book a visit there. I was invited to the clinic for a facial treatment in early fall and had an incredible experience back in September. I’ve had about 5 facials in my lifetime usually tagging along with girl friends who know a lot more about skincare and treatments than I do. I’ve found facials in general to be a luxurious splurge, but not life-changing. My experience at Kate Somerville was what I will call life-changing though, it was hands down the best facial I’ve ever had with visible results immediately following the treatment. Right after the treatment your skin glows. For me, my skin maintained its glow for a week after the treatments.
The week before my facial, my skin had a freak-out. I had breakouts and a lot of red areas from irritation and flare-ups. The following day after my facial, my husband commented how much better my skin looked – all signs of redness were gone, my skin was glowing, swelling of a few pimples was dramatically reduced (and they magically disappeared within 2 days when it usually takes weeks to disappear and heal). My husband told me whatever they did it worked and he suggested I go back for regular visits since he knows how sensitive my skin is. I went back for a second visit about six weeks after my first visit (they recommend facials every 4-6 weeks depending on your needs and skin type). My skin has never looked or felt better.
I’ll go through the steps that were done for my treatment, thoughts on products used, skincare I’ve incorporated since the facials and also take you on a tour of the beautiful Kate Sommerville space.
On both occasions, I had the Kate Somerville Signature Facial which is their basic facial treatment. It runs about 50 minutes long and on your first visit they have a detailed skincare form for you to fill out so the therapists can customize the treatment to your specific needs. Pricing on all treatments are listed here. My main skin concerns were issues with texture, flare ups, break outs, and anti-aging. They do perform extractions which I usually find irritate my skin and often make my face worse. On both occasions at the KS clinic, extractions were very gentle and there were no issues afterwards. Here is what I experiences in Q and A format, I hope you find this helpful! Throughout most of the facial a steaming device was above my face to help open pores.
What kind of facial did I receive? Was it a mix of treatments?
You received the Signature Facial, which is customized to your needs and skin concerns. This treatment begins with enzymatic exfoliation and extractions, and a customized treatment mask follows along with an acupressure massage. This is truly the best facial to receive when first dipping into the life-changing world of facials!
There were a couple of interesting tools used, one was a tiny needle and the other was a small vibrating tool used over the skin – can you tell me what those were?
Ashley used an Ultrasound machine for exfoliations, permeation and circulation. This helps with lymphatic drainage and exfoliation. Later in the treatment the High Frequency device was used, this helps bring oxygen to the surface of the skin, it kills bacteria and improves overall texture of the skin.
There were 2 products that felt active on the skin, can you tell me what those were?
A custom blend of exfoliation products were used which included ExfoliKate Intensive to eliminate dead skin cells and contribute towards a brighter complexion. This truly reveals glowing skin due to the Fruit Enzymes and Lactic Acid to renew the complexion. Ashley also used the DermalQuench Liquid Lift™ post extractions to oxygenate and hydrate the skin. This also helps neutralize any redness in skin, and instantly plumps fine lines and wrinkles.
At one point a Clarisonic was used, what was product was used with it?
My skin had a lot of redness but after the facial, everything seems to have calmed down significantly, what was used to help decrease inflammation/redness?
A customized combination along with Clinical strength professional products from the Kate Somerville line. The skilled massage followed by the Nourish Daily Moisturizer helps increase blood circulation and oxygen to the surface to the skin, which is extremely healing and calming. The EradiKate Sulfur Mask was used which helps tighten and tone the skin. It also reduces redness and inflammation.
My skin seems a lot smoother, what products during the treatment helped with this?
Enzymes and acids to exfoliate are the key to a smooth complexion. Ridding the skin of dull skin turning over cells and nourishing the skin.
I know this probably depends on the skin type, age and treatments performed, but how often do you recommend facial treatments?
Monthly facials are ideal for all skin types, 28 days to be exact. If a client has highly congested skin, I might suggest coming in every 2-3 weeks until the congestion is under control. If the skin type is normal, coming in every 4-6 weeks will do the trick. There are certain skin conditions that may require more frequent visits. Skin is like a road map – there are several routes you can take to end with optimal skin health. I like to customize the path for each client, to ensure that glowing healthy skin is the end result.
A few of my favorite products from Kate Somerville along with some new discoveries I’ve incorporated into my skincare routine over the past few months:
Clarifying Treatment Toner is something I’ve had in rotation for a long time, it helps with post-acne scars and keeps the skin feeling clean and hydrated
Daily Detox Cleanser* is one of the few cleansers I’ve tried that really cleans out the pores but doesn’t dry out the skin, I’ve used up the tube entirely ordered a replacement tube this past weekend
Age Arrest Anti-Wrinkle Serum* helps with fine lines, plumps the skin and feels ultra smooth, it helps me with oil control throughout the day and works well alone under foundation or moisturizer
LumiWhite Two Tone Perfector* was recommended for me to use as a spot treatment to help with dark spots, I’ve tried this on spots and all over the face, it’s helped with brightening and spots have started to fade, although the fading is happening gradually (I’ve since purchased the D-Scar Serum to see if this works better/faster, I’ll review once I’ve tested it)
DermalQuench Liquid Lift* is a something that was recommended I use instead of toner (after cleansing the face), it’s an anti-wrinkle treatment that helps with wrinkles, improves skin texture, and uneven skintone, my skin has looked and felt a lot better after using this, it’s worked wonders with redness and helped keep skin texture smooth
DermalQuench Liquid Lift With Retinol* (for night) is something I just started testing a couple weeks ago, I’ve used it as an alternative to other night time treatments to start since I wasn’t sure how my skin would react, more detailed review to follow, but I wake up with smoother skin that is noticeably smoother to the touch
RetASphere 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream* is one of the most gentle Retinol treatments I’ve tried, although so many of my readers have recommended I incorporate skincare with this ingredient, I have been hesitant to do so since past experiences with Retinol and Retin-A left my skin extremely red with lots of peeling and pain, this treatment from Kate Somerville is ultra gentle and has improved skin texture
Many thanks to the Kate Somerville team for allowing photos of the clinic. Here’s a mini tour of the facility. The entryway is so beautiful:
Spacious and bright waiting room where you can browse the products by line:
Products on display with a tester unit:
Beautiful feminine interiors:
A look at one of the treatment rooms:
Inside the room I had my facial:
I’m overall thrilled with my experience at the Kate Somerville Clinic. It’s a 2-3 hour drive for me to get to Los Angeles, but well worth the drive for me, especially for a fun day trip. If you haven’t checked out the clinic, I think it’s a must. There are a number of different facials and treatment options, I’m still relatively new to most of them but if you’ve tried any, I’d love to hear about your experiences, feedback or recommendations on what else I should try.
If you’re like me and are often overwhelmed by all the skincare options, hands on evaluation of your skin by a facial treatment expert with recommendations based on your specific needs is priceless. I often like to pick out skincare based on what I think I need, but it’s always helpful to hear what the experts say. Out of all the items they’ve recommended, all have worked. I’ve purchased a few more items they marked on a recommendations list that I have yet to test out, but am really excited to.
Do you have any Kate Somerville favorites? Please share!
Facial provided compliments of the Kate Somerville team. Press samples indicated with a * beside the items listed.
