I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I have a few things to share that I’ve been loving lately – all of which are compact in size making it easy to slip into a flat leather clutch.
First, Elizabeth and James just released a new Solid Perfume Compact for Nirvana Black and White. It’s the prettiest solid perfume compact I’ve seen. It comes in heavy duty a mirrored compact with the same detail as the full size bottles. It’s currently a VIB/VIB Rouge Exclusive at Sephora.com through 12/27 and will be officially launch in the new year. The solid Nirvana Black smells just like the Eau De Parfum and Rollerball (full review on those here) with decent lasting power.
Next, I’ve been really enjoying the Tom Ford Lips & Boys clutch-sized lipsticks. I have posted a few sneak peeks here and on my Instagram, I’m working as fast as I can to get the full review and swatches up this week. Below is William, a sheer glossy nude peach shimmer.
For the dry winter weather, I’ve been using hand cream and lip balms religiously. Two I really like at the moment is L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand cream mini that I got as a gift with purchase at the boutique (always a classic) and the Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturizer.
The Elizabeth & James solid compact was provided for review consideration. The mini L’Occitane hand cream was a gift with purchase in store. All other items purchased by me.
There are two new Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadows ($61 each) for spring in Tissé Paris 238 and Tissé Fantaisie 236. I bought both of mine in store from Nordstrom (just launched online too at Nordstrom and Chanel.com). Both of them are shimmery but on the eyes the shimmer is soft and satiny. These come in the new Les 4 Ombres formula which has the round pans and better pigment compared to the non-US baked quads.
Tissé Paris is the cool-toned option with soft pink, rose and a deep navy-grey smokey shimmer. It’s really quite stunning in the compact. It has the perfect mix of delicate with the pink and bold with the deep smokey navy grey shade. I was worried it might give a pink-eye look (because I have to approach pink eyeshadows with caution), but it is neutral enough that it looks perfect. I don’t recall having a palette quite like this one, although the mix of pink and gunmetal do remind me a bit of Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma and Dior Bar.
Tissé Fantaisie is what I envision spring to be like in a palette. It has a soft silvery shimmer with a slight hint of cream and green, a shimmering soft warm peach, a stunning green with gold shimmer and a warm coppery bronze metallic. The colors layer well together to create a really interesting look. Green shadows usually aren’t my thing, but these have gold and silver shimmers mixed in making them more wearable for me. I don’t have a lot of quads with sea green or green tones in general, the closest thing I could think of is Dior Bonne Etoile from a few holidays ago. For some reason Tissé Fantaisie has a Dior-vibe to me, but I don’t think I have any of the quints with a sea green and bronze mix.
The pigment for the spring quads is very good, but softer than what I’ve tested with quads like Tissé Rivoli/Poesie. I found Tissé Paris and Fantaisie to swatch very well on the arm or hand, but on the eyes the effect is softer, similar to what I experienced with Tissé Vendome/Gabrielle. A good creamy eye base will help bring out the pigment more.
I’m more of a fan of neutrals and right now I’m all about golds or smokey palettes. Both of the Chanel spring quads are definitely worth looking into. For me, I’ll be wearing them more in the new year once the holiday season is over. These are both stunning, gorgeous and feminine, but have a more spring-like seasonal feel. I’d be hard pressed to pick one favorite because they are both so unique in their own way. I have a very slight preference towards Tissé Paris.
Right now, only Tissé Fantaisie is listed as a limited-edition shade. I purchased both of mine in stores at Nordstrom. They are also online now at Nordstrom and Chanel.com.
Chanel’s Spring 2015 Collection has two new Glossimers in Fleur D’Eau 192 and Crazy Fuchsia 194 ($29.50 each) and two new Rouge Coco Shines in Étourdie 98 and Désinvolte 97 ($35 each). The color theme is coral and fuchsia-rose pink for lips and the items I picked out have a mix of soft and bright.
The Glossimers and Rouge Coco Shines have a glossy sheen. If you’re a Chanel fan you are well aware of the lovely natural shine these have. The texture is smooth and feels really nice on the lips.
Swatches with flash:
Swatches without flash:
The Rouge Coco Shines are sheer glossy lipsticks. The colors for spring are vibrant in color but the sheer texture makes them very soft on the lips. On my pigmented lips the colors do show up quite well. These are easy to apply with a smooth hydrating texture. Désinvolte 97 is a bright but sheer coral peach. Étourdie 98 is a cool-toned rose pink with silver sparkles. If you apply these with a lip brush I find you can get more color/pigment. I prefer to apply straight from the tube because it’s faster.
The Glossimers mimic the texture and color of the Rouge Coco Shines. Fleur D’Eau 192 is a very sheer bright coral peach but the sheerness makes it look very natural. It has a transparent quality so your natural lip will definitely show through. Crazy Fuchsia 194 is a crazy pigmented shimmery fuchsia rose pink. The shimmer and pigment in this is incredibly beautiful. It’s a bit out of my comfort zone (because I usually like lighter lips) but the color is just so pretty I couldn’t pass it up. There is a mix of deep mauve rose in it so it’s not fluorescent but it’s still vibrant.
I’m really pleased with these. They are perfect bright spring shades that lift the mood and make the complexion come to life. I do think they are classics suitable for year round so I feel completely comfortable wearing them right now even though we are in the midst of the holiday season.
Spring should be trickling in stores now. I spotted the collection in store at Nordstrom. So far, only Fleur D’Eau is listed as limited-edition on Chanel.com.
Have you ordered anything from the spring collection? What did you pick out?
Today I’m launching my second holiday giveaway. Long-time readers know I’m a huge fan of Diptyque, they are in my top two brand picks for home scents (the other is Henri Bendel). Each holiday I look forward to the limited-edition holiday sets Diptyque creates. They have beautiful creations each year from the special scents to pre-packaged sets.
This week I’m sharing my love for Diptyque with three lucky winners. There are three different prizes that I’m offering. To enter this giveaway simply use the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. This is going to be an international giveaway but you must be 18 years or older to qualify. 1 winner will be selected for each prize randomly via the Rafflecopter widget and announced through the widget posted below the week after the giveaway period ends.
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Giveaway 1: Limited-Edition 5 Piece Holiday Mini Candle Coffret
The 5 Piece Winter Mini Set ($75) with Feu de Bois, Pomander, Ambre, Opopanax, and Genévrier has sold out almost everywhere (you can still find it at Saks and Beautyhabit) but I have one boxed set to giveaway. Each candle is 1.2 oz in the baby size.
Giveaway 2: Three 1.2 oz mini candles in Feu de Bois, Noisetier and Cannelle
I’ve accumulated some minis to giveaway. Diptyque does not sell these individually but I have some brand new extras to giveaway. They are super cute and I adore the scents!
Giveaway 3: Three 1.2 oz mini candles in Jasmin, Roses and Baies
Three minis in florals that I adore. Baies is probably Diptyque’s best selling scent and I think it is a classic one everyone will enjoy.
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I’ll be collecting entries through December 25, 2014. Please refer to the terms and conditions in the widget for more information and details. Please note, you must use the widget to enter, comments to this post will not be considered valid entries.
This week we are seeing the first signs of spring beauty. Chanel is first to release spring with their stunning Collection Rêverie Parisienne. I have the three new Spring 2015 Le Vernis ($27 each) shades to share with you in Tenderly 641, Paradisio 645 and Désirio 643. All three shades are incredibly beautiful and I’m completely in love. They are listed as limited-edition.
Paradisio 645 is a pale silvery green. It is a metallic shade with brush strokes that are slightly visible. This one has a slight jelly finish making it semi-sheer. There is a slight hint of tiny silver micro sparkles in it making me think of fairy dust when I apply this. Two coats applies smoothly. For more coverage a third coat makes the color more even and more visible. In the bottle it looks more green while on the nails it turns into a silvery champagne with a slight hint of green.
Tenderly 641 is a soft dusty purple. It’s also a semi-sheer color and for me this one is a three-coater. The jelly finish does give it a lush cushy look and with three coats you get a very glossy purple. There is a lightness to the color that makes it more spring-like compared to other purples like Chanel Paradoxal or Marc Jacobs Beauty Julia. However it’s not a pastel lilac which makes it more grown up looking.
Désirio 643 is a cool-toned fuchsia pink plum. It flashes hints of violet and blue but on the nails the shimmer isn’t visible. With a camera flash this one looks a lot brighter and turns pinkish. On the nails it’s more of a deeper mauve pink.
I spotted the spring collection in store last weekend and it just launched online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. I suspect it should be hitting all other counters in the US very soon (spring is usually released the week before Christmas). First thoughts are very good. I was underwhelmed by the Chanel holiday releases but the spring collection speaks to my heart. It’s very spring-like and feminine without being too pink or too pastel. I think it’s just perfect.
More from Chanel Spring 2015:
I hope to have the other items swatched and reviewed as soon as possible. Have you checked out the spring collection yet? What’s on your wish list?
I first discovered Ole Henriksen products at the beginning of the year with a few sampler sets and have since fallen in love with several of the products from the line. I’ve found Ole Henriksen serums and moisturizers to be gentle for my sensitive skin but strong enough to make a visible difference in overall texture and brightness of my complexion. I’ve been a huge fan of the Truth Serum and Sheer Transformation moisturizer so when Ole Henriksen invited me to experience their 3 Little Wonders Set with a 7 day trial pack I happily said yes. The 3 Little Wonders is a trio of easy to use skincare products for morning and night. It includes the Truth Serum Collagen Booster, Sheer Transformation Moisturizer and Invigorating Night Treatment. Today I’m sharing the results of my 7 day experience.
One of the things I like best about the 3 Little Wonders is that it is really simple to use. You basically have two items to layer in the morning, and two at night:
AM: After cleansing, apply Truth Serum, leave to absorb and then apply Sheer
Transformation Renewing Crème on top. The serum provides a protective layer on the skin and helps to draw in the moisture from the cream. The two layered together leave the face feeling well moisturized which is perfect for this winter weather.
PM: After cleansing apply Invigorating Night Treatment, leave to absorb and then apply
Sheer Transformation Renewing Crème on top for added moisture. The Night Treatment is a skin re-texturizing product that helps improve skin texture overnight.
There are seven packet sets, each which have four individual packets of product. There is quite a bit to sample, often times I felt I could stretch one packet into 2 uses.
The Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster is a brightening serum that smooths out lines and helps seal in moisture when used in conjunction with a cream moisturizer. Many people think they can just use a serum alone for morning. You definitely can do the one-step serum routine if you’re not a makeup wearer, but many serums have a thin gel-like texture which doesn’t work well against foundation or powders so I find it essential to add a lotion or cream on top. The Truth Serum has a slight citrus scent with a gel texture. The scent fades after a few minutes. I recommend working this into the skin quickly in sweeping motions so it applies evenly and absorbs into the skin. (Ingredients listed here.)
The Sheer Transformation cream is an oil-free moisturizer. It has a very smooth texture that absorbs nicely into the skin. It’s been really good for my dry skin with the dry weather even though it has a super lightweight texture. It has a cream finish that absorbs quickly into the skin. I like that it’s a simple no-fuss kind of moisturizer. There’s no detectable scent, it’s not heavy, and it truly feels weightless after you apply it. It’s designed to even out texture and tone skin while protecting it from environmental toxins. I find it lasts nicely all day without making my skin feel greasy by afternoon (Ingredients listed here.)
The Invigorating Night Treatment is new to me. It’s a gel formula that you apply all over the face before you go to bed. I was a bit nervous about trying this one because it’s a resurfacing treatment and my skin is super sensitive. The first two nights I used this, I felt a tingling sensation and a tightening effect. The tingling did disappear after 10 minutes. It has a slightly sticky texture so blending quickly is key. A little bit goes a long way so you only need a tiny bit. I tried this alone and also with the Sheer Transformation layered on top like it was suggested. I found that it really helped as a resurfacing treatment. This year I’ve had repeated issues with acne on the chin and have some scars. After seven days of using this, the texture of my chin area has improved tremendously. It’s like getting a very gentle peel each night. My skin hasn’t cleared up to perfection, but it has improved significantly since I started using this. This has been a game changer for my complexion. (Ingredients listed here.)
A snapshot of my bare face in the morning with the serum + moisturizer below. If you look closely, you can see some scars on the temple, forehead and chin area right below the corners of my mouth. A good foundation and concealer works magic to conceal the dark spots, but I’ve been working on my skin for quite some time. The three items in the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders has really done wonders for my skin. Overall texture has improved with the use of the three items consistently.
I’m really pleased with the results. The morning and night routine is very easy to use. If you’re like me and like skincare that is simple and quick, the 3 Little Wonders can be incorporated into your daily skincare routine very easily. I like that the products are gentle but effective. I do like special treatments in moderation so I think for me the night treatment can be used every other night instead of nightly or as a treatment for problem areas rather than the whole face. It is gentle on my super sensitive skin.
Right now, Ole Henriksen is hosting a sweeps for US residents. You can enter by posting a selfie to Instagram and tag it with @ole_henriksen and #3LWSweeps for a chance to win a year’s supply of 3 Little Wonders full size product. Sweeps entries will be collected through December 30th and announced shortly after (more details here). Or you can upload your selfie directly through Ole Henriksen 3LW Sweeps here to enter.
Have you tried Ole Henriksen products or the 3 Little Wonders? What are your favorite items?
Many thanks to Ole Henriksen for sponsoring this post. For more information you can refer to my Disclosures.
I just received news that Net-A-Porter restocked their Holiday Beauty Kit, a $360 value priced at $100. You can see my previous post and full list of contents featured here. It sold out the same day I wrote about it back in early November and I suspect it will sell out again very quickly. I know some of my readers were sad they missed out the first round. If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday gift that is sure to impress, this kit is a great option!
More Net-A-Porter Beauty below:
The beauty kit was provided as a press sample for review consideration.
