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Sabrina

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Chanel Eastern Light 613 Le Vernis

May 8, 2014

Chanel Eastern Light #613 ($27, limited-edition) is a re-promoted shade in the Reflets D’Été de Chanel Summer Collection. It was originally released as a limited color with the Hong Kong Collection in February 2013 along with Western Light. I never reviewed it when it was released because it took me a while to track one down (mine is the original without a number on the label). If you missed out the last round, now is your chance to revisit and check it out. Eastern Light is a pure white. I had slight issues with application – it applied slightly streaky and uneven, but I was able to get full coverage with three coats. Even after a year of playing around with this shade on the fingers or on the toes, I’m undecided on how I feel about it. The white has a crisp clean sharp feel that contrasts sharply with my olive skin. I like the clean feeling it gives but it seems a bit too stark for my taste. I’ve been trying to wear it with an open mind but each time I wear it, all I really want to do is take it off immediately. Here are a couple more photos and swatches:

Swatched with three coats:

I don’t own many pure white nail polishes. I have a few limited-edition pearly whites/pale silvers. I will repost a comparison I did with Tom Ford Vapor Nail Lacquer that was released a year ago as well. As you can see below the color of Eastern Light with three coats is sharp and crisp. (All shades listed below are either discontinued or were limited-edition,)

If you’ve tried Eastern Light I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you missed out over a year ago, be sure to visit your counter soon to check it out so you can purchase/order it before it’s gone again. We all know Chanel regret can be expensive. It’s listed online as limited-edition. Online now at Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

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Chanel Sweet Lilac 615 Le Vernis

May 7, 2014

Chanel Sweet Lilac 615 Le Vernis ($27 for13 ml/0.4 fl oz) is a delicate pink lilac shade. It’s definitely lilac in the bottle but on the nails it looks almost pink. There’s a hint of violet blue shimmer in the formula but it is almost invisible on the nails. I love this color. The added pink makes it very easy to wear (some lilacs clash with my olive skin and look too pastel). The pink tone also makes it easy to wear year round. Application is smooth and applies easily with no issues. I do find you need two coats for this one for full coverage but it smooths out flawlessly.

Here it is swatched with two coats (applied by myself with Sephora FormulaX Base Coat and Top Coat, sent by Sephora for testing/review, thoughts on The System soon):

I don’t own many lilac-colored nail polishes, I tend to like darker purples or colors that are more pink, but here are a few to compare: YSL Rose Scabiosa (limited-edition, review here), Rescue Beauty Lounge Poco a Poco, Chanel Lilac Sky (discontinued), Chanel Rodeo Drive (discontinued) and Dior Lilac Colorvision (review here, discontinued).
Chanel Sweet Lilac is closest to YSL Rose Scabiosa – the Chanel is more purple.

Bottom line love. Sweet Lilac is listed as limited-edition so if you like the color I recommend tracking one down sooner than later. The color is easy to apply and flattering for spring-to-summer and suitable for wear on any occasion. I love the pink tint to it to prevent it from looking too pastel or too purple.

I found the Chanel Le Vernis shades from the summer collection at Nordstrom, it’s also available right now at Saks, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

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Reflets D’Été de Chanel Summer Le Vernis Nail Colours | A First Look at Eastern Light, Mirabella, Tutti Frutti, Pink Tonic and Sweet Lilac

May 7, 2014
Chanel’s Reflets D’Été de Chanel Summer Collection features five Le Vernis Nail Colours ($27 each for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz). Four of the shades are new colors in Pink Tonic, Tutti Frutti, Sweet Lilac, Mirabella and one repromoted shade in Eastern Light. I’m in love with the newer shades but still can’t fall in love with Eastern Light (even after having it for over a year since it first launched). I’ll have individual reviews and comparisons for each color shortly. For now here’s a quick teaser on how the colors look swatched.

Eastern Light is a white cream (needs three coats). Sweet Lilac is a lilac/pink color. Pink Tonic is a bright pink. Tutti Frutti is a nice coral peach. Mirabella is a sweet orange cream. The shades have a slight shimmer if you look at the bottles in the sun, but the shimmer doesn’t really show up on the nails. They apply like creams.

These are all listed as limited-edition on Chanel.com except for Tutti Frutti. I bought all of mine at Nordstrom. All Chanel counters in the US should have the summer items by now.

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Chanel Reflets D’Été de Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimers | Glaze, Hello, Sexy, Happy and Sunny

May 6, 2014

The summer Reflets D’Été de Chanel collection features five Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimers ($29.50 each). Four shades are new in Hello 184 (limited-edition), Sexy 185, Happy 186 and Sunny 188, one shade Glaze 03 is a repromote. All are beautiful bright summery colors but extremely sheer. The shades for summer are all similar in concept to Glaze they are basically clear on my lips with a very slight tint of color. I don’t think anyone needs all of these, I certainly did not, but the bright cheerful names and color display got me. If you’re a frequent gloss user or die-hard Chanel fan you might really fall in love with each of these.
Glaze 03 is a light cool pink, Hello 184 is a transparent warm watermelon pink, Sexy 185 is a bright fuchsia pink, Happy 186 is a bright coral watermelon red, Sunny 188 is a sheer orange. All these shades only have numbers on the bottom labels.

Straight from the tube you can see the tinted color:

Blended they all pretty much turn clearish:

I did some lip swatches although they all pretty much looked the same. I have lips that tend to turn really pink or red if I rub them with clearish glosses. I was only able to swatch three before my lips started to turn a bright cherry red. Glaze, Sunny and Happy below, for skin tone reference I am wearing Tom Ford Foundation Stick in Bisque 04 (review/swatches here):

If you’re looking for a nice sheer gloss that isn’t too sticky, lasts relatively long on lips and love Chanel then you’ll find at least one that you like from this collection. Since I already own a lot of lip glosses (both sheer and pigmented) these seemed redundant to add to my collection, but I caved anyways at the counter. These are nice to layer over lipsticks without changing color too much and less boring than a traditional clear gloss. I have used up entire tubes of Glaze as I’ve found it to be an easy swipe-and-go no-fuss kind of gloss on lazy makeup days. These will add a nice sheen without drying out the lips.
On Chanel.com, all are listed as permanent except for Hello 184. The entire summer collection should be at your local counters now in the US. The glossers are also online now for $29.50 each at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Chanel.com.
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Tatcha Okasan Mother’s Day Gift Set

May 5, 2014

Tatcha has designed a special Okasan Mother’s Day Gift Set ($135) this year containing a full-sized Gold Camellia Moisturizing Lip Balm, Gold Camellia Beauty Oil, and one sheet of their Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask and a small box of Japanese candy from Kyoto. It comes in a beautifully packaged white box and indigo/gold wrapping paper. As usual, everything from the contents, design, personal note are true to Tatcha form – exquisitely packaged with no detail missed.

My mom fell in love with beautiful design and packaging of the Gold Camellia Lip Balm when I purchased it back in January. Although Tatcha kindly sent this set to me for review, I thought it fitting to gift this set to my mother as an introduction to the brand since I have already tried 2 of the 4 items in the set. As a quick intro, I’m in my early 30’s with normal but sensitive skin prone to occasional break outs. My mother is in her mid 50’s and has normal but flawless skin. She describes her skin as normal but oily in the T-zone. I’m fortunate to live only 10 minutes away from my mom so we spent a few days playing with this set on a few occasions. Our thoughts below (we both loved the Japanese candy).

Deep Hydration Lifting Mask
comes in individually at $28 each or a set of 4 for $95. I’m really happy this came in the set for my mom to try. I received a sample several months ago with an online order (Tatcha has really good samples with online orders) and it’s an amazing sheet mask. It comes with two mesh linings on each side that you remove and then leave on the face for at least 15 minutes. It has a cooling sensation that hydrates and makes the skin feel like you just had a spa facial.
  • My thoughts: This is a spa in a packet, my face is left feeling fully refreshed and hydrated.
  • My mom’s thoughts: It has a nice soothing light scent, it has a slightly tingly feeling, my face does feel nicely hydrated after use.

Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm is an exquisitely packaged lip treatment with gold leaf.

  • My thoughts: You can read my review here, it has a nice soft sweet scent.
  • My mom’s thoughts: It’s too pretty to use, I don’t want to ruin the gold leaf but I like that it feels lightweight and non-stick on the lips.

Camellia Beauty Oil
is one of those oils reaching cult-status. It’s a light and rich beauty oil designed for the face, hair and body. It has Licorice Extract to calm the skin, lightly scented with young Bamboo and Green Tea fragrances. We both adore this oil.
  • My thoughts: This was my first time trying the Tatcha Beauty Oil, I was pleasantly surprised that everything my readers have been telling me about this one is true. It has a sweet fruity scent upon first application but the scent and oil both absorb quickly into the skin. I love the light feeling moisturizing feel and it leaves the face feeling hydrated – perfect for summer.
  • My mom’s thoughts: This is a really nice oil and makes the skin feel like the hydration has been restored. I like that it’s really lightweight and absorbs into the skin, it’s perfect for the warm weather.

____________________
This set is hands-down winner in both our books. (I have the face mask replenishments and camellia oil on order for myself already.) If you want to order this set, you can find it now online at Tatcha.com. Individual items are also available for purchase via Tatcha.com and Barneys New York. Be sure to follow Tatcha on Facebook – they have a fun interactive contest/giveaway for the Mother’s Day Set.
Have you tried Tatcha yet? What are your favorites so far?
This post contains items sent courtesy of Tatcha for review. All opinions are our own. For more information refer to my Disclosure Policy.
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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

May 5, 2014

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re like me, you have a mother who already has everything she wants, rarely thinks about herself because she is always thinking about those she loves around her, and usually says “you don’t have to get me anything, how about just make me a nice card?” Each year I try to find something special she can incorporate into her wardrobe or home as a gesture to show how much I appreciate everything she does. If you’re in need for some gift ideas, here are a options I hope will help with some gift inspiration. From top left, clockwise:
  • These colorful Ombré ($38, Nordstrom) and Flower Bud Print ($59.50, J.Crew) scarves are perfect for spring and will go well with spring-to-summer crisp white blouses or tees
  • J.Crew has some really fun and chic-looking Textured Summer Straw Hats ($34.50) perfect for the upcoming warm weather days
  • Kate Spade has these delightful Basket Pave Studs ($68, comes in gold, silver or pink) that are classic and add a bit of glamour
  • J.Crew has a variety of cute Ceramic Trays ($19.50 each) can add a lovely accent to her dressing table for her jewelry (other affordable options at Pottery Barn)
  • Esteé Lauder has a lovely Modern Muse Fragrance Set ($85), there’s also a Gift With Purchase at Nordstrom going on now (this is almost a no-brainer/no-fail option since almost every mother I know is a loyal Esteé Lauder fan)
  • Tory Burch has a number of chic sandal options, according to my local store, one of their best sellers is the the Cameron Patent Thong Sandals ($150)
  • Jo Malone Peony Blush Candle ($65) is a luxurious option that you can pair with a nice bouquet of flowers
  • L’Occitane has a Delightful Hands ($28) hand cream trio that makes a nice add-on that won’t break the bank, this one has the Classic Shea, Cherry Blossom and Velvety Rose
  • Gigi New York has a creative way of packaging their gift cards in a chic printed card holder
  • Tatcha has a great set with their Okasan Mother’s Day Set ($135), it’s a steal that contains one Deep Hydration Lifting Mask, Camellia Gold Lip Balm, Camellia Beauty Oil, Japanese candy from Kyoto (I gifted this to my mother early, but it’s so awesome I want one for myself), check out their contest they are running on Facebook
What have you found for Mother’s Day this year? Do you have any traditions? Be sure to check each shop’s shipping policies and deadlines, most are offering rush shipping options but with certain cut-off dates.

For fun, check out this really cute video (and maybe send this via e-mail to your mom) from Elle.com Great Thing of the Day: Is This the #WorldsToughestJob? – I guarantee it will make you smile!

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Mirage, New Moon and Utopia

May 3, 2014

This summer Chanel brings us three new stunning shades of Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Shadow in Mirage, New Moon and Utopia ($36 each for 4g/0.14oz). All three colors are breathtakingly gorgeous. I think all are universally flattering colors, each with a stunning mix of shimmers. Both New Moon and Utopia are listed as limited-edition, while Mirage is listed as permanent. As with all other Illusion D’Ombres, these are semi-sheer but layer able with intense shimmer.

Swatches:

More pics and swatches:

Mirage is a luminous warm bronze. It seems to have been launched to replace Initiation from Holiday (which is now discontinued, but still available at Neiman Marcus). If you compare the two shades, Mirage has a more refined shimmer while Initiation has more visible silver flecks of sparkle. Both are similar on the eyes.

It was a bit difficult for me to capture the differences with a flash, the shimmers blinded my camera so I have two sets of swatches. The one with flash is more accurate with color.

This one is without any flash, under artificial light, it makes the colors look a bit green, but shows the difference in undertone and texture better.

New Moon is my favorite of the three. It’s a complex burgundy, gold, brown, red mix. It can appear reddish when swatched on the arms or hands but it applies much more neutral on the eyes.

Two sets, same items in each, just different lighting include MAC Constructivist, Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum (review here), Chanel Ebloui, Chanel New Moon, Armani Eyes to Kill 28 (swatches here) and Chanel Fatal (review here).

Utopia is a gorgeous lavender sparkle. It’s one of the few lighter pink/purples I can actually pull off without looking like I have pink-eye. Medium or dark purples are easy for me to wear (as long as the red in them is minimal), lighter purples tend to clash with my olive skin and make me look sickly. Utopia has the perfect mix of pink and purple.

Below comparisons swatches to Armani Eyes to Kill 30 (hard to find but swatches/review here), Bobbi Brown Cool Lilac, Chanel Utopia, Chanel Illusoire, Chanel Impulsion (review here) and Armani Eyes to Kill 8.

These are must-haves for summer in my book – especially for Chanel fans. For those who avoid dupes/similar colors, I think you’ll find these shades particularly unique. I’ve had a lot of fun playing with these over the last week. They are extremely versatile and easy to wear for any occasion (day or night). Lasting power is quite good as long as you’re not one who rubs your eyes frequently throughout the day.

The Illusion D’Ombres are $36 each, now at all Chanel counters in the US. Currently online at Nordstrom, Saks and Chanel.com.

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