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Sabrina

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Sneak Peek: Chanel Noirs Obscurs Makeup Collection

August 24, 2009

I just picked up the October 2009 Issues of Voce, Maquia & Biteki yesterday from my local Mitsuwa Marketplace and saw some preview pictures and a couple ads for the new Chanel Noirs Obscurs collection. (Huge thanks to Haru at Rouge Deluxe for introducing me to these awesome beauty/fashion magazines. Luckily I don’t need to be in Asia to get these since I have a Japanese bookstore near me.)

I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping these will be released in time for the Saks and Neimans Beauty Events (mid September), but since they just released a new skincare line and the rouge allure laques in the US, I have a feeling the release date might not be as soon as I hope.

From Biteki Magazine, scan of the Chanel ad (the scan just couldn’t capture the true color or intensity/depth of the eyeshadow, the actual photo shows a bit of iridescence to the eyes but when scanned, just looks flat):

Article featuring Peter Philips from Voce:

Scan from Maquia:

I’ve found some more details on the product names on these two blogs:

British Beauty Beauty Blogger (Chanel: Noirs Obscurs Collection)
Ladies Beauty (Noirs Obscurs Dark Black Collection . . .)

If you have anymore details, please share!!!

For those unfamiliar with these Japanese magazines, they run about $8 to $12 USD each issue which is fairly pricey. However, they have beautiful layouts, pictures on real women, tons of how-to tutorials, and lots of great ideas (both fashion and beauty related) which make these well worth the price in my opinion and a better deal than most US beauty/fashion magazines. That being said, since these are Japanese publications, they do follow Asian Trends (which do not always coincide with other countries) and most of the models are fair-medium in skintone.

Check to see if your city has a Japanese supermarket or bookstore!

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Dolce & Gabbana Orange Lipstick Comparisons

August 24, 2009

Left to right: Chanel Rouge Allure Nude #59, MAC Slimshine Ardor, Bobbi Brown Metallic Lipstick Baby Peach, Dior Addict Lipcolor Regal Coral #439, Dolce & Gabbana Classic Lipstick Orange, Chanel Aqualumiere Monte Carlo #92, Chanel Aqualumiere Jamaica #69, Chanel Aqualumiere Zanzibar #85

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Chanel Symphonie Blanche de Chanel Collection

August 22, 2009

I just received an e-mail from Chanel about their Europe/Asia exclusive collection Symphonie Blanche de Chanel. There are also several repromoted products including their Poudre Douce in Rosee (love this for an all over soft sheer glow to set foundation), Le Blanc de Chanel (a white makeup base which I also love, often used as a primer) and a few other items. Check out the rest of the collection HERE.

Here is part of the e-mail promotion I received this morning.

I am anxiously waiting for the items I ordered to come in the mail and will post pictures as soon as I get them. I have heard from a friend that she was able to purchase these at the Chanel NY store. I have a feeling that the Beverly Hills Chanel Boutique and South Coast Plaza Bloomingdales Chanel Studio will also be carrying these items.

I’m not sure if all stores/counters will be getting these but it appears the items are on the Neiman Marcus website as well (click for direct link). They are having free shipping with any price, check their homepage for the code.

Jojoba at My Makeup Reviews has a gorgeous photo of the palette close up HERE.

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Update on Thoughts for Bobbi Brown Metallic Cream Shadows

August 22, 2009

FYI – the original post has been updated with a review. Perhaps the darker colors like Starry Night and Starry Purple will show up better. But unless you’re a fan of glitter, you’re probably better off trying her original cream shadows if you like creams or metallic powder eyeshadows if you want something metallic.

Definitely recommend trying these out in person as your mileage may vary based on tastes.

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A Few Items from Benefit: Thrrrob, Dandelion & Fawn Over Me

August 21, 2009

I’m fairly new to Benefit. I’ve tried numerous items in the past, but have avoided the line like crazy because of overly pushy sales reps that pounce on you as soon as you walk in the door of a department store, so I usually check out the items at Sephora where I can try out colors at my own pace. I picked up a few items to redeem my beauty insider points for the mini Lady’s Choice Lipstick which I love for a cute non-shimmery nude pink shade.

Came home with Thrrrob & Dandelion after having a good experience with Coralista. Both are on the sheerer side for me but give a nice subtle glow. Not too crazy about the packaging (feels like it will get dirty easily) or price (I feel $28 is overpriced for Benefit).

Also picked up Fawn Over Me Eyeshadow after having good results with Rich Beach eyeshadow. These are soft and highly pigmented. I definitely recommend you check the rest of the shadows out! Fawn Over Me is a pretty neutral beige shimmer.

Fawn Over Me compared to a couple other beigey shimmers.

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Chanel Rouge Allure Laque Hits the US with a Full Lips and Nail Polish Collection

August 21, 2009

The Rouge Allure Laques have finally arrived in the US and I am so glad they have! Featured in the collection are 8 Rouge Allure Lipsticks (I think most are new), 8 Rouge Allure Laques (a luminous satin lip lacquer), 4 (maybe 5) repromoted lipliners, and 4 new nail polishes.

I received a mini flyer in the mail with a special offer of a mini sized sample of Dragon Rouge Allure Laque #75, an intense classic vibrant red shade. This one happens to be from Saks. I believe there is also a promotion going on online with any order to get a mini sample as well.

I’m usually not a fan of satin-finish lip cremes because I find them too thick and matte looking giving my already-full lips a heavy flat look (such as YSL Rouge Voluptes, Laura Mercier Lip Velvets, MAC Matte Lipsticks, Chanel Rouge Doubles). The new Rouge Allure Laques have won my heart with their subtle shine and slight multi-color shimmer giving them some depth which results in a full finish that isn’t too heavy looking or flat on the lips.

Left to right: Mythic Rouge Allure #69, Ming Nail Polish #471, Dragon Nail Polish #475

Close up & swatches of Ming & Dragon Nail Polishes:

Close up of Mythic Rouge Allure Lipstick:

Chanel Mythic Rouge Allure Comparisons to other nude/beige lip colors:

1) Laura Mercier Passion Fruit (mini), 2) Bobbi Brown Metallic Beige Gold (mini), 3) Bobbi Brown Candlelight Shimmer (discontinued), 4) Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous #38, 5) Chanel Rouge Allure Mythic #69, 6) Dolce & Gabbana Perfection, 7) MAC High Tea, 8) MAC Creme d’Nude

Also slipped my mind but another nude shade in Armani is Shine #47 which you can see HERE. They had quite a few pretty pinks, bolder reds, oranges that I didn’t get. FYI – the testers at the counter have a clear glass base for the glosses so you can actually see the color without opening the tube.

Sample Rouge Allure Laque Box, Full Sized vs Sample Size

Left to right: Ming #76 and Santal #77

Rouge Allure Laque Swatches (on bare skin)

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First Look at Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadows

August 21, 2009

Stopped by Saks today and saw the new Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadows out. They have a sheer colored base and most of the pigment is in the metallic sparkles of each shade. They consist of a sheer almost clear base (which you can see below in the swatches),with colored sparkles. The good news is that once applied, these really stick to the skin.

The sparkles are bigger than I’d expect for something from Bobbi Brown, almost like micro glitters. The colors are really pretty in but I was hoping that colors like Antique Gold would show up deeper on the skin the same way it looks in the pot.

It seems like there were a lot of silvery-based colors. And many of them seemed very similar, like different variations of shimmer.

I came home with three: Brown Metal, Chrome Patina and Antique Gold.

Swatches, left to right: Brown Metal, Chrome Patina and Antique Gold

Also featured with the display were 2 gel liners, the cream eyeshadow brush, and gel liner brush, all repromotes.

**** UPDATE 08/21 Friday ****
I tried Antique Gold today on the eyes three different ways and have mixed feelings about these new creams. Pros: super sparkley, the sparkles stick to the eye. Cons: the sparkles are a lot bigger than I’m used to for the eye and definitely are noticeable enough to look like micro-glitters on the face, there is a lot of fall out with the glitter even though the majority of the product stays on the eyes, the base is indeed very very sheer. I applied this three ways, 1) alone with a liner, 2) as a base with MAC Go eyeshadow layered over – both of which I ended up taking off because it just looked odd. The final way I applied it was over powder eyeshadow (MAC Go + Mulch) as a top coat and still – too glittery/chunky.

If you want a metallic cream shadow but don’t want chunks of glitter, check out Laura Mercier or Urban Decay for better formulas and colors. Unless you’re a fan of glitter, I’d say pass on these.

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