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Chanel Rouge Allure Radieuse #217 | Holiday 2013

October 24, 2013

This season Chanel has released a limited selection of lip colors for the holiday collection. I ordered Rouge Allure Radieuse #217 a cool pink cream ($34, limited-edition) sight unseen. Although I usually find most Chanel lip colors naturally flattering and easy to work with, Radieuse proved to be one of the few I’ve purchased from the line that does not work so well for me. Radieuse is absolutely gorgeous in the tube and swatched on the arm it’s quite lovely. On my pigmented lips and olive skin it turns very powdery-looking and blue. There is a sharp contrast between my natural lip tone and the slight transparent quality of the lipstick which results in a darkish looking ring around the edges. The quality and texture is still quite good like most Chanel lipsticks. Although I do try to go outside my comfort zone with makeup, I found Radieuse just didn’t work for me. It’s a bit too too pale and has too much blue. Even my husband commented that he was not a fan of this color on me.

Here it is swatched:

To fix this one I blended a heavy layer of Chanel Nude Lipliner and Armani Gloss d’Armani in 109.

I think this might be the palest cream pink lipstick I own. I pulled a few to compare: Burberry English Rose Lip Cover (discontinued), Pink Heather Lip Mist (reviewed here) and Armani Rouge Ecstasy #103 (reviewed here).

If you can pull off pale baby pinks (I usually cannot unless there is some nude peach or brown or rose mixed in) you will like this one. Those with olive medium skin (like me) or darker may find this one a bit too pale. If it had shimmer mixed in I probably could pull this one off a bit easier. You’re mileage may vary with this color. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve tried this shade. Perhaps I’m being too picky with this one – but I will be playing more with the color to see if I can grow to like it more.

Chanel Rouge Allure Radieuse is available at Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Chanel.com.

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Guerlain Crazy Pearls Meteorites | Holiday 2013

October 22, 2013

Guerlain Crazy Paris Meteorites Pearls for holiday ($58 for 30g/1.05oz, limited-edition) is a hybrid Illuminating/Finishing Powder. It is very sheer but glowy on my medium olive tone skin. There are multi-colored pearls of powder in this year’s holiday meteorites. There is a white pearl, matte peach, bright pink and some gold. I haven’t had much experience with Guerlain Meteorites in the past. Most shades I’ve tested were barely visible on my skin and while I know they are designed to be finishing powders, I found them too sheer for my taste to purchase in the past. My preference in the past for the perfect glowy finishing powder was for the Chanel Poudre Douce powders (now discontinued). The Guerlain Crazy Paris Powder is more sheer and glowy with visible shimmers compared to Chanel Les Beiges (which is best used more like an all over sheer soft setting powder). The Guerlain is also significantly sheerer and more sparkly than Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (which I feel are more user-friendly for all over the face).

The Crazy Pearls Meteorites this year are visible on my skin to give that glow from within. I tested at the counter where the artist dusted this all over the face. For me this would be more of a special-occasion product to use all over the face. It’s a tad too glowy for me to use all over for everyday. My preference is to use it to highlight the cheeks (over bronzer or blush) and temples to add that soft glow. If you layer this more you will see a bit more pink on the skin. It’s still extremely subtle. If you want something more visible I would suggest you opt for one of the Hourglass Ambient Light powders (the best shade will depend entirely on your skintone, the holiday palette is a nice way to try three shades).

More photos and swatches:

It gives a glow from within kind of glow. The sparkles are visible on the skin but not glittery. Even though the pink shows up well on my skin it’s too sheer to use as a blush. It makes a lovely finishing product. I highly recommend you read the review and reader comments at Best Things in Beauty – there are many Guerlain fans that have chimed in on their thoughts and comparisons.

Is it a must-have? I’m not sure I can say yes or no. Those who are familiar with Guerlain Meterorites Pearls will most likely say yes. The Guerlain Meteorites have a unique finish compared to any other highlighter – one that is sheer but meant to be applied all over the face. I would say test before you buy. I am very happy with these – I find the finish is more visible compared to past Meteorites I’ve tested.

The Guerlain Crazy Paris Meteorite Pearls are limited edition. The collection is now at all Guerlain counters. You can find it online at Nordstrom and other online locations.

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Guerlain Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder | Holiday 2013

October 21, 2013

I purchased the Guerlain Crazy Paris Terracotta Bronzer ($69 for 10g/0.35 oz, limited-edition) while traveling in San Francisco a few weeks ago. The mix of pink, peach and bronze was just so pretty it was nearly impossible to pass even though I have enough bronzers to last at least 10 lifetimes. When swirled together the powders create a soft peachy bronze glow. The pink portions are very subtle when mixed with the other colors but it makes this bronzer apply more like a soft nude blush rather than a traditional bronzer. There’s a good mix of matte and shimmer in this that it makes the skin glow. It reminds me of the Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzer from 2012 in the sense that it makes a nice non-traditional bronzer. The mix of pink and peach prevents it from looking muddy on the skin.

The Guerlain Crazy Terracotta comes in a little black and pink pouch. The compact is quite heavy and domed at the top.

The bronzer under artificial light:

Closeups:

Swatches:

You can achieve a similar effect with regular peachy blushes however the mix of colors in Guerlain Crazy Terracotta gives a glow with some depth. This is hard to achieve with other regular blushes. The pink adds a unique touch of pink/peach when mixed with the shades of bronze. It has shimmer but it’s not quite as shimmery as the Guerlain Blondes or Sun Blondes. I’ve also swatched next to Chanel Sable Rose (from 2012) below.

Swatched with a heavy hand:

Overall a lovely glowy bronzer. It shows up well on my light-medium skin in a natural glowy way. I love it on the cheeks as a blush. If you have a lot of bronzers you can probably skip this – for me any face product with a hint of pretty pink mixed in is hard for me to pass. The glowy nature of this bronzer is enough for me to call it a must-have. You can find it at Guerlain counters now for a limited time, online at Nordstrom, Saks and Sephora.

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Weekend Wishlist

October 19, 2013

Currently on my radar: 1. Smythson Notebook – to keep all my notes organized in one notebook | 2. Longchamp Le Pliage Coin Purse – so cute but not sure how practical this one is | 3. Dior Minuit Nail Lacquer for Holiday – love the packaging | 4. Guerlain Crazy Paris Terracotta Bronzer – I see pink, peach and bronze, enough said! | 5. Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’Eau Solid Perfume – my husband says he likes this one on me | 6. Bobbi Brown Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette – missed out on past palettes, hope to get this one this year

What’s on your wishlist this weekend?

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Guerlain Sulfurous #861 Nail Lacquer | Holiday 2013

October 18, 2013

Guerlain has released a new nail lacquer with their Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 Collection called Sulfurous #861 ($23, limited-edition). It’s a blackened-purple smoky shimmery shade with excellent coverage and smooth application. The color looks prettier in the bottle than on my nails but I still think it’s a lovely shade. I couldn’t find any dupes for it. I’ve had great experiences with the other shades in the Guerlain line up in terms of pigment, lasting power and overall wear. I found Sulfurous to have a shorter life-span in terms of lasting power. I had tipwear on the end of the third day of wear, but then I did not use it with the Guerlain base/top coats. Sometimes using the same brands for base, color and top coat results in the best combination – I do plan on trying them soon.

Here it is with two coats:

I pulled a Dior Aztec Chocolate (discontinued), Dior Lemon Balm (discontinued), Dior Silver Purple (discontinued) and Chanel Vertigo to compare. Guerlain Sulfrous proved to be very different.

With the exception of the so-so lasting power (which could have been due to the base/top coats I used) I am overall pleased with the color. Guerlain Sulfurous is a unique smoky color that isn’t quite like your traditional vamp but still on the dark side. It’s limited-edition so I suggest you try to buy sooner than later if you’re interested. The collection should be at counters now. I spotted it at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco last week. It’s also online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Dillards.

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Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Fatal and Initiation | Holiday 2013

October 13, 2013

Chanel has released two new shades of their Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow ($36 each) in Initiation and Fatal. Each color is beautiful alone with a simple coat of mascara but also look lovely when layered together. Lasting power is quite good for these – they did not budge from my eyes from morning to early evening when I tested these.

Below: Left – Fatal, Right – Initiation

Fatal is a stunning purple-red with silver sparkles. It’s like a mix between Chanel Illusoire and Ebloui but with an added kick of visible silver shimmer to make it unique. Purples can be hard for me to pull off if they have too much blue or too much red. Fatal is the perfect in between. It does look warmer in the pot than it applies on the skin but it’s a chameleon-like color. The shimmers are both red and purple so it may look different depending on what angle you hold the pot at.

Initiation is a stunning warm bronze with silver and gold flecks. I find this one to be extra sparkly but in a good way. There was no fall out with the sparkles. I like to use the little applicator brush to apply but fingers or a basic cream shadow brush works well too. (One of my favorites is MAC #242 for creams or Chanel Concealer #10.) I’m glad Chanel released a bronze shadow – it was a much-needed color in the Illusion D’Ombre lineup.

Swatches, two views. The colors are easy to control for pigment. I swatched with a heavy hand but they are easy to blend out and layer.

Comparisons show that Chanel Initiation is quite different from most bronze colors I own. Armani Eyes to Kill #15 is warmer and #26 is more brassy. For Chanel Fatal I found Armani Eyes to Kill #27 almost identical in finish. The Armani is just slightly lighter with a bit more silver frost.

Comparisons below: MAC Buried Treasure Paint Pot, Armani Eyes to Kill #15, Armani Eyes to Kill #26, Chanel Ebloui, Chanel Illusoire and Armani Eyes to Kill #27.

With flash:

Without flash:

Overall beautiful colors perfect for fall to holiday. Versatile enough to incorporate into many different looks for both day and night. Also wearable alone, mixed, or layered over other powder shadows for added depth and sparkle. Definitely must-haves in my book.

Both Chanel Fatal and Initiation Illusion D’Ombres are limited-edition colors. Available now at Neiman Marcus.

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Recycled Part 2 | Bottega Louie Small Macaron Boxes and Diptyque Small Candles

October 9, 2013

I’m always on the hunt for good storage containers and trays for home decor. Finding simple makeup storage to fit my needs is a challenge since I’m particular about size and the way things look. I’ve found the best makeup storage tools are sometimes recycled items. I love using Diptyque candles after they are finished burning to store brushes, flowers and pens. See my other posts on recycling Diptyque candle jars here and here. Two more ideas are recycling Bottega Louie macaron boxes and the small Diptyque candle jars.

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Bottega Louie is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. (See my feature on Styled Notes about this restaurant.) They have amazing macarons and other pastries that they sell in the prettiest boxes. The small macaron box is too pretty to throw away – I’ve had several sitting in my house and found they are good for storing facial cotton. Right now I’m using Chanel Le Coton pads, but the boxes also fit Shiseido and CVS cotton rounds as well. I don’t always recycle boxes because they aren’t always aesthetically pleasing but the Bottega Louie boxes are dainty enough to re-use. Turn the lid upside down and voila! You now have a cotton-holder.

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The regular sized Diptyque candles make for lovely pen holders. You’ve seen them many times on this blog holding pens, makeup pencils, brushes, sugar etc. I wasn’t sure if I could re-use the small 2.4 oz size but turns out they fit q-tips perfectly. See my how-to on cleaning out the wax here. Note there are many ways to clean out the wax, I prefer the linked method because it keeps the candle label-sticker in tact.

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Side by side you see they are quite compact and keep things organized:

For size comparison, here is the 2.4 oz candle vs the regular 6.5 oz candle next to the Bottega Louie box. All are well sized to hold a decent amount of items, but not so big that they will take up a lot of counter space.