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Chanel

Chanel Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

October 16, 2019

Chanel Lip Haul

I have a new Chanel lip haul with a look at some of the newRouge Allure Ink Fusion colors, a new Rouge Allure Ink shade and additions to the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss formula. I ordered everything sight unseen as the colors are currently only available at Chanel.com (coming to counters soon). I’m 100% thrilled with every single item and think there are some great additions for fall.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion

I’ve never really been a fan of liquid lipsticks or the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink formula. I found the original formula looked great in hand swatches with so many gorgeous colors. On my lips the colors didn’t show up well and I found the finish too thin/streaky. I was willing to take some extra effort to make some of the colors work. The deeper/bold colors performed better but the neutrals were too sheer for me. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is much MUCH better in terms of color payoff and pigment. It has similar packaging in the tube but the applicator is beveled. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is more of a fluid liquid that dries to a matte finish. It’s lightweight and has a similar feel/effect to the NARS Powermatte Pigments, only the Chanel does not dry down or shrink like the NARS does.

I ordered four Rouge Allure Ink Fusion shades to try them out. Swatches are tricky with liquid lips for me since the dry down often darkens the color and they always look SO different on my lips compared to others who have lighter pigment in lips or a cooler complexion. The olive in my skin also makes them look completely different than what I’ve seen online for lighter skin girls so please take note your mileage may vary. Formula is lightweight, has no scent, dries down to a soft matte finish without making the lips look like they’ve shriveled.

802 Beige Naturel is a pale beige cream, on me this turned more neutral/peach and while on others I’ve seen it swatched on, it looks more yellow-beige. 804 Mauvy Nude is a cool toned mauve rose, also darkens on my lips but perfect for fall! 806 Pink Brown is more of a deeper brown-rose on me than a pink brown, also lovely for fall. 814 Coral Peach is a bright vibrant coral.

There are also some new additions to the regular Rouge Allure Ink lineup. There are some mattes and also new metallic finishes. I bought 216 Legerete which is the most beautiful rose pink color. The formula is still the same as the Rouge Allure Ink, slightly streaky but I can make it work. The color is beautiful!

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink applicator:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink

Swatches below:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion swatches

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion lip swatches

Some comparison swatches, I didn’t find dupes but thought this lineup might help you compare and contrast how light/deep the colors are. The Rouge Allure Ink Fusion has a similar fluid texture and dry town to the NARS Powermatte. By comparison the newer Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Mattes have a more whipped matte finish.

Chanel swatches

Three of the colors in full face looks, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion 802 Beige Naturel, for skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B50:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Beige Naturel

804 Mauvy Nude:

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Mauvy Nude 804

Pink Brown 806

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion Pink Brown

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Chanel Neutrals Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue and Rouge Coco Gloss

Chanel also added some new colors of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss which I just rediscovered. They changed the packaging and formula a little while ago but I think it’s pretty much the same as the original. I picked 2 of the new colors in Intense Nude 152 which a gorgeous soft cool pink and Intense Caramel 154 which is a medium neutral beige. There is a liquid lipstick side that you apply all over the lips and then top with the gloss top coat. These are super long lasting and I think I need to check out more colors soon.

Since I’m a huge fan of neutrals I added other shades from my collection above and swatched below for reference. I have two other Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue colors in Merry Rose and Warm Beige alongside Rouge Coco Gloss neutrals in Caresse (discontinued), Caramel and Noce Moscata:

Chanel Neutral Gloss Swatches

The new Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss in Intense Nude and Intense Caramel on the lips:

Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Gloss Intense Nude and Intense Caramel

Full face look wearing Intense Nude:

Chanel Le Rouge Duo Tenue Ultra Gloss Intense Nude

Overall some solid wins and a successful haul. I wish Chanel would reformulate all the Rouge Allure Inks into the Rouge Allure Ink Fusion formula – I think it’s SO good!. Based on the color selection I think I would have also loved a plum color but for now am happy with the colors I bought. I may splurge on one more down the line once they hit counters and I can see them in person.

You can find the new Chanel lip launches available now at Chanel.com – I suspect they will be at counters soon in the US. Have you tried any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

 

Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

September 11, 2019

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

There are so many new foundation formulas out this season and today I have a review of the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation ($50 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). It comes in a small black squeeze bottle with SPF 15 and is available in 13 shades. There are three undertones, B for beige (usually what I wear), BR beige rose (has pink undertones) and BD for beige dore which is the first time I’ve seen this color name but it might not be new. The active ingredients are Octinoxate 5% and Titanium Dioxide 3.1%.

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation review

The Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation seems to have replaced the Perfection Lumiere Velvet which I used and loved many years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve used the older formula so I can’t really compare the new to old but from what I recall it has a similar effect. The new Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation has a lightweight oil-free fluid texture and smooth blurring effect on the skin. It feels very lightweight and glides on nicely offering medium coverage. It has a powdery feel with the dry down but isn’t too matte. I’ve found it sets quite nicely with a semi-velvet matte finish but not dry or cakey like some matte base formulas have. On my combination skin it lasts nicely all day requiring only a small touch up on the nose mid-day.

New Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet base

I have swatches of a selection of the colors, I didn’t have all the colors to swatch, B40 is swatched twice with both sets on the top and bottom:

Ultra Le Teint Velvet swatches

A few comparisons to other Chanel base formulas: Les Beiges reviewed here, CC Cream reviewed here

Chanel Foundation swatches

My color match back in San Diego and earlier days of blogging was almost always B30. Since moving to Florida I’m exposed to intense sun and am outdoors more so I’m now a B40 or B50. With this Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation formula I found I can get away wearing either B40 or B50 right now. I tried both on my face, 40 on one side and 50 on the other. I can barely tell the difference when it’s blended out even though from swatches there is a clear difference between the colors.

Below is a look at B50. Once applied it adjusts/warms up slightly but there isn’t a huge amount of oxidation or darkening. I would recommend picking your regular Chanel shade with this formula. For application, I tried three ways: with the fingers, with a Chanel foundation brush and with a beautyblender sponge. My favorite way is the sponge method, but the formula is really easy to blend with fingers or a brush.

  • Top left: bare skin (just have brow makeup on)
  • Top right: a swatch of B50
  • Bottom: B50 applied all over with a brush

Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation B50

Full look with the Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50, also wearing:

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Makeup look B50

Full list of ingredients from the box below for the US formula. It does contain alcohol and dimethicone but neither irritated my skin. There are some foundations that have a high concentration of alchohol that irritate and dry out my skin. If you have sensitives your mileage may vary but this one works well with my skin which makes me believe it’s in a smaller quantity than others like the L’Oreal Infallible line (which looks great on the skin, but causes a lot of irritation for me).

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet ingredients US

New Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet base

On the nails Pure White (review here)

Overall it has performed really well for me. I’m relieved the SPF and alcohol content in this base did not irritate my skin as I’ve had a really rough summer testing sunscreens. I give it a solid A+ for me and think the undertone works just right for my skin.

I’m still in the process of trying out a few other foundations including the new Fenty Beauty, Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury and Zoeva formulas. I’ll have a roundup to come as soon as I get through all of them. First impressions are the Charlotte Tilbury one has the most similar effect with the matte finish but isn’t quite as lightweight in feel.

You can find the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation out now at Chanel.com, coming soon to all Chanel counters (your store might already have it!). Have you tried this yet? What did you think?

Chanel foundations gifted and provided for review.

Chanel

Chanel Fall-Winter 2019 Makeup Collection

August 30, 2019

Chanel Fall Winter Makeup 2019 Review

Chanel just launched their Fall-Winter 2019 Makeup Collection with a cool-toned color palette of black, white and silvery grey. The collection as a whole has a very editorial runway kind of vibe. There are some beautiful pieces I think are going to be gorgeous everyday colors for fall while others pull more edgy and trendy. I’ve put everything to the test and have some thoughts with lots of swatches for you today. I’m still very much in summer state of mind but really enjoyed playing with the new items. In the collection:

Chanel Makeup Fall 2019 Collection Review and Swatches

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Les 4 Ombres: Noir Supreme and Modern Glamour

Chanel Noir Supreme and Modern Glamour Eyeshadows

There are some really beautiful pieces for the eyes and they far surpassed my expectations. To be frank I don’t get excited about most white, silver or black smokey eye palettes because they’re often too cool-toned for my olive skin. The two quads are beautiful though!

Noir Supreme is different from any other Chanel quad I’ve tested, the texture has an almost creamy feel. Colors are very pigmented but blend out nicely with a brush for a gradient smokey eye. I found I could use colors individually or blended together. You have an olive bronze shimmer, a soft muted navy grey shimmer, warm red and a medium brown. All of the colors have some degree of shimmer and they blend/layer easily with really good pigment.

Modern Glamour looks like your standard palette of silver and matte black, but the colors blend together quite nicely. The top left shade has some warmth to it which makes it more wearable for me. It has a semi-warm/neutral silver, a pale icy white, soft muted matte black and a shimmery steel. Pigment is also really nice with this one.

Chanel Noir Supreme and Modern Glamour Eyeshadows swatches

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Ombre Premiere Top Coat and Stylo Yeux

Chanel Fall 2019 Makeup Eyeshadow and Liner

The stand outs in the collection for me are the two Ombre Premiere Top Coats in Carte Blanche and Penombre. Swatches do not do it justice – you have to see and play with them in real life to truly see how stunning they are. These are best worn as top coats like the name suggests and they add gorgeous shine and dimension to the eyes. Carte Blanch is a beautiful sparkling white with silver flecks. Penombre reminds me of Lancome’s ErikaF but not as green as I remember it being.

There are two Stylo Yeux Waterproof eyeliners which I don’t think are exciting at all, but they do perform well and once they set they don’t budge. Blanc Graphique swatches poorly on the hand/arm but it did apply much better on the eyes. Noir Intense is a deep black matte color. There’s a Le Volume Mascara in Noir Intense but it’s a standard deep black color.

I swatched the shadows with a heavy hand but on the eyes they have a more sparkling almost glittery effect. I normally find white tone shimmers to stark on my skin but Carte Blanch layers really beautifully on top of other shadows.

Chanel Fall 2019 Makeup Eyeshadow and Liner swatches

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Le Gel Paillete Face and Decollete Transparent Shimmering Gel

Chanel Le Gel Pailette Shimmering Gel

For the face they launched a shimmering gel called Le Gel Paillete which looks like metallic silver sparkles suspended in a clear gel base. This is very much like the concept of Eye Gloss to me which isn’t something I’m into because of the tacky/shimmery glow it gives. It has a smooth gel finish and tacky feel. It doesn’t set or dry down and the shimmer is barely noticeable when you blend. I tested this on my face and found that it stayed put once it was on the skin and added a glow much like a gel product or gloss would do. As interesting as the concept is, it’s not something I see myself wearing much.

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Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme and Rouge Allure Liquid Powder

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme and Rouge Allure Liquid Powder

There are two lipsticks and two lip powders. The Rouge Allure Velvet Extremes are very matte and opaque with a velvet matte finish. They have full coverage with a few swipes. Rose Nocturne is a neutral-toned rose with a hint of brown, Rouge Obscur is a bold berry color. These are long wearing lipsticks with no scent.

The two Rouge Allure Lip Powders are whipped almost powder like products that come in a squeeze tube with a sponge tip applicator. In my experience the deeper brighter shades apply better while the lighter colors look a little streaky. Timeless is a pale peach that is streaky on my lips. Bois de Nuit is a medium rose which has a soft powder look, I’ve seen this on cooler/lighter skin tones and this pulls more pink on others while on me it’s more warm/rose.

Chanel Fall 2019 Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme and Rouge Allure Liquid Powder

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Rouge Coco Gloss

The two Rouge Coco Glosses come in a Laque Noire deep black berry cream and a Crystal Clear color which is a clear base with tiny silver flecks suspended. I could not get the deeper one to work on its own for me – there was too much contrast between my natural lip and the gloss which is slightly transparent, leaving a streaky mess. I do suspect it’s better as a top coat on deeper plums though. Crystal Clear had some tiny bits of texture in the formula, not really from the glitters which are ultra fine, but some clear chunks of texture. It’s thicker in texture, almost-gel-like. It does add some nice shine but it’s pretty much a standard clear gloss. If you want more visible shimmer with a similar concept I’d recommend opting for the Fenty Gloss Bomb in Diamond Milk or Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Aliengelic.

Chanel Fall 2019 Rouge Coco Gloss

Lip swatches on bare lips:

Chanel Fall 2019 Rouge Coco Gloss

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Le Vernis

There are two Le Vernis polishes for fall in a Pure Black and Pure White. Both are creams, have smooth application and applied perfectly with two coats. I rarely wear pure black or white polishes but Pure White is the first true cream white polish I’ve tried that doesn’t make me feel like I’m wearing white out on my fingers.

Chanel Fall 2019 Le Vernis Pure Black and Pure White

Two coats applied for each color with the Le Gel Top Coat on top:

Chanel Fall 2019 Le Vernis Pure Black and Pure White swatches

Fall-Winter Makeup Look wearing:

Chanel Fall Winter 2019 Makeup

Overall there are some beautiful pieces that are well made with great quality true to Chanel standards. The stand outs for me are both of the Ombre Premiere Top Coats, Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme and Noir Supreme Quad. The Rouge Coco Gloss in Laque Noir and Rouge Allure Lip Blush in Timeless were solid fails for me, but I have seen them reviewed on other people and channels and it looked quite nice on other skin/lip tones. I suspect the dark gloss looks better when blended out, but when I blend it it then becomes too sheer/transparent.

You can find the Fall-Winter 2019 Makeup Collection out now at Chanel.com and all other Chanel counters.

Chanel fall collection pieces provided for review.

Chanel Lips Nail Polish

Top 10 Chanel Le Vernis Nail Shades + Lip Colors to Match

August 19, 2019

Best Chanel Nail Polishes Top 10 via The Beauty Look Book

I’ve been a long time fan of the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colors through numerous reformulations and used to collect all the new colors religiously! They revamped the formula back in 2016 and while I was really sad so many great shades were discontinued I was really happy to find the formula was improved. I’ve reviewed many new colors / formula over the past few years. You can see the original posts here and here. A number of you have asked for an updated Chanel polish roundup so I have one today with my Top 10! Colors that you can still find today although a few of these are limited-edition. I’ve also included a fun twist and added my favorite matching Chanel lips to go with each of the 10 colors. I don’t always match nails and lips, but sometimes I think it’s fun to have coordinating colors!

I really love the formula of Chanel Le Vernis. They’re always smooth and glossy on my tips and toes and last a long time on my hands. I do think proper application is key – I recommend pairing it with a good base and top coat. If you’re finding it chips or you get tip wear I suspect it’s either the application or the top coat you’re using. As much as I love fast drying top coats, many of them shrink when drying and slowly pulls back the color underneath. Not all top coats are compatible with all nail polish formulas. This leads to early tip wear and chipping in my experience. I love the Chanel Le Gel Top Coat, but also find that the Essie Speed Setter or Smith and Cult Top Coat work well.

My top 10 favorite colors right now, all nail polish swatches have 2 coats:

Le Vernis in Organdi 504 + Rouge Coco Flash in Boy 54 (lip swatches here) + Le Rouge Double in Merry Rose

Chanel Le Vernis Organdi

Chanel Le Vernis Organdi and Rouge Coco Flash in Boy

Le Vernis in Bleached Mauve 646 + Rouge Coco Gloss in Caramel 716* (lip swatches here)

Chanel Le Vernis Bleached Mauve

Chanel Le Vernis Bleached Mauve Rouge Coco Gloss Caramel

Le Vernis Perle de Corail 695* + Rouge Coco Glosses in Subtil 744 and Physical 166*

Chanel Le Vernis Perle de Corail

Chanel Le Vernis Perle de Corail + Rouge Coco Gloss Subtil and Physical

Le Vernis in Joyau 699* + Rouge Coco Gloss in Tendresse 172 (lip swatches here)

Chanel Le Vernis Joyau and Rouge Coco Gloss Tendresse

Chanel Le Vernis Joyau and Rouge Coco Gloss Tendresse

Le Vernis in Camelia 506* + Rouge Allure Ink in Euphorie 170*

Chanel Le Vernis Camelia Rouge Allure Ink Euphorie

Chanel Le Vernis Camelia Rouge Allure Ink Euphorie swatches

Le Vernis in Coralium 564 + Rouge Coco Gloss True 782

Chanel Le Vernis Coralium and Rouge Coco Gloss True

Chanel Le Vernis Coralium and Rouge Coco Gloss True swatches

Le Vernis in Jaspe 693* + Rouge Allure Ink in Cornaline 198* (lip swatches here)

Chanel Le Vernis Jaspe and Rouge Allure Ink Cornaline

Chanel Le Vernis Jaspe and Rouge Allure Ink Cornaline

Le Vernis in Gitane 510* + Rouge Coco Gloss in Bitter Orange 752* (lip swatches here)

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Bitter Orange and Le Vernis Gitane

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss Bitter Orange and Le Vernis Gitane

Le Vernis in Vamp 18 + Rouge Coco Blush in Burning Berry 420* (lip swatches here)

Chanel Le Vernis Vamp and Rouge Coco Blush in Burning Berry

Chanel Le Vernis Vamp and Rouge Coco Blush in Burning Berry

Le Vernis in Rouge Noir 18 + Rouge Coco Flash in Noir Moderne 102 or Temper 104

Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Noir and Rouge Coco Flash Noir Moderne

Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Noir and Rouge Coco Flash Noir Moderne

P.S. I am still really obsessed with their La Creme Main and La Creme Main Texture Riche. They just launched a new Le Lift La Creme Main which is more expensive than the other two formulas but has the Le Lift skincare ingredients to smooth the skin. If you follow me on Instagram you may have caught my sneak preview on stories over the weekend. I ordered it the day it launched and will have a review soon, but first impressions are that I really like it.

Also for those who’ve been asking and emailing me – nails are DIY, I do them on my own. How I keep them manicured in this post here. Will try to do an updated one soon as a few of my old staples have been discontinued.

You can find all the colors available now at Chanel.com. Also available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and all Chanel counters.

Do you have any favorite Chanel colors?

Press samples indicated with a *. All others purchased by me.

Beauty Favorites Loving Right Now

10 Things I’m Loving Right Now

August 13, 2019

Ten Beauty Purchases I've Been Loving

I’m back with a round up of 10 things I’m loving right now – all things I purchased on my own with a few items that are repurchases! Things have been a bit slow on the blog the past few weeks with some unexpected personal things going on in our life. I’m not quite ready to talk about it yet but don’t worry, we are 100% ok! I will have the Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation post up tomorrow, I wanted to make sure I put everything to an extensive test before I posted a full review for you.

Beauty purchases I’ve been loving:

1. MAC Lipglass in Love Nectar is one of the prettiest soft sheer peach shimmers. This isn’t the same as the original LustreGlass formula – both the formula and color are different but it’s still in the same color family. This is a repurchase for me (swatches here).

2. Real Techniques Mini Multitask Brush 407 is one I found at Walgreens in store but you can find it online at a number of places like Amazon or the Real Techniques website. It’s super cute, plush and really does a great job at multi-tasking for powder, bronzer or blush. I love how compact it is but still functional.

3. Essie Come Out to Clay is part of their fall collection Rocky Rose Collection, I checked it out in stores near me and picked out two of the colors, Come Out to Clay is the perfect light creamy peach!

4. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Mini comes in all the colors now, I’m usually the shade Ginger but they’ve added more colors and when I’m super tan Praline is the next shade up (before there were huge gaps between Ginger and the deeper tans). I think the mini size is a nice way to try it if you’re new to the formula and want to test it out.

MAC Love Nectar, Real Techniques Mini, Essie Come Out to Clay, NARS Mini Concealer

5. Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner is a repurchase as well, I really love this to refresh and hydrate the skin. I have combination skin this season. It tends to dry out if I’m indoors with the A/C and then becomes oily when I’m outside because the humidity this time of year is INTENSE! This soothes and hydrates. I usually buy the mini sizes even though full sizes are the better buy (value wise).

6. Pat McGrath Mini Lip Fetish Balm Trio has the clear, Blow Up and Flesh3 minis of her Lip Fetish Balm swatched here. I’m the biggest sucker for minis and just bought these to throw in my purse. Since I’m loving mini bags right now I’ve needed to downsize my card case, lip products, etc. I haven’t used the minis yet but I really love the full sizes. She also has mini trios in the MatteTrance and Mini Lust Gloss Trio (several color options available).

7. Omorovica Peachy Micellar Cleanser Pads were on my radar a few weeks ago and I splurged to buy them. The tub is huge but in a good way. Pads are sturdy so they don’t disintegrate when you wipe them on your face and they don’t leave any fibers or greasy residue. I like this as a first step or second step cleanser. They’re gentle, hydrating and effective for face makeup. The scent is something I was really concerned about ordering this sight unseen but it’s a really pleasant subtle peach and after a couple minutes I do not smell any residual scent and the fragrance did not irritate my skin.

8. Oribe Royal Blowout Spray is another repurchase. I really like this as a heat protectant and smoother before I blow dry my hair. I also mix in some of the Moroccanoil Treatment or some kind of serum, but the spray makes a huge difference to protect ends and add shine. It’s lightweight and doesn’t weigh down the hair. You can try this in a mini size which is pretty spendy but I always buy the full size option.

Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner, Pat McGrath Mini Balm Trio, Omorovicza Peachy Micellar Cleanser, Oribe Royal Blowout Spray

Last but not least are some Chanel neutral favorites. I’m obsessed with their neutrals! The Organdi Le Vernis is probably in my top five neutral polishes of all time. Recent lip repurchases:

9. Rouge Coco Gloss in Noce Moscata is the prettiest glossy pink beige with subtle shimmer. Anytime I wear this it gives that plush natural your lips but better soft pink glow and I’m always asked “what’s on your lips?” Another popular neutral is Caramel 716 which is a cream and more opaque. Lip swatches here.

10. Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur is a hit or miss for many because you can’t sharpen the tip. It’s a twist up crayon and as you use it the tip becomes flatter/chubbier. I still love these for the glossy finish. It’s been a while since I’ve used up some of the colors and I repurchased two Beige Rose (swatched here) and Bois Rose (swatched here).

Best Chanel Neutrals Rouge Coco Gloss and Jumbo Crayon

 

 

That wraps up some of my favorite recent beauty buys! What have you been loving lately? For those who keep asking about the white cosmetic case I’ve been featuring in some photos, it’s the Cuyana Vanity Case in Ecru.

Chanel Fragrance Tom Ford Beauty

Favorite Perfumes for Summer

June 12, 2019

Best Perfumes for Summer Tom Ford, Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel, Byredo and Jo Malone | The Beauty Look Book

Summer is almost here and today I’m rounding up my favorite perfumes perfect for the upcoming season. We are lucky to have warm weather most of the year but perfume is definitely seasonal with different months. I love this time of year when we’re transitioning from spring to full on summer. The heat is rising and there are so many scents that I love for warm weather. For me there are everyday summer perfumes and then there are summer perfumes that make you feel like you’re on vacation. I’m focusing more on the everyday ones for this round up but will list a few vacation vibe scents at the bottom of the post too. As always I’d love to hear about what you’re wearing right now!

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Tom Ford

Best Tom Ford Perfumes for Summer Soleil Blanc, Eau de Soleil Blanc and White Suede

Above: Daily Edited Large Cosmetic Case / Diptyque Large Outdoor Candle recycled

I would say that my most-worn perfumes recently are the ones from Tom Ford. I think he’s best known for the deeper rich and spicy ones, but my personal favorites are the lighter options. Soleil Blanc and Eau de Soleil Blanc have been must-haves for me for years now. Both are white florals that perfect fresh summery vibe. I also really love White Suede layered with either of the Soleil Blanc perfumes for a softer vibe. All the Tom Ford perfumes are available in multiple sizes, I’ve listed the ones I have below. I love that more of these are now coming in individual travel size sprays so I can carry them in my purse!

  • Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum ($148 for 50 ml, also available in a .33 oz travel spray) is the perfect white floral! I carry the travel spray with me almost everywhere I go.
    • Notes include bergamot, cardamom oil Orpur, pistachio accord, ylang-ylang Comores Islands, benzoin extract Orpur, coco de mer accord
  • Eau de Soleil Blanc ($125 for 50 ml, 10 ml travel size here) is a brighter more citrus version that has a little more warmth with more noticeable amber and it’s not quite as strong on the floral notes as the original, both smell really similar
    • Notes include Vert de bergamot, orange bitter Orpur, petitgrain bigrade Orpur, ylang-ylang, pistachio accord, coco de mer accord
  • White Suede* ($235 for 50 ml) is one of the few soft musk perfumes I can wear that don’t turn on my skin, I love the way this mixes with the white florals. It’s a soft clean and warm kind of scent. The clear bottle is exclusive to Neiman Marcus but you can find it in the traditional brown at all other counters.
    • Notes include saffron, thyme, mate, suede, olibanum, musk
  • Runner ups from past: Sole di Positano, Fleur de Portofino, Neroli Portofino Acqua

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Byredo

Best Byredo Perfumes Blanche, Mojave Ghost and La Tulipe

Above: Tray West Elm /On the nails Essie Topless and Barefoot

Byredo has some of the longest lasting perfumes I’ve tried. Sometimes I notice my nose gets used the scent quickly and they seem to fade, but anytime I wear these, I get compliments and questions even hours after I’ve first applied. Andrew also notices them late in the day. I know purchasing a fragrance in person isn’t always possible (even if it’s the best way to buy them). In the event you don’t have a Byredo counter near you to smell, they have a La Selection Set with six minis which are a nice way to sample the scents. There are a number of trios available as well.

  • Blanche ($175 for 1.7 oz, shown is the .4 oz available in this trio) is a floral that has a mix of aldehyde and violet, it has floral notes with noticeable white rose and a hint of musk. It almost has a clean linen feel.
    • Notes include aldehyde, pink pepper, white rose, neroli, peony, violet, blonde woods, musk and sandalwood
  • Mojave Ghost ($175 for 1.7 oz) is the most unique fragrance I’ve ever smelled. It’s a soft fruity floral with violet and magnolia. There is a mix of musk, sandalwood and amber to give it a little warmth.
    • Notes include ambrette, Jamaican nesberry, violet, sandalwood, magnolia, chantilly musk, crisp amber, cedarwood
  • La Tulipe ($175 for 1.7 oz) is one of the scents I get the most compliments on! This is clean floral with noticeable freesia.
    • Notes include:<rhubarb, cyclamen, freesia, tulip, blonde woods and vetiver/li>
  • Rose Rinse Free Hand Wash ($35 for 1 fl oz) makes for a super fancy hand sanitizer, it has a beautiful soft rose scent with pink pepper and raspberry notes mixed in
    • Notes includepink pepper, raspberry, rose petals, magnolia, exotic patchouli, white musks

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Jo Malone

Jo Malone Basil and Neroli Perfume | The Beauty Look Book

Above: Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Lychee Baby / bracelet Celine

Jo Malone was one of the first perfume lines I started using when I got into perfume. I think they make so many beautiful florals! Unfortunately most of my favorites have been discontinued or were limited-editions. I was so sad when they pulled French Lime Blossom and RIP Vanilla Anise. They used to have a pretty one called Sweet Milk which was such a unique one. I feel like perfume should never be limited-edition or discontinued, it’s so sad to find one you really love and then not be able to buy it when it’s used up! The same thing goes for foundation – all my HOLY grail foundations are now no longer made. The one I love right now for summer is Basil and Neroli, it doesn’t smell like basil at all!

  • Basil and Neroli ($68 for 1 oz) is the perfect neroli scent, it’s a fresh and fun lively kind of perfume. Andrew likes this one on me.
    • Notes include basil grand vert, neroli and white musk

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Chanel

Best Citrus Perfumes Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Biarritz and Paris-Riviera

Above: Simplehuman Mirror / Tray / CC Cream swatches / Perle de Corail Le Vernis swatches

Chanel has so many classic perfumes but the Les Eaux de Chanel line stole my heart when they launched last year. These are Eau de Toilettes and are lightweight in feel. They give more of a splash of scent rather than a super long-lasting potent perfume. Living in humidity and heat makes the lightweight feel perfect for me. They launched three Eau de Toilettes last year first Paris-Biarritz, Paris-Venise and Paris-Deauville ($130 each for 4.2 fl oz). Shower gels and body lotions followed for each. I have not yet tried the body products, I’m worried I’ll fall in love and my wallet will hate me for it.

I’m thrilled to let you know that the three originals are now available in a 1.7 fl oz travel size individually for $80 each or as a trio in Le Voyage Set ($240 this one comes with a cute pouch). I ordered the mini of my favorite Paris-Biarritz the second it launched online. Right now the minis are available only at Chanel.com. The minis have a spritzer spray too! I feel like I had seen images of the minis for the European and Asian websites – I’m so happy they’re now available in the US.

  • Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Biarritz ($80 to $130) is my favorite of the three original ones. It’s perfect for the citrus scent lover. It has notes of Sicilian Mandarin and Lily of the Valley. It has a very soft almost garden like feel to it. It’s refreshing and bright!

Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Biarritz Full Size and Travel Size | The Beauty Look Book

This past week they just launched a fourth scent Paris-Riviera* which is lovely for those who love citrus scents. This one has vacation spa resort like vibes. It’s sweeter and a little more juicy the Paris-Biarritz.

  • Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Riviera* ($130 for 4.2 oz) comes in one size right now. I asked if there were plans to add more body products or a travel size and they don’t have any information right now. It takes me away to a place where I feel like I’m away at a spa.

Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Riviera Full Size | The Beauty Look Book

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Best Spring to Summer Perfumes 2019 | The Beauty Look Book

That wraps up my favorites right now. I rotate frequently! Top three favorites right now are the new Chanel Paris-Riviera, Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc and Byredo La Tulipe. Runner ups for perfumes that smell like a summer vacation include Replica Beach Walk, Creed Virgin Island Water and Bobbi Brown Beach. But for now I’ve had the ones in this roundup in my spring to summer rotation.

What are you favorite summertime perfumes? Do you change things by season or do you have something you wear year round?

 

 

Press samples include Tom Ford White Suede, Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel in Paris-Biarritz (full size) and Paris-Riviera (full size). Others purchased by me.

Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel New Eye Collection Review + Swatches

June 3, 2019

Chanel Beauty The New Eye Collection Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel recently launched The New Eye Collection with four color themes for eyeshadows, liners and tinted mascaras. The texture and pigment of the four Les 4 Ombres Eyeshadows are really quite phenomenal. For those who feel like they want a non-neutral eye color but don’t want something with high shimmer or super warm tones, this collection offers some nice alternatives. I also just saw they released a new Eyelash Curler so I picked that up to round out the collection review.

I have all four quads, five eyeliners, four mascaras plus the curler reviewed. There may be some additional liners in the collection (new and repromotes) as well. In today’s post:

Some quick notes on the formulas before I go into the color themes. Formulas across the board are consistent in pigment, color payoff, lasting power and blendability. The Les 4 Ombres seem to be a significant improvement over previous years’ quads. The mattes are almost creamy to the touch, they’re super soft and easy to blend for a soft smokey look. The shimmers also have a very soft feel to them and adhere well to the skin. Lasting power is very good with better pigment compared to older quads. The Stylo Yeux Wateproof Eyeliners are all smooth in texture (these are twist up liners with a removeable sharpener at the base). In the past this formula has been hit or miss, some have had tugging issues for me. This launch every color is smooth, easy to blend and layer in a feathering motion and there was no tugging. The Le Volume Revolution de Chanel Mascaras offer nice volume without any clumping or smudging. The color is subtle on me once it dries down. Color darkens once it dries on my black lashes, but it is a nice change from the traditional black or brown.

Chanel Beauty The New Eye Collection Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

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Blurry Mauve

Chanel New Eye Collection Blurry Mauve | The Beauty Look Book

I’m starting with my favorite color theme of the four with the Blurry Mauve theme. This color theme reminds me a little of the Rouge Noir liners they’ve launched in the past but the red is more muted and color theme has a blurred greyed kind of mix for a more neutral tone. The overall look is a beautiful smokey mauve plum which I think is the easiest for me to wear:

  • Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Mauve has a satiny matte mauve plum, a shimmering taupe plum, a matte deep wine and a soft mauve matte
  • Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Brun Agape is the perfect shimmery plum-red shimmer liner
  • Le Volume Revolution in Deep Eros is a deep wine colored mascara
  • Note the website lists 928 Eros as another liner for the color theme, I have not seen it or tried it yet though.

Chanel New Eye Collection Blurry Mauve | The Beauty Look Book

Below wearing Blurry Mauve (all 4 shades), Brun Agape and Deep Eros, also wearing:

Chanel New Eye Collection Blurry Mauve look | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel Blurry Mauve Makeup look

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Blurry Green

Chanel Blurry Green Eye Collection Review | The Beauty Look Book

My second favorite is the Blurry Green collection which is huge for me as I’m not a green fan. This palette has two olive/green tones with a mix of golden sandy brown shimmers to neutralize the color. I think I can wear this color palette year round but it seems like it’s going to be the perfect fall palette. Lasting power was excellent – it stayed put all day over the weekend from morning to evening, lasted through the heat!

  • Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Green has a metallic golden sand, a shimmery olive, a shimmery sage green and a shimmery deeper soft brown, this is the most shimmery of the four but isn’t overly frosted. Colors layer beautifully together for a soft smokey olive eye.
  • Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Jungle Green is the prettiest forest green shimmer eyeliner I’ve seen in a long time. It has a really pretty deep finish on the eyes (swatches better on the eye than my arm).
  • Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in in Jungle Green is a dark forest green mascara. It almost has a metallic sheen to it but once it dries down looks like a deep blackened green.

Chanel Blurry Green and Jungle Green swatches | The Beauty Look Book

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Blurry Grey

Chanel Blurry Grey, Noir Engimatique, Black Wood and Volcan Review

The Blurry Grey theme has an interesting twist on the traditional black/white/grey smokey eye palette. The colors pull warmer on the skin compared to what you see in the palette. Overall look on my olive/medium/golden skin is still neutral cool which makes it easier to wear than most smokey eye palettes. Colors are soft and blurred for a nice date-night eye:

  • Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Grey has a soft blue-grey matte, a soft blurred deep charcoal, a neutral warm almost plum smokey, a shimmery soft silvery
  • Stylo Yeux Wateproof in in Noir Engimatique is a shimmery cool black and Black Wood is a more neutral soft washed black liner
  • Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in Volcan is described as a grey, but it’s pretty much a soft black on the lashes

Chanel Blurry Grey, Noir Engimatique, Black Wood and Volcan Review Swatches

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Blurry Blue

Chanel Blurry Blue, Intense Teal Review and Swatches

Last is the Blurry Blue themed collection which I think has a more wearable color palette for blues compared to the more trendy blue and teal colors out there. I cannot pull off teals or blue shades on my eyes, at best I can wear navy. Still the quality is excellent and I think the teal mascara is fun (still subtle but fun). This gives a really pretty blurred out grey-blue eye look, I just didn’t like the blue tones on my skin from the shadow, the liner and mascara are really fun though!

  • Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Blue has some blue grey tones with a matte grey, a cool gunmetal grey satin, a deep teal and a soft dove grey matte, colors are smooth and easy to blend.
  • Stylo Yeux in Intense Teal is a bold teal shimmer, once on the eyes it looks deeper/darker and not as bright.
  • Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in Intense Teal is a deep teal with a subtle effect on the lashes.

Chanel Blurry Blue, Intense Teal Review and Swatches

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Lash Curler

Chanel LE RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL Eyelash Curler

Last but not least is the new Chanel Lash Curler. They discontinued the black lacquered one many years ago. As soon as I found out it was being pulled I stocked up and have been relying on my backups. This new one is silver and made in Japan. It comes with two extra refill pads. A number of you asked how this compares to Shiseido and Shu Uemura. It’s been a long time since I’ve used either so I can’t compare, these days my top go-to’s have been the older Chanel curler, MAC’s Eyelash Curler and Charlotte Tilbury’s. This new one from Chanel performed well, it looks almost identical in shape and size to the older version, just silver. The curler does seem to be slightly more flattened. Overall performance is excellent and I’m really happy with it.

That wraps up the review + swatches of the New Eye Collection. I think it has excellent formulas for those who want an alternative to the black/silver/grey smokey eye. My favorite is Blurry Mauve, for fall I think I’ll be reaching for Blurry Green more. Quality and pigment is really nice and easy to wear. If you want something simple and easy to wear (versus the palettes that have 10+ colors) these quads are perfect.

You can find the Chanel New Eye Collection at Chanel.com now. Their website and boutique had the early exclusive for the launch, but they will also available at all Chanel counters and retailers.

Have you checked out these launches yet? If yes what did you think?

Chanel Eye Collection provided courtesy of Chanel Beauty for review. Eyelash curler purchased by me.