This week I’ve been playing with the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks, new Burberry Eye Shadow formulation, the Dior Eye Reviver Palette, Marc Jacobs Contouring Duos, Chanel Rouge Cocos and much more. Thank you for your patience while you wait for reviews – I know some of you have e-mailed me and been asking when the reviews will be posted. I’m working as fast as I can. It’s only Wednesday and I’m already exhausted. I’ve been trying to go
easy on caffeine so I’ve been coffee-free for a few days which has
impacted my energy levels. Here’s a quick peek at what’s in my bag this week. Why I carry this much stuff is beyond me, although I have been traveling on a few mini road trips this week.
Some new items on my radar this week that have popped up. I’m still working my way through photographing and swatching items from Marc Jacobs Beauty, Hourglass, Burberry, Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury. There’s not enough hours in the day for all the fun stuff. As usual I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar right now. I’m in the process of testing out some eye creams (sample packets and a few I’ve bought) – if you have any favorite eye creams I’d love to hear your recs in the comments.
NARS will release six shades of Dual-Intensity Blush next week at online at Sephora, NARS Cosmetics and NARS Boutiques on March 4th and at all other locations April 1st. As someone who is obsessed with the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows, I’m beyond excited for these.
Chanel has some new items in skincare. The entire Le Blanc line has been reformulated so if you have some staples I recommend you check your counter as soon as possible to see if they have the older formulas to stock up. I just ran out of my go-to Estee Lauder toner so I decided to give the Le Blanc Brightening Moisturizing Lotion a try. I’ll have a more detailed report once I give it a test drive.
Another new item from Chanel is the Hydra Beauty Micro Serum. From what I’ve heard, it will not replace the current Hydra Beauty Serum, but is simply an addition to the line for more moisture. I bought the Micro Serum yesterday and can’t wait to try it out.
The Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks are now available for everyone to purchase (no longer a VIB/VIB Rouge exclusive). There are eight shades of nudes and mauves which are super tempting. Given the fact that I have acquired a number of Chanel Rouge Cocos, Dior Glosses and Marc Jacobs Lipsticks buying another lipstick just seems silly. But many of you keep raving about Bite so I might check out 1 or 2.
Dior has three new Gel-Shine Vernis Nail Lacquers launched with the release of the lip glosses. The three colors are Rose, Pink and Corail. I’ll have swatches for you next week.
Bobbi Brown has new Cheek Palettes with different color themes in Berry, Pink and Calypso. These are so stunning and well pigmented. I haven’t splurged yet but these are on my radar.
Tatcha’s latest is the Indigo Soothing Rice Enzyme Powder for sensitive skin. It’s also available in a travel size. I’m a huge fan of the regular version (reviewed here) and this new one looks promising for days that my skin is experiencing extra sensitivity.
Burberry has reformulated all of their shadows. In addition to their powder shadows, there is another new formula called Wet & Dry Glow Shadows in Optic White, Gold Pearl, Nude and Shell which are mind blowingly gorgeous. I’m working on swatches this week.
Clinique has two Chubby Sticks out. There is a Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight and Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour. I like the look of the packaging and they look like they are really easy to use but reviews are mixed. Have you tried these? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
There’s a new Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush called Crescendo ($45 for 4 g/0.14 oz, made in France, limited-edition). This is a soft luminous baby pink in the baked formula. For those new to Chanel blushes, in the powder form there are two formulas. Most US-sold blushes are pressed powders while all other countries have blushes in the same color/names but are baked. I almost always prefer the US version since I find the baked ones more sheer in color and quite a bit more powdery in texture. Crescendo seems to perform a bit more like the US versions even though it is baked and had quite a bit of powder kick-up when I dipped a brush into it.
Crescendo is a soft but buildable pink color. I would call it light to medium, leaning more towards medium in color. It looks bright in the compact but applies like a soft sheer pink. There is enough color in the blush that it shows up on my medium skin. It’s a neutral-cool color on me and gives a natural pink flush. It has an airy feel to it with the lightness and brightness the pink has. It’s not shimmery or matte, but rather has a soft luminous satiny finish.
Here it is swatched on the arm:
Comparisons to a few other blushes, note these were swatched with a light to medium hand, using an eyeshadow brush. The colors are all buildable for more pigment.
I found the closest dupe to Chanel Crescendo to be MAC Lovecloud in the pans and swatches, the MAC is slightly more pigmented and darker. I have a number of other older/discontinued Chanel and MAC blushes I suspect are similar that are unfortunately still boxed up (to be organized and put away in makeup drawers and shelves over the next week). Chanel Crescendo is a lovely soft pink but does seem to be something you can easily duplicate, if you own a lot of Chanel blushes I think you can safely skip and shop your stash. That being said, I do think it can be hard to find a good baby pink that has enough brightness in it to bring the skin to life, that isn’t too pale and that also doesn’t darken or look muddy after it warms up on the skin. Crescendo stays put on the skin without turning color and works as a good in between light and bright giving a luminous glow.
Due to the powdery texture, I do think this will look chalky or powdery on your face if you have super dry skin. It works well on mine right now, I always wear moisturizer + foundation + powder, but if you are slightly dry, I’d recommend adding a dewy cream blush or highlighter underneath to help the color adhere better to the skin (something like Edward Bess Sunlight works wonders).
I’m really happy with my purchase even though it is fairly similar to other pinks in how it wears on the face. I bought mine sight unseen from Chanel.com. It’s currently listed as limited-edition.
Did you check out anything from the Collection La Perle de Chanel? What did you end up getting?
I ordered three of the four lip items from the Collection La Perle de Chanel including the Rouge Allure in Virevoltante #158 ($36) and two Aqualumiere Glosses ($30 each) in Tutu #91 and Corset #92 (all limited-edition). All three are pinks with a very spring-like feel. Right now it appears the entire collection is exclusive to Chanel.com and Chanel Boutiques that carry the full beauty line (like Rodeo Drive, NY on 57th Street etc.). It may arrive at counters at a later date but I don’t have any information on release/availability. You may want to refer to the Chanel thread at Specktra for more insight and in-store spotting.
Swatches of the three lip colors (please excuse the misspelling of the rouge allure, should be labeled Virevoltante):
The Rouge Allure in Virevoltante is a creamy raspberry pink color. There is a tiny bit of shimmer in it, much like the secret shimmers in some of the nail lacquers. You see it in the tube, but it doesn’t translate on the lips. This gives the Rouge Allures a beautiful sheen and a bit of dimension. On my lips it’s a cream and although it doesn’t change color once applied (i.e. darken or oxidize), anything with a hint of fuchsia tends to pull very bright on my complexion. The coverage is medium but layer-able. There is no detectable scent from what I can tell. Lasting power is quite good until you touch the lips with a coffee cup or snack. It’s creamy, non-drying and feels very lush on the lips without that overly-moisturizing feel.
The two Aqualumiere Glosses are both very sheer. I’ve purchased quite a few of the glosses in this formula so it was no surprise that these would be almost transparent on the lips. On me they are too sheer to wear alone, but I’ve almost always liked wearing Aqualumiere glosses on top of lipsticks. They had a hint of shine and color without altering your lipstick color too much. They are more enhancing rather than tinting and feel super luxurious and smooth. If you like more color or if you have a lot of sheer glosses, I’d say skip these unless you’re a die-hard Chanel fan. I like these and will use them, but they will probably not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially at the $30 price.
Tutu is a baby pink with the prettiest soft shimmers. Corset is a brighter raspberry pink that has a rather complex mix of pink, rose and some fuchsia shimmers making it look different depending on how the light hits it. Both have a refined shimmer in the color (not frost). They add a lovely glow to the lips and these make mine look full.
There is one more item in the Perle collection for lips which includes this stunning lip palette called the Harmonie Levres Lip Palette in Arabesque ($55 for five rosy-toned lip colors). It was seriously tempting for me but I resisted purchasing it because I rarely use lip palettes, I tend to reach for lipstick tubes instead.
Overall I give the Rouge Allure Lipstick a huge thumbs up. It’s opaque, creamy and has a naturally glossy sheen. I like that it’s a vibrant raspberry pink that isn’t too bright making it wearable for everyday and also for night. I personally adore the Aqualumiere Glosses but the sheerness makes the colors easy to replicate with other lines.
You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online now at Chanel.com. All the lip items are limited-edition. If you’ve spotted in store or at counters please share in the comments 🙂
Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre is a platinum silvery color that has a slight hint of khaki and silver mixed in. It’s a color that contrasts with my olive skin making this more dramatic on my medium-toned skin. On my lids it’s extremely sparkly with a dramatic sheen but you can blend out the color easily. I applied with my fingers and upon first swipe on the lids it looks extremely opaque. I’m usually in the 30 range for Chanel foundations. If you are fairer than me I suspect this color will look more sparkly and less dramatic in color on your skin. If you are darker this will look clearly silver. In the pot it looks neutral, on my olive skin it’s more cool-toned. The sparkle and shimmer is very fine and when I applied this with my fingers and a brush I experienced no fall out.
Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof is a twist up eyeliner that is a stunning cool-toned grey shimmer. The color is almost blueish with a slight purply tint on my skin, but my olive skin tends to bring out the cool tones in anything silvery colored. This is the most beautiful color I’ve seen in a liner and it’s dark enough that I can actually wear it comfortably as a liner versus some of the lighter silvers that are gorgeous but, well, not something I can wear as a traditional liner. I’ve tried and bought a number of liners in the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof formula and the wear and texture of these pencils is not always consistent. I’ve had a few that felt dry and didn’t glide on the lids well. I know some other bloggers I adore and respect have reported inconsistencies with their liners as well in other shades. I was relieved and pleased to find that the Perle de Lune I ordered glides on the eyes smoothly without any issues. There is no patchiness in the color or tugging with this pencil.
One more swatch shot with some sunlight shining through shows how these colors glow:
A few comparison swatches:
By Terry Ombre Mercure #15, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Fantasme, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Epatant, Armani Eyes to Kill #9, #19 (discontinued), #4, #17 (discontinued), Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Moonlight
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Underground, Chanel Stylo Yeux in Perle de Lune, Silver Light, Rose Platine, Chanel Le Crayon Yeux in Khaki Platine, Dolce & Gabbana Eyeliner #12 and #15, Burberry Effortless Kohl in Storm Grey, MAC Khol in Dig It! (discontinued)
I’m overall really pleased with both the Mysterio eyeshadow and Perle de Lune eyeliner. They are beautiful easy to wear colors that are perfect for spring and updating your makeup look for the season. For this collection, there are a few other items for the eyes including the Les 4 Ombres in Tisse Rhapsodie (I passed because I know it’s something I won’t wear due to the pastel/purple colors) and Tisse Vendome (repromoted quad, review here).
You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online at Chanel.com now. I am still trying to find out if this will show up at counters. If you’ve spotted it, please share in the comments 🙂
Chanel just released new items in the Collection La Perle de Chanel on Chanel.com. I ordered some items at the end of last week and I couldn’t be happier with my picks. The colors are classic Chanel beauties. Here is a quick sneak peek, I’ll have swatches and reviews up today and tomorrow of what I ended up ordering. Above shown from left to right:
Virevolante #158 Rouge Allure (limited-edition)
Crescendo #250 Joues Contraste (limited-edition)
Perle de Lune #916 Stylo Yeux Waterproof (limited-edition)
Mysterio #102 Illusion D’Ombre
Corset #92 and Tutu #91 Aqualumiere Gloss (both limited-edition)
There are some items I did not order that are also in the collection including:
Harmonies Levres Lip Palette (limited-edition)
Tisse Rhapsodie #248 Les 4 Ombres (limited-edition)
Tisse Vendome #204 Les 4 Ombres (repromote, review here)
Inimitable Intense Noir #10 (repromote)
Rouge Coco Baume (repromote)
Right now it appears the collection is exclusive to Chanel.com. I don’t know if counters will be receiving it at a later date. I have read reports that Bergdorf Goodman had the collection in stores. More info and thoughts on the items are on Specktra.net. If you are interested in the items I suggest ordering sooner than later since the colors look like they are almost all limited-edition colors.
Happy Friday everyone! I’m relieved it’s almost the weekend. We have 80+ degree weather in Southern California right now, it’s like winter never came and we are in a non-stop state of summer (I’m not complaining, although I do feel like I should have a tan right now). A few things I’ve spotted new in the beauty world:
Christian Louboutin Beaute has a new Python Vulcano Limited Edition Nail Colour Coffret ($90, limited-edition) for spring. The three shades include Salonu, True Blue, and Hot Chick. I want to see this one in person as it looks stunning although I only own 1 yellow nail polish (Chanel Mimosa) and rarely wear it.
Glamglow released their new cleansers ($39 each for 5 oz) in Supercleanse (Daily Clearing Cleanser), Thirstycleanse (Daily Treatment Cleanser) and Youthcleanse (Daily Exfoliating Cleanser). I have the white and blue ones that I bought a few weeks ago and am completely obsessed with both. Detailed review next week.
Bobbi Brown has a new Sunkissed Nude Collection Set ($120, limited-edition) at Neiman Marcus. If you’ve been eyeing things at Neimans, save your shopping for next week when their Beauty Week Event starts on the 18th.
Chanel has released some new items this month. The Collection La Perle de Chanel has a new Harmonie Levres Lip Palette, Joues Contraste in Crescendo, Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Perle de Lune along with more items for lips and eyes. If you’re shopping for Valentine’s Day, the have complimentary overnight shipping with orders $125+ (until 5 PM EST). I ordered several items + a few of the new Rouge Cocos. I’ll be swatching and photographing this weekend.
Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks ($45 each, 5 shades) have finally launched in the US. I have a few that I ordered, I’ll be swatting and have a review in the next week (fingers crossed).
Giorgio Armani has two Limited-Edition Runway pieces, a Runway Palette ($120 for highlighter + 3 shadows) cased in an embroidered silk pouch and a new Rouge Sheer Runway Lipstick ($40). The palette looks incredibly beautiful but I’m not sure about the price point.
Chantecaille has a small edited collection for spring. There is a new Glacier Eyeshadow Trio ($70), Arctic Rose Lip Chic ($36), and two Galactic Lip Shines ($34 each) in Aurora and Polaris. (I bought the palette and one lip chic, review next week.)
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! My husband and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a date night dinner tonight. What’s on your beauty radar this weekend?
