Chanel Alchimie 591 ($27 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz, Nordstrom.com) is new for fall. It’s a mossy olive shimmer with a hint of gold and khaki. The color has a very smooth streak-free shimmer and applies beautifully with two coats. I’m usually not a fan of greens on the nails or olive colors since they tend to clash with my yellow/olive-toned skin, but Chanel always does greens beautifully. I’ve worn this for almost 4 days now and I’ve had no chips or tip wear. I love that it’s a work-appropriate neutral with a bit of edge.
Swatched:
Many have asked how it compares to Peridot from several years ago. Here are some swatches and photos. Peridot has a more visible shimmer/iridescent quality. It’s also brighter and more yellow/gold. It literally glows on the skin. Alchimie is a more subtle and conservative version with more olive and green. I think they are different enough to justify owning both.
Alchimie is definitely a must-have. The Chanel fall collection is starting to trickle in stores now. I spotted the items at my local Neimans and Nordstrom. It should be arriving at all Chanel counters and online soon. For now you can find it online at Nordstrom.com.
Chanel Fall 2013 Collection Superstition is here in stores surprisingly early. My local counters haven’t received the entire collection yet but they did have the three new Le Vernis shades in Alchimie, Elixir and Mysterious ($27 each). I fell in love with all of the cream blushes, Presage a gorgeous peach is my favorite (they had this one in stock). Swatches and reviews to come very soon. (Check out my Instagram to see Alchimie swatched).
The nail polishes are available now on Nordstrom.com. The collection is starting to trickle in stores as well.
By request, a comparison of some the newer Chanel peaches and corals to last year’s releases (see my coral obsession from last year here). Left to right with descriptions:
Miami Peach 203 is the closest to a tangerine shade, it has a jelly finish requiring 3 coats for more coverage and has gold sparkles suspended (was a limited release to Neiman Marcus back in 2011, reviewed here)
Starlet 575 is the more pink than Miami Peach, Starlet has rich coverage with visible shimmer, still peachy/coral but has enough pink to prevent it from looking orange (swatched here)
Distraction 549 flashes the most pink because it has a fuchsia iridescent quality, glows with a sheen rather than full on shimmer, semi-jelly-like finish as well but more coverage than Miami Peach (swatched here and here)
Lilis 647 is several shades brighter, deeper and richer than the others, has a pinkish undertone (swatched here and here)
Holiday 617 matches Lilis in brightness, Holiday is more orange without any blue/pink tones (swatched here and here)
Swatched below, I hope the different angles will show the shimmer/iridescent quality a bit better:
All the shades are similar in undertone and color. Right now the only shade you can’t find easily is Miami Peach since it was limited from a few years ago. All the others are still available at Chanel counters and online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom.com, Neimanmarcus.com and other Chanel retailers. If you have a substantial wishlist and are ready to make a larger purchase I’d recommend you check your local Chanel counters for gift with purchases. Many are having beauty events so you may want to take advantage of the GWPs while they are going on.
I can’t get enough of Chanel Lilis #647 Le Vernis. It’s on the toes this week. See it swatched on the fingers and compared here.It’s different enough from other corals to justify getting. It’s limited-edition so I recommend buying sooner than later. Chanel regret can be expensive.
Chanel Summer was released over a month ago but you I’ve found most counters near me still have plenty of stock. You can still find the collection at Chanel counters, beauty studios and retailers. It’s also online with free shipping at Chanel.com and Nordstrom.com.
Have you picked up Chanel Lilis?
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Finding the right bronzer or illuminator to achieve the perfect well-balanced summer glow can be a challenge sometimes. There are slight differences in the undertones, shimmer factor and pigment that can make some products make the skin look muddy, too shimmery or too dark. I’ve always been one to favor stronger contrasted bronzers but sometimes I want something just a bit more subtle. This season there are a number of new bronzers and illuminators that are well balanced in both color and shimmer. The result is a more naturally flattering summer glow. A few of my new favorites mixed in with some older ones in both powder bronzers and liquid highlighters.
Giorgio Armani’s Bronze Palette (previously swatched here)
gives the perfect luminous light warm bronze highlight. It’s a goof
proof naturally flattering shade that has just the right amount of
shimmer. MAC’s Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board is a
finely milled darker cooler-toned bronze that makes you look naturally
tanned. I like that it has a soft sheen and that it’s more on the neutral side for bronzers. The pigment is richer than most other MAC powder bronzers but doesn’t darken on the skin. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant is a more sparkly option, it gives a warm glow (detailed review to come soon).
I usually prefer to wear illuminators over foundation and powder as a
highlight. I find most liquid highlighters either too shimmery or pale to mix in with my
foundation. The result is often a clash with my olive skin making me look like a shimmery statue. There are several peachy/bronze ones now that I find perfect
to mix in to give that all over luminous glow without looking like a
bronze statue. Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel is a classic favorite, if you haven’t tried it yet I highly recommend it. Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer 10 (see it swatched here) is a lovely warm golden shimmer (this one is the most fluid and sheer). MAC Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir is a definite must-have that I’ve already backed-up. It just might be my holy grail bronze liquid highlighter. Tom Ford Fire Lust (reviewed here)
is a pretty sheer natural peachy highlighter. Due to the price I usually
don’t mix in with foundation but just use on the cheeks and temples as a
soft highlight for a luminous glow.
If I could only pick two items this season, it would be the Giorgio Armani Summer Bronze palette and MAC Strobe Liquid in Golden Elixir. What are your favorite items you use to get that summer glow? Do you usually mix in a highlighter with foundation? Share your skintone and favorite go-to items.
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The Chanel Collection Avant-Première has arrived in the US with three new shades of Le Vernis in Starlet 575, Paparazzi 579, Cinéma 581 and one repromote of Provocation 599 from Fashion’s Night Out 2012 (each $27 on Nordstrom). I purchased the three new ones. Each shade has rich flawless coverage. They are beautiful classics with a modern twist. I am particularly happy that the shimmers in Starlet and Paparazzi aren’t the typical secret shimmers Chanel does sometimes. They actually show up this time without being full on frosts.
Starlet 575 is gorgeous rich peach shimmer. There is a slight hint of pink mixed in which prevents it from looking lobster-like on your hands. This is limited-edition and hands down a definite must-have.
Paparazzi 579 sounds familiar but is actually a new shade. There was another Paparazzi by the number 208 previously released. The two are completely different shades. The new Paparazzi 579 is a stunning dusty bronzey mauve rose shimmer. I love it. I thought it would be similar to April but this has a softer quality (scroll down below for comparisons).
Original 208 vs New 579 Paparazzi:
Cinéma 581 is a classic red. As Café Makeup noted, Chanel has mastered the perfect reds (see her swatches here). I found Cinéma to be very similar to Dragon. Cinéma is slightly cooler-toned and slightly more jelly-like in texture.
Provocation was previously featured in September when it was released during Fashion’s Night Out. Chanel has now added a number 599 to the color. See the prior feature here.
Comparisons on the nail wheel show Starlet and Paparazzi are fairly unique. Cinema is very similar to Dragon. Same set on both wheels just different lighting.
The Summer L’Été Papillon de Chanel shades (see them swatched here) was fun and different but the Avant-Premiere shades are better suited for my neutral loving self. I adore each shade.
All Chanel Avant-Première nail colors are available now for $27 each online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. They should be arriving at all Chanel counters across the US very soon. I found the three new colors in store at Nordstrom last week.
We’ve seen a wave of new nail lacquers and top coats flood the market recently. Brands claim to have developed a formula that will replicate the lush cushy high-shine finish and lasting power that gel manicures provide. I decided to try one, Dior’s Gel Top Coat and put it to the test to see how it compared to one of my favorites, Chanel’s Laque Brilliance Extreme. Since reviews from others have been mixed, I did three sets of testing over nail polish brands I wear most frequently: Dior, Chanel and Rescue Beauty Lounge (see my standard nail basics here).
Packaging: Both Dior and Chanel come with pull off caps, the Dior Gel Top Coat comes in a clear bottle while the Chanel Extreme Shine Nail Lacquer comes encased in a black bottle. Both are very sturdy. Dior’s comes with a slightly wider flat brush while Chanel’s is skinnier (see below).
Price: Dior’s Gel Top Coat retails at $24 for 0.33 fl oz (previously featured here). Chanel’s Laque Brilliance Extreme retails at $26 for .4 fl oz.
Formula, application and dry time: Dior’s Gel Top Coat is thicker than most other top coat’s I’ve tried. It does dry to a nice hard finish and doesn’t shrink around the edges (like Seche Vite does for me). I do recommend you allowing your two coats of color to dry about 2-5 minutes before applying the Gel Coat. I usually let nails dry for 10-15 minutes after the top coat. Dior’s Gel dried perfectly fine within this time. Chanel’s Top Coat is thinner in texture making it easier to spread evenly over any other brand. Dry time is at least 15 minutes for me.
Finish: The finish of Dior’s Gel Top coat is the glossiest I’ve seen. It has a lush cushiony looking finish with a high shine. Chanel’s Top coat has a gorgeous glossy sheen but is not quite as shiny as Dior’s.
Lasting power and performance: Performance of each top coat depends on what nail lacquer you’re using for color. Unfortunately I can’t say one is the best all around. Scroll down for notes below based on each test set.
Test Set No. 1: Over Dior Spring Ball
I tested both top coats at the same time, Dior’s Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. The verdict:
Dior Gel over Dior Spring Ball lasted 6 full days without any chipping and very minimal tip wear. I’ve never had a manicure last this long without tip wear (same performance over Dior Diablotine). The way the nails looked on Day 4 with tip wear on only one finger lasted until Day 6. By Day 7 tips started to wear noticeably on most of the fingers.
Chanel Top Coat over Dior Spring Ball didn’t last quite as long. Tip wear started on Day 3 with noticeable on most fingers by Day 4. Click the photo below to enlarge.
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Test Set No. 2: Over Chanel Tentation
Same testing as set one, both top coats worn simultaneously, Dior’s Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. How each held up over Chanel (this was also tested over Chanel Taboo):
Dior Gel over Chanel Tentation applied smoothly and gave a high gloss finish. Shine and coverage lasted until Day 3 when the polish started to crack. On Day 4 the cracks showed up on all nails and started to chip. Tip wear also occured. Not sure the cracks are visible in the photo below, but it was more visible over darker colors like Chanel Taboo.
Chanel Top Coat overChanel Tentation is typical Chanel Top Coat perfection lasting well into Day 6 without any tip wear. Click below to enlarge.
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Test Set No. 3: Over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy
Same process, Dior’s Gel Top
Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. How each
held up over Rescue Beauty Lounge:
Dior Gel over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted quite well on most fingers. On Day 3, tip wear started to show only on the middle finger, although those nails were slightly longer than the others so it may have been in contact with surfaces more frequently than the others. Still, tip wear was minimal and didn’t increase other than what is shown below until Day 5. There was no cracking on the nail.
Chanel Top Coat overRescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted extremely well. There was minimal tip wear (very very slight) on the corner of the middle nail, but the manicure is still as fresh as it was on the first day as on Day 5.
Overall thoughts: I really like both, but my preference depends what nail polish I use underneath. I was particularly impressed at how long my Dior over Dior manicures lasted. However Chanel is more versatile and easier to apply over most other brands.
Dior’s Gel Top coat worked best over Dior nail polishes. I did find it cracked over Chanel and OPI (not featured, but tested and it cracked over OPI on Day 3). Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus.
Chanel’s Top Coat performs best over most brands for me. It didn’t work quite as well over Dior with just one application (however manicures can be extended if you re-apply the top coat on the second day). The benefit of this one is that a bottle lasts a long time and it’s not limited. Find it at all Chanel counters and beauty studios and online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Chanel.com and other Chanel retailers.
Did you try Dior’s Gel Top Coat? Or any of the other gels from Deborah Lippmann, Guerlain etc? What were your thoughts? What’s your favorite top coat?
