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Chanel Attraction 545 Le Vernis

February 17, 2012

Chanel Attraction 545 Le Vernis ($26 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz) is a limited-edition cool-toned pearly white frost that has been released as part of the Roses Ultimes de Chanel collection. We saw the first sneak peek of this color on the Spring 2012 Runway Show last October on Café Makeup and La Chanelphile. Pearly whites can be challenging to wear and this one is no exception. The pigment is rich and color striking against my skintone, however the metallic formula is extremely streaky and difficult to wear. Even with very slow and careful application, streaks cannot be avoided. I am not a fan but am undecided whether to keep and try to make it work or regift/return. For the price I would prefer a non-high-maintenance nail color. Nevertheless here are swatches, comparisons and close ups.

Pearly whites aren’t new to Chanel’s Le Vernis releases. I wish they would bring back their classic Le Perle (currently I’m hoarding this using very sparingly so it has not been swatched/photographed). Here are some prior releases, I believe all of these were Limited Edition and no longer available (maybe Intermezzo or Pearl Drop can be found at some counters).

Blanc Petale, Attraction, Intermezzo and Pearl Drop

I’ve added one more shot with a different angle so you can see the hint of shimmers/undertone of each shade, while they are all pearly whites, there is a subtle difference with the pigments.

I ordered my Chanel Le Vernis shades from this collection online at Chanel.com but all counters should have it in store now. Did you buy or try Attraction? What were your thoughts?

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Nail Basics: Favorite Base and Top Coats

February 16, 2012

It’s been on and off rainy here so the Chanel swatches will be delayed until the sun comes back. In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my nail care tips. Many of you have asked what are my favorite base and top coats. I’m by no means a nail expert (even if I am addicted to Chanel and Dior nail polishes) but here are my top picks.

A brief intro: I think the right base coat or top coat will depend on what kind of nail color you are using. Formula matters. Some top coats are not compatible with all brands of nail colors due to ingredients. For the most part, I’ve found top coats and nail colors within the same brand work well together. However, I rarely stick to 1 brand of nail polish so I’ve looked for base coats and top coats that are versatile among the brands I use the most. These include Chanel, Dior, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Dolce & Gabbana and OPI.

What else I look for: The things I’m most picky with include bubbling and shrinkage. For actual nail colors A number of drugstore brands caused bubbling (I can’t recall which ones, but Poshe is one that did). I found OPI’s top coats just ok, they lacked long-lasting shine for me. The highly acclaimed Seche Vite only worked on Essie and OPI, but for all other brands I’ve tried caused extreme shrinkage. Nail shrinkage is when you see the top coat shrink from the tips and cuticles after application so it looks like it just wasn’t applied over the entire nail. There is debate about what exactly causes shrinkage, I found threads on The Purse Forum and an article on Beaut.ie extremely helpful. I’ve concluded that since SV isn’t 3-free it’s what causes messy-unfinished-looking nails. I even tried adding their thinner (which many have recommended) but it did not work for me.

My picks: I’ve by no means tried every single base or top coat on the market. I can’t say whether these are the best or better than other brands, I just know they work for me for the brands I like to wear.

Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat ($18 for 0.50 oz at Nordstrom) – This one I have Amy from Café Makeup to thank. We were chatting about swatching one day and I mentioned that changing colors frequently to do comparisons was harsh on my nails and that my fingers were starting to hurt. She suggested Deborah Lippmann’s base coat which is a wonderful hydrating base coat. It contains aloe and while it won’t solve dry cuticle issues, I’ve noticed a visible improvement in my nail texture after using this. It helps nail color apply smoothly as well. I don’t use a base coat all the time but when I do this one is among my favorites. (Chanel’s is also nice but pricey.) You can read Amy’s review here.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Top Coat ($18 but sold out on Rescue Beauty online) – I purchased this in their Treatment System Trio and fell in love with this thin but super shiny hard-finished top coat. I really hope Ji Baek decides to bring it back. I agree with other reviewers this one takes a bit longer to dry (just a few minutes more) but the finish is shiny and protects the nail polishes pretty well. The thin texture makes it easy to apply smoothly and quickly in a few strokes.
Chanel Laque Brilliant Extrème ($25, I purchased mine at Nordstrom but I’m not sure if they still carry this instore) – A few years back Chanel released a new reformulated base and top coat in the US. I never tried the originals although they were raved about my a number of Chanel fans as the best in the market. I gave the new ones a try. At first I was not impressed, mainly due to the price (versus the $6 OPI options at Ulta). I kept trying this one and really love how shiny and lacquered they make the nails look. They add a shiny smoothness that has a slight cushy look. The texture is slightly thicker but not too thick. Drying time is a bit longer but the result are freshly polished nails. I found that it helped with lasting power as well.
Creative Nail Design Super Shiney Top Coat ($8.50 at Ulta) – This is hands down my favorite top coat for the price that I’ve ever tried. I discovered it at one of my local nail salons. Out of all the different kinds of top coats they’ve used this one provides the longest lasting manicures that are shiny and glossy. The shine is just as good as Chanel’s although not quite as cushy-glassy looking. For the price and quality it can’t be beat. It’s one of the few that I’ve found doesn’t bubble or shrink. It’s 3-free with a slight tint which is supposed to be a UV absorber that guards against fading and discoloration. (I’ve stopped using the nail dryers at the salons and prefer the fans or air drying even though it takes longer. I’ve found that sometimes the light dryers change the color of reds or purples and darkens them.)

My personal top 2 picks: Deborah Lippmann and CND. What are your favorites?

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Chanel Attraction, Frisson, Distraction & Tentation Le Vernis

February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day! A quick peek at the latest from Chanel: four new Le Vernis shades in Attraction, Frisson, Distraction & Tentation.

I didn’t have enough time to take photographs of them swatched on the fingers before the sun went down yesterday. I did play a bit though, more swatches to come later. Initial thoughts:

Attraction is a nightmare with streaking. Looks horrid.
Frisson is sheer and requires 3+ coats to show up, but it’s a nice sheer shimmer.
Distraction is a gorgeous coral with a fuschia sheen in the bottle, on the nails it’s more coral.
Tentation is a fuschia/pink version of Rouge Carat.

These close ups were taken with my iPhone, sorry about the craptastic quality. I’ll get better shots later.

The one thing I wanted to post first was the comparisons for those wondering how similar/different the new shades are from prior releases. I hope this helps!

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Wearing Tomorrow for New Year’s Eve

December 30, 2011

BeautyLookBook NYE by sabrilina on polyvore.com

Many have asked me to share what I’ll be wearing for New Year’s Eve. I’m still working on the outfit but I’ve already planned the makeup look. Here’s my first Polyvore attempt (not sure if I pulled in all the right items for the above photos, but the look is detailed below):

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Creamy Foundation in Natural Beige 120 mixed with a pale highlighter
Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte in Rose Merveille 120 dusted all over
Armani Sheer Blush #10
Armani Jacquard Face Palette to highlight
Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Gold
Chanel Beige Lamé 417 Soft Touch Eyeshadow
Armani Eyes to Kill #6 Khaki Pulse
NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Caviar Ink
Armani Gloss d’Armani Pink 502 + 507 mixed
Chanel Black Pearl #513 Le Vernis
L’Artisan Mûre et Musc

I’ll be offline for a few days but I’ll be checking in here and there to publish comments/questions via my iPhone. I’m running out the door right now to get a Black Pearl manicure 🙂 Toes will be covered so I’m passing on the pedicure this week. I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

What will you be wearing tomorrow night?

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Chanel Spring 2012 Lipstick Picks: Flirt, Candeur, Charme & Superstition

December 29, 2011

This year Chanel’s spring collection includes four Rouge Coco lipsticks (three new, one repromote), two new Rouge Coco Shines and one hydrating lip balm. When I placed my order over the phone I had not yet seen anything in person. I picked out four items based on descriptions given to me and ended up with both of the new Rouge Coco Shine Lipsticks in Flirt and Candeur and two Rouge Cocos Charme and Superstition.

Flirt Rouge Coco Shine #69 is a bright but soft creamy peach. It looks bright in the tube but the sheerness of the color makes it go on softer than what you see in the tube. Compared to Misia #45 (a Neimans Exclusive from last April), Flirt is very similar but softer, milkier and creamier in color. The texture is smooth and moisturizing like all other Rouge Coco Shines. Lasting power is average for your typical sheer/glossy lipstick but Flirt is very pretty on the lips and brightens the face.

Candeur Rouge Coco Shine #68 is a soft pale pink and almost looks faded in the tube. There is a very very slight hint of sparkle. You can only see it when you hold it at an angle, on my lips it applies more like a sheer cream. It does show up on my lips but the contrast made it appear a bit streaky. I found it similar in paleness/sheerness to Royallieu which was released back in June. I prefer Royallieu.

Charme Rouge Coco #40 is a gorgeous cool-toned pink rose shimmer. I thought it looked fairly unique compared to Chanel’s other Rouge Cocos in Camelia (more warm), Gardenia (more peach), Legende (significantly cooler) and Magnolia (has gold flecks), but when swatched on the arm and lips, I found the effect very similar to Magnolia. Charme is one of those colors that turns slightly fuschia on my lips (much like Magnolia does (reviewed here). I think Charme is slightly deeper with a hint more shimmer that is evenly dispersed. Magnolia is a bit brighter with a creamier base and gold flecks that make it slightly textured. For me Charme will require lots of tweaking to prevent it from turning fuschia/blue.

Superstition Rouge Coco #38 is a breathtaking nude gold shimmer. There’s a hint of peach and pink in the base to prevent it from looking too pale. Long-time Chanel fans might remember Baby Gold Hydrabase Lipstick. Superstition reminds me of less pale version of Baby Gold. Superstition is semi-sheer which allows your natural lip color to show through. I adore it. I think it will be stunning when topped with any sheer gloss.

Swatch comparisons for Flirt and Candeur Rouge Coco Shines – they’re all very sheer so the swatches aren’t showing up very well:

Swatch comparisons for Charme and Superstition Rouge Cocos, all swatched with a light hand:

I think Chanel released some beautiful colors for lips this season but for me they lacked that wow-factor. My top two picks are Flirt Rouge Coco Shine (the peach) and Superstition Rouge Coco (beige gold), but I don’t see them as being very unique. Next season I will wait to see everything in person or wait for other bloggers to compare the releases before buying.

Did you pick up any lip items from Chanel spring? What were your thoughts?

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Chanel Glossimers Bon Bon, Pétillant & Bagatelle for Spring 2012

December 19, 2011

I have a weakness for Chanel Glossimers. The colors created by Chanel are always so gorgeous in the tubes with the prettiest shimmers and sparkles – they make my heart skip a beat. The newest colors for spring are Bon Bon 73, Pétillant 159 & Bagatelle 161. All the shades are light and shimmery but unfortunately not unique. I still love the newest items from spring but the colors are fairly sheer and seem like lazy rehashed from seasons past. Note my weakness overcame me and I still caved.

The colors:

Bon Bon 73 is a pale pearly pink gold. It’s one of those luminous glowy glosses without glittery specks. The shimmer is very smooth and almost milky. Back in 2008, Chanel released a series of Aqualumiere Glosses, one was also called Bon Bon. I don’t have it anymore since used it up, but from my memory, the new Bon Bon Glossimer seems identical to what Bon Bon Aqualumiere Gloss looked like. It’s a paler version of Sundress. The color is very sheer and goes on clear on my lips. I suspect it will be best used as a layering color over a pigmented lipstick.

Pétillant 159 is a soft luminous peachy glow with an iridescent pinkish shimmer. On the hands and lips it goes on more of a clear pinkish shimmer for me. Odd right? I attribute this to the sheer silvery pale sparkles that show up more than the sheer peachy base. Do check out Best Things in Beauty for swatches in different light and skintone. I agree with her that I also could have skipped this too – it’s so sheer on me even the sparkles barely show up.

Bagatelle 161 is the most pigmented gloss in the collection. It’s a beautiful fresh salmon pink with gold shimmers. I found it to be a lighter fresher version of Magnifique. Years ago Chanel also released a color called Pink Oyster. I no longer have that either (used up) but Bagatelle reminds me of Pink Oyster. Scroll down to the bottom for comparisons. It’s more pigmented so this shows up on my lips but it’s still rather natural.

More close ups:

Comparisons below to other Chanels and one Le Metier gloss. The photo of the actual product was taken with my iPhone. I couldn’t get a decent shot with outdoor lighting – the sunlight and flash blurred all the pinks and corals together.

Have you seen the spring collection in person yet? What were your thoughts of the glossimers? I didn’t lip swatch them for this blog since they were so sheer it didn’t seem worth trying to post here. Thank you everyone for your patience as I slowly work my way through Chanel’s spring collection. November and December have proved to be very challenging months for me in my non-blogging life. The good thing with this collection is that Chanel scheduled the release very early this year so most of you have probably had the chance to go to the counters to play.

If you’ve seen the collection in person I’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂 Or even if you haven’t I’d love to hear your first impressions based on what you’ve seen online or read about.

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Chanel Rose Envolée 31 vs. Éclosion 34

December 17, 2011

As promised, a comparison between Rose Envolée 31 (from Le Blanc, an Asia Exclusive Collection and Nordstrom Anniversary 2011 Exclusive) & Éclosion 34 (from Spring 2012). The underlying theme of both quads seems to be similar. Rose Envolée 31 is more pink/cool while Éclosion 34 is more peachy/warm. Do you need both? I don’t think so, but since Rose Envolée was limited to Nordstrom for a short time so other counters did not have this quad to show customers a side-by-side comparison.

Those new to Chanel might ask why one quad has round pans while the other square. The round-pan quads are made for distribution in Europe, Asia and Canada (I think) while the square-pan quads are made for distribution in the US. Other differences:

Round-pan: