I thought I’d shade what I’ve been wearing on my tips and toes lately. Here are a few pairings I’ve worn over the last month. I typically wear the lighter shade on the fingers and the darker ones on the toes.
Chanel Quartz and Le Métier de Beauté Midnight Rendezvous
Rococo Nail Apparel Lab Nude 3.0 and Chanel Coco Blue
Chanel Paradoxal and Chanel Steel
Chanel Quartz and Le Métier de Beauté Midnight Rendezvous
Rococo Nail Apparel Lab Nude 3.0 and Chanel Coco Blue
Chanel Paradoxal and Chanel Steel
With holiday collections trickling in I can’t wait for the reds, pinks and golds. What have you been wearing lately?
Chanel is currently revamping their US brushes and the first new one to be released is the #6 Foundation Brush ($45). Many thanks to Cafe Makeup who let me know this was released with the new foundation (the brush was not on the Nordstrom display and without her, I would not have realized this was out). The brush has a sleek and sophisticated look with a matte black handle and silver embossed lettering. I’ve tested the new one for about a week with different liquid foundations and find it performs very well to evenly blend the foundation on the face. With all foundation brushes, I find a bit of streaking because of the bristles. I typically prefer a sponge, but when I do use a brush, I always end up smoothing out my face with fingers or a sponge. This one seems to work better for me than most others because the bristles are more naturally tapered.
Here are a few closeups of the new Foundation Brush #6, the handle has a beautiful black matte finish which contrasts nicely to the silver lettering:
Compared to the original one #16, the new #6 is made of different bristles, is slightly shorter in overall length, has shorter bristles and is slightly chubbier in depth. Both the original and new versions are made in China. To me the performance is very similar but I prefer the look of the new one. It just looks cleaner and more professional. Here is the original compared to the new:
Here is the new Chanel compared to a few other brands including Armani, Prescriptives and MAC:
The other brands have worked well for me in past years. The oldest one I own is the Prescriptives Foundation brush which has held up for me since my high school days. All the ones I’ve tried have worked well, I have no complaints, but the new Chanel #6 definitely has the best design and at $45 seems very reasonably priced (unlike their eyelash curler). Definitely worth checking out if you’re near a Chanel counter. I’m testing out the new Perfection Lumiere and so far love it but need a few more days of use to provide a thorough review.
Have you checked out the new Chanel foundation brush? Do you own the original? What are your thoughts comparing the two?
The first eyelash curler I ever tried was from Revlon back when I was in high school and unfortunately it didn’t do much for my straight lashes. I was scared that I would accidentally pull out all my lashes so I didn’t try using one again until my college days when I had a Trish McEvoy makeup lesson at Saks. My first high-end eyelash curler purchase was was from Trish McEvoy and I’ve loved it ever since. I’ve since tried curlers from Armani, Chanel, Le Métier de Beauté, Shiseido and Shu Uemura (original and the individual). I would say all are good, but my top three favorites include Trish McEvoy, Chanel and Le Métier de Beauté.
What I look for in an eyelash curler: I focus on the curve (how it fits my eye) and the density of the pads (I prefer something on the softer side but not too soft). I’m Asian without a crease in my lids. There is a curve to my lids but my eyes are not deepset. My lashes are very straight which makes them appear shorter than they are. I found Armani’s pad too stiff (making it difficult to get a good curl), Shiseido’s shape didn’t work with my eyeshape and pinched in the corners, Shu Uemura’s was good, I have no complaints yet I think there are better options. The individual eyelash curler was good in concept but impossible for me to hold in my fingers.
It can be a challenge to see how these all compare unless you find a retailer that carries all the brands. Right now, there are various Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores that should carry most of the above brands. For the three that I do love, here’s the breakdown and photos first, then detailed thoughts below:
Trish McEvoy wins for all around function, price and design (for me)
Le Métier de Beauté wins for having the most lightweight easy to use design with the softest pad
Chanel wins for aesthetics and has the thickest pad
Trish McEvoy’s Eyelash Curler ($18) is a silver colored curler that comes with 1 replaceable pad and is made in Japan. If this came with refills available for purchase separately this would be holy grail material. The Trish Curler has the best feel in my hands. I have small fingers and while most eyelash curlers are virtually identical in shape and size, I sometimes find it difficult to hold some because of the angles or size of the handles. The pad has a medium density which I find ideal for getting a consistently even curl on both eyes by applying slight pressure. The pads last quite a long time and clean easily. I’ve repurchased numerous times. I find the Trish method of application to be helpful (although it might seem like common sense to most): “Position the Eyelash Curler as close to the base of the lashes as possible. Gently squeeze for 10 seconds, then ‘walk’ the curler out along the length of the lashes, squeezing as you go.” I typically only squeeze for 4 seconds before releasing and moving the curler. I find curling the lashes in 3 sections helps get an even natural curl.
Chanel’s Eyelash Curler ($34) is one of the newest on the market for the US. It was released in Asia a year ago, is made in Japan, and comes with 2 replacement pads. The Chanel curler comes in all black and out of all the curlers I’ve seen, the Chanel has the sleekest most sophisticated look. It has a very similar feel to the Trish McEvoy with an almost identical curve. The Chanel pad is thicker and stiffer but not too stiff. The curler gives a very good curl. For me, there is just one problem. Having black lashes with a black eyelash curler makes it very difficult to see exactly what I’m curling. The dark color of my lashes blends with the curler no matter what lighting I use. This requires a magnified mirror for me to see what I’m curling. This isn’t too big of a problem though – if I start at the base of my lashes, I can see where to place the first curl and then work my way to the tips in three evenly spaced squeezes. Still I wouldn’t use this if I were in a rush, the Trish and Le Métier work just as well and I don’t have to look super closely to know what I’m curling.
Le Métier de Beauté’s Eyelash Curler ($18) is finally available for sale at Neiman Marcus stores. For a while it was only available as a gift with purchase at various locations. This curler has the most curve out of all three that I’m reviewing in this post. It also has the softest most cushy pad I’ve ever tried. This was something I was not used to when I first tried it. Being softer I found that my first attempts gave me an uneven curl on both eyes as I was not able to apply consistent pressure. I was able to achieve a nice curl easier than ones with stiffer pads, but the result was uneven. After a bit of practice I was able to get used to the softer pad and have fallen in love since. A softer pad means that this curler doesn’t last quite as long. I believe a replacement pad is included.
My general eyelash curler thoughts: I’ve been told that one needs to replace pads every 3-4 months and the actual curler every 9 months. I find the pads do wear down but am not always good about replacing consistently. I do clean after every 2-3 uses with makeup remover. For the actual curler, I’m equally bad about replacing. I’ve been told that the alignment of the hinges goes out after use which is why replacement pads are not sold for a number of brands. I always thought this seemed like a marketing scheme, but have noticed that replacing the curlers about once a year does make a difference when you compare a used one to a brand new one.
For more resources, tips and insights, I recommend these:
Although Dior’s Mitzah Quint is quite basic and very neutral, I had a hard time finding another palette similar. I pulled a few with similar tones but none are dupes. Above shows Dior Endless Shine, Chanel Kaska Beige and Dolce & Gabbana Nude. Unfortunately I did not get swatches of all the palettes today before the sun went down and my camera battery died. I do have Endless Shine swatched to compare for you in decent lighting so you can see the difference in shimmer/finish. Most Dior Quints have at least one high frost color, Iridescent Quints have the majority of the shades frosted. As you can see below Mitzah is satiny and almost matte.
Here is Mitzah at night swatched next to a few other palettes, Chanel Kaska Beige, Dolce & Gabbana Nude and Chanel Variations.
Some might say Mitzah is too basic and lacks luster. It doesn’t make the eyes pop or have that intense wow-factor, but it has a kick that gives a beautiful subtle defined eye that can be intensified for a soft-smoky look. I personally love it for everyday. For a bit of an extra shimmer or kick, I’d recommend layering over a more sparkly cream base to add a bit of luster.
Here are some comparisons of Chanel’s Brompton Road (exclusive to Harrods) to a few other pinks by Chanel. Featured in this post are Poudre Tissée in Brompton Road, Joues Contraste in Narcisse & Rose Pétale, Les Tissages in Tweed Pink & Ombres Tissées Beiges. (Note that all the blushes are US versions.)
On the skin, Brompton Road goes on a baby soft pink with a slightly iridescent finish. It most closely resembles Narcisse but is paler. I tried this today over a liquid luminizer (one of Armani’s Fluid Sheers) and it still emphasized pores and bumps on my cheeks. I believe this is probably best used as a subtle highlighter rather than a full-on blush, at least for my olive toned skin which is slightly tanned. The texture is soft and finely milled very similar to the US Joues Contraste blushes by Chanel. While the Joues Contraste have a soft rose scent, the Brompton Road has none.
In comparing the finish of Brompton Road (for the face) compared to Beiges (intended for the eyes), I find the Beiges more shimmery while the Brompton Road more satiny.
While the finishes and intended purpose of all these are different, I prefer Beiges for a highlighter and Narcisse/Rose Petale for blushes over the new Brompton Road. I think it will perhaps suit fairer skintones better. For me it’s like but not love right now but as my skin lightens as we transition to fall/winter I think I will be able to get more use out of Brompton Road.
P.S. – USA girls, you can order this on Harrods.com, they ship internationally! Also, they deduct VAT so the shipping isn’t too bad. The checkout process can be a bit feisty, I recommend you create a profile and then go through the entire checkout process. Also, for some reason, I couldn’t process my order via Firefox, but Internet Explorer worked just fine.
*UPDATE Sunday, Sept 18* I applied Brompton Road over a dewy gel blush, NARS Cadaques Multiple Tint which helped provide a good base for the Chanel Highlighter. My skin has since improved after a week of healing (allergic reaction to a new product) and the Chanel no longer emphasizes the imperfections as much. I recommend that you apply to a well moisturized/prepped face before applying Brompton Road to the cheeks. Using a transparent slightly dewy liquid or gel base (something not pale) on top of foundation and under Brompton Road will help the application look much better on the skin. Finding the best application method for this powder will be trial and error for girls with medium-darker skin.
Chanel and Harrods partnered to create an exclusive makeup collection to celebrate the “Chanel at Harrods” exhibition. The pink-themed collection is called the Knightsbridge Collection which consists of:
Poudre Tissée in Brompton Road (£46.00 on Harrods.com)
Rouge Allures in Kensington, Hyde Park and Belgravia
Glossimer in Chelsea
The items are exclusive to Harrods for a limited time. Currently only the powder is available for purchase online. You can check out the coverage of the event on these resources:
Style Bubble has beautiful photos and a snapshot of the entire makeup collection
Combine the words “exclusive”, “Chanel” and “pink” and I was sold. I purchased the powder in Brompton Road (converted into approximately $72) online. It’s a satiny pink base with soft white-beige shimmery Cs that comes with an overspray of beautiful silver glitter. Per Harrods, “The Exclusive Creation POUDRE TISSÉE in Brompton Road, opens up to reveal a fabric-like effect, evocative of a fine, light and refined knit. The sheer, satiny powder enhances the radiance of the complexion while giving it a beautiful translucency. Brompton Road, a tender pink with golden shimmers, can be dabbed onto cheekbones to subtly brighten and freshen the face.”
With overspray:
Without overspray:
The powder comes in a similar format to the Ombres Tissées in Beiges from the Aquarelles Collection. Both compacts come with the same embossed quilted pattern covered in a beautiful oversprayed layer of sparking glitter. Both are made in Italy and have multiple colors in the compact which are intended to be swirled together to create a glow. The differences (aside from the colors) are in the intended use and finish:
Beiges has 13g / 0.46 oz and is labeled with the name Ombres Tissées – Iridescent Effects Eyes (although I’ve used this on the cheeks as well), this comes with three layers of iridescent pale beiges and pinks for a highlighting effect, it also comes with a sponge tipped applicator
Brompton Road has slightly more product with 15g / 0.50 oz and is labeled with the name Poudre Tissée – Highlighting Powder and Blush Natural Finish, this comes with two colors, a soft shimmering white-gold in double-crossed Cs and warm pink background that is more matte, the powder comes with a small angled brush
The top layer of glitter is easily removed to reveal a soft powdery mixture of pink and a soft beige-white shimmer. Combined they give a baby pink cheek without any detectable shimmer (at least from initial testing). The texture is a dry powder similar to the Beiges that almost feels creamy when you touch the compact with your fingers. It does not arm or hand-swatch well. As you can see below and from other blogs, it appears rather chalky on the hands. On the face it blends nicely to give a soft pink glow. Here it is swatched, L to R: both colors mixed, pink and white (these were finger swatched over bare skin).
I found this Hyde Park Rouge Allure feature to be lovely:
I’ll be posting a few comparisons and more thoughts later. I do believe you need to have fairly decent skin to wear this. The texture tends to emphasize any imperfections when applied to the face directly (over foundation and powder). Perhaps adding a luminzer underneath will help the application to appear more natural. It doesn’t appear chalky on the cheeks but the dry texture of the powder emphasized all my bumps and pores. Do note that my skin is recovering from an allergic reaction to trying a sample of Burberry’s Fresh Glow, so this is probably not the best time to make judgements about the finish. Compared to using my MAC blushes this past week, it appears the Chanel Highlighter emphasized bad spots while the MAC worked normally. That being said I’ll only be wearing this on good skin days.
Here are a few blue comparisons of the new Les Jeans de Chanel shades to other Chanel & Dior blues. Included are Chanel Blue Satin (featured here), Dior Bond Street (here), Chanel Blue Rebel, Chanel Blue Boy, Chanel Coco Blue, Chanel Riva (here) and Chanel Nouvelle Vague (here).
The three Les Jeans de Chanel colors:
Other blues all lined up and swatched on tape (two coats each):
Arm swatches two different views:
Here you can see they have a high gloss finish:
After playing with the blues all day long, I still have the same mixed feelings. While I think there is very little that beats the feeling of having perfect fitting jeans (my favs are Paige and Joe’s Jeans) I don’t associate denim with the words “luxury” or “luxe” or “runway” like I do when I think of the brand Chanel. I thought this was an odd choice of theme for Chanel for Fashion’s Night Out (last year’s Les Khakis, Steel and Strong were much better being both edgy and unique). In addition, the high price tag of $29 per bottle this year is very hard to swallow for colors that aren’t unique or special, even for a limited-edition Chanel piece. Still, I caved and I can rest assured that I won’t have any Chanel regret nor will I have to pay uber high eBay prices to get one when they’ve sold out. To clarify, I do think these are very good high quality blues, but for FNO and for the price, I expected more. Perhaps it is just the recent releases of amazing colors like Black Pearl, Morning Rose, Quartz and Graphite that have overshadowed these basic blues.
Bottom line, nice but not must-haves. Dior Bond Street is more navy and slightly darker than the Les Jeans colors but it still has my heart for blues.
