Browsing Tag

Chanel

Uncategorized

Chanel Fall 2011 Prélude Quadra Eyeshadow & Precision Eye Definer Khaki Platine

June 20, 2011

Chanel Prélude Quad and Khaki Platine for fall this year are gorgeous neutrals. Prélude pulls more cool in the compact but depending on the light it looks more neutral-cool. This is one I think everyone needs to try on themselves. Last fall Taupe Grisé 87 pulled oddly warm on my skin while it looked blueish-cool on most everyone else. Khaki Platine is stunning and reminds me of Lancome Erika F in a liner form (less sparkly too).

Khaki Platine and Prélude in slightly different lighting, not sure if you can tell the difference but in this one it’s not as cool-toned


Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Prélude #33 – In the compact, the colors are cool toned, on my skin, they pull more neutral. The colors are variations of beige, taupe, and plum. All have a luminous soft sheen. Scroll down below to see swatches and you’ll see that the colors are very subdued and neutral.

Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer in Khaki Platine #70 – a beautiful pigmented yet soft light khaki silver. The texture is soft making it easy to apply, but not too soft that it slips.

Here are a few other quads and liners to help you gauge the color depending on how your monitors show the colors differently to mine. Quads compared include Beiges de Chanel, Dunes, Stupendous and Dior Gris-Gris.

Eyeliners include D&G, Chanel Vert Bronze, MAC Dig It! and Chanel Rose Platine.

Swatches of the Fall Quad and Eye Liners on my arm:


Soft and beautiful. Lasting power, colors and pigment are typical of Chanel quads and liners – which I find to be of high quality, medium lasting power, highly versatile to coordinate with other colors for lips and cheeks.
31 Comments
Uncategorized

Chanel Fall 2011 Le Vernis Comparisons

June 19, 2011


No dupes to be found. Here are the shades Quartz, Graphite and Peridot compared to prior releases from Rococo Nail Apparel, Chanel and Dior.

The fall shades

Comparisons L to R: Rococo Nail Apparel R2T2, Chanel Trapeze, Chanel Quartz, Dior Silver Pearl, Chanel Graphite, Chanel Kaleidoscope, Chanel Peridot, Dior Timeless Gold


Swatches with 3 different views (since metallics look different depending on the light)



FYI: Polish Police has a comparison of Chanel Graphite to OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous. Those who think it’s a dupe will see from her blog that it’s really not 🙂
16 Comments
Uncategorized

Chanel Le Vernis for Fall 2011: Quartz, Graphite and Peridot

June 18, 2011

Chanel Fall 2011 has broken my blog break and has also eaten into my savings for a Chanel mini-flap. I am still highly ecstatic. My first feature on the Fall Collection will be on new Le Vernis shades ($25 each). The theme for nails is metallic where light plays a key role in the final result of what you see on the nails. The colors are slightly translucent in texture so you can build intensity with two or more coats. Each shade has a slightly different finish and quality making each color unique.

  • Quartz 525 is a frosted silvery brown taupe (I’d describe this as a smooth and soft metallic)
  • Graphite 529 is a highly metallic glittery silver-gunmetal (this one is intense, almost foiled-like, the tiny particles reflect light making this a multi-dimensional shade)
  • Peridot 531 reminds me of a scarab beetle, the color is complex with green, yellow, brown, blue I’m hard pressed to put a description on this (it’s almost duochrome, almost frost-like, but non-streaky and simply glows)
The photo at the very top shows the shades in natural light, no flash but with direct sun shining on the colors. The photo below is the same angle and also with natural light, but with an added high flash from the camera so you can see the other metallic qualities/colors.

Another angle reveals the complexity of these shades



Quartz

Graphite

Peridot

Each swatch has 2 coats. I love Quartz and Graphite. Peridot is such a unique color but I’m not loving it. Comparisons to other shades to come soon but for inquiring minds – these are all very unique and different from any previous Chanel or Dior release. These are very “fall” though. I personally adore virtually everything Chanel releases. However some of you might not be feeling in the mood to wear these for a couple months when the real fall season arrives. (FYI this is how I felt with Chanel Paradoxal last year when it came out end of June.)
35 Comments
Uncategorized

Dear Chanel, You Make My Heart Sing!

June 18, 2011

Chanel Fall 2011, Illusions d’Ombre, has arrived online at Chanel.com and Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. See KarlaSugar for the lineup on an easy-to-read sheet with descriptions. Check online at Chanel.com for prices, product info, and the breakdown of the fall look. I suspect this will be launched in-store in the next few days and upcoming week – I’m on the West Coast and a few of my local Nordstroms have scheduled Chanel events the weekend of June 24th-26th which I assume were planned to coincide with the fall launch.
I have not yet had a chance to play with the items very much, although I have swiped a few of the new shadows on my eyes and the nail polishes on my nails. I have promised myself a break from my computer the entire weekend, so I can leave work at work and not be tempted, although I know many of you are anxious for the 411, so I will try my best to do full reviews this weekend. I don’t want to rush it though, I want to be thorough so no promises. In the meantime I snapped a few pictures and tried to beat the clouds that were rolling in for June gloom. Here is a sneak peek which I hope will satisfy your curiosity for the time being.

Rose Ecrin Blush, Prelude Quad & Khaki Platine Eyeliner

Quartz, Graphite, Peridot Le Vernis

Plumetis Rouge Coco, Coralline Lipliner, Pampille Glossimer, Braise Glossimer, Rose Cuivre Lipliner, Etole Rouge Coco

Illusion d’Ombres

Overall, everything looks amazing. Had I seen the lip items in person first, I probably would have skipped the lipliners and glossimer, but they are gorgeous nevertheless. Happy Friday everyone!

23 Comments
Uncategorized

Chanel Dragon 475 Le Vernis: Ode To Café Makeup

June 11, 2011

I’ve written about Dragon Le Vernis by Chanel on numerous occasions but as I was going through my archives and realized I haven’t done a full proper review on this classic red. This post is dedicated to Café Makeup, currently gone, but definitely not forgotten. Her blog was phenomenal and an extremely valuable resource to us all. I know we are all hopeful for a possible return in the near future! At the same time, I wish her and Liz all the best for their plans right now. Chanel Dragon was Café Makeup’s signature red. Everytime I thought of or looked at my Chanel Dragon, I thought of Cafe Makeup 🙂 She described it as epic. Indeed it is. It’s sharp, crisp, rich, eye-catching in a classic sophisticated way. It looked amazing on her fair skin and it seems to be a universally flattering red for all skintones.

Here are a few photos of Chanel Dragon Le Vernis.

Nars Baroque on the lips (previously featured here)

I have quite a few favorite reds, Chanel Dragon is at the top of my list. Do you have a favorite red nail polish? Note I will be out of town most of the day, so I will be checking in comments but you may see a delay in approvals. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

19 Comments
Uncategorized

Inside My Chanel

June 7, 2011

I tend to carry a lot with me in my purse. I accumulate things over the week so by Thursday, the purse of the week is typically chock-full of way too much. So for the woman who carries too much, what’s the best way to carry the just essentials? Find a smaller purse. Today’s feature will be on what’s inside my Vert Fonce (Dark Green) Quilted Caviar Wallet On Chain (I believe this style/color combination is exclusive to Saks).

For those new to Chanel, the Wallet On Chain is exactly that. A larger sized wallet/clutch styled bag put on a chain to be worn over the shoulder. It has a few slots for your id and credit cards plus extra pockets and 2 zippered compartments. It’s just the right size for just the essentials: keys, phone, id, money and a lipstick.

Inside mine: Edward Bess Lip Gloss, Chanel Rouge Allure Laque, mini Jo Malone purse spray (received as a GWP from previous beauty event), iPhone, keys, gum + id/cards, cash in the zippered front pocket

The little black case is a leather Jo Malone cologne holder, it came with 2 mini sprays and just so happens to be the perfect size for 1 mini cologne + 1 mini lipstick, I wish more brands did cute GWPs like this with useable cases/bags:

I don’t know the last time I carried this little. Even with my pouchettes, I tend to pack them. You can check out these resources for more information on pricing, dimensions, styles, colors, seasons styling ideas here:

Green isn’t really a “me” color but the moment I saw it I had to have it. That said, after having this for less than a week – I’ve found green is new to me for my wardrobe, I have quite a few kelly greens, no army greens yet. I will have to experiment in the upcoming weeks trying to coordinate green with the rest of my wardrobe. It matches the Khaki Vert nail polish perfectly (previously reviewed here), but as mentioned the other day, matching green nails with a green purse = too green. Overall a great going-out bag, perfect for biking on the weekends around the beach, nice for running quick errands, but for everyday – not so practical since I tend to carry a lot more than just the essentials. I’m still in love with the quilted texture.

26 Comments
Uncategorized

My Must-Have Nail Polishes Plus a Little Update …

June 5, 2011

A few of you have e-mailed me asking “what are your top picks for nails?” This is a tough question! As with many other products, my favorites are subject to change week after week. I’ve picked 5 color categories of what my must-haves for nails are. My favorites fall mainly within a few select brands, but many of my readers either don’t like the brand, formula or price. However, those who do love the same brands as me, for each category I’ve included my right-now favorites by brand/color. Most of these have been previously featured. (Update: It appears the sidebar google search isn’t working so I’ve linked past reviews to each name as applicable below.)

I think everyone needs:






A few nail spam pictures

Django

Black Pearl

Rococo Reissue

And …

The Beauty Look Book is going on a mini-summer break from blogging the month of June. I have quite a few projects coming up which will require more time and dedication. But not to worry! Blog posting for me will not come to a complete halt this next month although there will be a significant slow down in the upcoming weeks. I will have limited time to respond to e-mails or comments but will keep you updated on my latest finds in the upcoming month and complete a few more reviews on things I’ve been loving but haven’t had time to write about yet.

The inside my new Chanel feature will be posted sometime later this week.

23 Comments