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Chanel Holiday 2009: Cage Doree de Chanel

November 11, 2009

The Chanel Holiday Collection finally arrived at Saks last week so of course I rushed over to check everything out.

I featured 2 of the Holiday Sets that came out in September, check out these posts for details and photos: First Look at the Chanel Holiday 2009 Gift Sets and Chanel Holiday 2009 Glossimer Duo.

For the collection, the standouts to me were the aqualumiere lipglosses and lipsticks, although they seemed to be more of a spring resort theme rather than a holiday theme. The lipsticks are unique enough that I couldn’t find dupes or similar colors in my Chanel collection.

Pictured left to right:
Aqualumiere Glosses: Canari, Hirondelle, Colbri
Aqualumiere Lipsticks: Grenada, Tasmania, Galapagos, Maldives
Nail polish: Trapeze


Here are the comparisons to some other Chanel Aqualumiere Glosses and Glossimers within the same color families + swatches:

Left to right – Canari Aqualumiere, Candy Glow Aqualumiere, Coral Reef Glossimer, Hirondelle Aqualumiere, Courtisane Glossimer, Diamond Rose Aqualumiere, Colibri Aqualumiere, Wonderland Glossimer (LE), Whisper Glossimer (d/c)

* Canari Aqualmiere gloss has more pinky-coral in it compared to Candy Glow and Coral Reef
* Hirondelle Aqualumiere is not as frosty/sparkley and more natural than Courtisane and Diamond Rose
* Colibri Aqualumiere is more white than Wonderland (more sparkley) and Whisper (more beige)

Here’s a repeat picture of the Trapeze Nail Polish compared to Golden Sand and Antilope:


For the actual holiday collection, there have already been some great posts and pictures published on various blogs, so I didn’t want to do a rehash of everything. For more great photos/swatches/reviews, check out Makeup and Beauty Blog, Karlasugar, My Makeup Reviews and Beauty Moogle Zone (all linked to the actual Chanel Holiday articles for your convenience!).

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 5

November 6, 2009

Today’s looks are centered around pink eyeshadow. For me it’s hard to find a pink shadow that doesn’t make me look like I have pink-eye. These work for me because they aren’t too pink.

Look Day 5: neutral/warm pink eyeshadow with soft rose cheeks and rosey lips


Cheeks:
Chanel Tweed Rose Blush
Becca Angel Loose Shimmer Powder to highlight

Eyes:
Laura Mercier Pink Chiffon Satinee Cream Eye Color
Chanel Demure Quad
Urban Decay Bourbon 24-7 Eyeliner

Lips:
Trish McEvoy Bare Lipliner
Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipstick
Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipgloss (Nordstrom Exclusive, try LM Blush Lip Glace for a dupe)

Swatches, left to right: LM Pink Chiffon, Chanel Demure Quad, UD Bourbon, Chanel Tweed Rose, Becca Angel, Trish McEvoy Bare, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipstick, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Gloss

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Alternate 1: Cool pink with purple eyes


Cheeks:
MAC Stark Naked Blush

Eyes:
Dior Petal Shine Iridescent Quint
MAC Deep Purple Pigment (Pro)

Lips:
Laura Mercier Chestnut Lipliner
Chanel Naive #25 Rouge Allure
Chanel Imaginaire #84 Glossimer

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Alternate 2: Neutral light pink-gold sparkle with taupe and black

Cheeks:
Shu Uemura P Pink 30 Blush

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink Cream Eyeshadow
MAC Naked Pigment
Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow
Shu Uemura ME Black 990 Eyeshadow

Lips:
Chanel Waikiki Aqualumiere
Bobbi Brown Brightening Pink Lipgloss

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 4

November 5, 2009

Today’s focus is around silvery eyes with a few alternatives in case you can’t pull off silvers. I have warmer skin with olive tones and can’t always pull off silvery eyeshadows because they make me look tired, but the Dior Smoky Crystal Quint was a surprisingly pretty on! I hope this gives you a few ideas of what types of colors you can use. These may not work for everyone, but these are looks that I’ve done that work for me.

To recap (in case you haven’t read my About Me section), I have dark black/brown hair with red highlights, medium olive/golden skin and use Chanel Shell/Beige Teint Innocence, my eyes are dark brown.

Look Day 4: silvery eyeshadow with rose-pink lips/cheeks


Cheeks:
Dolce & Gabbana Desert Bronzer (not swatched)
Lorac Velvet Rope Baked Blush

Eyes:
Shiseido Rose Tulle H11 Hydropower Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Steel Cream Eyeshadow
Dior Smoky Crystal Quint
MAC Feline Eyeliner

Lips:
Chanel Tulip Lipliner
Trish McEvoy Pink Innocent
Le Metier de Beaute Cannes Lipgloss or Bobbi Brown Pink Lilac Brightening Gloss as an alternative

* Note the swatches for the eyeshadows look greenish on my screen for some reason. In real life they are close to what the product photo looks like in the picture near the top.

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Alternative if you can’t pull of silvers: try champagne, a soft taupe, a sparkley silvery-gold cream shadow and a smokey black eyeshadow


Cheeks: Giorgio Armani Blush #10

Eyes: Giorgio Armani Maestro Eyeshadow #30
Bobbi Brown Galaxy Cream Eyeshadow
Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow Maestro #32
Giorgio Armani Manta Ray Duo #1

Lips: Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Oleander Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Nude Lipgloss

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Cheeks: Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar Shimmer Blush

Eyes: Chantecaille Quartz (top left)
Chantecaille Meteorite (top middle)
MAC Sunnydaze Pigment
MAC Cinderfella Mineralize Eyeshadow
Chanel Noir Le Crayon Kohl Eyeliner

Lips: MAC Dervish
Dolce & Gabbana Charm Lipstick
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #9

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 3

November 4, 2009

Today’s feature focuses on green eyeshadows and a few ideas on how to coordinate with other colors for the rest of your face.

Look Day #3 Focus: Green Eyeshadow Combinations


Cheeks:
Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer
MAC Pink Swoon Blush

Eyes:
Nars Mousson Cream Eyeshadow
Nars Taiga Eyeshadow Duo
Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink Liner

Lips:
MAC Whirl Lipliner
Chanel Tempt Hydrabase Lipstick
Chanel Bon-Bon Aqualumiere Gloss

* Please note that the bronzer and blush were applied with a heavy hand for swatches and do not look the same on the face, when applied with a bronzer/blush brush, these 2 mixed create a healthy soft glow

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Another combination: green/gold/brown eyes with peachy lips/cheeks

1) MAC Cash Flow Paint Pot
2) Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow Quad #3
3) Benefit Coralista
4) MAC New Vegas Mineralize Skinfinish
5) Chanel Black Jade Eyeliner
6) MAC Summerfruit Lipliner
7) MAC Shy Girl Lipstick
8) Giorgio Armani Lipshimmer #1
9) Giorgio Armani Lipshimmer #16

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Another combination: green eyes with pink lips/cheeks


Cheeks: Chanel Rose Petale

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink Cream Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Ivy Shimmer Gel Liner
Chanel Murano Quad

Lips: Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Camelia Lip Chic
Edward Bess Bare Rose Lipgloss

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 2

November 3, 2009
Today’s color theme includes bronzey eyes and peachy lips/cheeks with three variations. (Note that Day 1 has been updated as well with a third look.) I would have to say this is my no-fail go to look. I always feel comfortable with a bronze liner and a soft peach lip (although I’ve been told that I look better in pinks and plums).


Look Day #2: bronze eyes with peachy lips & cheeks


Cheeks:
Chanel Fandango Blush
MAC Refined Mineralize Skin Finish

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Sandy Gold Cream Eyeshadow
MAC Vanilla Pigment
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #2 Brown Copper
Trish McEvoy Eye Definer Sparkling Bronze

Lips:
Make Up Forever Aqua Lip Liner 1C
Laura Mercier Designer Beige Shimmer Lipstick
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #3

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Alternative with a brighter lip:


Cheeks: Trish McEvoy Liquid Face Color #1 + MAC Superduper Natural Mineralize Blush

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Flesh Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Burnished Cream Eyeshadow
Nars Cordura Eyeshadow Duo
Laura Mercier Brown Copper Eye Liner

Lips: Chanel Exquise Rouge Allure
MAC Euro Beat Dazzleglass mixed with Paul & Joe Lip Lacuqer #8

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Alternative with a smokier eye & lighter nude-peach lip:


Cheeks: Chanel Tweed Sienna Blush
Le Metier Blush/Bronze Duo Sunkissed and Echo

Eyes: MAC Femme Fi Eyeshadow
Trish McEvoy Eye Definer in Sparkling Bronze
MAC Gilt by Association Mineralize Eyeshadow

Lips: Bobbi Brown Beige Lipliner
Giorgio Armani Rouge D’Armani Beige 101
Le Metier de Beaute Peche Creme

(Note you will most likely see a recurring trend with the Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers because I love them so much! For those who don’t have access to Paul & Joe, do not fear, I will include other brands too.)

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A Few Alternatives to Super Dark Nail Polish (That Are Still Kinda On The Dark Side)

October 27, 2009

When it comes to fashion and beauty trends I am not always brave enough to be a true follower. There are always styles that are cute and chic on others that I could never pull off (for example teal eyeshadow, black lipstick/gloss or leggings with boots). If you like dark nails but feel the new releases are a bit too vampy or deep, here are four softer alternatives I really like:

L to R: OPI Melody in Mocha, Paul & Joe #20 Manhattan, Urban Decay Gunmetal, Dior Lemon Balm, Chanel Noir Ceramic


* I believe the OPI and Chanel are both discontinued, but you can still find quite a few online through swap boards, ebay or discount nail e-tailers

* OPI Melody in Mocha is a complex fawn grey with slight mauve tones and gold shimmer, I was lucky to get one in a swap and love it – I think there are quite a few dupes, there’s one from China Glaze that might be similar (the flash makes it look lighter and emphasizes the silver – in real life it’s not quite as pale for the swatch at least)

* Paul & Joe #20 Manhattan is a sparkley medium-light gunmetal shimmer, it is on the sheerer side so I had to use four coats but the finished result has a lot of depth – it’s hard to explain but it looks different depending on the way the light hits the color

* Urban Decay Gunmetal is currently only available in the Apocalyptic Nail Kit, I really hope it comes out in full size, it’s a deeper gunmetal shimmer with slight brownish tones in it so it doesn’t turn blue on me like most gunmetal shades

* Dior Lemon Balm was a Nordstrom Exclusive for their last Anniversary Sale, I believe you might still be able to find it online at nordstrom.com, it’s an oddly-named color, in the container it looks more greyish, but on the nails and compared to the other greys, it definitely pulls more purple with brown shimmers

* Chanel Noir Ceramic was photographed mainly for comparison purposes, but it’s a nice black with silver shimmers which make it softer and less harsh than most blacks, a close dupe is Chanel’s Black Satin which is darker



One more view:


I’d really LOVE to hear your favorite shimmer nail polishes that are medium-to-dark. I’m always looking for more colors by recommendations to check out. I tend to feel overwhelmed when I shop at Ulta or Sephora for nail products – too many colors to choose from and I usually end up with too many reds that look almost identical.

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Chanel Forbidden, Diabolic, Vamp, Rouge Noir and Some Other Burgundy Shades . .

October 8, 2009
Quite a few fall collections have jumped on the dark-vampy-trend bandwagon and while I’m usually very excited to find new dark colors for nails, I have mixed feelings about the new polishes from the Chanel Noirs Obscurs collection after seeing them in person.

Chanel just released two new colors, Forbidden and Diabolic and repromoted Vendetta from last holiday. I ordered the two new ones sight unseen and at first glance was less than impressed. However when I swatched them on my nails, my feelings changed.

Both Forbidden 437 and Diabolic 427 are deep chocolatey-burgundy-vampy shades and are extremely similar. When swatched, the colors aren’t as dull as I expected – they have just the right amount of brown and red. You definitely don’t need both, but they are different enough from Chanel’s Vamp and Rouge Noir to justify maybe buying one.

Difference between the two: Forbidden is slightly lighter and more chocolatey, Diabolic is deeper and darker.

Here are more photos with my comparisons to similar shades:

Swatches:
Thumb = Cosmic Violine 497
Index = Forbidden 437
Middle = Diabolic 427
Ring = Rouge Noir 18
Pinkie = Vamp 18

With high flash:

In natural sunlight:

Another view:

Compared to a couple other brands: MAC All Night Long and Sephora by OPI I’m With Brad:



Overall thoughts: Even though I’m a huge Chanel fan and obsessed with collecting almost every single nail color they release, Forbidden and Diabolic were just ok for me. I didn’t gasp with awe when I took them out of the box. I was hoping for something different with those complex shimmer particles that they are known for creating.

That being said, I tend to like shimmery nail polishes, perhaps I need to get more used to those creamy non-shimmery shades. As a fellow Chanel fan and I were discussing a few days ago, they seem to be more for the Chanel collector, and while they are nice to have, we wouldn’t have died if we didn’t get our hands on them.

Bottom line: They look great on the nails, but there’s no need to have both. They are different enough from Vamp/Rouge Noir to justify trying out. If you don’t mind shimmer and want a cheaper alternative, Sephora by OPI I’m With Brad is pretty close, however do note that the Chanel formulas are superior by far. With the Sephora by OPI – you can get good results, but it will require a lot more thin coats.

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