I spotted a new nail summer polish in Paris at Sephora from Dior called Sundown #464. It’s a shade we didn’t get in the US but was released in other countries. It’s a bright summer pink with a hint of coral (no shimmer). I had this applied on the last week of our vacation – the manicurists used Deborah Lippmann for the base and top coat and my manicure lasted a full week after before tip wear started to occur. (For more swatches you may want to check out Color Me Loud.)
I took it with me to the beach in Mykonos to take photos. Below it’s swatched with two coats:
As soon as I got back home to California, I pulled some other shades to see if I could dupe it. My first instinct was to compare it to other Dior colors. I looked at all my Chanel Le Vernis nail colors as well to see what would be the closest. Dior Sundown is almost an exact dupe for Pasteque from many years ago (now discontinued). I ran out of fingers to swatch them on so I don’t have it shown below.
Swatch-wise, Dior Sundown is a 99% dupe for Chanel Tutti Frutti. The Dior is just the tiniest bit brighter in color, but the base and overall look from arms length is almost identical. Dior Wonderland is the next closest color but several shades lighter and more pink. Dior Aventure has a lot more orange and warmth making Sundown look almost pink next to it. Dior Glory by comparison looks red.
I’m a huge fan of Dior nail polishes. The application is flawless and smooth – once you try one you’ll be impressed with the brush shape and fluid texture. It’s really quite amazing. Lasting power is usually around 5-7 days without tip wear when I use either the regular Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme, Rescue Beauty Lounge or Dior Gel Top Coat.
As promised I have a post today on the items I bought while traveling in Europe. Out of the ten cities we visited across France, Italy, Greece and Turkey, I did most of my shopping in Paris. At the top of my list was the Diptyque store on 34 Boulevard St. Germain. The store is so beautiful inside – I wish I could transport the entire store to my home. At the store I picked up two items including the Feuille de Lavande Room Spray and the Mousses Candle. I’ve burned through one Moss candle before as it’s available at the boutiques in the US but it suffered really bad tunneling because I didn’t burn it properly the first time (my candle care tips here). For the room sprays there were a number of unique scents. Cypress was really interesting and Mimosa was so pretty. I wish I had bought a few more – we only have three in the US (Figuier, Baies and 34).
First up for splurges are two picks from Fauré Le Page. I’ve been researching this brand via the Fauré Le Page Purse Forum. There are a number of helpful pictures, descriptions and other bits of information on everything Fauré Le Page. The pretty patterns of their bags caught my eye. It has a similar vibe to Goyard which I adore. In Paris I visited two locations: there is a stand alone boutique on Rue Cambon and also a store at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. I went in for just the Pochette 20 (currently 190 euros). They were very limited on stock for most of the colors, I was hoping for the blue and grey, but were out. The green one is pretty though so I left with one. A shoulder tote called Daily Battle caught my eye (small size I bought was 650 euros). There were two grey versions, one with a light beige-grey trim and one with the navy. It’s very sturdy and made of a thick canvas. The material is slightly textured and looks like it will hold up really well.
Below I’ve posted a comparison of the Daily Battle to a Goyard St. Louis Tote. In Paris the Daily Battle for the small size was priced at 650 euros which converts to a little over $700 making it much more affordable than the Goyard St. Louis totes (last I checked they were priced at $1,200-$1,600ish depending on color). The style is similar – open inside without any pockets and lined with canvas. The finish and textures are different though. The Goyard is thinner in material but still very sturdy. It also comes with a detatchable pouch. Fauré Le Page is thicker with an adjustable strap. There is a ring inside to attach items to but it does not come with a separate pouch inside. Measurements of the ones I have to compare:
Fauré Le Page Daily Battle (small)
17.5 inches wide
11.25 inches tall
base is about 6.25 inches x 12.25 inches
Goyard St. Louis PM
18 inches wide
11 inches tall
base is about 5.25 inches x 13 inches
For the Pochettes the smallest Fauré le Page makes is the Pochette 20 which measures about 6 inches tall by 8 inches wide. Goyard makes a smaller size (shown in black below). The comparable one in Goyard is the same width at 8 inches wide but is slightly shorter at 5.5 inches tall. I don’t remember what the prices were for Goyard, I bought mine a long time ago – I want to say the small one was around $300ish and the medium was at least double. The Fauré Le Page Pouch comes with a detachable wristlet strap and was priced at 190 euros.
At Hermes I picked up two Micro Rivale leather bracelets with the rose gold hardware. I have small wrists and it’s hard to find the leather bracelets in the XS size. Rose Gold is relatively new so I splurged on the ivory and teal leather. A sneaky photo from inside the store.
In Rome, I bought some small L’Occitane Bonne Mere cubes. I thought they were mini soaps but they’re actually bath cubes (oops). I still really like them and wish they were available in the US but the shower gels are just as good and I’ve repurchased the Rosemary and Oilive Oil ones several times over. At the French Pharmacies I was like a deer in headlights. I didn’t pick up a lot because we were traveling with carry on only. I picked up a small Bioderma Cleansing Water, Avene Cleanance Micellar Water for oily skin and a small Nuxe Hand Cream + Lip Balm duo. In the US you can find the travel size Bioderma Sensibio (same as the French Crealine) from Beautylish. The Nuxe Hand Cream + Lip Balm Duo is available online at Nuxe. I haven’t been able to find the Avene Cleanance Micellar Water in the US.
In Athens we picked up a Korres Sunscreen set with SPF 50. The Body Spray is very gentle but lasts a long time on the skin. The Face Cream Sunscreen is amazing as well. I haven’t been able to find the SPF versions in the US.
From Printemps, I picked up their exclusive Primavera Diptyque Candle (launched to celebrate their 150th anniversary) which smells like really sweet roses. I haven’t burned it yet but I’m in love with the white and pink packaging. From Chanel I picked up a few things exclusive to Europe. The Vitalumiere Loose Powder comes with a brush. I picked up three shades, 20, 30 and 40 (right now I’m a match to 40). It’s quite messy but gives enough coverage that you can use it alone instead of foundation or powder foundation. Also new in Paris is the Sublimage SPF 50 which is wonderful. It’s thicker than the UV Essential and acts more like a cream. It has the Sublimage skincare ingredients in it so it’s not just a sunscreen. I wish I had stocked up on a few more tubes while I was in Paris (it was 98 euros). For fragrances almost all the scents had multiple versions and sizes. They have the small concentrated parfum bottles – I was torn between three of them, they were on the pricey side because they are concentrates. I picked up Allure. From L’Artisan I bought a few items as gifts including a fragrance sampler set and the La Chasse Aux Papillons Rollerball (which you can find now at Sephora).
Sephora France was probably one of my favorite places to shop. I left with a few things, I’m surprised it was this limited. I picked up a Dior Nail Polish in Sundown and Addict Fluid Stick in Beige Passion (both of which don’t appear to be available in the US). I also picked up the Addict Fluid Stick in Ciel Rose which is a US color you can find at Sephora. In Paris they had these tiny empty clear containers in the travel section. I picked up several which I think will come in handy for future trips. Also at the check out line were these cute Craig and Karl hand creams. There were two other scents in Peony and Lagoon. I wish I had picked up a few as they had fun designs and prints on the cases. Two other items I picked up: the By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Lipstick in #3 Nude Pulp (you can find it in the US at Beautylish) and a Chanel Sublime Waterproof Mascara (not available in the US).
Last but not least, I brought home some chocolates, tea and jellies from Angelina and Laduree. A lot of the chocolates are already gone. I’m surprised there is still anything left after a couple of weeks but I’ve been rationing the hazelnut spreads. I may or may not have been hiding them from my husband.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my Europe haul! Next time I go, I will plan the shopping better and make sure I bring a proper suitcase so I can bring home more of the chocolates, teas and one of each of the Diptyque Room Sprays.
Dior has some new shades of the Dior Vernis Gel-Shine Long Wear Nail Lacquer out this summer. I have four that I picked out and have swatches to share today. Two of the shades are from the Tie-Dye Collection for Summer 2015 in Sunkissed #239 and Sunwashed #319. The other two are Dior.com exclusives from the Peter Philips Collection called NYC Peach #130 and BKLYN Pink #560 (all $27 each for 10 ml/.33 fl oz).
The four shades are all on the lighter or neutral side, I ordered all of these sight unseen although by now the Summer Collection shades should be readily available at all Dior counters.
NYC Peach is a light medium peach cream with a very tiny hint of shimmer
BKLYN Pink is a medium neutral rose pink that pulls slightly cool-toned
Sunkissed is a soft light peach with a subtle brightening effect
Sunwashed is a light summery yellow cream
On me, NYC Peach is very similar to Sunkissed. They are almost identical. NYC Peach is darker by maybe 1/2 to 3/4 a shade. By comparison Sunkissed almost looks pinkish when you put them side by side. Of course, I can’t pick between the two. They both go on super smooth and give the hands a brightened effect which I find is rare with peachy cream shades. They are both beautiful colors, I don’t think you need both.
A few close ups along with finger swatches. All swatches have two coats of the nail polish:
A full nail wheel of comparison swatches:
Chanel Rose Confidential (discontinued)
Chanel Mimosa (discontinued, from summer 2011)
Chanel Les Beiges Le Vernis shades in Beige Rose, Beige Pur, Precious Beige and Lovely Beige (new, review will be posted soon)
I’ve never been a fan of yellow nail polishes, but Sunwashed is a fun color that’s different and light. It is unique and I think appropriate for summer even for the nail polish wearers that wear neutrals – I think it’s fun on the toes. For peach colors, both Sunkissed and NYC Peach are phenomenal colors. If you’re like me, you probably find many peach colors pull brown or warm on the skin and can make the hands look sallow. Both of the new Dior shades have a good mix of white and bright in them that bring life to the hands while still looking peachy. BKLYN Pink didn’t impress me as much when I first applied it. It grew on me as the week progressed. I think it’s a fairly standard pink rose color. I would have loved it if it had some shimmer mixed in or if it was a bit brighter in color. In direct sunlight it looks lovely and bright. In regular light it’s a bit dull-looking (at least on me).
Although Sunkissed and NYC Peach are very similar, I give them both a huge thumbs up. In terms of formula, all of these performed true to Dior’s classic high quality style. Two coats will cover the nail fully and the formula is ultra smooth free of any streaks. Lasting power is very good on me, similar to that of Chanel which lasts 5+ days without tip wear as long as I use a good base and top coat. (My favorite tried and true here.)
Happy Wednesday everyone! Here are some new releases that are on my beauty radar this week.
1 / Dior has released a Peter Philips Collection on Dior.com inspired by the Cruise 2015 show. The two nail polishes in NYC Peach 130 and BKLYN Pink 560 caught my eye along with the Diorette Addict 179 Lipstick. I ordered both nail polishes and will share swatches as soon as they arrive.
3 / Marc Jacobs Beauty has released 18 shades of Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer which have replaced their original Sheer and Full Lip Vinyls. I’ve been playing with these for a few weeks now. First impressions = thumbs up, they give the lips a smooth cushiony feel. I will have swatches and the full review next week.
4 / L’Occitane has launched their Pivoine Sublime Tinted Lip Balms which are inspired by the peonies sustainably grown by Jean-Luc Rivière in the foothills of the Vercors Mountains of Provence. Each tinted lip balm is enriched with shea butter and three of them have a colored tint. Review soon!
5 / Burberry Beauty has six shades of Lip & Cheek Blooms. I have Rose, Orange Blossom and Poppy shown above which were sent to me for review. I haven’t had a chance to play with them yet but the colors look really pretty in the pots.
6 / Charlotte Tilbury has launched her Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadows in the US. I have high hopes for these but haven’t ordered any of the colors. I’m trying to narrow down my picks to 2 or 3 colors! If you’ve tried these what did you think? These are available now at Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom, Beautylish, and Charlotte Tilbury.
7 / Givenchy has a new lipstick called Le Rouge-À-Porter. There’s something striking about the long sleek silver tube that makes these look incredible. I’m trying to resist the urge to order sight unseen as online stock swatches make it difficult to see what the colors really look like.
8 / Last but not least, Chanel Les Beiges has started to trickle in. I saw it in store at Saks Fifth Avenue, I still haven’t had a chance to properly play with the summer collection but I have high hopes for the nude nail polishes. It’s also online now:
TGIF everyone! This week feels like it has been a really long one for some reason so I’m really happy it’s Friday. It’s been a gloomy week here in Southern California and we’ve had a bit of rain. I’ve been chasing the sun as it peeks through the clouds every once in a while – I shouldn’t complain because we have sunny weather here 90% of the year. I have a what’s in my handbag post today. Here’s what I’ve been carrying around lately. The tote is the St. Louis by Goyard in the PM size. In case you are wondering, the color is called Gris.
Inside my bag I have the Goyard Pouch that comes with the St. Louis Tote, also:
Personalized iPhone Wallet case by Gigi New York c/o (I got this at the rewardStyle conference in Dallas last month and they configured it for my iPhone 5 (although the current versions are for the iPhone 6)
For makeup most of these things fit inside the bag with the exception of the Tatcha Beauty Papers, Chanel Kabuki Brush and L’Occitane Hand Cream. The base of the Clearly MAC Trio Bag is wide at the bottom so you can fit more items inside compared to the MAC Clear Bag Set (featured here). What I have with me is way too many lip products – I add one each day to the bag and end up with more lip products that I can wear at any given time.
Caudalie Divine Oil mini size (unfortunately they don’t come with the spritzer top anymore)
The Sephora Beauty Insider event is happening this month! VIB Rouge Members get early access starting today where you can get 15% off your purchases online at Sephora.com with code ROUGELOVE and in stores by showing the mailer or copy of the e-mail you received with the barcodes 4/12 through 4/21. VIB and other Beauty Insider Members will have access at later dates (will update as more as I receive more info).
I placed an order online this morning to avoid the crowds, although quite a few of the Surratt Beauty items I had on my wish list sold out already. I’ll have my haul to share with you in the next week (my package is expected to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday).
In the meantime if you need some recommendations here is a list of items I’ve reviewed from the past few years that are good to save on. Sales on mid to high-end luxury products rarely occur except with the occasional friends and family discounts. In the mix a few splurges along with classic staples.
Caudalie Purifying Mask and Detox Mask $39 each just arrived a few days from my order, I couldn’t wait for the sale to try these, I’ve tested these two and they are incredibly gentle on the skin but very effective – detailed review as I test the other two
NARS Dual Intensity Blushes $45 each come in six options, I’ve been obsessed with Craving although I haven’t had a chance to post the review yet, since these are pricey now is a good time to save on these
Make Up For Ever Dany’s Pouch $31 is something I bought at The Makeup Show LA, it’s a round brush holder you can use for travel, it’s sturdy so your brushes won’t get smashed if you put the case in a large carry on or suitcase
Make Up For Ever Instant Brush Cleaner $22 is another purchase I acquired at The Makeup Show LA, it’s a good quick cleaner spray that is available in a small travel size (review soon)
Did you buy anything for the VIB Rouge Beauty Insider sale at Sephora? If you’re shopping online be sure to enter in the code ROUGELOVE at checkout. If you’re a VIB/Beauty Insider Member, what’s on your wish list or in your shopping cart?
It’s a brand new month and this time of year summer beauty collections start to trickle in. So far I’ve been building a wish list that is primarily Chanel, Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs. Can’t wait to see what everyone has in store for the upcoming season. Right now there are a few new things that are on my beauty radar:
Edward Bess recently launched his Matte Artist Eyeshadow Palette (1) I’ll have a review on this in the upcoming weeks. This Friday Edward will be on the QVC Show at 5pm EST where he will be featuring some new product launches. One is his new Fully Defined Brow Duos (2). They will come in a choice of Neutral or Rich (on right) and both feature the same brightener shade to lift the arches.
Guerlain has a four new shades of the Terracotta Natural Healthy Glow Powder Duo (4). The compact is a stunning pearly color and the powders are super soft in texture. Review to come soon.
Nuxe fans will be happy to know they’ve expanded the Rêve de Miel line with a Gentle Shampoo (5). I’ve been testing this and have fallen head over heels. It’s an amazingly soft sweet honey scented shampoo that is gentle and leaves the hair soft. I’ll have a detailed review on this soon too.
Surratt Beauty (6) just launched online at Sephora.com. I’m thrilled there is a new place to buy Surratt items. For reference, three of his lip items previously swatched and reviewed here.
Last but not least, By Terry (10) has 5 new shades of Hyaluronic Sheer Nude Hydra-Balm and 4 shades of a new Cellularose Moisturizing CC Cream. I have the CC Cream in Shade 3 (review soon) but initial thoughts are that it offers good natural sheer to medium coverage that’s buildable and is very hydrating.
