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Chanel Le Vernis Black Velvet, Gold Lame & Illusion D’Or

May 2, 2010
I promised myself I would never buy anything I thought I’d never wear but have broken this promise several times this past year with Chanel Jade, Chanel Nouvelle Vague, MAC Birds & Berries and now the Chanel Shanghai-Paris limited edition nail polishes. Combine the words “exclusive” and “limited-edition” and I’m sold. Add “Chanel” to that mix and it triggers that need-to-have-it-now syndrome. So of course, I caved with the three newest exclusive limited edition shades from Chanel launched in honor of their Shanghai-Paris runway show. Here are my photos, swatches + comparisons to other shades.

L to R: Dior Black Sequins, Chanel Black Satin,
Chanel Noir Ceramic, Chanel Black Velvet


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L to R: Chanel Antilope, Chanel Golden Sand,
Chanel Gold Lame, D&G Desert


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L to R: NARS Adelita, Chanel Beige D’Or,
Chanel Illusion D’Or, Chanel Galactic Touch


Overall thoughts: Hmmm . . . not so sure about these. I normally love everything Chanel releases but I’m not crazy about these. I was well aware that these were released because of their runway show, so I knew ahead of time that these would indeed be “trendy.” I like the other blacks and golds in my current collection a lot better than these new Chanel colors. I love the concept of Illusion D’Or, but the gold is too bling-tastic for my taste. That being said, I would absolutely DIE if they released a pink version in this formula. Any shade of pink ranging from light pink to golden-pink to bright pink.

These are lovely, but for nails I try to be more conservative. Up until I started blogging, I only wore colors on my toes but have tried to go out of my comfort zone and wear color on fingers. Black Velvet is intriguing because the finish is so different from other shades, but just not practical for an every-day type of manicure. Gold Lame and Illusion D’Or are just too flashy for my taste, although I’m sure I’ll find some occasion to wear them in the future.

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

April 23, 2010
I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of the month, where did the time go? This is April’s Edition of what I’m loving right now. As always, I’ve love to hear what you are loving right now too!

1. MAC Goldenaire Pigment – From MAC Lingerie 2006, a lovely pink with pearly shimmers. Goes well with almost everything for a neutral all-over wash.

2. Bobbi Brown Bronze Gel Liner – A nice soft but defined bronze shimmer. One of the few gel liners I’ve actually used up.

3. Diorshow Mascara – A mini one, but this is one of my holy grails. Love that the minis are just as good as the full sized ones. Can’t say that it really holds the curl, but it does give full lush lashes without clumping, smudging or flaking.

4. Dior Iridescent Leather Quint – Limited from Fall 2008. A gorgeous palette of neutrals and warm beigey taupes. The closest alternative is Earth Reflection which is cooler-toned. I read from Rouge Deluxe that this was re-released in Asia. If they brought this back in the US, I wouldn’t have to use this so sparingly.

5. Bobbi Brown Maui Illuminating Bronzer – A lovely natural pink glow. You can see it here compared to Antigua. Maui is the darker version with a bit more pigment.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Desert Bronzer – Lovely soft warm bronze with subtle shimmer. Those who find NARS Casino/Laguna too shimmery, this one is a nice option that is softer but not completely matte.

7. Chanel Pink Crystal Glossimer – Came out Holiday 2007, not the most unique pink shimmer. Chanel has released quite a few similar shades including the new Spring Futile. But I love this one over other lipsticks.

8. Chanel Bondi Beach Aqualumiere Gloss – New for Summer 2010. A soft peachy gold shimmer. I love the way this looks on the lips even though it’s medium-sheer. You can see an additional swatch here.

9. Chanel Stresa Aqualumiere – I’m not sure if they still make this shade, but it’s a sheer hot strawberry iridescent cool pink. I love this with Chanel’s Nude Lipliner and Bon-Bon Aqualumiere gloss on top for a healthy pink lip. Bright as it looks in the tube, on the lips it’s very wearable. See a makeover breakdown I had with it here.

10. NARS Mojave – I’ve been a longtime fan of NARS Viva Las Vegas. Mojave is it’s darker more pigmented sister which is like what I wanted MAC Plastique to be (still lovely, but too frosty for my taste without gloss on top).


Check back soon for my list of what I’m loving right now – the non-beauty edition!

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Dior Summer Quints Part 2: Swatches + Comparisons

April 8, 2010
I was able to play around with my new Dior Summer Quints a bit more and find them amazing! Please note the swatches don’t do the actual product justice, these were swatched on a bare arm so the color on the lighter shades don’t show up as well with the flash washing it out a bit.
If I had to pick 1 quint for the summer, it would definitely be Ready-To-Glow, it just seems more unique to me. Although Crush Glow is equally gorgeous, I know I will get good use out of both! The pigment is medium-to-rich, texture easily blendable, finish is glowy and shimmery. The frost is definitely on the higher end, but I don’t find these overly frosty. That being said, I typically only use 3 shades at a time from a Dior Quint. Using all 5 just isn’t very practical for my eyeshape and skintone, although the concept is quite appealing. I simply cannot pull off that many shades at once on my small eyelid area.

Dior Ready-To-Glow 649 + Comparisons:





Dior Crush Glow 659 + Comparisons:




* Note for Lexi – I know you wanted a dupe for the center shade, I compared it to MAC at the counter today, it’s most similar to Paradisco, but the Dior is a lot more pigmented, and a bit lighter – I tried to save my hand swatch, but it didn’t last the car ride home



I won’t be swatching the comparisons. It took a great deal of effort to find dupes because the colors just seemed so unique to me. The Dior Summer Quints all have a multi-dimentional quality which creates a “glow” like the names imply. YMMV depending on your screen, but I couldn’t find exact dupes for any of the Summer Quints, so I pulled what I thought was the closest in color family to provide a comparison and help you gauge the colors depending on your computer screen.

While $58 USD is pricey for an eyeshadow palette, if you factor in the convenience , quality, pigment and price per eyeshadow, it comes to about $11.60 for 1.2 grams. My MAC Eyeshadows range from 1.3 to 1.5 grams for $11.00 (pro-palette form) or $14.50 so if you think about the price in those terms, Dior isn’t really too bad. Overpriced, yes, but RIDICULOUSLY overpriced, no. (Then again, this is only my opinion.)

I didn’t see much else featured in this collection – they are featuring 3 of the Lip Polishes 001, 002 and 003 (which were a Sephora exclusive before) along with some of the new Addict Glosses. There is also a liptint/lipgloss charm in a heavy silver compact with chain. The tester unit wasn’t set up fully, and it seemed to have random testers put in the empty slots. My SA at Nordstrom said she hadn’t received everything yet and wasn’t sure when the rest would be arriving, so I’m not sure if there are any nail polishes or blushes featured with this collection.

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Get Your Glow On with Dior Summer Quints: Ready-To-Glow 649 & Crush Glow 659

April 6, 2010
Dior Summer 2010 has arrived in-store with two stunning quints, Ready-To-Glow 649 and Crush Glow 659. This is only a preview, I don’t have swatches, comparisons, or a full review yet, but stay tuned for an update in the next day or so. Both come in the Iridescent Eyeshadow formula and retail for $58 each. Indeed the names are suitable for both palettes because they radiate pure lovely glowiness when you open the compacts.

Ready-To-Glow 649 is a neutral-cool palette. It seems like a more neutral variation of Smoky Crystal 089, which I’m completely in love with, but the new summer quint has less intense-contrasts in colors and softer more muted shades.

Crush Glow 659 is the warmer variation, which I am happy to report isn’t too warm as I had initially thought it would be based on preview pictures. Still, it’s on the warm side, but lovely and very wearable.

I haven’t had a chance to test these on my eyes, but the testers at Nordies were extremely soft and pigmented. It seems that the summer collections come out earlier every year. This collection seems suitable for spring, although their Spring Lace Collection was equally stunning and suitable for spring. I’m just happy they released a mini collection that seems to be well suited for year round – at least in Southern California.

Again, note that my work is copyrighted, please do not republish or hotlink my photos. Thanks!

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Dior Love Vernis Comparisons

April 3, 2010
Dior Love is most similar to OPI’s Lourve Me Lourve Me Not, but applies a lot better. The Dior only needed 2 coats where the OPI needed 3 to get a full application. The remaining colors aren’t necessarily dupes, but just colors in the same color family so you can gauge how purple/burgandy/fuschia/bright Dior Love is compared to other purples.

Same order, just closer shot:


I’m sure there may be other closer dupes out there for Dior Love, I just don’t have any others that compare to it.

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Love Dior Set by Tyen

April 2, 2010
I am so excited to tell you all I have found the Limited Edition Love Dior Set by Tyen! For this purchase, I have Marina from Makeup4All to thank for writing about the set back last October in her Tyen: 30 Years of Creation Love Dior Palette and also my fellow makeup guru Parsi who told me she spotted it at the Dior Boutique in Las Vegas and immediately sent me a rave review knowing this would be something I would be interested in learning more about. The Dior Boutique in the Forum Shops did have a few left in stock and I was ecstatic!

The set is called Love Dior which retails for $80 US. It comes with an Eyeshadow Palette that is called Love Dior, but can also be used on cheeks as a highlighter. There is also a gorgeous nail polish that has complex shimmers of burgandy-wine-purple-fuschia which I am absolutely in love with.



One more shot, natural light:

I haven’t had a chance to play with the palette yet. It’s too pretty, I don’t know that I want to touch it. The “i” in the Dior arrived crumbled, but no biggie. I will try to pull some similar nail polish shades to do a comparison post soon!
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New Dior Addict Glosses & Lip Polish

March 31, 2010
Dior has released a new lipgloss called Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss which comes in a larger tube than the regular Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect formula. Does this mean the original Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflects are going away? I’m not sure. There are quite a few of the same shade numbers in the new packaging/formula, just with different names, my SA did not know when I asked her.

The new formula retails at the same price as the old, even though the newer tubes have slightly more product. Both retail for $26.50, the new tubes have 6.3 ml/.21 fl oz versus the older tubes which have 6 ml/.19 fl oz.

Also, new and exclusive to Sephora for Spring 2010, there is a new Lip Polish called Petal Pink in #004 for $29.50. I wrote about the other 3 lip polishes last June, click here for the review/swatches.

L to R: Lace Beige, Pink Silk, Negligee Pink, Petal Pink

Close up:


Overall lovely with nice soft-medium pigment and smooth texture. The new Addict Ultra-Glosses range from cream non-shimmer to soft iridescent to super sparkle, so there’s a wide range to suit your sparkle needs. I picked the ones that were more subdued. (From Nordstrom.) If you own any Dior glosses, I suggest you go through your current stash and write down the numbers of the colors you own so you don’t experience the same “do I already have this shade” that I did while playing with all the colors.

(FYI those not familiar with Dior, most of their lipglosses are labeled by number at the bottom, the product name is typically only on the boxes, making it a challenge to remember what colors you have.)

The new Lip Polish in Petal Pink is fairly sheer. If I had tested it in-store, I probably would have passed. It is very dupable from other milky pinks, although it does give your lips that pretty youthful looking glow. These are pricey at $29.50, but this is due to the roller-wand and unique ingredients. I personally find the rolling wand a bit awkward to use since I’m not used to it. (From Sephora.)

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