Per reader request, I’ve photographed the new Kaska Beige Eyeshadow Quad next to Demure and Winter Nights for comparison and decided to photograph my entire collection of Chanel quads.
For me, nothing compares to the color palette of Chanel – I usually find that all the shades in each quad coordinate well with each other for a base, crease, liner and highlight. (Exceptions are with the lumieres quads Oasis and Plein Soleil which have a slightly different texture and are more for highlight/contour.) The colors in each quad work perfectly for an all-in-one palette which I find rare in most other pre-made quads. The pigment ranges from medium-light to medium, I like to apply the darker shades with a slightly damp brush. If you like super rich pigment, then these might not be the best option for you. I find Dior Iridescent Quints to be more pigmented, but they have similar intensity to the regular Dior Quints. All of these are the US versions, unfortunately most have been limited edition or discontinued – but check your local Chanel counters, they often still carry some of the older colors until stock sells out. On occasion they will repromote some of the palettes.
I believe most of these quads have been released in the Asia/Euro/Canada version (ones with the round pans). The only non-US version I have is the White Whisper quad (see photos and swatches here) which was an Asia exclusive, but released through Chanel.com and at select Chanel Beaute Studios and Boutiques. For color releases, I believe Asia gets more colors than we do in the US.
While these are expensive, I do find they last a long time. The most frequently used quad I have is Dunes and does not yet have any dips in it yet. This is by no means an all-comprehensive list of all the quads that have been released – there are quite a few that have been released that I do not own.
What are your favorite Chanel quads? Or are there other brands of quads you like better?
After a few iffy collection releases, I am happy to say that Chanel has gotten back on their gorgeousness track with the release of their Les Impressions de Chanel collection for spring (which seems more like summer, but still stunning).
Here is my “omg, I can’t believe I spent so much, but I’m so happy” haul:
It seems like the star product of the collection is their compact highlighter Empreinte de Chanel Poudre Eclat Illuminatrice – this has a multi-colored base powder with an embossed crossing C logo on top in a gold shimmer powder. The shimmer goes all the way through, the Cs are definitely more pigmented, the base powder shows up, but is more sheer.
The new blush #59 Imprevu is probably the most shimmery Chanel blush I’ve seen. It’s a peachy-tawny-nude that will probably be too dark for fair skins. Right now, I have medium skin (check My Foundation Shades Here) and it gave me a bronzey-peach look. It doesn’t go on as shimmery as it looks in the compact and is just a tad lighter than Fandango but very similar.
Part 2: Eyes
These are definitely my favorite pieces. See MORE VIEWS HERE. The eyeshadow quad #18 Kaska Beige is very natural with a unique combination of colors: pale cream, medium pink-brown-beige, shimmery dusty plum, shimmery beige-gold.
Equally stunning are the new eyeshadow singles #85 Sillage (shimmery pinky shell) & #86 Trace (sparkley warm bronze). Sillage is more pink and less pale than Lotus and Island. Trace is warmer and more sparkley than Le Bronze and Cinnamon with the gold shimmers being more visible.
Part 3: Lips
The lipsticks come in the Rouge Allure formula. The colors, L to R are #79 Impertinente (dusty rose pink), #80 Delicieuse (soft coral), #81 Insouciante (nude beige-grey), #82 Incognito (neutral nude pink).
The glossimers in this collection are both sparkley and sheer but still really pretty. #139 Futile is a super pale pink and #141 Maline is a pale gold. If you have colors like Rose Sand, Seashell, Pink Crystal, or Bronze Crystal, you probably won’t need to get these unless you’re a die hard Chanel fan. I believe both are Limited Editions.
Part 4: Nail Polishes
I posted pictures and swatches of the nail polishes already a couple days ago here, so today I’ll do comparisons to other similar shades I have.
#503 Inattendu comparisons L to R: Chanel Jasmine, Chanel Inattendu, OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy
#505 Particuliere comparisons L to R: OPI You Don’t Know Jacques, Chanel Particuliere, OPI Over the Taupe
#507 Tendresse comparisons L to R: Paul & Joe #10, Chanel Tendresse, Chanel Rose Satin, Zoya Jessika
Also in the collection (not purchased): * #68 Khaki Dore Le Crayon Yeux (olivey-gold shimmery eyeliner) * #100 Ombre D’eau (a khaki-greenish fluid eyeshadow) * #36 Beige Le Crayon Levres (pale beige lipliner) * #110 Beige Claire Poudre Universelle (a luminous setting powder) * #68 Sand Eyeshadow Single (repromote) * Soleil Tan de Chanel (Sunkissed – reformulated version of their Brilliance Pur) along with a few other items I didn’t catch since everything was still in boxes.
Overall thoughts . . . Winners = Eyes: To me, the must haves are the Kaska Beige Eyeshadow Quad and Sillage/Trace Singles. Face/cheek: While I love all the Chanel JC blushes, the new Imprevu didn’t wow me as much after I saw how it compared to my other Chanel colors (if you have Fandango or Enchantresse I don’t think you need this new one). I must admit the store lighting made me gasp when I saw the new blush though. The highlighter powder is really nice, but I think YMMV on this one. It shows up on me, but I was a bit disappointed that multi-colored base is sheerer than the rest of the powder. Nails: The nail polishes are amazing in the formula, but not so unique with the colors. I really wish they had some pearl or shimmer to them to give them that extra unique Chanel-touch. Particuliere (the grey/taupe) can be easily duped with OPI Over the Taupe – the only difference is that OPI OTT is more warm/brown where Chanel Particuliere is a tad more greyish/cool. If you like grey/taupes but want something lighter with a pearl finish, check out Zoya Pasha. Lips: These are great if you like natural wearable colors. I think Chanel always does a great job with their lipsticks and glosses.
I’ve been writing so much on Edward Bess and Paul & Joe (my two new loves) – I thought I’d take a short break. Here is my list for December (a bit shorter than normal) of what I’m loving right now:
1) Harney & Sons White Christmas Tea – Got this in a Holiday Tea Set from Williams Sonoma (instore). I know it’s not exactly beauty-related, but I’ve been drinking this nonstop when I study or blog. Add a bit of honey, sugar and soy milk and it’s heaven. I think you can get it cheaper individually on the Harney & Sons Website.
2) Korres Lip Butter in Guava – Posted about some lip balms last month HERE. This one is smooth, sweet but light scent, moisturizing but not goopy. I love the light pink tint! My lips were a bit chapped from lack of food/water/sleep as I spent the last week working non-stop on school projects. This revitalized my lips instantaneously – no joke.
3) Dolce & Gabbana Mascara – I used up my favorite Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill and felt it was time to open my D&G Mascara. This is *everything* Melissa and Rachel from Saks NY D&G have raved about. Defines and thickens lashes and doesn’t clump or smudge. I love the brush because it gets all my lashes without applying too much goop. It gives a more natural look compared to Armani Eyes to Kill/Diorshow. (No photo, but it comes in a heavy gold tube.)
4) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic Eyeshadow – I don’t know why I haven’t written about this sooner. I bought it as soon as the metallic shadows came out and love this for a smokey cool-brown shimmer. Most shimmery dark brown shadows I’ve found seem to be warm toned (Bobbi Brown Chocolate Shimmerwash, MAC Mulch, Nars Lola Lola, Chanel Cinnamon). If you like taupes, you will like Java – it’s a few steps up in intensity from your regular taupes with smokiness to it. Looks great when applied with a damp brush.
Compared to Stone Shimmerwash and Chocolate Shimmerwash for your reference:
5) Nars Irresistiblement Bronzer – I bought this months ago because it looked so pretty on Em from Too Much Blush. Even though our skintones are completely different, I had to give it a try. I’ve been alternating between this and Edward Bess Daydream for everyday bronzers. It’s a warm almost orangey looking bronze in the pan. But on the skin, it warms up my face like a bronzer-blush. Your mileage may vary on this, but if you have a Nars counter near you it’s definitely worth trying out even if it doesn’t look like your cup of tea.
6) Mauvey Pink Lipglosses: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07, Paul & Joe Lip Gloss 09, MAC Lovechild and Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 10 – It’s difficult for me to find a mauvey lipgloss that isn’t too pale, too purple or too grey. All of these work perfectly because they have just the right amount of pink or brown so I don’t end up looking dead. They go well with Laura Mercier Chestnut Lipliner which is a good everyday neutral.
I bought Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07 and Gloss 09 thanks to the genius of Caroline from the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. She said they were great for girls with skintones like us (medium and Asian) but flatter almost everyone she’s worked with. Of course she was right on the money. I then bought Lacquer #10 thanks to Joey’s rave review and pictures. I was worried it would be too brown, but turns out it’s not!
L to R: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, P&J Lacquer 07, P&J Lipgloss 09, MAC Lovechild, P&J Lacquer 10
7) Guerlain Perles Imperiales Holiday Meteorites – This is my one and only Guerlain Meteorites. I caved from all the raves and bought it online because it was sold out in stores by the time I decided I wanted it. Gives a pretty sparkley glow.
The highly anticipated Jet Set collection from Edward Bess finally arrived at my front door! Krista from Bergdorf Goodman was kind enough to tell me about this set a few months ago and put me on the wait list. Luckily it arrived just in time for their $25 off $100 event!
The set is exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman and retails for $125 but you can also purchase the items individually. Inside the kit:
Island Escape Eyeshadow Trio – Comes with an ivory shimmer, a matte medium brown, a matte smokey brown. Great pigment and easily blendable.
Island Rose Compact Rouge for Lips & Cheeks – This is a bright watermelon almost-fuschia pink cream with no detectable shimmer in the pot. Even though it looks and swatches bright, it wears very natural and gives a nice pink glow. The texture is creamy and easily blendable.
Natural Lipliner – A creamy twist-up neutral pinky-brown.
I’m doing a tag-team post with the FABULOUSLY AMAZINGKarlaSugar for the Edward Bess Jet Set. She brought all of us a Sneak Peak of the Jet Set with details and prices (items can be purchased individually) last month. Just posted today, check out her blog for the Swatches of the Holiday Jet Set with comparisons too!
Close up:
This was the look I did today with the kit and it lasted pretty much all day with the exception of the lips after I had my lunch.
Face: Edward Bess Island Rose on cheeks
Eyes: Laura Mercier Platinum Metallic Cream Eyeshadow Edward Bess Island Escape Trio: pale ivory on lid, medium 1/2 way up lid blended, dark as a smokey liner (so it was a gradual dark at lash line to lighter up the lid) Le Metier Tamarack Eyeliner D&G Mascara
Lips: Edward Bess Natural Lipliner Chanel Formentera Aqualumiere Edward Bess Sweet Dreams Lipgloss
Overall thoughts – My readers know I’m a fan of Edward Bess products as great line for wearable classic neutrals. For this kit, I have mixed feelings mainly because of the high price tag. The quality and pigment of this kit is just as good as everything else I’ve tried from his line, and I know I will get a lot of use out of each product from this kit because the colors are very wearable and give a natural and pretty polished look.
For me, the winner in the kit is the Island Rose Compact. It looks very bright in the pot and swatched, but blends out to give a perfect natural pink blush. It’s similar to Bobbi Brown’s Raspberry Pink Pot Rouge but warmer and slightly more dewy. (Check karla’s blog for swatch comparisons.)
I like the eyeshadow trio and lipliner for the quality and convenience for a no-fail everyday look, but I feel like the colors can be easily duplicated with other brands. That being said, I do like everything, but if I had seen/tested them in person, I think I would have probably splurged on some more lipsticks from the line.
Anyone else get the Jet Set? What are your thoughts and how are you coordinating the products with your current makeup stash?
It was love at first sight for the Intimate & Dusk Eyeshadows from Edward Bess. I had read about the line before but never really paid much attention until I started receiving the Bergdorf Goodman catalog in the mail. I have Leanne (aka Artbabe) to thank for enabling me – she described Intimate as the taupe “you can’t go wrong with.” I was immediately sold!
I’ve since discovered a few other Edward Bess fans, Alexa (aka Nekochama), Robin (aka Applepark) and Leslie (aka LeslieCZ) to name a few. Thanks to their expertise and glowing reviews have pushed me over the edge to collect all the single eyeshadows he has created.
They are pricey at $29 each but I have to say they are worth every penny if you love neutrals. At first glance, the eyeshadows may seem very ordinary, but when you look closer and swipe them with your finger, you will realize how incredibly gorgeous each shade is. I find the mirrored compact design is refreshingly clean and simple. I will do my best to describe each color:
* Nude – pale buttercream with a very slight luster * Intimate – a light luminescent warm tan/taupe, hard to describe, but LOVE * Dusk – a gorgeous complex grey-brown-taupe shimmer that has a bit of gold and khaki * Escape – warm coppery shimmer * Mystery – complex dusty coffee brown with slight shimmer * Night – matte charcoal-black with a satin finish
Nude
Intimate
Dusk
Escape
Mystery
Night
Swatches – these really do not do the colors justice!
With flash:
No flash:
I have to admit at times cannot believe I spent $29 on a single eyeshadow (or all 6 for that matter). But I really love the colors and quality. My favorites are Intimate, Dusk and Mystery. You can see a look I put together using Dusk in A Week of Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 1.
While I like Nude and Night, I think they can be easily duplicated with other brands so to me, if I had seen and tested them in person first, I probably wouldn’t have bought these 2.
I like these because they are neutral but not boring. They are timeless and appropriate for any age. There’s just enough sparkle/glow to each shade to give a luminescent glow, but not overly so which will make these work for ladies who avoid shimmer/frost like the plague.
One more view: * Top Row – Nude, Intimate, Dusk * Bottom Row – Escape, Mystery, Night
These were all purchased from Bergdorf Goodman. Krista the Brand Manager there for the line has been super helpful in describing colors to me. Love that she is friendly, knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. She actually tried to talk me out of Nude since I was getting the Jet Set (more on this set soon) and told me that the pale shade in the palette was similar to Nude. Also great there with Edward Bess is Susan – super friendly and helpful as well.
I stopped by Victoria’s Secret a few weeks ago and decided to check out the Exotic Jewels Holiday collection by Heidi Klum among other things (thanks to some recommendations). I’m a huge fan of Heidi Klum, she always looks stunning and glowing. I like her modern and chic style – I especially love that she’s been featured for Ann Taylor’s holiday ad campaign. She gives the brand a more modern look.
What I came home with (beauty-related):
* Lipglosses & Lip Lacquers $10 to $14 – The lipglosses are pretty sheer, they are have a non-sticky texture similar to MAC Lip Gelees, but a bit sheerer. The lip lacquers are more pigmented.
* Heidi Klum Perfect Lipstick in Exotic Spice $16 is a great nude nude with good coverage/pigment. It has a tiny bit of sparkle in the tube, but it’s not visible on the lips. I’m not the biggest fan of the packaging and $16 seems steep for something from VS, but the texture is creamy and I love the color. I’m not sure about the regular lipsticks in the VS line, but this one has a chocolate scent.
These blend out very sheer:
* Eyeshadow quads in Eye Contact and Sultry $15: I have to say I am fairly impressed with these! $15 is a steal for this size – you get a decent sized quad. The texture is really soft and pigment is decent and very blendable. I wouldn’t carry these in my purse though – I think the formula is pretty fragile – there were several boxes on the display unit in the tore that had broken shadows inside.
* Heidi Klum Luminous Gems $22 – a bit pricey in my opinion for VS makeup and it seems like you get about 1/2 of what is pictured on the Victoria’s Secret website (in terms of amount of product) , but there is still enough product in the actual container and I can’t imagine ever using this up. Swirled together you get a pink-gold shimmery glow. (Swatch didn’t turn out so hot on my arm.)
I have to admit I bought these mainly b/c I had some coupons to use up. If I had paid more attention to which glosses were “lip glosses” versus “lip lacquers” I probably would have passed on some of these knowing that they were very sheer.
For those who just like sheer makeup and decent prices, I recommend checking the line out too. They had quite a few good neutral nude-pink lipsticks. I didn’t purchase any though.
Part 1 of D&G Holiday Collection was featured back in November with pictures and swatches of the new lipgloss, lipstick, blush and nail polish. Today focuses on the new Golds Eyeshadow Quad.
The quad has a pale pink shimmer, a white shimmer, a soft pale gold shimmer and a soft chocolate brown. This actually reminds me of Chanel’s White Whisper Quad with the only difference being the darkest shade. You can see from the swatch that the light colors look really similar. The texture is divine like all other Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadows – soft and highly pigmented.
Three different views and swatches:
This quad retails for $59 which is pretty steep – I actually received this from Saks NY in a bit of a mix up. When I placed my first order, they didn’t have the Golds Quad in yet so I told them to just call me when it came in and I would decide later if I wanted to buy it. I guess they interpreted that to just do a charge/send once it came in because it arrived at my door about 3 weeks later. Since they had already sent it and charged shipping, I just decided to keep it.
Looks like it will be pretty for a pale silvery eye which will be nice for the holidays and also going into spring if paired with some neutral tans like MAC Soba or Stila Puppy.
