Browsing Tag

Fall 2009

Uncategorized

Dior Fall 2009 Jazz Club Eyes + Nail Polish + Other Smoky Eye Variations

July 5, 2009

Fall collections are trickling in! So far I’ve seen the fall collections for Chanel, Laura Mercier, Giorgio Armani, and now Dior. After seeing Karen’s fabulous article and swatches on Makeup and Beauty Blog for the Dior Jazz Club Collection Fall 2009, I went to Nordstrom to check out the collection myself.

This is what I came home with:

Smoky Jazz Eye Palette 001, the Total Eyelook Makeup Clutch for Liner, Brow, and Eyeshadows – they’ve included a nice brush!

Left to right: Liner, Eyebrow, Matte Eyeshadow, Iridescent Eyeshadow x2, Topcoat

Night Butterfly 173 Quint (5-Colour Eyeshadow) – this was lighter than I expected based on promotional pictures floating around the web, but Karen’s swatches gave me a good idea of what it looked like in real life before I stopped by the counter:

Black Plum 981 Nail Vernis:

Also picked up the Creme de Glosses and Addict Reflect Lipglosses, but for some reason these are not photographing well. For great pics/swatches, check out Karen’s blog!

Some other smokey eye palette variations for a classic smokey eye or soft smokey eye:

Dolce & Gabbana Champagne (Smooth Color Eye Quad):

Dior Sky Glow 009 Quint (5 Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow):

Chanel Smoky Eyes 93 (Quadra Eyeshadow):

MAC Smoking Eyes Quad – Next to Nothing, Satin Taupe, Showstopper, Smoking:

MAC Trip Palette Sultry Eyes – Sun Cruise Gloss, Freckletone Lipstick, Filament Lustre Eyeshadow, French Grey Satin Eyeshadow, Carbon Matte Eyeshadow (found a month ago at my local CCO):

Looking for some other smokey eye colors? To do a smokey eye, I often layer different shades with a black since blacks tend to turn blueish on my skin. Check out the 5 part series for swatches of dark shimmery eyeliners and shadows separated by color category:

Color Focus:
Smokey Eyes Part 1
Smokey Eyes Part 2 (Greys & Blacks)
Smokey Eyes Part 3 (Black Golds)
Smokey Eyes Part 4 (Mauves & Plums)
Smokey Eyes Part 5 (Blues & Greens)

2 Comments
Uncategorized

Giorgio Armani Fall 2009: Manta Ray Collection

July 2, 2009

Last week I received a preview e-mail from Giorgio Armani about their new Manta Ray Collection featuring 5 eyeshadow duos, 2 silk lipsticks, 1 blush, and 1 lip shimmer.

Their star product of the season features their new eyeshadow duos with a snake-like embossed surface described as follows:

“Inspired by the precious and luxurious materials used in Giorgio Armani fashion accessories, the palettes offer a beautiful selection of color harmonies inspired by nature. The collection features subtle hues that offer a new take on the timeless color “Greige,” create by Giorgio Armani. The rich filtered eye tones, presented in a matte Greige compact, give depth and mystery to the eyes with subtle contours and highlights.”

I stopped by Saks and was surprised to see these in store already. The counter did not have testers, nor did they receive everything in the collection yet, but did have all the shadow duos, Blush #12 (pale whitish pink shimmer) and Silk Lipstick #93 (plum-brown cream).

I ended up purchasing the following two items:

* Manta Ray Eyeshadow #1: Described as “charcoal and greige,” this duo seems more like an intense satin black and soft grey/brown/beige with plum undertones. At first glance it looks like a plain brown, but I compared it next to a few other shades and it seems to have slight pink/plum undertones.

* Sheer Blush #12: I am a huge fan of Armani blushes and was really excited about the new #12. It’s described as a “pale raspberry” but this is quite misleading since it’s actually a super pale cool-pink shimmer with lavender undertones. Luckily the counter did have a tester of this item. The makeup artist assured me it went on differently than it appeared in the pot. She dusted a bit on and sure enough, it went on a pretty glowy light pink. Your mileage may vary on this one, so definitely try it out before purchasing.

Close up (clickable so you can see the slight shimmer):

Comparisons, left to right: GA #1, GA #12, GA #11

Comparisons, left to right: MAC Sheertone Shimmer in Shimmersweet, GA #12, Chanel Silk Dream

Above are some comparison pictures to help give a better idea of what the new blush looks like. Overall thoughts are undecided. I usually love Armani, but the look created in this collection isn’t the most flattering. The concept of the eyeshadows are unique but $32 for an eyeshadow and $42 for a blush is pretty steep – I feel like I should have gotten more for my $$$.

For other Giorgio Armani Features, click HERE to see the new Maestro Eye Shadow extensions, Summer 2009, and some Bronzer comparisons.

3 Comments
Uncategorized

Chanel Fall 2009 has arrived at Saks!

June 20, 2009

Stopped by Saks today to pick up a few Armani items and was surprised to see the fall collection for Chanel out! The product rep wasn’t there, and there were a few empty slots (mainly 1 duo eyeshadow or single eyeshadow slot and a few pencil liners), but most of the collection was there.

Collection includes:
* 6 Rouge Allures in Clandestine #73, Comedia #74, Amusing #75, Captive #76, Inuitive #77, Instinctive #78
* 2 Glossimers in Arlequin #136 and Courtisane #138
* 1 Le Crayon Leveres in Praline D’Or #35
* 2 Le Vernis in Gondola #499, Intermezzo #501
* 1 Poudre Douce in Peche Caresse
* 1 Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Sienna
* 1 Jous Contraste in Fresque
* 1 Quadra Eyeshadow in Murano
* 1 Eye Gloss Quad (forget the name)
* 1 Irreelle Duo in Acqua Alta

Also featured are 2 waterproof eyeliners, 1 brow pencil, mascara.

Left to right Rouge Allures in Comedia #74, Intuitive #77, Instinctive #78, Glossimer in Arlequin #136 and Courtisane #138:

Murano Quad:

Tweed Sienna & Fresque Blushes:

Tweed comparisons:

Fresque comparisons:

Nail Polishes in Cosmic Violine (from the Celestial Collection) versus Gondola:

Also, not pictured is the new Lip Liner which is a gorgeous light peachy nude (did not photograph well). The other rouge allures were in the red family, all gorgeous. The other nail polish was a iridescent opal white color. The eyeshadow duo was a crystal white shimmer with a charcoal grey.

2 Comments