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Chanel Aqua Glossimer for Summer 2016

June 3, 2016

The Chanel Collection Dans La Lumière de L’Été features six colors for lips in a new gloss formula called Aqua Glossimer ($30 each for 5.5g/0.19 oz, all limited-edition). These are similar to the regular Glossimers which I’ve been a long time fan of for natural color and shine. The new Aqua Glossimer is a lighter kind of gloss with a lightweight almost watery cushion feel and sheer color. The colors in the tubes are absolutely gorgeous. Once I applied them on my lips I was undecided how I felt about them. They have a very sheer finish and almost feel jelly like. At first they felt so emollient I thought they would slide off my lips. I did put these to the test though and am happy to report that they do not slide around but stay put, however if you don’t like that thinner emollient feel for a gloss you may want to add a neutral lipliner first to help it feel like it won’t slide.

The colors have a mix of jelly non-shimmers and a couple shimmers. The 3 deeper colors have better color payoff. The lighter shades give the lips a barely there tint. If you like color to show up I would say pass on these – they will simply be too sheer for you. Curiosity got the best of me and being a Chanel fan I just had to try them. I am happy with the formula and colors – I think they are fun for an effortless kind of wash, however if I will say that if you want a nice wash of color I would recommend the YSL Rouge Volupte Shines I reviewed in April instead even though the formula is completely different. The color payoff is much better but will still give you that beautiful sheen. If you still want a gloss but with more color stick with the regular Chanel Glossimer formula or try the YSL Pop Water Glossy Stains – I reach for these frequently and I repurchased Wet Nude and Pink Rain.

Onto the colors for the Aqua Glossimers. They also come with a slightly different applicator which has a pointy tip instead of the regular rounded tips:
  • Tanami is a sheer coral with a hint of pink
  • Sirocco is a bright orange red with gold shimmer 
  • Rouge Desert is a sheer brick red but on me it brightens a bit because it’s sheer
  • Dzhari is a gorgeous plum red with shimmer, unfortunately most plums turn red on me, this may look more true to the tube on your lips
  • Sahara is a sheer your lips but better shimmer, it’s a pale peach gold in the tube but is almost transparent on my lips
  • Ademium is a soft rose pink without any shimmer

Swatches:

All swatched on bare lips, for skintone reference I’m wearing NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland + St. Moritz mixed (review here) with NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation in Punjab (review in this post here) on top to set.

One last look:

I give them a thumbs up for the formula and natural shine. They have a very nice hydrating emollient feel and do not slide around. Lasting power is about average for a gloss – they stay put like most other glosses will but color transfer will happen if your lips touch anything or you snack. If you’re looking for an effortless kind of wash of color you’ll like these. However I don’t think they will appeal to everyone because they are on the sheer side. You can build the color by layering it and it won’t feel too goopy. If you’re a natural lip lover like me but want a bit more color try the YSL Rouge Volupte Shines I mentioned above – there will be similar colors but they have more pigment and color payoff.

All that being said I do recommend these. Given that they are sheer and if I were to do it over again, I don’t think I would have purchased all six. I almost never try glosses at the counter on my lips because they aren’t sanitary so with these you don’t know until you try them on your lips. My top three picks would be Adenium, Tanami and Sirocco.

You can find the Aqua Glossimers at counters now. All the shades are limited-edition. They retail for $30 each. Available online at Nordstrom (where I bought mine), Neiman Marcus, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.

For those curious about what other bits of Chanel Summer I will be reviewing, I have both of the Les Beiges duos and the Le Vernis in Turban that I will be reviewing soon (preview here). Espadrilles has already been reviewed in this post here.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?
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Chanel

Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection for Spring 2016

February 5, 2016

There’s a new pearly-themed beauty collection that just launched for Chanel this spring. The collection is called Les Sautoirs de Coco which features a mix of pale pearly shades and bright pinks. In past years these white pearl-themed collections seem to have been Asia exclusive colors, sometimes launching later in the US in late summer as Nordstrom Anniversary exclusives. Last year Chanel launched the Collection La Perle de Chanel in the US. This year they have the Les Sautoirs de Coco and it’s nice to see them launching these kinds of mini collections in the US (although it’s hard to believe a year has already flown by!). The inspiration and theme according to Chanel:

“Inspired by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s love of pearls, a new makeup collection glimmers with iridescent and luminous shades of white, pink and soft grey, while classic black elements bring an unexpected contrast to the soft colour range.”

I ordered items sight unseen. Based on the online stock photos I knew this collection would either be hit or miss as some of the pink lip colors look very cool-toned, but I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and see if I could try a few new brighter shades. A few weeks ago this was exclusive to Chanel.com, but now appears to be at counters and online at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. What I purchased:
Glossimers in Babiole, Pinctada and Clarté ($30 each)

Swatches of the items and then some thoughts below on each item:

I’ll start with my favorite item in the collection which is the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter. This appears to be somewhere in between a cream and powder. It’s neither creamy nor powdery but it is very smooth with a very subtle glow. I swatched it above with a very heavy hand so you can see the color differences between each shade. On my medium olive skin the highlighter shades both look the same and give a very delicate luminous glow. On the cheeks it gives a soft hint of shimmer. This is one of the most natural-looking highlighters I’ve ever tried. If you find most highlighters too shimmery, too glowy or too frosty, you might want to look into this one because the shimmer is very finely milled. Color payoff is very natural on my cheeks when applied with a blush brush. If you want a more visible glow but want something natural I’d recommend you check out the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders or Hourglass Luminous Light instead. If you’re ok with some serious glow, check out the Natasha Denona Glowing Skin System. The overall effect of the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter is very natural but still noticeable.

Given the number of highlighters and glowy products that are out on the market right now, I can’t personally deem it a must-have. I think there are a lot of other options that are more affordable. Still the quality is there with this one. It adds a nice subtle glow without emphasizing pores or making the skin look overly shiny. I do think because of the semi-sheer finish that some will find this simply too natural or sheer to justify splurging. I have no regrets buying it and I do really like it though.

Swatched with a very heavy hand:

Next are two items for eyes. There’s a new Les 4 Ombres in Tissé de Lune. This one reminds me of an older Chanel quad that I cannot recall the name of. This is a pearly quad with the baked formula. I’m not a fan of the baked formula and wish Chanel would skip that kind of formula entirely. The pigment is decent with this one though. The colors apply with visible pigment and they aren’t chalky. However the 3 lighter shades when applied on the eyes end up all looking the same on my skin. They are distinct if you swatch side by side, but once you layer they all kind of disappear into the same light colored shimmer. It will give the eyes a very bright glow kind of highlight that I find pretty. They are pale shades but not too pale or garish (sometimes light shades have a sharp contrast to my olive skintone).

The quad layered on the lids – as you can see below the colors are pretty sheer and all the shades look similar on the eyes. The flash washed out the color a little bit but it leaves a subtle gleam of shimmer on the lids:

There’s a new Illusion D’Ombre in Iridescent. This one is really pretty and gives the lids a wash of opal shimmer that flashes tiny bits of pink. You can layer for more intensity but this is one of those nice brightening kinds of eyeshadows that you can wear all over the lids. It has a very slight duo chrome quality without being too shimmery or frosty. I really like this one.

Swatched below, left is blended and right is layered:

Last but not least are three Glossimers in Clarté which is a sheer opal pink shimmer, Babiole a cool-toned bright raspberry fuschia cream and Pinctada which is a cool-toned bright pink shimmer. I absolutely love Clarté which gives the lips a really pretty wash of color. It has a similar effect to Songe (which I couldn’t find in my stash to compare) in the sense it gives the lips a gorgeous glow with a hint of iridescent shine.

Although I am a neutral lip lover at heart, I do find Pinctada a wearable color even though it’s on the bright side. It’s cool-toned but not too cool that I find it turns blue on my skin.

Babiole is something that doesn’t work for me. The pigment and color payoff is very good, but because it’s so blue-based it contrasts with my skintone and looks garish. I think it looks ok in the detail swatch below, but when you see it against the whole face it just clashes with my olive skintone. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous on Christine from Temptalia – so if you haven’t seen her post, be sure to check out her swatches.

If you’re a Chanel fan and have been curious about this collection, I hope you found this review helpful. I think there are definitely some items worth checking out – my top three picks are the highlighter, Illusion D’Ombre and Clarté Glossimer. I do think if you’re trying to narrow down your purchases for highlighter this season, skip the Chanel highlighter and opt for something from Hourglass, Natasha Denona or Tom Ford instead. That being said if you’re always in search of something with a subtle glow and find most highlighters too glowy, this one might be one you have been searching for – it has the most finely milled glow that I’ve ever seen in any highlighter. I’m personally not crazy about the Tissé Ombre de Lune eyeshadow quad or the pink glossimers, but that’s mainly because of my color preferences. For lips Chanel just launched the Rouge Coco Stylo lipsticks and the colors look very promising so I would say save your $$$ for those instead. I just received 3 colors today and will have a post next week with swatches – but here’s a quick peek at #218 Script which is a perfectly creamy pigmented neutral beige pink with a bit of brown.

You can find the Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection now online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. All the items are limited-edition.
Did you check out anything from this launch yet? What did you think?
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Chanel

Chanel Étincelle, Rose de Lune and Coups de Minuit – Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection

November 13, 2015
For lips and cheeks I picked up three things from the Chanel Holiday 2015 Vamp Attitude Collection. There are two new limited-edition Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimers in Rose de Lune and Ètincelle ($30 each) and one limited-edition Joues Contraste Lumière Highlighting Blush called Coups de Minuit ($45). The color theme of the items I picked out are light, shimmery and glowy for holiday – the lips and cheeks have a soft luminous finish perfect for a polished understated look. If you want more color or oomph, there are lipsticks and lip liners that can give you a bold look which you might want to look into.

My picks:

Up first is the Joues Contraste Lumière Highlighting Blush, Coups de Minuit. I think this is the first time I’ve seen this particular formula even though Chanel has launched a number of beautiful pressed highlighters in the past. Coups de Minuit is a light soft luminous champagne with a pinkish tinge. It’s very smooth in texture and the shimmer is ultra fine and glowy (not frosty). On my medium-toned olive skin it’s subtle but does show up. I like it as a highlighter on the cheekbones or on top of blush. I think it’s a winner which is huge considering it’s the baked format (and I’m usually not a fan of the baked formula).

Swatched comparisons below to:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light (reviewed here)
Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duo in Moodlight (review/swatches here)
Chanel Winter Shimmer Blush (discontinued)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle

The two Limited-Edition Glossimers in Rose de Lune and Ètincelle are both very sheer colors loaded with lots of sparkle. They are almost like micro-glitters in the tube but on the lips the shimmer is very subtle (at least on me). Since they are sheer they will give your lips a very subtle tint with lots of shine if you wear these alone. I have played with Rose de Lune on top of lipsticks and it’s a very pretty layering color. I suspect Ètincelle will look stunning layered over plums and mauves but I haven’t had a chance to layer it yet. So far I’ve worn it alone and even though it’s sheer it gives my lips a healthy soft berry tint – perfect for my neutral-makeup-loving self.

Swatch comparisons below:
YSL Gloss Volupte in #10 Or Rose
MAC Lipglass in Purpurine (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Seashell
MAC Cremesheen Glass in Softly Lit
Buxom Lip Polish Mini in Starr (swatches here)
Chanel Glossimer in Equinoxe (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Braise (discontinued)
Chanel Glossimer in Spark 04

Overall huge thumbs up for the two glossimers and highlighting blush. I was seriously tempted by the Rouge Allure Lipsticks in Rouge Noir and Vaporeuse but I already own Rouge Noir (although it’s an older formula) and the pink looked a bit pale when I swatched it on my hand at the counter. If you tried it let me know your thoughts. Stay tuned for the review on the holiday nail polishes – I’m going to be working on editing swatches and comparisons this weekend. I hope to publish the post by Sunday (fingers crossed).

All three items featured above are limited-edition. You can find them now at Chanel counters and stores. Also online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Chanel.com along with all other Chanel retailers.

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Chanel

Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection for Holiday 2015 – The Beauty Look Book Picks

November 12, 2015

Here’s a sneak peek at my picks from the Chanel Vamp Attitude Collection for holiday 2015. I stopped by the counter a few weeks ago and have been playing with everything. It appears that the US did not receive the Rouge Noir 18 Le Vernis shade this round and instead featured a repromote of the Vamp 18 Le Vernis color. I have swatches and comparisons coming up so stay tuned, but many of you have been e-mailing me asking what I picked from the collection. Here’s the list:

Les 4 Ombres Eyeshadow Palette in Signe Particulier
Illusion D’Ombre in Rouge Noir
Le Volume de Chanel in Rouge Noir
Le Vernis in Rose Infusion and Vamp
Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in Rose de Lune and Étincelle

I’ll have swatches and the full review for eyes, lips and cheeks today. Nail polishes are still going through the test so I’ll have swatches + comparisons up as soon as possible, but it’s most likely going to go up next week. Everything I picked up is listed as limited-edition except Vamp Nail Polish and Rouge Noir Illusion D’Ombre.

You can find the items now in stores and online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Chanel.com along with all other Chanel retailers.

Did you pick up anything from the collection?
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Chanel Les Beiges Glossimers and Healthy Glow Hydrating Lip Balm

July 10, 2015

Chanel launched a Les Beiges Collection earlier this summer. I picked up the items from the collection a couple months ago before I left for Europe, took photos and swatches but didn’t have time to edit (by now fall beauty has already started to hit counters!). I thought I’d share some quick thoughts on the lips and nails from the collection (nail polish swatches to be posted soon). There are three new lip items in this year’s Les Beiges:

All three are light in color without shimmer. Pigment and coverage is sheer to medium – not so sheer that they are invisible on the lips, but still pretty light. I’m in love with all three colors. They give the lips the perfect wash of effortless color. Polished and natural.

For the glossimers, you may find similar colors or dupes. I’m a sucker for the lush glossy sheen Chanel Glossimers give the lips. Beige Star is very pretty – it’s a your lips but better kind of gloss and covers the lip entirely. Rose Tendre is a sheer milky pink that goes on smoothly – many milky pinks tend to settle into my lip lines and are chalky looking (I have pigmented lips) but Rose Tendre goes on perfectly. It’s my favorite milky pink gloss to date. Right now it appears both are permanent, but I’m not 100% sure.

For the Healthy Glow Hydrating Lip Balm, I expected it to be transparent on the lips. On the back of my hand it looks really pale and usually pale lip balms wash out once they go on my lips. No. 10 however gives sheer to medium even coverage. It is lighter than my natural lip color so I find when it fades I have a pale rim on the outer portion and a darker middle. Lasting power can be extended by lining the lips and filling them in with a beige lipliner (I’ll have swatches below of some good light ones). In terms of hydration – it moisturizes the lips, but similar to the way Rouge Coco Shines do. It’s emollient, glossy and feels nice without sliding off – I’m not sure I can really tell if there are true moisturizing properties in it. The good thing is it doesn’t make my lips peel.

Two sets of swatch comparisons below, first to other glosses and then a few lipliners.

Bobbi Brown Illuminating Nudes Gloss in Almost Nude
NARS Lip Gloss in Guyane swatched here
Chanel Rose Reve Glossimer swatched here (discontinued)
NARS Christopher Kane Gloss in Nucleus review here
Zelens Lip Glaze in Rose swatched here (c/o)
Chanel Glossimer in Sweet Beige lip swatch here
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi Shine in Pretty Thing review here (c/o)
NARS Lip Gloss in Belize

Chanel Precision Lip Liners in Natural, Beige Satin and Beige Innocent
Marc Jacobs (P)Outliner in Honeybun (swatched) (c/o)

If you’re a neutral lip lover, I think you will adore the Glossimers. The Lip Balm is lovely but given the size and pigment, I think it’s overpriced. That being said I don’t have anything like it in terms of the lightness of color but smooth coverage. Your mileage may vary depending on your skin tone and natural lip color. I was surprised at how much I liked it on the lips, but I don’t love it enough to feel the need to buy a backup.

You can find the Les Beiges Collection at Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

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Chanel Collection Rêverie Parisienne Rouge Coco Shines and Glossimers for Spring 2015

December 19, 2014

Chanel’s Spring 2015 Collection has two new Glossimers in Fleur D’Eau 192 and Crazy Fuchsia 194 ($29.50 each) and two new Rouge Coco Shines in Étourdie 98 and Désinvolte 97 ($35 each). The color theme is coral and fuchsia-rose pink for lips and the items I picked out have a mix of soft and bright.

The Glossimers and Rouge Coco Shines have a glossy sheen. If you’re a Chanel fan you are well aware of the lovely natural shine these have. The texture is smooth and feels really nice on the lips.

Swatches with flash:

Swatches without flash:

The Rouge Coco Shines are sheer glossy lipsticks. The colors for spring are vibrant in color but the sheer texture makes them very soft on the lips. On my pigmented lips the colors do show up quite well. These are easy to apply with a smooth hydrating texture. Désinvolte 97 is a bright but sheer coral peach. Étourdie 98 is a cool-toned rose pink with silver sparkles. If you apply these with a lip brush I find you can get more color/pigment. I prefer to apply straight from the tube because it’s faster.

The Glossimers mimic the texture and color of the Rouge Coco Shines. Fleur D’Eau 192 is a very sheer bright coral peach but the sheerness makes it look very natural. It has a transparent quality so your natural lip will definitely show through. Crazy Fuchsia 194 is a crazy pigmented shimmery fuchsia rose pink. The shimmer and pigment in this is incredibly beautiful. It’s a bit out of my comfort zone (because I usually like lighter lips) but the color is just so pretty I couldn’t pass it up. There is a mix of deep mauve rose in it so it’s not fluorescent but it’s still vibrant.

I’m really pleased with these. They are perfect bright spring shades that lift the mood and make the complexion come to life. I do think they are classics suitable for year round so I feel completely comfortable wearing them right now even though we are in the midst of the holiday season.

Spring should be trickling in stores now. I spotted the collection in store at Nordstrom. So far, only Fleur D’Eau is listed as limited-edition on Chanel.com.
Have you ordered anything from the spring collection? What did you pick out?
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Chanel Rose Rêvé #189 and Songe #191 Glossimers | Fall 2014 Collection États Poétiques

June 27, 2014

There are two new Chanel Glossimers in Rose Rêvé #189 and Songe #191 for fall. Both are very light and sheer. Rose Rêvé #189 is a pale sheer cool pink that is very similar but cooler version of Plaisir #164. On my lips this one goes on milky and with my pigmented lips showing through. I like this one better over lipsticks rather than by itself. Songe #191 is a shimmering iridescent oyster that flashes violet and pink. Although it’s on the sheer side it gives a pink brightening effect to the lips on its own. I really like this one.

Here they are swatched on the lips:

Out of the two, I prefer Songe #191 for the shimmer and glossy shine. It has a lovely iridescent quality that makes the color change depending on how the light hits the color. For some comparisons, two views so you can see how different lighting impacts the color with the pretty shimmers:

Chanel Aragonite  #151 Glossimer (discontinued)
MAC Clear Water Lipglass (limited-edition)

I can’t say either are must-haves since they are so sheer but I like the way Songe wears. It looks much better in person than it does in photographs. It has a pretty shimmer you can’t really capture with the camera. Both are available at Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Saks and Chanel.com.

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