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Spring 2011 Previews from Maquia February 2011 Issue

December 26, 2010
I scanned these from Maquia’s February 2011 issue. A few sneak peeks of what’s to come. Note, I cannot translate this so I won’t be able to answer questions about the products, your guess is as good as mine is. However, there are number indicators on some of the products which help me try to figure out the coordinating product number to name. Also note Maquia is a Japanese publication so I don’t know if the US will get all the items featured, I know in years past we haven’t, but I’m not sure about this year.









For more previews, check out Rouge Deluxe for her preview scans/photos from Biteki’s February 2011 publication. She’s great at finding out new information and has a number of sneak peek and links to previews of stuff coming out this spring.

At the moment I have no information about what else is coming out or when items will be released except for Chanel, MAC and Bobbi Brown: I do know the Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful palettes have been released, I saw them at Nordstrom this morning but passed since they combine creams and powders in the same level for the palette – a BIG NO-NO for me.

Please do not republish these on message boards, blogs, websites or anywhere else as it took me some time to scan each in and format them to fit this blog. Thank you.

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Loving Right Now: Dark & Murky

December 9, 2010
I am anxiously waiting for Chanel Spring 2011 to arrive instore. I watched the Spring-Summer 2011 Fashion Show at Chanel.com and once again became inspired to pull a few of my dark murky greenish-blackened teals. I can’t pull off the dramatic looks that were on the runway, but when these darks are used with a lighter hand or as a smokey liner the result is lovely.

What am I loving now?
  • Chanel Black Jade Intense Eye Pencil – blackened jade with slight shimmer
  • Laura Mercier Black Turquoise Kohl Eye Pencil – beautiful deep teal shimmer
  • NARS Rajasthan Eyeshadow Duo – LOVE, featured here
  • MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment – intense frosty deep teal
  • MAC Moonlight Night Pigment – glittery deep green
  • Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams Nail Polish – dark blackened teal
  • MAC Dark Soul+Moonlight Night Pigments mixed – my ideal smoky teal-grey shadow
What I love about these specific colors is the complex nature and deep base making them dark enough to not be a straight teal, but also green enough so they aren’t a straight black. They all change color depending on different angles and lighting. Below you’ll see what I mean.

Swatches L to R: Chanel Black Jade, Laura Mercier Black Turquoise, NARS Rajasthan, MAC Deep Blue Green, MAC Moonlight Night, Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams, MAC Dark Soul+Moonlight Night mixed

In different lighting you can see the green more:

The thing I am looking forward to the most is Chanel’s Black Pearl Nail Polish. You know I’ll be doing a comparison as soon as I get my hands on it! To satisfy my current craving for that deep black-green murky nail polish, I did a Laura Mercier Caviar Dreams manicure (shade is from 2008). I know some of you will be cursing me as this shade is no longer available, but I think it can be easily duped. (More comparisons to come once Black Pearl is released). In the meantime, here are my fingers at the moment.

See the beautiful duo-chrome in the bottle:

On the nails it’s a different story though:





Didn’t get enough green/teal? Go back into the archives, back from last June 2009 where I featured Blues and Greens in my Smokey Eye Series. There you’ll see more colors to observe.

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Chanel Rouge Noir Le Vernis: Can You Dupe It?

November 15, 2010
Where has the time gone? In August, I featured a Chanel Rouge Noir 18 manicure with the intention of writing a dupe post shortly after. It seems I have lost track of time. Chanel Rouge Noir is one of those shades that has reached cult status as one of the most highly sought after shades. Is it simply because it’s hard to find? I’m not entirely sure. It is indeed a gorgeous dark chocolate cherry vampy kind of shade. I love how it will look reddish with one coat and get darker and more vampy with each progressive coat.

What makes Chanel Rouge Noir unique is the reddish base which prevents it from appearing like a straight black. It has a flawless glossy finish with 2 coats. It’s pure love. It’s currently available in the US in one of the Holiday Trio Nail Sets (with Rouge Noir, Gold Lamé reviewed here and Coromandel reviewed here). For those who don’t like Chanel, can’t find this shade or don’t want to splurge on a trio for 1 color . . .

The question is: Can you dupe it?

I pulled shades I thought would be similar. Some turned out to be very close, others not so much so. Here is Rouge Noir compared to colors from OPI, NARS, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Rococo Nail Apparel and Dolce & Gabbana.

I’ve swatched these with 1 coat and then 2 coats so you can see the reddish base in virtually all of these. What I find intriguing is Chanel Rouge Noir vs. Chanel Forbidden. In the bottles above, Rouge Noir looks darker. However when swatched the results are different. (See more vampy swatches here in different lighting.)

With a high flash you can see the reddish base colors come out:

One Coat Swatched:

Two Coats Swatched (Thick):

The verdict: Yes, it can be duped! My take: the closest colors I found are Rescue Beauty Lounge Au Chocolat and Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia (with 2-3 coats applied).


If you cannot find Chanel Rouge Noir #18 individually, no need to fret. There are quite a few colors that are similar. Even if the colors aren’t an exact dupe, the effect of each are similar enough that you can barely tell the difference from arm’s length. Hope this helps many of you!

A Rescue Beauty Lounge Au Chocolat manicure will be featured shortly. Enjoy the last bits of your weekend 🙂

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Loving Right Now: Shimmering Pales

November 10, 2010

L to R: Le Metier de Beaute Whisper & Armani Holiday 2010 Shimmer Powder (to be reviewed soon)


Top to bottom: Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, MAC Gel Lipstick (on tube #3), D&G Perfection Lipstick


L to R: Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, NARS All About Eve Eyeshadow Duo


OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, MAC Bare Study Paint Pot




MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, Le Metier de Beaute Whisper Highlighter, D&G Perfection Lipstick, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, NARS All About Eve Duo, Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond Lip Glace, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Gel Lipstick

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NARS Mélusine Eyeshadow Duo & Petit Monstre Lipstick for Holiday 2010

November 4, 2010

The NARS Holiday collection this year is described as “brazenly mesmerizing” on narscosmetics.com and the description is spot on. NARS has never failed to capture my attention even when his collections are clearly not me. No matter what he releases, his collections still manage to turn my head and I’m always drawn to the counter to play. I don’t always leave the counter with something but his collections are always so cutting edge I can’t help but be curious. I loved the little black card I received recently – it brought a smile to my face.

I fell in love with his Mélusine Eyeshadow Duo ($32) because it is truly unique and took my breath away. Just read Josie’s review on Pink Sith and you’ll be in love too. This duo is SO MUCH better than the promotional photos. One side has a complex opalescent grey-purple shimmer. It’s almost duochrome but not quite. The shimmer is so finely mixed together it’s hard to describe. The other side is a matte cool purple. It did not apply well on my arm but goes on much smoother and richer on the eyes. This purple is an enigma to me – you can see that it looks slightly red in some photos while others look more blueish purple. It’s a matte shade so there’s no reflecting particles yet it still looks different depending on what angle you hold the duo at.


I could not resist Petit Monstre Lipstick ($24) because of the name. I have featured my kitty a few times on my blog and many of you have asked his name. I have to confess that we call our kitty Monster. He’s the meanest little furry thing I’ve ever seen yet I love him to death. He was the best birthday present I’ve ever received. I had to have this lipstick for my kitty’s sake. It’s described as a “rich, luscious berry” and that is exactly how I would describe it but with a gold shimmer infused throughout. It’s not quite red in the tube or on the hand but it applies red on my lips.



One last view of Mélusine Eyeshadow Duo and Petit Monstre Lipstick:

Swatched on bare skin:


My thoughts on the other items: Passed on the nail polishes and glosses. Was slightly interested in the new Sex Appeal Blush but it was simply too pale. Fell in love with the gold Étrusque eyeshadow but thought it would be too warm for my olive-toned skin. The other items were ok but not really my cup of tea. I found these at Nordstrom.
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NARS Full Metal Jacket + Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy

October 13, 2010

I was in the mood for stormy blue greys this past week as I was anxiously waiting for NARS Full Metal Jacket to arrive in the mail. As soon as it came I put the NARS on the fingers and Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy on the toes. I rarely ever wear blueish shades on the fingers but both are lovely and I definitely see myself getting regular use out of these colors.

NARS Full Metal Jacket is a recent release from their Vintage Collection of nail colors. I had never paid much attention to NARS nail polishes (except Chinatown and Jungle Red) so I don’t remember this one being released before. NARS Full Metal Jacket is a cool frosty grey-pearl with a blueish tinge. It definitely requires a very steady hand for application. I had my nails professionally done to get a smoother application. When I swatched it on my own it was clearly streaky although it’s not something you can notice easily. This color is more on the sheer side. I have this on with 2 coats. I would have preferred 3 though.


Rescue Beauty Lounge Stormy is a color I have long resisted. I never understood the appeal to grey toned nails, but Chanel Particuliere changed that for me and ever since I have been curious about all types of greys. Smooth finish. Not quite as impressive as Chanel’s recent cream-finish shades, but almost. With 2 coats it gives full coverage that is smooth and glossy.

If I were to do my mani/pedi over again, I would have used RBL Stormy on the hands and NARS Full Metal Jacket on the toes. Neither are exactly office appropriate for a conservative business environment but not too in-your-face that it’s completely inappropriate.

A few comparisons:


One last view:

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Something Old, Something New: NARS Oasis & Oasis

August 2, 2010
This past weekend, I checked out the new NARS Lipglosses ($24) released at Nordstrom (Luxor) and Sephora (Super Orgasm, Oasis, Luster, Angelika, Albatross), all inspired by various blushes and multiples by NARS. I thought I would need one of each since I love all the corresponding cheek shades (except for Albatross), but I only came home with Oasis, a beautiful pink with golden sparkles.

Here is the Lip Gloss compared to the Blush, not exactly 100% alike, but similar:




The Lip Gloss is a pretty blush pink. I found it similar in color family to Risky Business and Stella. The difference for me:

  • Oasis: most pink, has a cream pink base with golden sparkles
  • Risky Business: more frosty all the way through, shimmer is multi-colored with a silvery sheen
  • Stella: more reddish, shimmer is complex with reds & pinks
Note that the blush swatch is not exactly reflective of how this goes on the cheeks. It looks muddy-brown here, on the cheeks it’s a rose pink with brown. The lighting last night was playing tricks on me, so here it is in different lighting to give you a better idea and show you the difference. Depending on which light you look at the glosses in, sometimes the 3 glosses look exactly the same. On the lips – Oasis and Stella look extremely similar on me.



My personal thoughts on the other shades: I passed on the other glosses. Lovely, but I’m still a bit undecided. At Sephora, I was drawn to Super Orgasm and Luster but the glitter/shimmer chunks seemed a bit too big for what I’m used to. Albatross was pretty, but sheer. I’m not a fan of the Albatross Highlighter, but the gloss was pretty. Angelika was too cool for my skin, although I adore the blush. At Nordstrom, Luxor was too pale and cool toned for my taste. It looks like something that would work well over other lipsticks.
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