Another Chanel purchase...

Chanel Rouge Coco 117 Magnolia lipstick has recently been repromoted by Chanel this spring at counters. As a sucker for all things Chanel, I picked this one up at my Boots.

It's a light peachy pink with just a hint of shimmer.

It feels moisturizing and smooth. It's lovely and very sheer. An everyday wearable colour.

Personally, I think it's too light for my lips. It's like not wearing hardly anything, but it is lovely.

Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine Revisted Review in Style

This isn't my first Chanel Rouge Coco Shine... and actually in my first review of these, I said I wasn't that impressed (read it here), but honestly, Liberte has grown on me. Also, I'm the type of girl that once I've bought something, I'm gonna keep using it. So when I found myself at the Chanel counter in Boots recently, the summer releases caught my eye.

One that I couldn't pass up, is this one: 71 Style. It's a shiny sheer beige. It has a barely there hint of colour, which I actually really like in a lip-balm type lipstick. It looks perfect on naked face days (no make up), and looks totally natural. It's just a bit of moisture and a tiny bit of colour for my lips.

Again, it's pricey, so not for the faint hearted. But, I do have to say I've been wearing it in our suddenly summer heat and found it wears really well in the heat. I do have to say, I am usually impressed with the quality of Chanel beauty products, and this one is a sturdy little thing, which is great for the busy beauty gal on the go.

Update (April 2013)

It was super sunny today, so I snapped some shots, and did another swatch of this lovely. I like how you can really see the sparkle in this shade.

Still hard to capture that swatch on camera >_<

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Émerveillé Review

Chanel's autumn release of cream powder eye shadows the Illusion D'Ombre has had every blogger I've read fairly excited. Well, it isn't every day that Chanel bring out a new range!

I actually checked all these out at the Chanel counter already and decided that I couldn't live without Epatant, an olive silver. Émerveillé (82) was actually not my first choice. It's a beautiful dusty pink peach. This is a go-to colour for my eyes, but I wasn't initially drawn to this, simply because I already have so much peach and pink. It really had to have something to make me want it. After umming and awwing, for awhile, I finally made my mind up and gave in.

The texture is amazing, very soft and easy to blend. Really unique in the eye shadow world. Or is it? Actually, I couldn't help but compare this with Jill Stuart's eye jellies. The Jill Stuart eye jellies are wetter, more sparkly, and scented. I wanted to see how Émerveillé matched up with Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color N in 03 Platinum Satin (ジルスチュアート　ジェリーアイカラーN　03 platinum satin).

Value? Although the Chanel looks bigger, there is only 4g of product, while you get 6g in the Jill Stuart. Of course, if the eye jelly weighs more because it's wetter, maybe this explains it? Actually when I look at the actual pots, it does look like you get more product with Jill Start. The Chanel comes with an applicator brush, which I haven't had a need for, but the packaging is understated Chanel. I could actually have done with a lighter packaging as the extra glass around the product just make it more cumbersome to carry around. Jill Stuart have a real princess feel to their packaging and this one is spot on. Small and fancy.

Okay, so they aren't the same. The Chanel is more subtle shimmer and the Jill Stuart is all glittery sparkle. I've had émerveillé for a couple months now and have to say, at first I wasn't too excited about this colour, thinking it would barely show on my eyelids. But I've worn it to work a lot, for a natural eye but better look with some dark eyeliner and I really like it. It just gives enough colour, but it's definitely not for a night-out, unless you use it as a base really. 

Have you tried any of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre cream eye powders or Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Colors?

Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine Liberte and Romance Review and Swatches

Love the packaging. Classic Chanel, what's not to love?

(left to right): Liberte and Romance

The Rouge Coco Shines were a big hit earlier last year, especially the colour, Boy. I had seen Boy and swatched in store and wasn't so sure about it. As the sales happened, and I hit duty free, curiosity got the best of me and I picked up two of these that I'll review today:

• 46 Liberte (sparkly peach pink)
• 55 Romance (cream bright pink)

I liked Liberte the best, and wasn't as impressed with Romance. It may have been a colour issue for me. Romance I bought online without swatching (impulse buy!), but Liberte I actually picked out at the Duty Free counter.

(left/bottom to right/top): Liberte and Romance

I waited a while to review these. Mostly because I tried these while I was in the US in December and January. While I was there, my lips were much drier than they usually are, so I wasn't as impressed with these 'hydrating' lipshines. :/

I have to say wearing it back in the UK, where my lips are back to their normal selves, these lipshines do feel a lot more balmy and I wouldn't say they are drying. 

I also found the colour pools in cracks! And I guess it's all in the name 'sheer lipshine' but I found it a bit too sheer and not enough shine. I guess I really just wanted a Chanel glossimer lip gloss. In fact, I think I'll stick to those. 

I don't want to give them a totally negative review, but they kind of felt like really expensive lip balm. These might be great if you like a bit of colour and have pale lips, or if you go for one of the brighter and more pigmented shades. I'm not tempted to get anymore though.

And totally not related at all...

I've pretty much watched all of the Wizards of Waverly Place! Total sadness! What to watch now!?!  I feel like there will be a big hole in my life. Luckily I still have the movie to watch. Phew!

Also been mesmerized by Gossip Girl lately. Poor Blair, seriously... but what is she thinking!?! I'm not sure I'm enjoying all the Blair and Lonely Boy action, especially when smouldering Chuck is right there! Come on! Did she hit her head *that* hard in that car accident?

Oh yes, and seriously, the most important question of the season so far: when is Dan going to get a decent hair cut?

I know I'm looking forward to Monday's new episode! How about you guys? 

Chanel Vernis Peridot Nail Polish Review

When I saw Chanel was releasing a goldy green nail polish called Peridot, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

Wait, I did however. I ended up ordering it from Chanel.com because it was released there first. Since it's limited edition, I was concerned about trying to get my hands on it in the UK - especially since we can't order directly from Chanel's UK website, and I can't always get to the shops in order to secure a limited edition purchase. So I ordered it and sent it to my mom's house (I also ordered the limited edition eyeshadow palette Topaki at the same time!). Sadly my mom wasn't able to send Peridot on to me because of all sorts of crazy restrictions regarding posting nail polish ¬_¬

So I waited. Then finally in November my mom came to visit me in the UK and brought over Peridot, along with some other Essie and China Glaze polishes I'd ordered in the US.

It was finally in my hands!

But then, Christmas holidays came and all of December went by in a whirl of red, green, and flu. So it's only now that I've really had the chance to check Peridot out.

OMG, it was all I was expecting and more!

In the bottle, Peridot looks like a very green gold with a dark green/blue at the edges. This is how the light catches it. It's so beautiful, it's almost worth the purchase just to look at in the bottle. Erm, yeah maybe not.

It's worth purchasing if you love unique colours like this, or are a Chanel nail varnish fan. I don't have any colours like this. It applied really well in two thin layers. My pics show two coats and a clear top coat (NB: not my normal topcoat, so I'm not expecting the wear to go down too well.)

On my nails it looks like a gold with green shimmer or a green-gold, if that makes sense. I think it looks really elegant and lovely. I would definitely recommend it, although as always, Chanel polish is not for the faint-hearted.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in 33 Prélude Review and Swatch

My first review of Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow will be the easily worn no. 33 Prélude.

I love Chanel's quad eye shadows, and yes, the baked formulas (we get these in Europe and Asia I believe, while the US has a cream powder formula). I'm not going to go on about the formula, because I actually prefer the baked, or maybe I'm just used to the baked powders so happy with them! That's a blog for another day!

I only recently picked up Prélude because I was looking for a good natural palette and thought I'd give this palette a chance. I remember when it came out, and I swatched it in store, I thought 'nice, but kinda boring'. If you know me, I'm always attracted to the bright and sparkly first, and so sometimes what might be staples for another, are more rare amongst my makeup collection. I decided that I needed a nice boring natural palette....

Boring is a bit harsh. Like most of the Chanel quads I've bought, the colours are flattering and especially these shades are easy to wear. You can do a light natural look or even a smokey eye with these colours and I couldn't be happier with this purchase.

The quad includes 4 shades which I've done my best to describe as (from left to right, top to bottom in pan, on swatches from right to left):

• sparkly doe taupe
• light flesh (peach) highlighter
• sparkly milky beige
• rich chocolate with hints of sparkle

I find it really suits and isn't boring on at all. I would recommend this palette to anyone who's looking to start out their eye shadow collection but not sure where to start. You can't really go wrong with these shades.

These are applied dry and without primer, so you can see how sheer the colours are. Really only the chocolate is strongly pigmented.

Chanel Glossimer 119 Wild Rose and 158 Braise Lip Gloss Review and Swatch

While my moms was visiting, she was kind enough to treat me to a couple of Chanel's levres scintillantes glossimers in the following shades:

• 119 Wild Rose (rose pink with silvery glitter)
• 158 Braise (a dark blue red with gold glitter)

Swatches: Wild Rose on top, Braise on bottom.

I'll admit, I was still a bit sore on missing out on Chanel's holiday release Triomphal, which was a deep true red with red glitter, so went for Braise in an attempt to appease my craving for a red lip gloss. Although Braise looks red in the tube, it was actually fairly sheer and doesn't really give me a bright red on my lips. I couldn't believe it was the same colour! It looked so blue red in the tube, but looked warm on my swatch! My lips are fairly dark, so Braise doesn't add as much as I'd hoped for. I am still pleased with how it looks, but Wild Rose is by far my favourite of the two. Wild Rose is fairly pigmented and looks lovely with my skin tone (if I do say so myself! ^.^) The sparkles also seem to shine more in Wild Rose, and I just love its pigmentation! So lush!

I have to admit to being a massive fan of Chanel lip glosses, ever since I picked up my first, it's been a love affair. They are fairly tacky (i.e. sticky) and have decent staying power. I usually find they last 2-3 hours on me, unless I eat or drink. I often wear them alone and I probably own more of these than any other lip gloss. Don't make me count, it would probably be embarrassing! >_<

What's your favourite lip gloss? 

You always remember your first... Chanel purchase

I love Chanel packaging. I know it's silly, but my heart just speeds up when I see those lovely black boxes with gold/silver trim that all their makeup comes packaged in. I still remember my first Chanel purchase. It was when I was still in university, and I felt like I should start being a grown-up and wearing makeup. I had recently been shopping with my cousin in NYC, who despite being younger than me, had better sense with makeup. I remember we went up to a makeup counter in a department store and the sales lady told us what colour lipstick would suit us. She said a nude or light brown would look natural but with a bit of colour.

So when I was back in Santa Barbara, I went up to my local Chanel counter and asked for help in selecting a beige, nude lipstick. Chanel Infrarouge lipstick in 25 Beach was the result. I loved this colour. Sadly I don't have a swatch to share with you, as it's since been discontinued (Why, Chanel? WHY?), but you can see some reviews of it here. I wish I had bought more! Well, okay, I do have one left, but it's old and hard. Even so, I can't bear to part with it. I keep looking for its dupe, but have yet to find anything so lovely!

I've been busy this week with the Christmas Show at work. Okay that sounds silly, but it's actually a really big deal. We have 4 shows of sketches, singing, and dancing after work, so that basically means this week I'm like a zombie working all day, then setting up a stage, putting on a show, taking apart a stage and heading home each day this week. Yep, that means like no free time! Since you all can't come watch (thankfully), I'll let Lady Gaga entertain you instead.

Do you remember your first Chanel purchase?

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour 197 Enivrée Lipstick Review

Here is my latest purchase from the Chanel Holidays 2011 collection, the Rouge Allure Luminous Lip Colour in 197 Enivrée. I already mentioned it in a previous post, but now I'm going to review it. 

This comes in the same type of case that the matte Rouge Allure Velvets were recently released in. It's the only lipstick I've ever bought that comes with instructions on how to open it! It's not that complicated, but I think the first time I worried that I'd ruined it! Thankfully, I didn't. Whew! 

Enivrée is a sheer bright pink with lots of pink shimmer. The shimmer is very fine as well, so it doesn't feel gritty at all. When I first saw it in person I felt I had to have it. My lips are fairly pink already, so the colour really isn't too noticeable on me. You can still see the shimmer though. 

I'm also undecided on the formula. The first time I tried it on my lips, they dried out really quickly, but the second time, I didn't have that same problem. Third time's a charm, so I'll have to see what happens! 

I am happy with this purchase as it's certainly an everyday colour that I can wear all the time. It is a limited edition however, so if you're lusting after it, you should act fast before it's gone! 

Chanel Vernis Les Jeans: Blue Boy nail polish review

Chanel released three new blues called ‘Les Jean’ as a limited edition to their nail varnish range this autumn.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on these, so I was so happy when I went to Heathrow Terminal 5 and they had them at the duty free. There are 3 colours in Les Jeans: Coco Blue, Blue Boy, and Blue Rebel. Coco Blue is the light baby blue of the bunch, and the least intriguing to me. I was very much drawn to Blue Boy, a dusty blue, and Blue Rebel, a dark blue. I decided in the end that I couldn’t justify buying two of these babies (what? Even with duty free they cost how much?! Actually I can’t remember, but they retail for $29 USD), so I went with Blue Boy as I thought it was the more unique of the colours. Plus, I’ve found that dark and rich colours are lost here in the UK. Stay with me here… There’s not as much sunlight in the winter months, and sometimes darker colours don’t really show their true colours in indoor lighting. At least, that’s what I’ve found. 

 

I had an amazing manicure in Paris that I was waiting to degrade before diving into this Blue Boy, and I was very pleased when I did. Application was nice and thin. I really like a thin polish that is easy to layer, and this was definitely one. Of course, I’ve just applied it now, so they look fabulous, but Chanel polishes are notorious for chipping, so only time will tell. I went ice skating the following day, and they managed to hold up! The first chippage didn’t happen until 4 days in, and probably had more to do with my thick gunky top coat than the vernis.  

I’m also happy with the colour. I have a soft spot for blue, green also being pretty high on my list.  I don’t think my photos do it justice, but they are a rich and dusty, almost cornflower blue. I definitely don’t have anything else like it in my collection, and I have a LOT of nail polishes!

It’s a bit of a splurge, but a lush one! Did you get any of Les Jeans or are Chanel polishes too much of a splurge?