Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in 817 Apparence and 89 Vision: Review and Comparison Swatches

Forgive my very sporadic blogging lately. I've been hit with two bouts of really bad colds during the past month and it has totally drained any motivation I had in blogging :(

Anyway, onwards and upwards... If you have read my previous posts, you would know that I had purchased a few items for Chanel's holiday collection. I had reviewed the main item from the collection, the Harmonie du Soir palette, and I can't wait to show you the rest!

What I have for you tonight is the IdO in Apparence, and a comparison post with an earlier released Vision.

Apparence is a sheer dirty muted gold. It blends in with my skin colour (I am super super tan right now) and gives a subtle gold highlight to my eyelids without being too IN YOUR FACE. It is very subtle (on me!) and a dead ringer for the gold/brassy colour in the Harmonie du Soir quad :)

Vision is a sparkling glitter bomb which consists solely of gold goodness. It has a clear gel base and it is IMPOSSIBLE to do a thin line (not using the supplied brush anyway), in case you were wondering/wanted this product for that purpose specifically. This one is reserved for a sheer wash of gold glitter fit for the holiday season.

I originally thought that these two could be sisters, and that if you had one, you didn't need the other. Well I was wrong. You need both if you like golds (like me!). Apparence is like the elegant, conservative older sister and Vision is the carefree party-goer who enjoys life to its fullest and attracts attention wherever she goes!

Gun to my head, I would probably choose Apparence because of its subtlety. But Vision is so so pretty. Did you read my description? Its a sparkling gold! Its very hard to ignore its beauty and I would have hated to miss out on it. (So thank you, Anthea, for encouraging me to try it!)

xx Cindy 

Don't forget to enter my latest birthday giveaway here.

Not All Yellows Are Created Equal

I was so psyched to write a post on Le Metier de Beaute's Yield to Yellow polish from a previous collection but when I actually tested the polish, it was horrible!! It was streaky, and the formula was thick so it was difficult to get an even, smooth application. Here is a picture of it before I promptly took it off...

Yield to yellow is a bright yellow colour that I thought would give me Seal's nails LOL

My next choice (which is infinitely better, by the way), was Mecca Cosmetica's Helen. Mecca Cosmetica is an Australian cosmetics retailer which stocks high end brands not stocked in Myer and David Jones like By Terry, Chantecaille, and Hourglass as well as their own brand of nail polishes, false lashes and a few other beauty goodies ;).

Helen is a richly pigmented buttery yellow with a smidgen of orange. Its a soft yellow polish, not too neon at all. The formula of this polish is beautiful, it is not too runny nor too thick, and two coats are good enough to achieve opacity but I personally prefer three coats to achieve a richer yellow colour on my nails :)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and review!

xo Cindy

Chanel Harmonie du Soir- Review and Swatches

I purchased the new quad from Chanel's latest holiday collection (Eclats du Soir), with very very high expectations. I mean, the pans in the quad boasts the same quilted design as my favourite Chanel palette (Topkapi).

HOWEVER...

I don't think this palette lives up to my expectation in terms of pigmentation. I'm a little bit disappointed because the palette *maybe* has medium pigmentation, whereas its older more amazeballs sister Topkapi is so much more so. The texture is beautiful , much much better than the baked quads we get here in Australia. I think the colour selection in this palette is spot on too. I would be able to wear this combo easily, not having to think about placement (pink for brow bone, taupe on crease, plum to line and outer V, and the gold to line under the eyes and inner eye highlight).

Overall, this palette is a Like, not love. Very nice to have, but probably dupable by other cheaper brands. What a shame. I was so hoping to love this as much as I do Topkapi :(

x Cindy

To enter my newest giveaway, please go to this link! :)

Discontinued Suqqu Palettes Available on Selfridges.com!!

Hi guys,

Just letting you all know that the older Suqqu Quads (including the much raved about #01 Kakitsubata and #03 Matsukasa) are available for purchase right now on Selfridges. I just purchased palettes #3 Matsukasa and #6 Ginbudou which I always wanted but could never find. Hehe...

For international shoppers, you can mail forward any purchases from Selfridges via Skypax for a one time purchase fee of 12.50 pounds plus shipping. If you plan to purchase a few items from the UK, you may also choose the membership option of 100 pounds per year.

Have fun!

xx Cindy 

To win one Suqqu Kakitsubata palette, enter my giveaway here.

Sneak Peek - Chanel Eclats du Soir Holiday Collection 2012 (Selected Items)

Here are some snaps of the Chanel Holiday Collection display to tide you guys over. I haven't played with my Chanel goodies yet (what is wrong with me??) but i plan to do so very very soon...

I blame my newly acquired kitten for my tardiness. He's just too cute for words and I want to play with him ALL.THE.TIME.

Swatches in store (Harmonie du Soir Quad, glossimer in Intrigue, apparence IdO, and liner in Grenat):

 A single swipe of Star Dust blush above the quad swatches  (not really visible on me is it?):

The following photos are taken outside in full sun:

If you don't like excessive sparkle on your face, I would suggest steering clear of Star Dust as previously mentioned :) I am in two minds about the Malice polish. Its so pretty but way too dark for me to wear to work. Decisions, decisions!

Bonus pic of the little monster...

 

What do you think of this new collection? Any takers??

Life's Little Luxuries

There are three things in life I always indulge on:
1. Good skincare
2. Shu Uemura Lashes, and
3. Chanel's Holiday Collections (!)

Chanel's Eclats du Soir Collection is simply breathtaking. I've just gotten a few select items based on 10 minutes of in store swatching. When I have played with the items more, I will give you a proper review ;)

The star of the collection, a limited edition quad, is called Harmonie du Soir and it contains shades of taupe, gold, pink, and aubergine. The quilted pans are reminiscent of Byzantine Collection's Topkapi quad, and the quality of the shades are nearly as good (miles better than the quality of the permanent baked quads we get here in Australia).

The accompanying blush is called Star Dust, and its a very light baby pink blush with more than a handful of sparkles (don't say I didn't warn you!).

I purchased the darkest lipgloss in the collection, called Intrigue. Out of all the shades available, this was the one I liked the most. Chanel's glosses are my favourite in terms of texture and wear. However, they are so sheer! Having quite pigmented lips, I always go for the darker colours in the range...

The Illusion d'Ombre that has been released with this collection is called Apparence. Its a sheer muted gold with the same quality as the permanent range of IdO's.

To complete my "Chanel Holiday Look", I wanted an eyeliner that would pull all the colours together. I didn't fancy the eyeliner in Rouge Noir (black red - really?), so instead I turned to a previously released Grenat. Its a beautiful plum-violet that I think will go really well with this look.

Other items in the collection include:
- Nail Vernis in Malice
- Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Impatiente and La Caline
- Eyeshadow Duo in Nuit-Claire
- Eyeliner in Rouge Noir
- Natural Finish Loose Powder in Reverie
- Lipglosses in Allegorie and Mystery
- Multi-dimensionnel Sophistique Mascara in Noir

The current collection available at Chanel counters include new Joues Contraste Blushes in Ultra Rose, Rouge (similar or identical to the one previously released with Byzantine), Tumulte, and Malice (have this, love it!) and a nail vernis in Beige. I've been told that this polish is amazeballs!

The collection will be released in Perth on the 24th of November in Myer (Murray St).

xx Cindy

Chanel Ombres Beiges de Tissees - Best. Highlighter. Ever.

Ever since I purchased the Blush Kaleidoscope from LMdB, I've fallen hard and fast for highlighters to layer on top of my blushes. The gold shade is in the kit is so beautiful as a highlighter and layered with with the other three shades. 

Anyway, I'm in a little bit of a Chanel frenzy because a lot of the items I bought recently have been just exceptional.

I tracked down Chanel's Ombres Beiges de Tissees because it has soft shades of pink, yellow, and beige and its formulated so that it can be used on the eyes as well. It has a noticable sheen, which is what I wanted from the highlighter. Something that adds a nice glow to my collection of matte blushes.

With glitter overlay

Without glitter overlay

And the highlighter swatches are below. I can see a slight difference between the yellow and the pink and beige but the differences between the three shades are so subtle.

 

The mixed swatch is a beige with shimmer that has medium pigmentation. I don't think this highlighter would change the colour of the blush you use underneath. I used a few matte blushes in my stash to show you the effect of this highlighter when layered on top.

LMdB Blush Kaleidoscope - Tier 1 + Chanel Ombres Beiges de Tissees

L-R: LMdB Tier 1, LMdB Tier 1 + Ombres Beiges

LMdB Blush Kaleidoscope - Tier 2 + Chanel Ombres Beiges de Tissees

L-R: LMdB Tier 2, LMdB Tier 2 + CHanel Ombres Beiges

Chanel Fleur de Lotus + Chanel Ombres Beiges de Tissees

L-R: Chanel Fleur de Lotus (FdL), Chanel FdL + Ombres Beiges de Chanel

Chanel Tweed Rose + Chanel Ombres Beiges de Tissees

Top-Bottom: With Ombres Beiges, Without Ombres Beiges

Hope this review has been somewhat helpful! :) What's your favourite highlighter?

Cindy