CHANEL

November Favorites – Flawless Complexion

December 7, 2011

For the month of November I was mainly focusing on achieving a flawless complexion. If you have read my previous posts you would know my skin was breaking out more than usual over the time in US, so I have spent a great deal of time on finding the right skincare products that can clear up my skin as soon as possible (I have zero tolerance for them!), as well as fading the acne scars. For makeup I opted for base makeup that offers a slightly more coverage than what I would normally go for, so they can help me to ‘fake’ a flawless complexion on a bad skin day.

Let’s start with my favorite skincare of the month. After I was let down by Tanda Zap that failed to clear up any blemishes, I went back to my trusted formulation – Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acid. I started with the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel, which contains potent AHA and a high strength of BHA (2%). Then I couldn’t help but buy the MD Formulation Vit-A-Plus Clearing Gel which has an even higher concentration of salicylic acid (5%), and it also includes retinol. Combined with MD Formulation Vit-A-Plus Clearing Complex Masque, I saw visible results within 3 days, after 1 week my blemishes were almost all gone and they also prevented new blemishes from appearing. All of these products are extremely harsh to the skin, so I needed an extremely gentle cleanser to neutralize the harsh effects. The Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse is the savior.

At the moment I am focusing on having my skin repaired as I was left with some acne marks. The Creme de la Mer The Concentrate has recently been voted as the Best Skin Secret by Harper’s Bazaar Australia, and I can’t agree with them more. La Mer has always been marketed as a miracle for anti aging, but little did people know the healing power of their products. If you are familiar with La Mer’s signature ingredient – the miracle broth, it was initially developed by the founder to heal severely burnt skin, and I believe this is what some of their products are best used for. The Creme de la Mer The Concentrate contains the highest concentration of miracle broth, and is mainly used for treating scars, not for anti aging. It is the best I’ve used for repairing damaged and irritated skin, as it heals wounds, and fades scars quite miraculously!

The weather was somewhat dry in the States, and now it’s cold in Sydney. So I have been using Laura Mercier’s Moisturizing Foundation, finished with either Cle de Peau Beaute Translucent Loose Powder or La Mer The Powder. For concealing, I love using the Bobbi Brown Corrector in light bisque. If I want some extra luminosity, I topped it up with YSL’s Touche Eclat, of which I have now lost count of how much of this I have gone through. The Shiseido Foundation Brush made me fall in love with compact foundations again, as I have been using this brush with either Laura Mercier Mineral Powder or Edward Bess Sheer Satin Foundation (not in the picture) whenever my skin needed more coverage, and they have worked their wonders to fake a flawless complexion.

{ 33 comments }

Labels: BRUSHES • CHANEL • CLE DE PEAU • FOUNDATION • LA MER • Laura Mercier • MD Formulations • My Favorites • Peter Thomas Roth • SHISEIDO • YSL

Chanel 2011 Holiday Collection – Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss Triomphal and Le Vernis Rouge Carat Reviews and Swatches

October 30, 2011

Along with the Lumiére Sculptée Highlighting Powder, I have also picked up the Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in 517 Triomphal and the Chanel le Vernis in Rouge Carat from the Chanel 2011 Holiday Collection, which explains why I am painted in red today.

To be honest I wasn’t that excited about this collection after seeing the testers. There were some lovely lippies in pink, rose and beige, but none of them really stood out for me as I am sooo in love with my Suqqu Creamy Glow lipsticks at the moment, so I would rather buy more Suqqu as the formulation is just perfection. Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Triomphal was a black horse as it wasn’t on my shopping list initially, but after putting in on my lips there was a ‘wow’ moment. I always adore the formulation of Rouge Allure Extrait De Glosses (reviewed here), and this one is just as good – semi opaque with a watery and translucent finish.

Triomphal is a striking rich red with fuchsia flecks but without grittiness. If you are scared of wearing red lips, Triomphal is a good starting point. The translucency and the moist finish makes it more wearable and youthful looking.

Chanel Le Vernis Rouge Carat is a stunning shimmery red with tons of magenta micro glitters! If you are into Chanel nail polishes, this one should not be missed.

Compared to Chanel Le Vernis Pirate

FOTD wearing Triomphal Allure Extrait De Gloss and Rouge Carat Le Vernis

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss retails for AUD$50 and Chanel Le Vernis retails for AUD$39.

So ladies, what is your must have from the Chanel 2011 Holiday Collection?

{ 32 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • FOTD • LIPGLOSS • NAIL POLISH

LUMIÈRE SCULPTÉE DE CHANEL Highlighting Powder Review and FOTD

October 29, 2011

I am wearing the Lumiére Sculptée De Chanel Highlighting Powder today and I am loving it more than I thought I would be!

As you all know the Lumiére Sculptée is the star product of the Chanel 2011 Holiday Collection. I bought it simply for the sake of “I can’t miss out on Chanel Limited Editions”. However upon playing with it for the past 2 days I found that both the quality and finish are beyond my expectations. Here is a close up picture of the Lumiére Sculptée – such intricate design can only be seen from the best cosmetics houses.

The texture has a velvety touch to it and is amazingly buttery soft for a highlighter. Compared to the Chanel Ombres Tissées Beiges, it feels smoother hence less powdery. I much prefer the finish of the Lumiére Sculptée as it provides a more natural radiance in daytime – it imparts a soft glow to the face that is not too shimmery but is still visible as a highlighter. If you think highlighters such as Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick has too much of shimmers, then this is a toned down version. On the other hand, if you prefer a rich intense highlighting effect, then Lumiére Sculptée may not be your cup of tea.

Swatches don’t lie do they? The Lumiére Sculptée powder is more finely milled with no visible glitters, therefore it glides over the skin smoothly as opposed to Ombres Tissées Beiges that appears to be sitting on top of the skin and enhancing the lines. Color wise, Lumiére Sculptée shows up less beige on the skin when swatched heavily. However, when applied on the skin softly it is translucent without much color.

FOTD: Applied the Lumiére Sculptée along the top of the cheekbone, combined with a contour powder (the Suqqu OSHAGECHA), it definitely sculpts my cheekbone in the most flattering way.

The Chanel Holiday 2011 Collection has arrived in Australia. I have picked up a few other items from the collection which I will be showing you in my next post. The Lumiére Sculptée De Chanel Highlighting Powder retails for AUD$90.

{ 19 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • HIGHLIGHTER

Chanel Mat Top Coat Velvet Review and Swatch

October 22, 2011

If I have previously said ‘I don’t like matte nails..” *cough cough* I take my words back! After I purchased my Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate and Rose Cache, I went back to the counter and tested the Chanel Mat Top Coat Velvet. Surprisingly it was very nice and did not make my hands look dull as I thought it would. For those of you who enjoy wearing nail polishes, I think the Chanel Mat Top Coat gives a modern spin.

It applies the same as any other top coat – transparent and smooth, and dries into a matte velvety finish. It was quite fun watching my nails changing from glossy to matte.

Although the Chanel SA recommended that it is best to be used with darker colors, I just felt like experimenting with all the various shades. The Chanel Le Vernis shades swatched here:

– Particuliere; Pirate; Vendetta; Blue Boy; Mimosa

The mat top coat also dries up the nail polishes within minutes, which is an added bonus. However the only downside is that it fades within a few days as by day 3 my nails would look semi-matte.

Do you like matte nails? And do you think it looks the best on dark colors?

{ 15 comments }

Labels: CHANEL

Chanel Le Vernis Pirate and Rose Caché Swatch and Review

October 15, 2011

I thought I can have a small Chanel makeup break until the holiday collection arrives, but I caved in when I spotted the new Le Vernis Shades as part of the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet collection. There are three new shades being released – Pirate, Rose Caché and Rose Exubérant, and a new limited edition topcoat that provides a matte finish.

I picked up Pirate and Rose Caché. The quality of these is standard Chanel Le Vernis. Opaque and easy to apply, 2 to 3 coats gives a glossy and non streaky finish.

Out of the entire collection Pirate caught my attention immediately – it is a bold rich red in cream finish and there is no shimmers in it. It may not be the most unique red in the market, but after swatching it on my nails I decided I need this red in my life.

Swatches with 3 coats:

Compared to Chanel Le Vernis Fire, Pirate is slightly darker.

Rose Caché is a muted vintage pink with tiny flecks of pink shimmers. Like many other Chanel Le Vernis, it has a complex undertone depending on the angle I look at it. In some angles it leans pink with a hint of mauve undertone that comes from the shimmer, and in other angles it looks peachy beige when the shimmer is less noticeable. (I didn’t get a chance to capture the peach undertone though). Overall it is a unique neutral shade that gives a polished mannequin-hands look with an edge – definitely worth to check out.

I am not a fan of matte nails hence I didn’t pick up the matte topcoat. Do check out Joey from JoeySpace swatches here.

{ 26 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • NAIL POLISH

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation Review and Swatch

September 30, 2011

Being an avid user of Chanel foundations, I got my hands on the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation as soon as it was landed in Australia about two weeks ago. It retails for AUD$86, which is the same price as the other Chanel foundations. This range replaces the pro lumiere foundation.

The 4 things about this foundation that Chanel promises to deliver:

– Long wear flawless makeup with SPF10

– It flatters your face with a perfect balance of correction and light: with the use of the patented Chanel Perfect Light Control Complex

– Offers your complexion incomparable perfection: color and radiance lasts all day long – at the end of the day your makeup is still fresh and intact.

– Perfection has never been this simple: the fluid and light texture glides on seamlessly for adjustable yet lightweight coverage

Others

– Oil Free, dermatologist tested and non-comedogenic.

– Made in France and contains 30ml of product.

Shade: I bought the shade 30 Beige. Please note that I am currently NC15-20, and 20 Beige is a perfect match for me, but I went with B30 as summer is around the corner and my mission is to go a few shades darker!

Texture and finish:

The finish is a cross between natural looking and semi-matte (depending on the wear time) with a natural radiance (not dewy). The fluid texture feels quite creamy when it is dispensed from the bottle but translates to a velvety powdery finish on the face with a hint of luminosity. If you like to use a silicone based primer underneath your foundation to smooth out the pores, then this foundation gives a very similar finish. It totally evens out the complexion and gives a very flawless airbrushed look. Even though the finish is more matte than my usual preference, this foundation is extremely finely milled therefore blends into my skin seamlessly, and it doesn’t enhance any dry patches on the skin. However I find that it looks a bit too dry on my under eye areas. Coverage is buildable from medium to full.

The skin starts to look more and more natural and luminous on me over time. Overall the finish remains semi matte and the coverage stays the same for an entire day. I am most impressed about the staying power of this foundation, as this is the only foundation I have ever came across that after 10 hours of wear it stills looks freshly applied, no oxidation, no transferring, and no fading.

Compared to the Mat Lumiere:

Honestly I don’t really notice any difference in terms of the finish between the two. They are both quite mattifying on me and more natural looking and luminous over the day. If you are considering buying Mat Lumiere, I highly recommend you to check out the Perfection Lumiere as it lasts twice as long as Mat Lumiere.

Compared to the Vitalumiere Aqua:

Perfection Lumiere offers a better coverage and longer wear time than Vitalumiere Aqua. But I personally prefer the melt-into-your-skin texture of Vitalumiere Aqua and the youthful dewy finish.

Compared to Teint Innocence

Again I believe Teint Innocence is targeted at a younger age group for a naturally luminous finish, whereas Perfection Lumiere offers a very flawless and polished look.

Compared to the Pro Lumiere:

Might be disappointing to the Pro Lumiere fans as this foundation has no similarities. As mentioned earlier, it is a semi matte foundation that doesn’t offer the same dewiness. If you are like me where Pro Lumiere turns your face into a grease ball after a few hours of wear, then Perfection Lumiere is your savior as I can skip the oil blotting for the whole day.

Swatches:

Perfection Lumiere 30 Beige: 2 shades darker

Mat Lumiere 20 Clair: perfect match on me now

Vitalumiere Aqua B20: a tad darker

Teint Innocence 40 Beige: about the same as Perfection Lumiere in 30 Beige

A more blended out version

Bottom Line: I think this foundation will work brilliantly for the summers as well as for people with oily skin. I like it but I don’t love it, at least not for now as the weather is still quite cold in Sydney so I tend to reach for foundations with a more moisturizing formula. As said, this foundation offers a very flawless and polished look, and I personally prefer a sheer foundation that gives a fresh and youthful look.

{ 37 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • FOUNDATION

Snakeskin Print

September 26, 2011

I admit shamefully that sometimes I am a fashion victim. A typical case today as I wore a pair of printed pants that could potentially make me look 5 pounds heavier . It took me literally a few weeks to decide whether I needed this snakeskin printed pants by Zara in my life. I caved in when I noticed that Zara had restocked it in my size and I was able to snatch the last pair before someone else did – it’s a sign!

Top: Zara (current stock)

Pants: Zara (current stock)

Blazer: Zara (current stock)

Bag: Chanel (fall 2011)

Sunglasses: RayBan

Black Suede Pump: Wittner (current stock)

What do you think of this trend? Gotta have it or make it stop?!

{ 20 comments }

Labels: CHANEL • OOTD • ZARA

Something New…

September 24, 2011

Fresh off the plane from Paris! Self gifted myself a new Chanel Bag – the Reissue 2.55 Medium in Iridescent Calfskin from the Fall 2011 Collection.

Chanel has recently revamped their box and dust bag for their classic styles. Love the new design, especially the dust bag with Coco Chanel Print on it. According to my Chanel SA in Sydney, the new box and the dust bag will only apply to the classic styles and due to arrive in Australia within a few weeks time.

My new beloved Chanel 2.55 Reissue Medium in iridescent calfskin (seasonal finish). The finish is very fall to me, almost like a metallic suede. The Chanel website currently features this bag in dark purple.

I know many of you are interested to know the price of Chanel in France and how much exactly we can save compared to other countries.

The reissue 2.55 medium size in seasonal finishes such as patent, metallic and iridescent calfskin retails for $ 3110 Euro, that is equivalent to $4291.00 AUD. After VAT return it is Euro 2750, that is equivalent to $3800 AUD. In Australia this bag retails for $5080.

The reissue 2.55 medium size in its classic finish (the vintage lambskin) retails for $2700 Euro. In Australia it retails for appropriately $4800.

{ 29 comments }

Labels: BAG • CHANEL • Fashion • My Favorites

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