Posts Tagged Chanel
No Introduction (Or Words) Needed: Chanel Le Vernis in 657 Azure
Honestly, what else can I say about Chanel’s Azure that others haven’t already?
A gorgeous metallic teal-blue that flashes a deeper cerulean in some lights and even has a touch of violet around it’s edges, Azure is a surprise hit for this gal who isn’t normally into metallic finishes in polish! It’s *sort of* like the aqua version of Peridot, without the same duochrome intensity (which would have probably blown my head off in awe if it WERE that shapeshifting).
It’s quite difficult to capture the color shift as others have noted, but just trust us – it’s there. It’s not super-strong, but it’s just enough to give the polish some serious interest. Something about this shade feels so elegant and refined even though it’s not your typical ‘classic’ color, and that’s the quality that really makes it a hit for me.
I was really feeling some trepidation about this polish but I took the plunge and I’m so glad I did. This is gonna get some serious love from me all summer long and likely into the fall as well. I didn’t really find I had trouble with brush strokes as others had, but I did find that you needed to apply it relatively quickly with minimal strokes or it could pull a bit and get patchy (though it self-leveled quite well). Final word: AWESOME.
Does Azure float your boat? Do you like metallic finishes on polishes?
Polish Comparison Swatches – The Best Kind of Post When You’re Sick
Posted by Latoya in American Apparel, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Comparisons, Coral, Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish, Red on April 9, 2013
So yea. I sneezed funny on Sunday and then the next day I was sick with a cold. Has that ever happened to anyone else? I’m being dead serious – it’s like the sneeze dislodged the sickness or something. Ugh. Anyway, I was off work today and pretty much was a slug all day; even looking at the computer screen hurts my eyes. I am weird and don’t take medication when I’m sick (unless it’s that time of the month – then, JACK ME UP BABY) because I feel like it just masks the pain and makes me stay sick for longer. Or I’m a martyr. Either or. At least I know when I get pregnant one day I’ll be totally used to not being able to take meds (but I will not hesitate to get an epidural – eff that). So there’s that.
Anyway, I have photos of two polishes I had done comparison swatches for but never posted them, so here they are. First up is Chanel’s Orange Fizz (which I happen to be wearing this week, and seriously – I LOVE IT SO MUCH you guys should all buy a bottle, it’s good times) which I swatched against all my other orangey-coral polishes (spoiler – there are no dupes that I own, so you should just go buy a bottle of the real stuff):
Left to right: China Glaze Flirty Tankini, LA Colors Magnetic Force, Chanel Orange Fizz, China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys, Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
Thumb: China Glaze Flirty Tankini; Index: Chanel Orange Fizz; Middle: LA Colors Magnetic Force; Ring: China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys; Pinky: Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
You can see that aside from the LA Colors shade, the rest of the polishes are all in the same vein, but Flirty Tankini is less saturated and dries with a flat finish (though probably the closest match); Surfin’ for Boys is more pink and with a pearlesence about it; and Daytripper is more pink. What I love about Orange Fizz is that it’s super-shiny on it’s own, has a squishy quality to it, and is somehow both soft enough for spring but bright enough that it will be awesome in summer too 
The next polish I have to show you is one I recently picked up from American Apparel, called Downtown LA. I was in the store a couple weeks ago buying Neon Violet for a gal at work, since she loved it so much on me, and decided to take advantage of the buy 3 for $18 deal (I also picked up their matte top coat for fun). Downtown LA is a bold red that leans ever so slightly orange. It is exceptionally close to butter London’s Come to Bed Red, though bL’s version really is more of a true red without the orange lean. I can tell the difference between the two but if I didn’t tell you, I’m sure you wouldn’t guess:
butter London Come to Bed Red; American Apparel Downtown LA
Index & ring: butter London Come to Bed Red; middle & pinky: American Apparel Downtown LA
I have a hard time wearing red polish as I find on my skintone it looks a bit garish; however, I wore Downtown LA last week and actually liked it quite a bit. The warmer tone of the polish worked better on me than Come to Bed Red has in the past, and I made sure to cut my nails super-short which made the manicure less in-your-face. I won’t be stocking up on red polishes any time soon but it’s still nice to have a few great ones in your arsenal! I’ll likely pass along my butter London shade – I always hate to part with more high-end brands but I know I’ll never choose it over the AA color. I have to say, I really like AA polishes – they are almost one-coaters and apply so well!
So, I hope this keeps you entertained until I get better! I usually go into repair mode when I’m sick and rarely stay down for long, so I’ll be up and kickin’ by the weekend I’m sure 
What do you do with your nail polish dupes? Do you find red a difficult color to wear?
Celebrating the Arrival of Spring With New(ish) Nail Polish Pretties!
Posted by Latoya in Blue, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Coral, Green, Nail Polish, Sally Hansen, Spring 2013, White, Yellow on March 20, 2013
Though I’ve been in somewhat of a nail polish slump, similarly to filling in gaps in my makeup collection, I’ve been picking up polish shades here and there that fit in nicely with the array of colors I already have. For the most part, I’ve been beefing up my existing collection with shades that are generally thought of when we think ‘spring’ – pale, pastel-like shades that have a fresh, soft, feminine quality to them. I know that there’s no need to stick to ‘seasonal’ colors any more, but I personally like to change the tones I wear (for both makeup and nails) each season, and typical spring shades are no exception.
I actually don’t own a large array of pale nail polishes, as I normally gravitate toward broodier, richer tones, but this season I’ve accrued five new shades that I’m totally digging, which means I now have a good handful or two of polishes that are just perfect for the spring season. My two favorites from past years have been Zoya’s Marley and MAC’s Mischievous Mint, and now joining those two are: Sally Hansen Barracuda, a pale yet bright blue; China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around (new from this season’s Avant Garden collection), a shimmering white; butter London’s Bossy Boots, a pale pistachio green, and Jasper (new from the Sweetie Shop Spring 2013 collection), a pale lemon yellow; and Chanel Orange Fizz, a slightly muted coral orange.
Sally Hansen Barracuda is a Complete Salon formula, which is supposed to mean that its the full meal deal, with base & top coat qualities rolled into the one polish. I actually do find these polishes to wear better without base coat, and the swatches below with sans top coat – as you can see, this baby is SHINY. There really is no need for top coat unless you need a quick drying one to get it on and get out the door. I found it did require three coats to achieve full opacity and to look it’s best, so if you’re in a hurry you may need a fast-drying top coat anyway. However, I found that it dries relatively quickly on it’s own, so its not an absolutely necessary step. Also, I have to mention that I adore the brush on these polishes – it’s wide and thin and covers almost my whole nail bed in one go. Application is a breeze!
China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around was a recent lemming of mine, having only first seen it on All Lacquered Up (a blog, by the way, I’m pleased to see back in action!) this past week. A couple weeks ago, Taylor of My Lucite Dreams posted about a white polish, and it looked SO lovely on her but I knew the white polish trend was NOT going to be my friend. However, when I saw Dandy Lyin’, I had a feeling that it’s softer, sparkling quality might be a way for me to try the trend, and I was right!! I really like this polish a lot, even despite the fact that it’s sheerness and slightly streaky quality requires three coats – just be careful in your application. It’s worth the effort for me as I’m loving the look on my hands! I can’t wait to try it on summer toes Note that no top coat was used, and I don’t feel it needs one, unless you want to get that smooth, uber-glossy look.
butter London Bossy Boots has NOT been a recent lemming; in fact, I wanted this bad boy last year but held out until a couple months ago when I got it on discount. As a general rule, I do not like green nail polish – not on others (typically) and definitely not on me. However, light greens are totally exempt and I love the way they look. I’m not 100% sold on the yellowish undertones in Bossy Boots as being the best for me, but I still enjoy this shade and am glad I finally picked it up. The application was good with no real troubles – shown is with two coats – although it would benefit from a top coat to give it a bit more gloss and shine (no top coat used in photos).
butter London Jasper was another longer-term lemming of mine since the launch of the Sweetie Shop collection earlier this year. I could have easily bought every shade from the release, but held myself back to just this one. I don’t own a single yellow, and dislike most versions of the shade, but this pale shade hooked me from the get-go. I love it on and it just screams spring to me. I’ve read conflicting reviews on this color’s formula – I don’t have a lot of experience with pale yellows, but I think that this formula is pretty darn good. It does require a bit more attention to application, but as far as it goes this is a good formula with minimal issue, for me at least! I did go with three coats just to get the best opacity, but it wasn’t that much of a pain. Like Bossy Boots, it would benefit from a shiny top coat, which I did not use in these photos.
Chanel Orange Fizz was sort of a random buy, which happens very rarely these days. When I picked up a few things from Chanel earlier this year, I was disappointed with the spring shades released but wanted a new polish. This one grabbed my attention and I’m super-happy that I bought it, it’s a stunner! This shade is obviously more pigmented/intense than the other shades I’ve shown above, but it still has a soft quality to it that feels spring-like to me (though this will also be kick-ass in summer!) The formula is thicker (typical of many Chanel polishes, I’ve found), but flows well and is self-leveling – again, just take care in your application and you should have no problems. I love the glossiness of this polish on it’s own – no top coat needed! I used three coats in these swatches, and you can still see slight VNL, but in person it’s hardly noticeable, and you could probably opt for two coats – I’m just fussy 
So there you have it! A handful of pretty polishes – a perfect way to shove usher in spring
So! What spring shades are you lemming/have you picked up? Do you go with softer shades or stick to whatever floats your boat at the time?
My First Chanel Quad: Les 4 Ombres in 08 Vanités
Many of the cosmetic purchases I’ve made lately have had one thing in mind: have I tried this before? As a person who likes change, I gravitate toward the unknown (for the most part). My aim with makeup lately is to try either a brand I’ve never used before, or check out a product within a brand that I’ve not yet investigated. My most recent purchase in this regard was Chanel’s Vanités quad, from the Sophisticated Eye collection (fall 2011).
It’s strange: while I don’t tend to wear a lot of color on my eyes (preferring to do so on my lips, or even cheeks!), I often choose eyeshadows that have more of a *pop.* When perusing the Chanel quads, the only one that really grabbed me was Vanités. Having recently read a glowing review on the quad, being in the market for a nice lilac shade, and feeling spend-y, I picked it up and immediately brought it home to try out.
My first thoughts were that the quad was lovely. Indeed, the violet tones are quite captivating – and check out that gorgeous gold-flecked mauve!!
However, once it came time to actually try the shadows, I was sorely let down. Keep in mind that I do not have any experience with Chanel quads (and in fact, was unable to try this in-store as there were no testers available), so I wasn’t prepared what to expect. After reading further reviews, Chanel quads it seems tend to be on the dry, stiff side, something to which I can agree with (and also – gritty-feeling) and that I would have likely avoided if I had known. Also of note is that the quads here in Canada are of the baked variety, while I hear in the States they are different. So, all points to keep in mind.
Here are the shadows when swatched:
Sunlight
Natural light
Artificial light
These swatches took many layers to achieve this much pigmentation, aside from the darkest shade, which was fairly pigmented in one swipe. I tried to take photos of me wearing this quad, but it almost looked like nothing was worn, and certainly not enough to show shade and depth.
I realize that Chanel’s makeup philosophy leans toward a soft look; also, the brand caters more to fairer skintones rather than my darker ones. So it is to say that though I was disappointed in this quad, I was not at all surprized. Additionally, oddly enough when I looked at the ingredients of the shadows, they contained lanolin – though in the American versions, they do not (alternately, Chanel’s blushes in the US contain lanolin, but in Canada they do not). So, combined with the disappointing pigmentation, gritty texture, and inclusion of an ingredient I am allergic to – I took the quad back.
For reference purposes, I did take a few comparison swatches against shades I already own:
Urban Decay’s Psychedelic Sister against the darkest shade of Chanel’s Vanités quad
Clockwise from top left: Hourglass Exhibition duo, the two middle shades of Chanel’s Vanités quad, NARS Habanera duo, MAC Shale, Le Metier de Beaute Corinthian
Left to right: Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister, Chanel Vanités (darkest shade), NARS Habanera, LMdB Corinthian, Chanel Vanités (mauve shade), MAC Shale, Chanel Vanités (lilac shade), Hourglass Exhibition
Left to right: Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister, Chanel Vanités (darkest shade), NARS Habanera, LMdB Corinthian, Chanel Vanités (mauve shade), MAC Shale, Chanel Vanités (lilac shade), Hourglass Exhibition
You can see that none are dupes, though the mauve shade and MAC Shale are similar, and the lilac shade and the lighter shade in the Hourglass Exhibition duo are close as well. I believe the nuances of these shades would be more pronounced with a better formula, and most definitely with a paler skintone. On me, sadly, they just fall flat.
Have you tried Vanités, or another Chanel quad? Have your experiences been positive or negative? Has anyone tried both the Canadian version and the US version and can comment on how they compare?
Chanel’s Poudre Signée de Chanel – Worth the Splurge?
Posted by Latoya in Chanel, Highlighters, Make-up, Spring 2013 on January 30, 2013
Ok. There are a handful of spring products that everyone and their dog has posted about over the last month or so (helloooo Burberry Lip Glows! Holy moly, I wanted them badly until I got on overload from exposure…I’m kinda done with them now, sadly), and I’m about to show you one of them. This would be kind of a bummer, except I have been run off my ass this week and am clocking about 1 hour at home before bed and REALLY not energetic enough to do a thorough post, SO – this works out well, as all I’m gonna do is show you some pics to ogle and call it a night. Sweeeet
I present to you: Chanel’s Poudre Signée de Chanel, from their 2013 Spring Printemps Precieux collection:
Check out that lovely glow in the last shot – so damn pretty!! But, I would have still been able to resist, even though the glow is captivating. After reading so many reviews about it, I tricked myself into believing it couldn’t really be that lovely – until I swatched it. As mentioned in my sneak peek post, this powder is so insanely soft, as soon as I touched it, it was game over. (Also – UPDATE: I DID NOT actually end up buying the Chanel Mouche de Beaute powder nor the nail polish from the Hong Kong collection; when the SA from Chanel called me back with the shipping details, it was going to be $40CAD JUST TO SHIP. Ah, HECK NO. Sorry Chanel, you’re awesome but not that awesome! So…my spree wasn’t so bad after all )
One last test before I totally threw in the towel, was how it would look on my darker skin – would it be ashy?? Would it look harsh and obvious? Well:
Direct sunlight
Direct sunlight
Indirect natural light
Artificial light
…Verdict is: Uh, no. Of COURSE it looks fabulous on my skin! Why did I even try to believe otherwise!?
What I love about this product is that it is probably the only powder illuminator I’ve come across to date that highlights the skin without obvious shimmer. While you can clearly see it’s shimmery, note that even in direct sunlight, it’s more of a radiance that’s being put forth rather than even tiny specks of glitter that can be a bit garish in the wrong light. It’s that finely milled. I’ve actually tried this a multitude of ways, and beside wearing along my cheekbones etc., I find that I can get away with dusting it lightly all over and do not risk looking like a Cullen (*this analogy has been used before, I know, but it’s so damn apt!).
For your reference, here are some comparison swatches of other highlighters I own, plus one eyeshadow I thought may be similar (all taken in sunlight, with first a diffused then heavy swatch):
(Left to right): KATE Real Create Eyes Palette *white gold shade*; Chanel Poudre Signée; theBalm Mary Lou-manizer; Benefit Watt’s Up?
(Left to right): KATE Real Create Eyes Palette *white gold shade*; Chanel Poudre Signée; theBalm Mary Lou-manizer
In the last photo, you really can see how subtle the Chanel powder is, especially when compared to the other products. For anyone who is looking for a lit-from-within-glow, I’d say you’d be hard pressed to get anything better than this! (Aside from Burberry’s Fresh Glow, which is a liquid and looks more obvious in swatches but ends up being barely detectable when worn). However, I will say that the subtly is *almost* a drawback for me, as when I put it on, it’s barely discernible (which, if you recall, was my initial beef with the Burberry product as well!). I guess I’m more of the flashy makeup wearer, and like to see the fruits of my labour in plain daylight. However, I am trying to embrace the more ‘natural’ way of wearing makeup, at least when skin makeup is concerned, and this product is getting me there with absolutely no problem at all.
In all truthfulness, I couldn’t say one way or another if this is a ‘must-have’. It really depends on your preferences. If you favor a natural look and are in the market for an illuminator, you’ll get oodles of wear out of this and love every minute. If you just plain need a luminizer and achieve a great glow, this would be a great bet for you as well. If you like your makeup like me, a bit more flashy – I’d say maybe check it out and see if this does the trick first. I’m not at all regretful I picked this up, and I suspect like the Burberry, it’s going to become a staple in my every day routine. But could I live without it….probably 
PS: If you’re looking for a more in-depth review on this product (it’s doubtful, but I’m sure SOME of you haven’t seen a billion posts on this yet!), Becca of The Beauty Sample has a great review with all the info you could want
In keeping with being (semi)brief – thoughts?
Um, so…I Went On a Little Shopping Spree…
Posted by Latoya in Nail Polish, Chanel, Highlighters, Spring 2013 on January 26, 2013
Today I got out of bed bright and early and headed down to the Chanel counter to check out the new spring 2013 collection, which just arrived yesterday. And…um. I bought a few things.
O_o
This is what happens every single time I try to keep my spending way down. I lose my shit and buy everything in sight. Haven’t I learned this lesson already!?!?
…anyway. Yeah. Chanel spree. I’m, uh…I’m probably good for a while.
Here’s a sneak peek at the first installment (yes…there is a second. On it’s way to me next week. More on that in a minute, though):
I really mixed it up with all my purchases – I have a piece from the current Printemps Precieux spring collection, the Poudre Signée de Chanel; a polish from the 2009 Côte D’Azur summer collection, Orange Fizz; and a re-released eyeshadow quad from the Sophisticated Eye collection, 08 Vanités, which came out in summer 2011. BOOM! Clearly, I was not messing around to-day. Since I was up so damn early, I managed to get home and get swatches of everything before the sunlight ran away from me – however, I still haven’t had a chance to play with everything yet, so reviews on all will be forthcoming. First thoughts? Z.O.M.G.
Here’s where it gets even more crazy (and um…long-winded. So get comfy!). Yesterday around lunchtime, the S.A. at the Chanel counter called me to let me know the spring collection had finally arrived. I was in training outside the city, and wouldn’t be anywhere near the counter for the rest of the day. She let me know she couldn’t hold the illuminating powder for me, as it’s limited edition, and truth be told, I had already half-convinced myself that I wasn’t going to get it anyway. Often I determine my purchases by how much value you guys will get of swatches/reviews of a product, and the powder has been done to death – nothing new for anyone! So I told her not to worry about it, and I’d be in sometime over the next week.
But it nagged at me. And as it happens, I was on Twitter on my lunchbreak and came across Best Thing in Beauty’s review of the Mouche de Beauté Illuminating Powder that’s part of the Versailles de Chanel Cruise 2012/13 collection, and was exclusively designed for the show (along with a pink Ombre Essentielle eyeshadow in Rose Favorite). Another gorgeous highlighting powder with a fantabulous design. THIS could be an item my readers would want to see, right? And I hadn’t even heard of it ’till then, so it would be a relatively exciting review. Since I’ve been driving myself crazy looking and looking and looking at pretty things, but not really buying, I got the major impulse to call up a Chanel boutique (I chose T.O.’s Bloor St location) and order one of the powders. The SA was with a client, so I left my number for her to call me back.
End of day on Friday – no return call. I had heard a rumor that Chanel boutiques will sometimes not sell products to you via phone unless you are already a client there, and I wondered if that was happening in my case. I was pretty pissed, to be honest – how do you become a client if you can’t buy your first item from them? So, when I woke up bright and early this AM, I decided to appease myself by heading down to my local counter to see what was left of the powders from the spring collection.
BINGO. Turns out, there were still 6 powders of the 14 she had received, and when I touched it – dudes, this shiz is SOFT. Baby’s butt soft. It’s crazy! So I clearly snapped one up; clearly it was meant to be. However, I didn’t stop there. I wasn’t sold on the spring nail shades – while Fracas is GORGEOUS, it’s so close to Deb Lippmann’s Daytripper (which is more of a jelly formula, but shade-wise very similar), and Accessoire is too close to Zoya’s Anja for my liking. Emprise is nice but not really my thing. What I wanted, was a pretty peachy-toned shade, and Orange Fizz just called to me. It’s sort of a mid-tone coral-orange, but it look like spring in a bottle to me! Also, because in discovering the gaps in my makeup collection, I realized I lacked a lilac shade, I had previously decided to buy the Vanités quad at some point, and well…I was on a roll, so I bought it right then.
…DAMN. At least I had a $25 gift card :S
I get home and I’m totally enamoured with my pretties, when I get a call – from the Chanel boutique in Toronto. “Just getting back to you about the Mouche de Beauté powder, what’s your address?” Umm….
…Yea, I gave it to her. I also gave in to her when I asked if they had any bottles of Malice left (STILL TRYING!), and while she said they didn’t, apparently there’s a new shade they’ve received as part of the Hong Kong collection, Western Light, which is a ‘deep chocolate with a hint of pearly red’ (there’s also another polish, Eastern Light, which is a white shade). WTF?! My wallet isn’t merely crying right now, it’s running out the door and living at La Maison de Chanel. Jeez louise.
If you’re interested in throwing your money at Chanel too, here are some pictures and links with info about the two collections:
Versailles de Chanel Cruise 2012/13 Collection
- Sandra’s Closet (product info and looks from the runway)
- BE.com (in French; product photos)
Hong Kong Collection
- When A Door Closes… (product info and photos)
- The Blonde Salad (Le Vernis bottle shots)
So yea. I think that’s just about all the makeup shopping I’m going to be doing for the next few months LOL. I feel sort of half-sick to my stomach, but also *finally* satiated, and I’d rather buy a couple really wonderful products, than a mass pile of just more items that are probably repeats in my stash – happily, everything I bought has no comparable mate out of all the makeup I own, so there’s that. I have been meaning to buy a powder illuminator for some time (I really don’t have one, somehow!); now, I’ll have two so I am PRETTY MUCH SET FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Wicked.
As mentioned, reviews and swatches will be coming soon. In the meantime, how have you been indulging in your consumerism side lately??
Holiday Color Pairings
Posted by Latoya in a-england, Black, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Essie, Eyeshadow, Glitter, Gold, Green, Holiday, Illamasqua, Lips, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Metallic, Nail Polish, Red, Sephora Brand, Sparitual on December 12, 2012
When I start to think about it, it’s not really a surprise to me that I love makeup. When I was a kid, I use to spend hours pairing my crayons together in color combinations I thought looked good together (which was also a great indication of my obsessive tendencies toward organization, but that’s a whole OTHER topic in itself!). While I don’t feel societal pressures to follow trends in shades (woohoo, Emerald for 2013!), nor feel like I ‘should’ wear darker colors in winter and brighter colors in summer, I choose to follow these paths often because it just makes sense to me. I love the idea of changing the shades I wear according to seasons – heck, I even do it with the change in weather! Rain means somber shades of grey or blue; sun means warm tones of gold, or brights like aqua and orange; and snow equals icy silvers and cool pinks and purples. Its just how I roll, ya’ll!
As it’s the holidays, of course I imagined an array of festive shades to represent the season, and since the work was already done, I thought I’d share them with you! On the weekend for the first time I matched my lips to my tips, and it was a lot of fun. I’m not entirely sure I’d do the same with eyeshadow, but the colors below all complimented a polish I own so well I figured what the heck. I hope you enjoy!
Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter; Chanel Le Vernis in 529 Graphite
Chanel Graphite; Bobbi Brown Pewter
Both of these silvers are so much more than plain ol’ silver. They both veer into a warmer tone rather than stark icy shades, which means they’re quite wearable for all skin tones. Pewter is currently unavailable as this was an LE shade, but at times Bobbi Brown brings it back in palettes and such, so keep your eyes peeled! Graphite has had a ton of reincarnations over the past year since it was released (though I don’t believe it’s LE anyway) – the best being Sally Hansen’s Shoot the Moon which was just featured on All Lacquered Up.
Essie Limited Addiction; Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in #46
Essie Limited Addiction; MUFE #46
MUFE’s #46 Rouge Artist lippie was the red shade I wore on the weekend to compliment my red manicure (done with China Glaze Ruby Pumps). I ADORE this lipstick; it is by far my favorite red that I own. It’s more of a true red I think, and looks so darn good on! The moistness of the lipstick keeps it looking so juicy and festive without being overwhelming in the least. It feels amazing on and I just can’t get enough! The only downside is that it’s only available at MUFE Pro stores and kiosks, but well worth the effort.
Essie Limited Addiction was, unfortunately, limited edition, but there are a billion reds out there I’m sure that are similar – just a bit deeper than your typical shade and neither warm nor cool.
MAC Jealousy Wakes; a-England Saint George
a-England Saint George; MAC Jealousy Wakes
Hot DAMN Saint George is beautiful! I don’t wear this polish nearly as much as I should, mainly because when I bought it last year, I wore it about three times in a few weeks – obsessed, I was! I’m wearing this to my work Christmas party this week and I’m super excited! Its one of the few greenish hues I own, and one of the few of that color palette I like. In truth it’s more teal than green but whatever – evergreen, shall we say? I LOVE IT and all it’s prismatic shimmer.
Jealousy Wakes is also another shade I rarely wear, probably because I don’t wear color in my shadows nearly as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it from time to time when I do pull it out. I dislike the texture of the shadow immensely – it’s so stiff and rough! – but it IS a lovely shade.
Sephora Brand She Sparkles; SpaRitual Aurum
SpaRitual Aurum; Sephora Brand She Sparkles
Oooh, sparkly indeed! Though Aurum is sort of a crap color on me – probably on most people, it’s so damn blingy I’m going to HAVE to pull it out for the holidays! Look at that sparkle! It’s a bit more greenish-gold than the orange-y gold of She Sparkles, but they both shimmer prettily together, don’t you think? I wore She Sparkles like crazy the last holiday season (when I purchased it), but haven’t given it much love since. I’ll surely be pulling it out again this month!
MAC Dark Soul Pigment; Illamasqua Creator
Illamasqua Creator; MAC Dark Soul
Though I’m not a huge lover of black nail polish, Creator has won me over with its glittery goodness, and looks both elegant and edgy at the same time. It compliments Dark Soul so perfectly! I could totally see rocking these two shades together, it’s like they were made for each other. I rarely wear Dark Soul for sort of obvious reasons (its a shimmery charcoal shadow – the rockstar look doesn’t exactly work at the office), but I’m trying to find ways to implement it more when I can. It’s definitely a perfect shadow for the holidays!
It was fun making these pairings and a huge throwback to my formative years It’s also scary to see that I happen to have enough polish and makeup that I can actually make pairings that coordinate so well… ~shrugs~ I’m a collector, what can I say?
Have you gotten into the matching trend? Would you be willing to try it, or do you avoid it at all costs? What colors say ‘holiday’ to you?
Random EOTD’s For Your Viewing Pleasure
I’m having a bit of a moment lately; I’m rather uninspired to write, or even read blogs the past couple weeks. Part of that is due to the fact that I’m trying to not buy anything: with my trip to New Zealand less than a week away (so crazy!!), I just can’t justify buying any pretties, especially just to have them sit there for over a month unused while I travel. I know there are plenty of things I could write about, but the new stuff is always the most fun, am I right? The other part is that anything that’s giving me the lemming itch doesn’t come out until after I leave, and will likely be sold out when I return, so what’s the point of getting excited for nothing? It’s a sad state of affairs, my friends.
Wearing Chanel Abstraction Illusion d’Ombre over Clinique’s Rum Spice Color Surge Eyeshadow. 
As beautiful as Abstraction is, it can be tricky to get the true shimmering beauty to translate on the eye. The deep warm bronze of Rum Spice helped give it a solid base to build upon.
What’s weird about this is that I’ve actually been more inspired than ever to play with makeup – almost every day I try a new ‘look’ and end up actually loving it. It seems that while I’m having an ‘off’ month with respect to blogging, nevertheless I’m clearly having a makeup moment, in which I’ve figured out truly how to wear it. That sounds kind of ridiculous considering I’ve been blogging for a while (with FOTD’s) and I have been doing wedding and event makeup for like, 10 years. But truly – I’ve JUST GOT IT.
After a breakup, there’s often that feeling of wanting a change, to start fresh. Naturally, my feeling was instantly related to beauty, and I decided to start focusing more on just one feature rather than overwhelming my face. While I generally stick to that rule in theory, I would often do a smoky eye and neutral lips – but then add just a touch too much blush. Or bold lips but then add a bit of shadow, which would end up looking ‘too done.’ I’ve really toned it down this fall, and now if I do a strong lip then I wear just the barest hint of blush and mascara. Or I’ll wear a fierce flush and keep everything else very minimal (though sometimes I will go for a juicy matching pout). I find the effect has been MUCH more satisfactory to me, and I’ve actually gotten a lot more compliments on how I look.
A look I did before going out last weekend, using MAC Vex shadow and Dark Soul pigment. 
I find silver notoriously hard to wear, so this was a great achievement for me!
The real reason for this change was that I really want to make a statement. My wardrobe is relatively basic, with only a few outfits that make me feel on-trend; makeup is really where I shine. If I can’t generate attention via my closet, I can surely make something happen with my beauty approach, right? And it seems that I’ve just about nailed it
Though the looks I’m showing in this post are all focused on eyes, believe me when I say that I’ve been having quite the time with dramatic lips this season as well – it’s just that I’ve already on one of the shades (Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L102, which I love more every day!), and I’m planning on posting the other shade I’ve been rocking lately (keep your eyes peeled!). What pleases me about these eye looks specifically is that not only have I gotten the rest of the makeup down pat, but I’ve managed to blend and layer my shadows much better than usual, which has made some previously hard-to-wear shades, actually quite wearable!
L’Oreal’s Golden Mahogany Infallible shadow, using MAC’s Vex once again as an inner eye/lid color.
I was inspired this week on Refinery29 about pairing reddish eyeshadow with silver, so I had to try it out – and I absolutely LOVED it! New favorite right here.
In any case, while I’ve been somewhat absent around these here parts, don’t you think for a second that I’m not still living and breathing beauty. I just seem to have a combination of writer’s block, decreased funds, and a mega-trip on my mind – but I think when I get back in November, I’m going to be chock full of energy to get back on the horse again. I’ve been particularly desperate to do some swatching series, but as my hands and forearms have been having serious eczema breakout for two months now, it’s just not going to happen until that clears up 
I’m hoping the fresh NZ air will fix me – both my skin and my brain
Which look is your favorite? Do you ever go through ‘slow’ spells with makeup and/or blogging?
Royal Rajah Ruby, Take Two (I Take It All Back)
Posted by Latoya in Chanel, OPI, Summer Polish Combos on September 24, 2012
Remember when I swatched OPI’s Royal Rajah Ruby and expressed that while it technically worked well with my skintone, I just couldn’t get into the shade? Well, color me mistaken. Check it out as a pedi shade!!!!
Worn with Chanel’s Peridot on hands
Look how it glows!
I had another shade that I felt similarly about, Deborah Lippmann’s Nefertiti - a gold flecked with bits of pewter – and the lovely Eugenia of Ommorphia Beauty Bar had a suggestion to try it out as a pedicure shade before dismissing it altogether. Though it didn’t work either way (and just last week I unloaded it, along with about 20 other polishes, on the perfectly polished Sparkled Beauty), ever since I’ve been giving any polish shades that just don’t float my boat a second chance on my tootsies. Royal Rajah Ruby was a resounding success!!! I absolutely adore this on my toes and I literally had to be careful not to walk into walls while wearing it, because I kept admiring my feet
Especially with these sandals, I just love love loved it! So, moral of the story – play around a bit before you completely give up on an item. I’m so thankful I did, as I’ve just found my fall pedi shade!
It’s just a quickie post today – I have two products that I’m insanely delinquent in showing you, but honestly – I’m just not sure I love them all that much! I’ve worn them both only once and have had them for over a month…I just don’t know how I feel about them, and without actually giving them a real chance, I can’t feel good about discussing them. But I plan to wear them again this week and I will finally make a decision. Could be that they’re just like the polish – I just haven’t found THE way to wear ‘em yet!
What do you do with products you’re unsure of? Do you play around with them and figure out ways to wear them, or do you just decide they’re not for you and return them (or give them away!)? And also – do you wear polish on your toes during the cooler months??
Neutral Territory: Chanel Le Vernis in Inattendu
Posted by Latoya in Chanel, Nail Polish, Neutral on July 19, 2012
Surprize, surprize, I actually bought something off my lemmings list! I feel like such a flake sometimes – I post these lists of things and then hardly ever actually buy them. My sensible side almost always prevails – and dammit if it doesn’t annoy the crap outta me!!
Anyway – this time I came through for you guys, whoopee! Actually, the very next day after I posted my July lemmings list, I got a bit of feedback on the nude polishes, did a bit more research, and found out that my Chanel counter still had Inattendu from their Spring 2010 release ‘Les Impressions de Chanel’ (the very same collection that really launched ‘greige’ as a go-to shade, Particulière). As usual, I marched right on down to the counter to swipe a bottle quickfast, as I had a major jonesing for nice nude to wear with my bright pedi’s. I normally put more thought into purchasing $26 bottles of nail polish, but there was none of that annoying ‘sensibility’ present that day!
Natural light
Thankfully, my quick reaction did not lead to major buyers remorse later – and Inattendu, a creamy beige, was exactly what I was looking for in a nude polish! It’s got a warmth to it from the peachy tones so that my hands don’t look drab (aka Zoya’s Cho), and it’s not too matchy to my skintone to look boring or go unnoticed (which happens with OPI’s San Tan-tonio, which is just too close to my skintone when I’m tanned). Nor is Inattendu sheer – while it did take 3 coats to get it to a satisfactory opacity, that was mostly because it goes on a tad streaky due to the pale creamy shade, and I am admittedly a perfectionist. I did my thumbs with only 2 coats (I didn’t take pictures, d’oh), and it was fine, really.
Sunlight
I find that the polish makes my hands look very feminine and pretty, and sophisticated too. I actually didn’t want to take this off (always a good sign)! I can see me wearing this often during the rest of the season, and even into the rest of the year – it’s extremely transitional as it doesn’t run too warm or cool. I can also see this working for a variety of skintones, with varying effects, but lovely just the same.
Flash
From what I can tell online, this shade is still showing available on both the Canada and US websites, and my SA told me she had ‘a bunch’ of bottles left, so this may not have been limited edition – though don’t quote me on that! Sometimes the perks of living in a smaller city is that people IN the city don’t pounce on products as quickly because they aren’t as concerned with trends. I would suggest that if you like the shade, do a little research – I hope it’s as easy to procure as it was for me!
So – yay or nay for Inattendu? What polish shade do you feel makes your hands look their loveliest?
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