naturalNchicmakeup

Guerlain Maxi Shine Gloss d'Enfer Lip Gloss Swatches and Review

2013-04-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

Besides 10 new nail lacquer shades (review here), Guerlain also released 20 brand new Maxi Shine Lip Glosses. The glosses all retail for $30USD and are currently available at Nordstrom. I was very excited to check these out in person as I've heard great reviews on them. Let's just say once I got to the counter, I couldn't help but take pictures of everything to share with you. Hang on tight, it's going to be a picture-heavy post!

The shades range from pale beige with no shimmers to bold red/fuchsia with high impact shimmers. There is something for everyone with these 18 colors.

Here you can see the visible shimmers in 440 in comparison to subtle shimmers in 461 and no shimmers in 420 or 401.

Swatches from top to Bottom (Praline Plop, Coral Wizz, Rose Splatch, Pink Clip, Rouge Shebam)

For those who love brighter, bolder shades, 465-471 are for you.

469 is super shimmery whereas 470 and 471 have little to no shimmers.

Swatches (Candy Strip, Magneta Waouh, Fuchsia Ding, Bubble Gum):

If you love bold orange shades, 441 is pretty amazing.

This image shows the cool purple shimmers in 403 and how glittery 421 really looks:

Swatches (Tangerine Vlam, Gold Tchlack, Browny Clap, Brun Buzz, Red Pow):

For high impact shimmer, 467 and 466 are packed with the extra oomph! 462 and 463 are much more subtle.

Look at all that shimmer!

Swatches (Rosy Bang, La Petite Robe Noir, Cherry Swing, Dragee Bomp, Guimauve Vlop)

Overall, Guerlain Maxi Shine Lip Glosses get a thumbs up from me. The texture is simply divine. They feel light soft butter on the lips and have a light floral scent that quickly dissipates upon application. I would compare these to Chanel's Aqualumiere texture + Burberry's pigmentation and scent. As expected, the lighter shades would go on paler on the lips and the bold, glittery shades add an extra oomph to the lips. The collection will cater to those who love shimmery lipglosses as well as those prefer subtle or no shimmers.

I highly recommend checking these out at your local counters. I took home Bubble Gum (465) since it is a flattering MLBB soft pink with subtle shimmers. I may go back for Rouge Shabam since I absolutely love the texture and formula!

Have you tried these out yet? What are your thoughts?

Guerlain Maxi Shine Nail Polish Swatches

2013-04-20T13:22:00.004-07:00

Guerlain has recently released 10 nail lacquer shades ranging from a milky pink to beautiful plum wine along with 20 new lip glosses (swatches here). These retail for $23USD and is currently available at Nordstrom. *Please Do Not Re-Post Images*

Base coat, Champs Elysees, Lingerie

La Parisienne, Nahema, Rouge d'Enfer

Gemma, La Petite Robe Noir, Jardins De Bagatelle

L'Heure Bleu, Vega, Top Coat

It seems to me that all the major brands are now offering nail lacquers (Guerlain, Clinique, etc) to keep up with the demand recently. Guerlain's first 10 shades are beautiful, classy, and in general flattering on most skintones. The brush is easy to use and you really only need 1-2 coats for full opacity. I was also impressed with the formula as well as the simple packaging.

Overall, I recommend checking out Guerlain's new nail lacquers. I'm not sure I can say all of the shades are unique but they sure are pretty. Some of the colors remind me of YSL's lacquers. As a new player to the nail lacquer world, Guerlain has done a great job. However, I am looking forward to seeing more unique, fashion-forward shades from them in the future.

What shades caught your eyes? Are you planning to pick anything up?

Dior Addict Gloss Collection Nail Vernis Swatches and Review

2013-03-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dior's Addict Gloss Collection consists of 24 new lipgloss, 16 lipsticks, and 4 nail polish shades. I absolutely love the display! The colors are vibrant and beautiful.

I did not have time to play with all of the lipsticks or lipglosses since my eyes went directly to the 4 brand new nail polishes. However, I did snap a couple of photos for your viewing pleasure in case any of you are interested in the lovely array of colors that are offered in this collection.

The 4 nail polish shades in this collection are Princess, Spring Ball, Delice, and Diablotine. When I saw these colors, I immediately thought of Chanel. Somehow these shades are what Chanel would typically release in the spring.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that all of these have silver shimmers in them.

Princess is a medium pink that's slightly more cool tone compared to Chanel's Morning Rose.
Spring Ball is a warm peach with silver shimmer
Delice is a bold coral/orange with silver shimmer
Diablotine is a coral red with silver shimmer

I actually like all 4 shades but there's something off putting about the silver shimmers for me. I almost wish these have glossy jelly finishes instead. Although these don't feel gritty on the nails, they look gritty to me because of the shimmers. I'm sure these will sparkle and shine in bright sunlight. You can definitely see the silver peek through in the swatch.

Overall, I think all 4 shades are beautiful for the spring time, especially Delice and Diablotine. You really only need 2 coats to achieve full opacity with these colors. I personally decided to skip all 4 and save my money for Chanel instead.

Which shades caught your eyes? Are you picking up anything?

Guerlain Spring 2013 Collection Swatches and Review

2013-01-06T22:18:00.006-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! 2012 ended with a slew of spring 2013 collection releases in late December. Spring focuses on soft girly shades such as pink, peach, and violets. Guerlain's collection has all of those elements. The items are now available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave and online.

Every season, Guerlain releases a limited edition Meteorite. For Spring, we see Meteorites Perles du Paradis ($70USD). This contains pearly white, violet, lilac, pink, peach, and silver balls. The overall effect is a soft, shimmery setting powder/highlighter. Unless you are a collector of these meteorites, I personally don't think you need more than one. The effect is so subtle that you can't really tell the difference between the different meteorites (the packaging is gorgeous though!).

Attrape Coeur is one of the eyeshadow quads released in the collection ($59USD).

The shades include a frosty pearly white, light lilac, soft lavender, and medium violet. This quad has great pigmentation and texture.

Coup de Foudre is also released in this collection. The quad has a very interesting mix of colors.

The shades include a mint green, olive green, medium coral, and graphite. These are much bolder colors compared to Attrape Couer with outstanding texture and pigmentation.

Four lipstick shades in the collection are Rendez-vous (medium blue base rose), Flirt (medium fuchsia), Romance (light rose), and Ballade (peachy coral).

Kiss Kiss Gloss shades in Frizzy Mango and Cherry Pink:

Frizzy Mango is a re-promote from Guerlain's Spring 2011 Collection. You can see better swatches here. Cherry Pink is a hot pink with silver shimmers.

Overall, Guerlain Spring 2013 Collection has an offering of soft, beautiful shades. The quality of the products are outstanding so for the first time, I can say there are no "duds" in the entire collection. None of the items are must-haves for me since the colors are not particularly unique. However, if you are new to Guerlain, this is definitely a great collection to check out.

What are your top picks from this collection?

Nieman Marcus and Target Collection

2012-12-02T21:53:00.003-08:00

Target and Neiman Marcus have teamed up with 24 CFDA designers to introduce a limited collection holiday collection. The items range from $7.99 to $499.99. There is a good offering of items from popular fashion designers such as DVF, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Marchesa, etc. I was ecstatic to hear about the collection and couldn't wait to pick up a couple of items. It launched a bit early online but was quickly sold out on Neiman Marcus' website on the first day. Fortunately, there are still a lot of items available at Target stores/online. Neiman Marcus is also replenishing the items back online as well.

Get ready for a *PICTURE HEAVY* post as I share with you the items in this collection!

First up is Thom Browne's Rib Trim Blazer. The jacket is beautiful but looks practically identical for both men and women. One difference is the women's version seems to be a bit shorter. I love the color and style though! Oh so preppy.

Robert Rodriguez offers a Ruffled Sleeveless Top and Fit-and-Flare Lace Dress. I was interested in the ruffled top but size small was large and baggy on me.

Marchesa has 2 beautiful items for children: Girls' Petal-Skirt Dress and Hand-Beaded Dress. They are both chic and gorgeous!

Tory Burch has a beverage container and lunch box. I had my eyes on this set from the get-go!

The thermos was sold out so quickly online that I panicked big time. Luckily there are enough stock at all the local stores and online. I can't wait to take this to work.

The lunch box is made of soft fabric and can fit the thermos inside. Isn't the print gorgeous?

Marc Jacobs has a soft metallic border scarf and 3 Metallic Zip Clutch Bags (Rose, Gold, and Silver). Brian Atwood has beaded round glasses.

Rag and Bone had Boy's and Men's Heathered Shawl-Collar Cardigan. I absolutely love these! They are super comfy and stylish. I wish they had made a set for women as well.

Band of Outsiders has a fun set of Cookie Cutter and Stamper Set.

Alice + Olivia bikes:

Yoga Mat, jewelry box, dog leashes, and Carolina Herrera Travel Cosmetic Bags on the bottom shelf.

Oscar de la Renta dog leash:

Oscar de la Renta dog food bowl:

Carolina Herrera Stationary Set:

Diane von Furstenberg Yoga Mat:

Skaist-Taylor Faux-Fur Hat. This was an odd item for me. It looks like a dreadful furry animal on a hanger. I'm not sure it would look very good on children.

Racy Reese has a pretty sequined blouse. You will definitely make a statement with the blouse. I really wanted it to work but the xsmall was too loose and boxy on me. She also has a set of dessert plates that are to die for. Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures for you because they are closed in a box.

Proenza Schouler Abstract-Print Sweatshirt:

Judith Leiber compact mirrors:

Eddie Borgo Accent Box and Letter Opener:

Proenza Schouler iPad Sleeve:

Philip Crangi Studded Picture Frame:

Rag & Bone shot glasses:

Rag & Bone Flask:

Joseph Altuzarra Cocktail Shaker and Double Old-Fashioned Glasses:

Alice + Olivia Rolling Luggage:

Jason Wu girl's dresses:

Jason Wu glass ornament set:

Oscar de la Renta Floral Canvas Tote Bag:

Band of Outsiders Best Friends Hat Set:

Derek Lam Cheetah-Print Slippers:

Brian Atwood Studded Leather Gloves:

Prabal Gurung Sequined Cape. The picture really does this cape no justice. It looks darker and much more elegant in real life.

Prabal Gurung Embellished Shoulder Bag:

Rodarte Hand-Painted Glass Ornament:

Lela Rose Watercolor High-Low Dress and Skaist-Taylor Faux-Fur Vest:

Did anything catch your eyes? What did you pick up from this collection?

Abreva Conceal Invisible Cold Sore Patch Review

2012-11-04T18:26:00.003-08:00

As the cold winter rolls around, one of my biggest fears besides dry flaky skin is red, painful cold sores. I have had my share of cold sores throughout the years so every time I feel an itch on my lips, I break out in cold sweats. Cold sores are not fun. In fact, they're down right awful. It starts with an itch, followed by a giant swollen bump on the lips. They are also really difficult to conceal because they are big and flaky. Luckily, Abreva just came out with a brand new product, the Abreva Conceal to help cover and conceal these hideous beasts!

Abreva's Conceal Invisible Cold Sore Patch contains 6 individually wrapped, non-medicated bandages. You can find this at your local drugstore aisles.

Very detailed and clear instructions are printed on the back of the packaging.

The first steps are to wash your face with a mild soap, and use a fresh towel to pat your cold sore and the neighboring area dry. Open Conceal packaging and remove the contents inside.

Peel back the paper tab marked in red with the number “1” (avoid touching the sticky part underneath by holding on to the small rectangular tab).

Continue to hold the rectangular tab and peel back the other paper tab, marked in blue with the number “2”.

What you end up with is something that looks like a tiny ping pong racket! The sticky side is white so you should see the blue circle facing you instead. Since I don't have a cold sore right now, I will illustrate the instructions on a red blemish instead. I decided to do this on my arm because it is easier to photograph and allows me to provide you with clear, detailed images. However, please note that Abreva Conceal is not meant for blemishes. It is a clear non-medicated patch that conceals your cold sore and enables you to apply makeup on top, lasting up to 8 hours.

While looking in a mirror, place the round patch over the cold sore.

Press down lightly on the center of the patch and hold the patch in place for 15-20 seconds to make sure it sticks to on top of your cold sore.

Gently pull away the applicator tab, at a slight angle away from your face. Voila! Conceal is in place. What you will have is a light and transparent patch over your cold sore.

Apply makeup on top of Conceal to ensure that the cold sore blends in with the rest of your lips.

Although I do not have a cold sore right now (*knock on wood*) , I did try Abreva Conceal on my lips. I have to say this product is light although you will feel that something is there. Due to the reflective property of the product, it may be somewhat visible under bright light. However, at a far distance, the conceal is more subtle. The advantage of Abreva Conceal is that it is a clean, non-medicated patch for cold sores that allows air in, yet protective enough to keep contaminants out.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Abreva via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Abreva.

Burberry Velvet Lipsticks Swatches and Review

2012-10-27T09:47:00.006-07:00

Burberry recently launched 12 new Velvet Lipsticks with a chic matte packaging. I'm not really sure I understand why new matte lipsticks from most brands are called "velvet". Perhaps it's a comparison to something that's velvety rich? In any case, this seems to be the new trend and it's here to stay.

I know there are only few Burberry counters available so I'm excited to share with you a (photo heavy) post to help make your purchases a tad simpler!

The velvet lipsticks from Burberry starts at 301 and ends at 312, ranging from lighter pink to deep red shades. First up are 301 (Pink Apricot) and 302 (Peony Rose).

303 (Antique Pink) and 304 (Redwood)

The shades get slightly darker as the numbers increase.

Swatches of 301-304

305 (Honey Suckle) 306 (Pink Amber)

307 (Rose Pink) and 308 (Pink Azalea)

We're now heading into the coral and medium to deep rose shades

Swatches of 305-308

309 (Fuchsia Pink) and 310 (Military Red)

311 (Bright Poppy) and 312 (Hawthorne Berry)

Rounding out with red, fuchsia, and brown:

Swatches of 309- 312

These lipsticks don't feel particularly drying but they are not moisturizing either. I'm personally not a fan of matte formulas but may have a change of heart after seeing these beauties. My only gripe is that no matter which brand I try, my lips always feel dry after 3-4 hrs of wear time. I have to prep my lips with a balm underneath so the colors can go on evenly.

Matte lipstick lovers, which shades are on your list of must-haves? Have you Burberry Velvet Lipsticks yet?

Chanel Holiday 2012 Collection Swatches and Review

2012-10-21T18:12:00.004-07:00

The Chanel Holiday 2012 Collection is very slowly making its way onto selected Chanel counters. I was super excited to see the items in person this weekend. Unlike other holiday collection, I feel that this one has a smaller offering of products in comparison. I really wanted to take pictures of the items but didn't have the opportunity to do so. However, I do have some swatches to share with you!

There are 3 glossimers in the collection - Allegorie, Intrigue, and Mystery.
Allegorie is a light baby pink with subtle shimmers. It is not as light or sheer as I had expected.
Intrigue is a red-brown with no shimmers. This is a great shade with a punch of color.
Mystery is a rosewood with no shimmers. It reminds me a little bit of Chanel's Insolence Extrait De Gloss

L'Impatiente is a Rouge Allure Velvet. If you love vampy lipsticks, this shade will leave a beautiful burgundy, deep wine stain.

Apparence Illusion D'Ombre is a sheer gold eyeshadow. You will need to do some layering for the color to be more intense.

For those who skipped on Topkapi, Harmonie du Soir Eyeshadow Quad is your second chance to try out Chanel's best eyeshadow texture. It is buttery smooth, beautifully pigmented, and is simply a dream to work with. The quad includes a soft gold, brown-taupe, berry, and baby pink shade. I was head over heels with the light baby pink shade.

Star Dust Joues Contraste is a rose pink with visible sparkles. I think of it as a shimmery version of Rose Ecrin.

There is also a nail varnish in Malice, a deep dark red with shimmers. This looks darker on the nails than I had expected. I think with 3 layers, it leans a tad vampy as well.

Overall, the collection is small with a beautiful offering of products. I really like both Intrigue and Mystery Glossimers. I'm glad Chanel is finally bringing back pigmented glossimer shades! The eyeshadow quad's texture is simply amazing but the shades may not work for everyone. Star Dust is beautiful but those afraid of visible sparkles may want to try it out in person. I find Apparence too sheer compared to shades from the permanent collection. I wasn't particularly blown away by any of the products but the quality of this collection is excellent regardless of which items you pick.

My Picks: Intrigue, Mystery, Malice, Harmonie du Soir

What's on your purchase list? Which item is a must-have for you?

Laura Mercier and YSL Holiday Offerings

2012-10-15T23:10:00.002-07:00

Holiday collections are rapidly arriving in stores this month in festive packaging at great prices. Laura Mercier and YSL both have great holiday special offers for you to snap up. I found these at Nieman Marcus and Nordstrom counters.

First up is YSL's La Laque Couture Trio, retailing for $60USD.

The trio contains Rouge Pop Art (tomato red), Rouge Dada (berry), and Fuchsia Intemporel (fuchsia).

Since each of the nail polishes cost $25, you're essentially saving $15USD with this set. Pretty good deal right?

For lipgloss lovers, there is a trio of 3 full size lip glosses for $90USD. These contain 0.2% of 24k gold!

The shades included in the set are Golden Praline, Golden Pink and Golden Peony. These babies sparkle like nobody's business thanks to the real 24k gold flecks. If you love glittery finishes, these are definitely for you. With this set, you will be saving $30USD since each gloss costs $30USD each.

Laura Mercier's holiday gift sets are equally impressive. You can try out 5 mini Lip Glaces for $48USD. There are 2 sets available, Rich Berries and Soft Nudes.

Rich Berries:

Soft Nudes:

The Soft Nude Lip Glace Set shades are lighter, milkier, and best as a layering product for lipsticks. Rich Berries, on the other hand, contains shades that are richer and more pigmented. I'm particularly fond of the Rich Berries Set.

Colour to Go - Warm Neutrals Portable Palette retails for $48USD. This set contains a trio of eye colors in Ballerina Pink (Luster), Rosy Taupe (Luster), Cocoa Brown (Sateen), a Tightline Cake Eyeliner in Ground Espresso, a mini Lip Glace in Baby Doll, Bronzing Pressed Powder in Soft Bronze, and Second Skin Cheek Colour in Pink Lotus. The Bronzing and Cheek Colour are on the bottom of the compact.

Colour to Go - Cool Neutrals Portable Palette contains a trio of eye colors in Diamond Pink (luster), Plum Smoke (Matte), Provence Purple (Sateen), a Tightline Cake Eyeliner, mini Lip Glace in Raspberry. The Bronzing Pressed Powder in Golden Bronze and Second Skin Cheek Colour in Heather are housed on the bottom level.

Glamour Wardrobe Palette ($98USD) is a great offer for those who love Laura Mercier products. The palette contains 8 Eye Colours, 5 Lip Glazes and 4 Sheer Crème Cheek Colours, a full-size mirror, a double-ended crease/smudge brush, and a single ponytail brush.

Eye Colours:

Buttercream, Peridot, Heather Plum, Midnight Navy, Coffee Ground, Cherrywood, Sandstone and

The bottom layer of the palette contains Crème Cheek Colours (Rose Glow, Pink Veil, Golden Glow), Bronze Veil Sheer Crème, Lip Glazes (Chambord, Sugarplum, Papaya, Dolce and Brick), and a deluxe Lip Brush.

Petite Baked Eye Colour Trio in Golden Metallic ($25USD). The compact contains metallic gold, forrest green, and black with gold shimmery shades.

Petite Baked Eye Colour Trio in Smoky Metallic ($25USD). The compact contains light silver, grey, and black shimmery shades.

Last but not least, there is a lovely Deluxe Travel Brush Collection ($95USD). I am personally a huge fan of her brushes. Unlike other brands, Laura Mercier's travel sets have soft, high quality brushes.

This holiday season has an excellent offering of products from both YSL and Laura Mercier. I know several of these gift sets are also available at Sephora. The FF is a great opportunity to pick up a few of these items.

What has caught your eyes so far? I'm lusting over the YSL nail polish set for sure!

Dior Holiday 2012 Collection Swatches and Review

2012-10-09T09:12:00.006-07:00

Dior's Grand Bal Holiday 2012 Collection is slowly trickling into stores this month. Similar to previous holiday offerings, Grand Bal's color theme focuses primarily on reds and golds. However, both the lipstick and nail polish packagings are a nod to old time glamour.

There are two lipglosses in Ceremony Red and Lame Gold. Ceremony Red is a medium red with subtle shimmers. Lame Gold is a very light gold with larger gold glitter, which makes it look somewhat gritty.

The 4 red lipsticks are Diva, Lady, Marilyn, and Diorling. The only place I have seen this type of lipstick packaging is at the duty free counters.

Note: there is a typo in the picture below - Lady and Diva should be swapped. Will fix it later tonight.

Lady has more coral out of the 4 shades, while Marilyn leans more on the fuchsia side. Diva and Diorling are quite similar but Diva is a tad brighter.

Fairy Golds Eyeshadow Quint is a nice neutral palette. There is a chocolate brown, light peach, glittery gold, white, and light taupe. I love the brown and taupe shades but am not a fan of the glittery gold. The swatch below is done wet so the gold isn't as gritty or chunky. When swatch dry, the gold shade separates even in the tester itself.

The Night Golds Eyeshadow Quint focuses more on gold shades. There is a matte black with shimmers, white, glittery gold, frosty gold, and light brown. This is my least favorite quad. The combination of super gritty gold and matte black was difficult to work when swatch dry. I think it will be better wet but I personally like my eyeshadows to be less fussy.

The Grand Bal Palette comes in a nice gold compact and has 2 eyeshadows and 2 lip glosses.

After the fiasco with Night Golds, I was pleasantly surprised to find the texture of the eyeshadows in this palette. The gold and silver shades are buttery smooth! The lip products are sheerer but buildable. There is a red and very light gold shade for layering on top of lipsticks.

There are 4 nail polishes in a different bottle that's gold and rounder.

Lady is a frosty white that reminds me of Chanel's Attraction. Diorling is a golden-beige with gold shimmers. Marilyn is an apple red and Diva is black with gold shimmers.

Besides the Grand Bal Holiday Collection, Dior also offers a gorgeous lip palette with 2 lip preps/glosses, 3 lipstick shades, and a lip pencil.

For the eyes, the palette has 3 neutral eyeshadows, an eyeliner, a brow gel, and brow color.

Last but not least, the brush set has a lip, eye, blush, and powder/foundation brush.

Overall, Dior has a huge selection of products for this holiday. You can choose to go with the Grand Bal Collection, lip palette, eye palette, or brush set. I personally will skip the entire collection altogether because there wasn't anything that jumped out at me. However, if you are new to Dior or want to explore the products, this is the best time. Palettes that combine multiple products usually only come around during the holiday season and may not be the same every year. At the same time, you can try a variety of products without breaking the bank.

My top picks: Lip palette, Ceremony Red Lip Gloss, Fairy Golds Eyeshadow Quint, Diva and Darling lipsticks

Did anything catch your eyes? What are your top picks?

Confessions Of A Beauty Addict - Travel Edition

2012-09-21T17:40:00.002-07:00

As you may have noticed, the blog has been on a hiatus for a couple of weeks. I have been busy traveling and it's not always easy to get internet connection overseas. However, I am back and excited to share with you a wide range of products that are available at duty-free counters.

Guerlain:

Lipstick Trio:

Kiss Kiss Trio:

Exclusive Limited Edition Rue Tronchet Eyeshadow Palette:

Blanc de Perle Skincare Set:

Dior:

Eye palette with tweezers and a mini mascara:

YSL:

Ete a fleur de peau collection:

Givenchy:

Lipstick Trio:

Lipgloss:

Jill Stuart:

Gorgeous perfume bottles:

Pink and girly accessories:

Burberry - yes, you heard it right. Burberry counters at selected Duty Free Stores!

Last but not least, my all time favorite Chanel:

Glossimers and Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss Trios:

The shades included:

Eyeshadow quads - I'm surprise to see these at DFS but the collection has not been released in the US yet.

Close up of Variation Quad:

Vision Illusion d'Ombre:

Abstraction Illusion d'Ombre:

If you are traveling internationally, I highly recommend visiting the Duty Free Stores at both the departing and arriving airports. I typically find products on the US side ranging from $2 to $25 dollars cheaper. For example, Chanel nail polishes cost $23USD with no tax at DFS compared to the usual $26USD. High end skincare brands such as La Mer and La Prairie are also cheaper at DFS. You can also find duty free exclusive palettes, trios, quints, etc that cannot be purchased at local counters or online. In Asia, the French brands tend to cost higher even without the additional tax. However, you can find some real treasures overseas from Chanel, Dior, and Guerlain Asia Exclusive Collections. Asian brands such as SKII, Jill Stuart, Anna Sui, and Shu Uemura have exclusives with great prices at Asia International Airports.

Another tip is to check out the on-flight Duty Free Catalogs. If you fly to Asia, certain airlines have catalog specials that offer great savings.

What are some awesome products that you have found while traveling?

Chanel Les Expressions de Chanel Collection Swatches and Review

2012-08-10T17:49:00.003-07:00

While I was in Asia, all of the Chanel counters had a beautiful display of the newest collection, Chanel Les Expressions de Chanel 2012. I was very tempted to take a picture but the SA was watching me like a hawk. Nevertheless, I did manage to sneak in a couple of photos to share with you. This collection is not yet available in the US and I'm not sure when it will be released.

The collection has 3 eyeshadow quads - Intuition, Variation, and Spices. Intuition is new and paired with Vision Illusion D'ombre. Variation is very different from the old Variation quad that was available back in 2007. This is paired with Illusoire. The Spices Quad is paired with Abstraction Illusion D'ombre. Although I've read the 3rd quad should be Eclosion, all the counters I visited had Spices on the displays.

The Variation Quad has a deep eggplant, glittery plum, silver-taupe, and light pink. I was fond of the silver taupe shade but found the quad too glittery for my liking.

From the swatch, I believe the Chanel Spices Quad is part of the permanent line. This has a lovely mixture of pink, peach, light coral, and brown shades.

Since Illusoire is part of the permanent range, I only swatch Abstraction and Vision Illusion D'ombre. Personally, I am not a fan of Vision. This was very sheer and took lots of layers to build up the gold color. It was also clumpy and did not apply evenly. Abstraction on the other hand is super smooth and pigmented. It is a duochrome color of pink and gold, which is much prettier in real life.

Out of the entire collection, I only picked up Intuition Eyeshadow Quad.

Oh how it sparkles in the sun!

In natural lighting:

Intuition has a soft shimmery pink, gold, chocolate brown, and deep brown with silver shimmers.

This quad can be applied both dry or wet. When used dry, the gold shade is not as vibrant and will take several layers to show up. However it is much more pigmented when it is wet.

Despite looking glittery, I experienced no shimmer fallout during application. Everything went on quite smoothly with the exception of the gold shade.

Intuition's colors are not particularly unique or earth shattering but they are beautiful and chic. I love using this for work as well as a night out on the town. You really can't go wrong with these neutral shades. For those who are iffy and can't decide between this and the new Rives Quad from the Fleur de Lotus Collection, my recommendation is Rives. It is hands down one of the smoothest baked formula eyeshadow quads I have purchased to date from Chanel.

Bottom Line: Chanel Les Expressions de Chanel Collection has quite a few options for you to choose from. All of the eyeshadow quads are in the baked formula, which tends to have at least 1-2 sheerer shades. I thought Intuition was the best out of the 3 but Variation is pretty nice as well. I hope this collection will come to the US some time later this year. For those in Asia, this is already released at all Chanel counters.

What do you have your eyes on? Which quad appealed to you most?

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives

2012-08-07T19:39:00.001-07:00

This post was supposed to be published 3 weeks ago, when the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale first began. Unfortunately I had to hop on a plane right after I had a chance to crop all the images. Although the sale has ended, Nordstrom still has some of these items available at the store/online. If you're interested, I'd say get on the website or call your local store as soon as possible. Not all of the items were listed online so you can call the store directly to purchase them. Prices still remain the same.

Chanel - Fleur De Lotus was an Asian Exclusive Collection that Nordstrom carried exclusively for the sale. It is also now available on Chanel.com.

Swatches:

Rives eyeshadow Quad is a must-have from this collection. The colors are lovely and the texture is buttery smooth. I'll do a more in-depth detail post on this later.

More swatches:

Riviere is quite lovely for those who love green eyeshadows and Fleur De Lotus is a light blush that is great for layering. It looks intense in the pan but goes on nice and soft. I picked up Fleur De Lotus a couple of months ago and Rives from the Anniversary event.

Dior - Purple Revolution Collection has 3 nail polishes, 1 eyeshadow trio palette, and a lip gloss.

From left to right: Shadow, Poison, Orchid. I picked up Shadow and Orchid.

Purple Revolution Eyeshadow Palette:

Draped Lilac Lipgloss:

The eyeshadow palette has great pigmentation and is quite smooth. Draped Lilac is a beautiful shade although I wish it didn't have so much glitter in it.

Burberry - Natural Lip Gloss Trio

Shades from left to right in Rosewood, Blush, and Nude Beige.

MAC - Eyeshadow, lip, and brush sets

Swatches:

Eyeshadow palettes - Smoky Eye Plum is the prettiest out of the two. The neutral palette has mostly permanent shades.

Swatches of eyeshadows and lip sets:

Bobbi Brown

Deborah Lipmann

What did you pick up from the sale? Your favorite items?

Chanel Fall 2012 Collection Swatches and Review Part II

2012-07-01T22:01:00.002-07:00

The Chanel Fall 2012 Collection part 2 continues! See more lip product and eyeshadow swatches in part 1 here.

Premiere Regard is an eyeshadow quad retailing at $58USD. From the pan alone, one can tell that 2 out of the 4 shades are more on the matte side. The shimmery brown taupe shade is pretty while the other 3 are rather disappointing. There is a dark matte black, chalky light pink, and chalky gold shade. Overall this quad is a let down compared to other outstanding quads from Chanel.

Rose Initiale is a shimmery pink powder blush that looks rather bright in the pan. However, this is a gorgeous subtle pink that is soft and glowy on the cheeks.

Chic is a Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick ($32.50 USD). This is a sheer beige with very fine gold shimmers.

Troublant is a Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss ($32 USD). It is a beautiful plum with gold shimmers. I was also quite fond of this shade.

Lumiere D'Artifices Beiges is a limited edition highlighter/bronzer ($65 USD). At first glance, it looks quite similar to Sable Beige Bronzer but this has a hint of coral and gold shimmers. The bronzer provides a natural, light beige glow. I was surprised at how much I like this product.

In brighter lighting:

There are also 3 new nail polish shades in Frenzy, Vertigo, and Suspicious ($26 USD). Frenzy is a light cement grey with no shimmers. Vertigo is a deep brown with shimmers and Suspicious is a fuchsia. I was not blown away by any of the new shades. Vertigo's shimmers did not show up on the nail while both Frenzy and Suspicious are not particularly unique.

Overall, I find this year's Fall Collection nice but is missing the "wow" factor compared to past seasons. I think the dark lip shades are particularly outstanding as well as the face products. For me, the only limited edition item worth picking up is Lumiere D'Artifices Beiges. It's quite nice not all of the items are LE so check them out in person before taking the plunge.

My top picks: Rose Initiale JC, Troublant Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss, and Lumiere D'Artifices Beiges.

What have you picked up from the collection?

TRESemmé Split Remedy Product Review

2012-06-28T22:01:00.003-07:00

Recently I had a chance to try out a few TREsemme Split Remedy products. This particular line is focused on repairing those pesky split ends. To be honest, I am extremely lazy when it comes to hair maintenance. Aside from the usual shampoo,condition, rinse, and towel dry, I don't really do anything else to my hair. The whole idea of serums, deep conditioners, and styling products are all new to me. Thus, I was ecstatic to find out that there are products out there dedicated to fixing split ends without breaking my wallet.

The first product I immediately tried was the Split End Sealing Serum. It is a clear gel serum designed to bind split ends and keep hair looking healthy. The serum is light weight and leaves my hair nice and silky. I'm also fond of its lovely fragrance.

The next 2 products are the Leave-In Split End Conditioning Treatment and the Leave-In Conditioning Spray. I am particularly fond of the conditioning treatment because not only does it smells good, it also leaves my hair feeling so soft and smooth. This is a milky white conditioner but goes on clear. I only apply this from the midsection to the tip of my hair. It doesn't leave my hair looking oily or limp, which is pretty awesome.

The Leave-In Conditioning Spray goes on pretty easy and helps de-tangle my frizzy long hair. I have the toughest time trying to run a comb through all the knots so this product makes my morning routine much easier.

Overall, I enjoy using the Tresemme Split Remedy line. The 3 products above help keep my hair looking soft, silky, and smooth without all the fuss and hassle. With only 1 additional step to my normal routine, it's definitely worth it. I also like how much product you get at such an affordable price point. Since the serum, leave-in conditioner, and leave-in conditioning spray perform different tasks, I usually only use 1 product at a time.You can find these products at the local drugstores.

NEW Split Remedy, from TRESemmé, repairs up to 80% of split ends in just three uses. with continued use, repairs further damage as it occurs.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by TRESemmé via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of TRESemmé.

Chanel Fall 2012 Collection Swatches and Review Part I

2012-06-27T12:58:00.003-07:00

The weather has been rather strange in CA lately with the chilly wind in the middle of June. In any case, I personally am not ready for fall weather nor the season. However for those of you who love Fall, you'd be glad to know Chanel's Fall 2012 Collection is now available at Nordstrom. I found some time to check out the items in person. This collection has a huge offering of products ranging from eyeshadows to lip glosses. I have broken the swatches and review into 2 parts in order to fully cover everything. Let's get to it shall we?

Lip products:

Almadine is a Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour ($34USD). It is a beautiful deep plum that comes with a clear gloss. This shade is super gorgeous and the lasting power is incredibly. I simply could not remove the liquid lip color from my arm after the swatch.

Caractere is a Rouge Coco lipstick ($32.50 USD). It is lighter compared to Almadine and has subtle gold shimmers. This is also another beautiful deep plum shade that's fitting for fall.

Parfait is a Rouge Coco Shine lipstick ($32.50 USD). It is a sheer light pink with gold shimmers. This shade is pretty but really sheer. It took 4-5 swipes just to build up the color.

Caprice is a Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss ($32 USD). It is a lovely rosy pink with very subtle gold shimmers. While the color is lovely in the swatch, it applies as a milky pink on the lips. This is best layered on top of a lipstick like Parfait.

Sweet Beige is a glossimer ($29.50 USD). This is a really lovely dark rose with gold shimmers. I'm particularly fond of this because it's a MLBB type of shade.

In darker setting:

There are also 2 new lip liners and 1 eyeliner released in the collection.

Amarante is a precision lip liner ($29 USD). This is a deep plum that will go well with Caractere lipstick.

Rose Naturel is a precision lip liner ($29USD) and is true to its name, a natural rose shade.

Silver Light is a shimmery silver Stylo Yeux eyeliner ($32USD). I'm generally a fan of the Stylo Yeux formula but I felt that this tester pencil was particularly dry and the shimmer didn't apply evenly.

There are also several new eyeshadows in the collection. I didn't see Ebony or Black Star listed in the product sheet but couldn't find Noir or Midnight Blue.

Eclaire is a shimmery gold.
Furtif is a shimmery gray-silver.
Complice is a shimmery pink peach.
Ebony is a satin black with no shimmers.
Black Star is a satin shimmer with silver shimmers.

Despite looking really shimmery, Eclaire, Furtif, Complice, and Infini all have this surprisingly smooth texture. I did not expect this at all.

Here are the first part of the products all together in bright sunlight:

In darker setting:

Overall, my favorite items from this set so far are the lip products. I surprise myself at how much I gravitate towards the darker lipstick shades. Caracte, Almadine and Sweet Beige are outstanding. I normally love shades like Parfait and Caprice, but found them to be not as unique compared to the rest. The eyeshadows are too shimmery for my liking but the texture is really smooth, not chunky as you would expect.

My top picks: Almadine, Caracte, Sweet Beige

For more swatches of the eyeshadows, check out TheBeautyLookBook.

What's catching your eyes so far?

Chanel Fall 2012 Collection Sneak Peek...

2012-06-26T21:27:00.001-07:00

Chanel's 2012 Fall Collection is slowly making its way into stores nationwide. It is not yet available on Chanel's website but I anticipate it will be fairly soon. Swatches and review of the entire collection coming soon....

La Mer The Radian Infusion Review

2012-06-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

La Mer The Radiant Infusion is one of the many skincare products offered by La Mer. For $95USD, you will get 4.2oz of product in a nice tall pump bottle.

I am surprised that for such a luxury brand, the Radiant Infusion bottle is made out of light green plastic instead of a heavy glass bottle. On the other hand, this makes it much lighter and easier to bring on a trip without weighing a ton.

I purchased this from the La Mer website a while back. I think it was $75USD at the time so prices have gone up since. La Mer claims this will deliver "radiance, clarity, pore-minimizing and tone on demand". The Radiant Infusion also has La Mer's exclusive Deconstructed Waters. I don't think this product has the famous seaweed extract that is included in Creme de La Mer.

The Radiant Infusion has a watery, gel-like texture. It takes two small pumps to cover my entire face. The product has a strong seaweed + lime fragrance that slightly lingers after application. Despite claiming to minimize pores and refine the skin's appearance, I found it to be quite the opposite. When using the Radiant Infusion, I find it slightly sticky on my face. I don't think this hydrates my skin or even out the skin tone. In fact, I break out every time I use this product. I wish I can find the ingredients list that came with the box to figure out what's causing all the little bumps.

Overall, I do not recommend La Mer's Radiant Infusion. This may be hydrating for those in extremely hot/humid weather, who prefer light gels over heavy creamy moisturizers. Unfortunately this product simply did not work for me. No matter how many times I try to use it, I always end up with little bumps all over my face and neck. I also did not find any positive changes to my skin in terms of pore minimizing, toning, or hydration as promised. At $95USD, you can surely find a hydrating mist or gel moisturizer at a much lower price point.

Bottom Line: Save yourself a pretty penny and skip this product. Despite all the promises, the Radiant Infusion is surely not a miracle product.

Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural and Intense Lipstick Swatches

2012-06-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

Make Up For Ever recently launched 2 new lines of lipsticks called Rouge Artist Intense and Rouge Artist Natural. Each lipstick costs $19USD and can be purchased at Sephora. I got a chance to try out 4 new shades from Sephora's free sample packet.

The Natural line promises to keep lips hydrated with a creamy formula that gives a translucent soft, shiny finish. As expected, the Intense line promises to delivery high coverage and intensely pigmented colors.

I am really glad MUFE included 4 natural, easy to wear shades in the sample packet. My eyes immediately gravitated towards Natural N9 (Copper Pink) and Natural N18 (Powdery Pink).

As advertised, Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks are glossier compared to the Rouge Artist Intense formula. However, they are sheerer and requires a lot of layering in order to achieve full opacity. The two Rouge Artist Intense shades included are both satin finishes. They are highly pigmented and require only 1-2 swipes for full opacity.

Overall, all of the shades above are wearable. N18 is best for cool skin tones while N9 leans more warm tone. Moulin Rouge (43) is an incredibly intense and pigmented fuchsia red that is probably most flattering on all skin tones. Nude (22) is a satin beige that makes me look like a corpse. However, it will be popular among nude lip lovers. In terms of the texture, I don't think both formulas are moisturizing as claimed. If you have dry lips, I recommend exfoliating before application. There is a strong fragrance that is similar to Burberry's satin lipsticks, but it dissipates quickly once the color is applied on the lips.

Bottom Line: MUFE has a great range of colors for every skin tone. If you like a more "natural" and glossier finish, Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks will be for you. For those looking for bold, intense colors, Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks will provide just that. I think I will be using N9 for quite some time, and saving Moulin Rouge for a hot date night!

Have you tried the 2 new lines of lipsticks yet? What shades have you picked up?

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Ecailles and Obsidian Grey Swatches and Review

2012-06-11T22:39:00.001-07:00

Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadow has been very popular with beauty lovers worldwide. The Bronze 2012 Collection has 4 brand new shades called Obsidian Black (20), Obsidian Grey (21), Ecailles (22), and Madre Perla (23). I have always been interested in ETK eyeshadows but never got around to purchasing them. Now that I have finally tried out this ridiculously awesome formula, I'm kicking myself for not picking them up a lot sooner!

The two shades that appealed most to me are Ecailles and Obsidian Grey. Each costs $32.50 and can be purchased at all Armani Beauty counters. The texture of ETK eyeshadows are very different compared to Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre. ETK feels more like a packed powder instead of a bouncy gel.

I really like the look of Ecailles, an aquamarine with multi-color shimmers. I don't think I have any shades similar to this one in my collection.

In bright sunlight, you can see the shimmers in the pan.

Mesmerizing!

Obsidian Grey is a sooty grey with multi-color shimmers. It is much darker compared to Ecailles.

In bright sunlight:

Close up of Obsidian Grey:

I expected the eyeshadows to be sheer but I was surprised to find them rather pigmented in the finger swatch. The texture allows these colors to be buildable. You can increase the intensity of the shades by layering them.

On the lids, Ecailles has this awesome brightening effect for me. Most aquamarine shades tend to be too blue, too frosty, or looks more like silver once applied. Ecailles looks exactly as it does in the pan onto the eyes. It is simply the perfect aquamarine shade for me.

Obsidian Grey can be packed on to be a deep grey or blended out to a soft light grey. The multi-color shimmers give this shade an extra oomph to make the eyes pop.

Overall, I really enjoy the ETK texture and pigmentation. The color lasts quite well over a base and stays intense throughout the day. One downside that I noticed is the shimmer fallout during application. I recommend patting these onto your lids instead of using the swiping motion to minimize fallout. Once set, the shadow stays put and doesn't result in any additional fall out.

Bottom Line: I highly recommend checking out Armani's ETK eyeshadows, especially the new shades if you love greys, aquamarines, deep black forest greens. These 4 new shades are particularly gorgeous. If you don't like shimmery eyeshadows, these might not be for you. However, I have to say that they don't look overly shimmery or glittery once applied. They're really beautiful and these shades will be flattering on most skin tones.

How many ETK do you own? What are your favorite shades?

Chanel Sourire, Style, Effronte Rouge Coco Shine Swatches

2012-06-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

Chanel recently launched 3 new Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks along with 3 Rouge Coco lipstick shades. Each of the lipsticks cost $32.50 and all 6 shades are available online.

I found all 6 lipsticks at a Nordstrom counter. Magnolia is a re-promote shade while the other 5 are all brand new. If you are new to Chanel lipsticks, the Rouge Coco Shine formula is glossier, feels more like a balm, and is not as long lasting compared to the Rouge Coco lipsticks.

The 3 new Rouge Coco Shine lipstick shades are Souire (70), Style (71), and Effronte (72). Souire is a very pretty baby pink with gold shimmers. Style is a beige with gold shimmers. Effronte is a rose pink that reminds me a rosier version of Adventure.

Rouge Coco lipsticks have 2 new shades call Culte (43) and Avante-Garde (43). Culte is a plum with no shimmers. Avante-Garde is a brown beige no shimmers. Magnolia (117) is a cool tone fuchsia pink. This is a re-promote from the Holiday 2010 collection (more swatches here).

Indoor swatches:

Out of the 6 shades, I am particularly drawn to Effronte and Souire. Both are very wearable and pretty pink shades. Style will be a nice nude beige color whereas Culte is the darkest out of the 6. I am not a fan of Rouge Coco lipsticks because I feel they are on the dry side compared to Rouge Coco Shines. You can tell from the swatches that Rouge Coco Shines are glossier and they actually don't feel drying on the lips.

Overall, Chanel always releases some of the most simple yet overall flattering lipstick colors. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 6 shades. My wallet will eventually go to Effronte and Sourire but I really do wish they have longer wear time. I am tempted to try Style but I know it will look too light on me. I will skip all Rouge Coco lipsticks due to their drier texture.

Which colors caught your eyes? Are you a Rouge Coco or Rouge Coco Shine fan?

MAC Hey Sailor Collection Swatches and Review

2012-05-28T21:28:00.001-07:00

MAC Hey Sailor Collection officially made its debut in stores last Thursday. The collection has a whimsical nautical theme with blue and white stripes. All of the items beside the 167SH brush have special packaging, thus the higher price tag. I checked out the collection at Nordstrom since it was launched a day earlier compared to everywhere else. I took home a couple of the items that I thought were somewhat pretty or unique.

First up is the Highlight Power in Crew ($29USD). It consists of a creamy beige shade with orange, pink, and purple stripes. The look of this powder is a bit deceiving because the different color stripes are not oversprays. In fact, if you scrape the first layer off, you'll find that it goes all the way through.

The powder has very fine shimmers that can be seen in bright sunlight.

Can you detect the fine shimmers?

I also picked up Jaunty eyeshadow ($16USD), the most neutral shade out of the 4 that was offered in this collection. Jaunty is a light golden brown beige with a frost finish.

I thought the texture of Jaunty was simply divine. It is buttery smooth to the touch.

Unfortunately as beautiful as these item appear to be in the pan, they are simply not flattering on my skintone. Jaunty swatches beautifully on my hand but was virtually undetectable on my eyes. I think this is best as a brow highlighter for now.

Crew Highlighting Powder turns out as a cool tone barbie pink on my cheeks. In order to make it work, I have to add a warm tone blush on top, which completely defeats the purpose. I think this will look beautiful on lighter skin tone ladies though. I think MAC should call this a blush instead of a highlighting powder.

Sail La Vie is a really beautiful coral red lipstick. I generally steer clear of bold colors but this is rather pretty when used with a light hand. Despite the lovely color, the texture of this lipstick is surprisingly quite dry.

Overall, Hey Sailor is a fun collection with plenty of items to choose from depending on your preferences. I personally do not think any of the items are must-haves. My favorite item out of the entire collection is the 167SH brush. It is incredibly soft and works so well to blend, buff, or apply pressed powder all over the face. I also found Crew Highlighting Powder to be chalky. The lip tints are really sheer and the lip pencils are dry as well.

Bottom Line: Check out the eyeshadows, blushes, lipglasses, 167SH brush, and eye pencils. If you're on a budget and want to pick up a bronzer, you can get some of the shades in regular packaging to save some money. Sail La Vie is the one shade that I think will be flattering on all skintones.

Did you pick up anything from Hey Sailor? Which item is must-have for you?

Chanel Island and Delight Le Vernis Swatches and Review

2012-05-20T10:31:00.002-07:00

I have meaning to write about Chanel's Summer 2012 Collection for quite some time now but life has simply been too busy as of recent. Thus, you may have noticed the frequency of posts has been less than usual. I'm finally catching a small break this weekend to get my blogging mojo back on. Anyhow let's talk about the new les vernis now shall we?

Chanel came out with 3 shades - Island, Delight, and Holiday in this collection. Each of the shades cost $26USD. As usual, I picked up the lighter and more neutral leaning shades. I was particularly excited about Island from the promo pictures. Seashell pinky beige? Must have!

Look at all those beautiful shimmers!

Delight on the other hand was a blind purchase. It is my very first gold nail polish purchase.

I really didn't know what to expect with Delight. In the sun, it turns into this bright shimmery burnt gold.

The one thing that Chanel seems to do so well is to create chameleon-like shades. Indoors, Island is a soft pink with a hint of beige and Delight is a medium gold with lots of shimmers.

The minute I step out into the sun, Island turns completely Beige with very fine shimmers but there is virtually no pink detected. Delight on the other hand is super bold, glittery, and shimmery.

Out of the two, I find Delight a bit more unique compared to Island. I say that because OPI's Cosmo Not Tonight Honey! is incredibly similar to Island. In fact, it has a little bit more shimmer in comparison. I was also disappointed that it turned beige in the sun. I really wanted the seashell pink color instead. Chanel's Delight is much more gold compared to LMdB's Lame Entertain You.

Overall, I like Chanel's new summer polishes but I am not in love with them. I had a hard time pulling off Delight since the color is completely out of my comfort zone. However after wearing it for a week, the shade somewhat grew on me. Its texture is so much better compared to Island, which required 3 coats to get full opacity. I can get away with just 1 coat for Delight.

Bottom Line: These are nice shades that are dupable and not must-haves for me. I purchased these without seeing them in person but would most likely skip if I had. If you're on a budget, I'm sure you can find plenty of similar colors at a lower price point. I'm really looking forward to seeing more innovative shades from Chanel. As of late, I feel like the colors are not as unique as the ones from last year.

What are your thoughts on Island and Delight?

Chanel Sable-Emouvant Eyeshadow Duo Swatches and Review

2012-05-13T11:51:00.005-07:00

Chanel Sable-Emouvant made its debut at the beginning of May in the Summer 2012 Collection. It retails for $42USD and can be purchased both online and in stores. In the past I have never really paid too much attention to Chanel's duos. However, Sable-Emouvant really caught my attention this time around.

In indoors lighting, Sable-Emouvant duo consists of a rich chocolate and creamy beige with fine shimmers. Once a bit of sunlight hits the pan, you can see the beautiful shimmers come to life.

The colors are definitely much lighter when the duo is in direct sunlight:

In a finger swatch, Sable-Emouvant is every beauty lover's dream. Its texture is buttery soft and the shades are nicely pigmented.

I'll let the colors speak for themselves.

The shimmers in both shades are really fine so you will not get a chunky glittery mess on your eyes.

Overall, I am a huge fan of Sable-Emouvant. The texture and pigmentation are simply divine. Although the shades are not particularly eye catching, I can't seem to find an exact dupe for these in my collection. The beige shade is unique in that it turns gold when you step into the bright sunlight. The chocolate brown shade becomes more intense as well.

Bottom Line: Sable-Emouvant is a very chic eyeshadow duo. It is my very first eyeshadow duo purchase from Chanel. This is easily one of my favorite items in the collection. If you love neutral shades like me, I am sure you will love Sable-Emouvant. The shades are goof proof, office friendly, and definitely beautiful for bridal makeup. Those who are looking for bold looks may be disappointed with this duo.

Have you seen Sable-Emouvant? Will you be picking it up?

Aveeno Beautiful Change Challenge #6: Your Community

2012-04-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

For this week's 6th and final Aveeno Beautiful Change Challenge, my task is to find ways to make small changes in my neighborhood.

First, I try to reduce the amount of plastic bag usage as much possible. I use recyclable shopping bags both in supermarkets and shopping malls. It's actually a lot of fun carrying around these light and cute bags. In fact, I can carry most of my groceries using 2 large bags compared with the traditional 3-5 plastic bags.

Second, I make a conscious effort to support local farmers by purchasing my fruits,vegetables, and flowers from farmer's markets .

Thirdly, as an Aveeno Ambassador, I am more than excited to share with you the Aveeno Be An Active Natural Fund. This program supports those that are leading community projects that benefit others in need, educate on a healthy lifestyle and give back to the environment. Aveeno will be rewarding grants to individuals who are committed to making a difference. You can enter to win one of eight $10,000 grants that will be awarded in 2012 by creating positive change in one of the following ways:

· INSPIRE - Inspiring others to see their natural and inner beauty
· EDUCATE - Educating about the values of an active and healthy lifestyle
· PRESERVE - Preserving, restoring and improving the local environment

Apply now on the Aveeno Facebook page (www.facebook.com/aveeno) for full program details to vote for the Active Natural who inspires you! Grant competition starts 4/5.

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®