Have you had a chance to take a look at Chanel's latest makeup collection, Notes de Printemps? Still salivating over the Illusion d'Ombres, nail polishes or the fab quad Quadrille? Wait till you see what they're coming up with next...
Jardin de Camélias...
Another spring collection that's likely coming out on January 31st. I say likely since the details aren't that clear. It'll probably be available through Chanel's website first and then at stores like Nordstrom in the US. So far all I could learn is these may be sold online only. Fingers crossed it's not the case and that flagship Chanel counters get to present these beauties to us.
Following in the footsteps of a fabulous jewellery collection inspired by this beautiful flower which apparently was one of Mademoiselle's favorite, it's fresh, it's pink and I think I want that blush!!! Oh and notice the beautiful Camellia pattern on the Illuminating Powder, gorgeous!
Ombres Tracées Quadra Eyeshadows in Jardin Zen
Illusion d'Ombre in Rose des Vents
Joues Contraste in #87 Sakura
Illuminating Powder in Jardin de Camélias
Rouge Allure in #139 Fleurie and #142 Charmeuse
I haven't purchased a Chanel lipstick in ages but I just might fall for one of these. I know, I know I keep saying this but what can I say, I'm picky and at $40.00 a pop for me to buy one it definitely has to wow me! I can't wait to see swatches, better yet, swatch them myself.
Just like Notes de Printemps, I don't think this is an original collection but it's one that will please many due to the nice twist on classic spring and summer shades with the advantage that they're not pastels. There are also four Aqualumière glosses and a Ligne Graphique in #14 Noir Scintillant to go along with these beauties.
Surprisingly there doesn't seem to be any nail polishes in this collection. I searched high and low on the web and couldn't find anything.
Let's dream a little... From the Chanel Camélia Fine Jewelery Collection...
In it's latest collection, Notes de Printemps, Chanel released two new nail polishes which will join the regular line up. #605 Tapage, a bright coral red which I had hoped would have a little more pink is a beautiful color but I preferred to go with #603 Charivari.
Chanel Le Vernis #603 Charivari...
Looking at the bottle we see a beautiful deep eggplant, smokey plummy purple. Creamy gorgeousness and just my kind of color. Seeing swatches all over the blogosphere I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
As usual, Chanel's formula is perfect! It goes on like a dream, a little streaky on the first coat but the second one levels everything up. Surprisingly on the second day it was already loosing some of it's shine so a top coat is definitely a requirement and I would say a gel would be preferable.
The hick...
On my fingers the color is not that striking! It looks great in the sun or under spotlights like one sees in pictures but in everyday lighting it's pretty ordinary and I didn't get to admire the color much. I did wear it an entire week and whether at home, office or in the metro it never really wowed me the way it does in the bottle.
Again, it's a beautiful color in the bottle and although you get to see the color on the pictures above, natural light on the left and a soft light on on the right, in real life, on me it doesn't look that way.
Mmm maybe I need glasses!
A bit of a miss for me but not a total loss for I do believe I will enjoy it more on my toes later this spring paired with a brighter color on my fingers.
Gosh I can't wait for warmer temps!
Have you started to think about mani-pedi colors for spring? :)
We've just had another week of extremely cold temperatures!!! Enough already!
Snow, I don't mind but cold I do! Even in the house it was cold because the heating system couldn't keep up. I mean 17° Celsius is NOT comfortable. Fine for sleeping but the rest of the time it's truly unpleasant. This week it's suppose to warm up outside to an almost balmy -6° Celsius and I just can't wait!
It'll almost feel like Capri pants and flip flop time!
Bring the 30 cm of snow but stop with the cold I say!
This week's makeup love...
For eye makeup Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Diapason and NARS Fairy's Kiss palette have been favorites this week and for lips it was NARS Dolce Vita and Rouge Dior Esquisse. For face it was mainly Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette and my good old Guerlain Terracotta, the original one for a neutral look which was perfect to give Esquisse center stage.
I'm still not using Incandescent much, the middle powder of the Hourglass palette. It's a tricky one that tends to give my skin a frosty look, emphasizing tiny wrinkles. Not a good thing. Dim, on the left is great all over and Dim, on the right gives a nice definition to my face and is particularly nice over Terracotta to make it look more natural. At this point if I were to repurchase one of these I would go for Dim but these powders are so finely milled that I think it'll be a while before I reach pan. Notice how untouched it looks, I have been using it, really I have. :)
Benefit They're Real is OUT!!!
Given my not so good experience with Givenchy mascara, this week I'd been using Dior Iconic which is still doing ok for me although it's a little thicker. On Friday I figured Benefit would work faster and so it's the one I used. Remember it was cold! -29° Celsius cold and windy! Waiting five minutes for the bus, my lashes became a clumpy straight mess!!! By the time I got to the office my eye makeup looked horrible and there was nothing I could do about it! No curl, goopy looking lashes are not a good thing, not one bit. So far Benefit had done great for me, resisting the heated lash curler and keeping the curl for the longest time it really was pretty amazing but, and this is a huge but, it doesn't resist extreme cold! My lashes didn't look feathery smooth, they actually looked all crocked and rough (hope this makes sense). The first thing I did when I got home that night was remove my eye makeup.
Ok I'm being harsh I know, Benefit They're Real! is still a good mascara but it's definitely not one to use in extreme cold!
Nails...
Oops! I had naked nails this week, the entire week!!! Dunno what happened, I guess I was lazy... :(
New additions...
Double oops! Nothing! Nada! No new purchases! In fact the only thing I purchased, two weeks ago in fact, was a three wicks candle from Indigo in Tahitian Coconut Fig. Such a beautiful fresh fragrance, they go for $24.00 and last a good two weeks burning about three hours every night! I'll likely get a new one this week.
What I have my eyes on...
The new Diorshow Mono Fusion Matte eye shadows. These look amazing and their respective textures are positively dreamy! The ones I'm considering are Mirage a nice taupe that has a bit of a satiny finish and Nocturne an almost black with gentle sparkles which would be perfect paired with some of my tamer colors to give a bit of drama and I'm thinking it could also be used as a soft liner. Do have a look at the videos below you'll see what I mean.
Of course there's Chanel Quadrille quad that's been on my mind ever since I swatched the colors! I must get this one since I don't think I'll fall for Jardin Zen, the quad from the upcoming Chanel collection, Jardin de Camélia which will be coming out later this Spring. Then again, who knows, I didn't think I'd like Quadrille!
Lipsticks? From the current new collections I haven't been wowed by any of them. For some reason I'm more interested by the regular colors, Rouge Dior mainly.
Blushes, except for one of the new Clinique Cheek Pop, I'm not sure I'll splurge for one at this time and the same goes for nail polishes. I'm not much into pastels. I love them on others but I find my nail shape isn't the best for them. I'm not saying a definite no but at the moment none are calling my name except maybe for Dior's Trianon Edition Perlé 187 a matte pearly white which can be used as a top coat.
For your viewing enjoyment...
A treat! If you've been salivating over Dior Spring 2014 Collection Trianon then you better have a look at these...
Recently I returned a mascara to Sephora and got into a lengthy conversation about brushes with one of the SAs. She was just lovely and as geeky about them as I am. This was right after my mascara brushes post and she gave me a few suggestions, among them Tarte and YSL because they were out of Guerlain's Cils d'Enfer which is on my "to try" list. I decided to go for...
Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara...
What it is: A four-in-one mascara that creates intense volume, strong curl, infinite length, and complete lash care.
What it does: This multitasking mascara is formulated with Givenchy’s exclusive Lash Booster Expert Complex that provides nutrition, revitalization, fortification, and protection.
Research results: -Based on a self-evaluation on 32 women after 4 weeks of daily application, 91% had visibly volumized, curled, and lengthened lashes. -Based on clinical scoring on 32 women after 8 weeks of daily applications, 100% recorded lash beauty and strength, surface shine, evenness, and suppleness.
Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product.
Such a beauty! The brush... must have been designed by an even more geekybrushpickynut than me! Despite the fact that it's totally out there, it works amazingly well.
If only the mascara itself was up to par with the brush! You can see on the top picture the nice point the formula has. It's just the right consistency, not too thick, not too thin and on the bottom picture, notice the rounded tip of the brush. It surprisingly works extremely well, even in the inner corner of my eyes. Since it does keep quite a bit of product on you must not "wiggle" the brush when applying this mascara otherwise you'll end up with a thick mess.
It does go on smooth, gives length, volume and is a beautiful satiny black but sadly it doesn't last. It tends to flake a little and kind of disappears during the course of the day. It resists the heat of the heated lash curler and does keep the curl for about six hours but it has no oomph!
I could apply two coats but more and it started to clump!
Would I recommend Givenchy Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara? Sadly no.
Unless you have beautifully long curly lashes to begin with I doubt this one will do much for you. I myself will be using it on weekends when I go for lighter eye makeup and maybe my lashes will take advantage of it's lash boosting properties.
By the way, that nice SA at Sephora was 100% correct about Givenchy's. She told me they often recommended it to women who wanted to achieve a natural look. For this it does work but I'm not ready to let go of a more dramatic effect yet so this one will not be a repurchase.
Have you tried any of Givenchy's makeup offerings?
This little beauty was purchased back in November, I think! Well not long after getting my beloved Rouge Dior Grège 1947. I so fell in love with the formula of Rouge Dior that I had to go and get a few more almost on the spot! I must say that Dior was my favorite formula ages ago and I'm glad to say this new incarnation doesn't disappoint. I purchased two more barely a week after Grège but realised once home that they were different.
Rouge Dior Nude Couleur Blush Voluptuous Care...
The packaging is stunning with its luxurious house of Dior cannage pattern and jeweled CD on top. On the bullet itself there is of course the Dior name embossed. Such a decadent treat!
The formula...
Described as a rich and creamy balm it's an extremely comfortable formula. Meant to plump, smooth and hydrate lips to create a beautiful elegant finish with a light illuminating effect.
In other words, it's more than a lipstick and it's more than a balm. It truly is both!
663 Esquisse...
Given the fact that it's a little darker than what I usually wear it took me a while to warm up to it.
Baby steps, baby steps... It's finally getting some love! In fact, in the past two weeks I've found myself reaching for it often.
A lovely warm berry that's a step above the usual "my lips but better" look for me. More than flattering, it's the perfect complement to a more natural eye look. On the picture it looks much darker than in real life and it's also not quite as pink, it's a little more warm than cool. It truly is a pretty color, suitable to many carnations.
On the left one pass, on the right, two.
Here is the best I could do for swatches (I know, blurry!). The difference between the two pictures is on the left, the lighting is slightly brighter. I've seen this color described as sheer! Well it ain't that sheer as you can see. It feels buttery and soft but for a lip treatment it's got nice color payoff and excellent wear time. I'd say I get a good three if not four hours of color and even when the moisturizing feel is gone there is still a nice natural stain on my lips. It fades evenly and unlike Grège 1947, it doesn't leave a wonky line on the inner rim of my lower lip. As for the plumping effect claims, well there isn't much of that but then it would have to sting and irritate a little which it doesn't. It's a very comfortable formula and that's what counts for me.
Love!!!
There seems to be five colors in all in Rouge Dior Nude Couleur Blush Voluptuous Care...
A little confusing is that I've seen on some sites Grège 1947 as part of this range but as you know I do own it and mine is a Rouge Dior.
Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush are for me worth the splurge. So comfortable with such a lovely finish, I mean next pay day, why not treat yourself to a little something that will make you feel special every time you use it?
I got my eye on #459 Charnelle next...
Have you seen/tried this incarnation of Rouge Dior?
This was a little Christmas indulgence, a little gift to myself. I know, another one! What can I say, I figure I deserved it!
Some of my favorite body moisturizers over the years include Clinique Deep Comfort body butter, Biotherm Anty-Drying Body Milk, Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion, Nivea (yes plain little Nivea the one in the dark blue bottle), several of The Body Shops Body Butter (I love their Cocoa Butter Hand & Nail lotion) and the one that kind of comes up on top is Avène Cold Cream Body Lotion. I think I went through four bottles of that one in recent years!
For some reason I tend to be unfaithful. I like to change and I must admit that my long time relationship with Avène and Nivea is exceptional for me. I get bored easily but these have remained staples.
There's a new one on my block...
L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Body Lotion...
Ok I know it's not that new but for me it is, there! L'Occitane* was founded in 1976 by Olivier Baussan who's intention was to preserve the traditions of his native Provence. The company took the name L'Occitane en Provence in the late 1990s.
This lotion with it's 15% shea butter from Burkina Faso a little landlock country of West Africa, is rich, luxurious and has an amazing fragrance! I can't quite put my finger on it but it has a flowery and powdery smell that reminds me of products my mother used when I was a child. In other words, it's very comforting. Maybe it's the smell that surrounds you when you step into a lovely ancient French house on the outskirts of Nice or Arles in the south of France.
Rich but non greasy, just the way I like a body moisturizer, it penetrates quickly and keeps my skin soft a good twelve hours, even my elbows! If you have very dry skin you may want to try the Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream which comes in a jar. I only tried that on in store but it did seem extra moisturizing. The Shea Butter Body Lotion is a little on the pricey side at $34.00 for 250 ml, especially compared to Avène which is the same price but for 400 ml.
L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Body Lotion may not be the most moisturizing body lotion on the market, that is of course if you have extra dry skin, but it does an excellent job for my winter skin and just the fragrance alone makes it totally worth it.
Shower, this lotion and flannel pj's = super comfy fuzzy feeling inside.
Have you tried this body lotion or any of the L'Occitane en Provence offerings?
-Shea Butter (15%): Protects, nourishes, and moisturizes the skin. -Extra Pure Apricot Oil: Regenerates and nourishes with vitamins A, B, and C. -Honey and Coconut Oil: Moisturize and soften.
*Occitane to put it simply, is a female native/resident of the pays d'Oc. Its language, originating from the Middle Ages is still spoken today in southern parts of Spain, France, Monaco and Italy. Although considered as a dialect by some (it would seem to be the fusion of several dialects), others firmly believe it's a language and that, even if there are different ways to speak it. Occitan is often synonym to Provençal which in turn originates from Latin Provincia likely of Romain origin.
This was such a crazy week that I completely forgot about my blog Anniversary!!!
Icaria's turned 2 on the 16th of January, at 3:29 pm to be exact!!!
This is my 510th post!!!
When I think about the first one I can still remember how nervous I was just before pressing "Enter". Would anyone read it? Well according to my stats, yes. It got 34 hits on that first post and a guy named Phil, who is partly responsible for this venture, graciously left a comment. :)
I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through this past year without this beautiful creative platform which has brought me so much pleasure and personal satisfaction. If you click on the About Moi tab you'll understand what I mean. It's been more than therapeutic, it's enabled to not only express myself about what I love but also to become part of a community comprised of beautiful passionate ladies...
Olivia, Sunny, Stacey, Gio, Tavia, Lily, Tracy, Melissa... are some of the ladies who have been there for me with beautiful words of encouragement when I truly needed them. Oh and there's Linda who pops in here and there, in fact always at the right moment from Ottawa, a non blogger who just loves beauty stuff!
There are many others of course! New commenters are starting to pop up, new web-friendships are starting to bloom and I couldn't be happier. Icaria's is growing and this mom is pretty proud of her baby!
Those first 34 views are what told me that I too might have my place in the blogosphere and today I know I do!
Here is one of my favorite paintings. As a child it was on a box of felt crayons I owned and I had no idea who Van Gogh was at the time but I loved the style and dreamed of visiting this enchanted place one day. If I could, I would invite you all to this little café in Arles for a celebratory drink!
The new Chanel Note de Printemps collection for spring 2014 is out!
Notes de printemps stands for spring notes, musical notes for all the items in the collection have names that refer to music.
Honestly if I could, I would probably purchase every single item except for the Poudre Universelle Compacte in Préface which I found surprisingly too matte. The rest of the collection is really, I mean really very pretty and not as "been there done that" as I thought it would be.
Soon the quad Quadrille will come home with me but what has already found it's way into my makeup bag is one of the two Illusion d'Ombre...
Chanel Illusion d'Ombre, #92 Diapason...
I knew I was going to love it, I just knew it!
Diapason, which commonly refers to a tuning fork, is a beautiful deep purple with a warm base that has nothing to do with any usual purples especially the pastel ones we are starting to see pop up here and there in spring collections. This one is for grown ups!
The texture is light and blendable but you have to work quickly when applying it because it sets fast. I personally don't like the little brush that comes with it much but if you want major color payoff it does deliver. I prefer to use a standard eye shadow brush for a lighter effect. Fingers work well too but my pinkie isn't very precise.
The formula...
The great plus here is that there are barely any glitter fall out especially compare to a powder eye shadow. I apply it over NARS Pro-Prime base and it stays put all day, almost as long as Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Fatal. I don't know if it's because of the different pigments used but Diapason did start to crease a little after about 11 hours and the glitter did fade a little more than Fatal. Still I won't complain since this is long enough for a work day.
Chanel really has a hit on their hands with these Illusion d'Ombres because compare to others I've swatched, they wear like iron, well almost. I swatched a few from another brand today and although the texture was creamier and easier to work with, it was obvious that I would have gotten barely 6 hours of wear and probably some glitter fall out as well.
Hey I have SWATCHES!!! :D
Next to Fatal we can clearly see the warm undertones of Diapason.
On the left is Fatal first applied with the little Chanel brush, then with finger. I did the same for Diapason on the right. Notice the little blob of color that occurred with the brush. It does make the colors darker but it can also make the finish uneven so smoothing out with a finger is a must when using it and again, you have to work fast because these babies set in no time! As mentioned in my review of Fatal, there is glitter but it's not an overdone in your face glitter. It barely shows on the picture but believe me it's there although I do think there's a little less in Diapason.
At $38.00, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre are pricey but you get a lot of product, 4g. (0.14oz) and a jar that closes shut so it should be a while before it dries out.
What do you think of cream eye shadows? Have you tried any of Chanel Illusion d'Ombres?
I dream of this! To be able to do what I want when I want would be a dream but sadly I live in the real world so I guess I'll settle for a lazy Sunday and a lipstick!
NARS Dolce Vita...
Given NARS tendency to stick with cinematic and artistic themes, I would think the name refers to Federico Fellini's 1960 movie La Dolce Vita but I won't go there since I get the feeling that it's been written about already. Still, I'm quite sure this lipstick would have been stunning on Anouk Aimée. :)
Dolce Vita is another gorgeous "my lips but better" color! Creamy, it feels like a balm, fades evenly and doesn't enhance dry spots due to its light pigments. A medium dusty rose that appears darker on the bullet, Dolce Vita is sheer with some slip which means that it lasts about two hours but fades evenly and leaves a light stain on the lips. It's just perfect for this time of year and I love the fact that I can swipe it on without a mirror.
This little NARS beauty has found a permanent residence in my purse along with Rouge Dior Grège 1947 which pulls a little more coral on me. Not as "pink" nor as pigmented as NARS Tolède, Dolce Vita is a nice seasonal "replacement". Tolède with its long wear formula remains a favorite but it has a matte finish which means it's slightly drying and wearing a balm under alters the look I love so much so that's not an option.
I was looking for a similar shade with a more moisturizing feel and Dolce Vita is perfect! Sooo comfortable to wear! It's no wonder it was voted "Best Overall Lipstick" by InStyle in 2011. I'm not a fan of magazines "best of" lists but this time I do agree and there's also the fact that it suitable for most skin tones. Tasteless, with antioxidants and a blend of conditioners, you can definitely feel it's moisturizing effect. Truly a perfect winter time lipstick!
Do you find you use different lipstick formulas in winter?
Every time I review a mascara I always mention the importance of the combination of good formula and good brush. You really can't have one without the other. Basic I know but this is something that may have been overlooked by some of those who are still searching for "The One".
I think the first step is trying to figure out which brush works best for you and then take it from there because even if you have found a great formula, if you keep struggling with the brush, well, that's not a good thing. There is a perfect mascara for everyone out there, believe me!
Why was it such a struggle for me? My lashes are on the short side and point straight down plus they are stiff and hard to curl. The only way I can keep a curl all day is by heating my lash curler with my hair dryer and that's with mascara on! If I do this before application it's always a major fail. Doing this the mascara formula must be on the amazing side because not all can sustain a heated lash curler. Several "melt" on point of contact and although not super noticeable it's a little annoying.
The mascaras mentioned below all have great formulas that did good with the heated lash curler. Some believe that you're not suppose to curl your lashes with mascara on, thinking that it will break them but I've been doing this for years with no issues. If you break or pull off lashes the problem is the lash curler itself not the fact that you have mascara on. Oh I almost forgot, all these mascaras kept the curl a good 12 hours too!
Let's compare some brushes...
These are the ones I've used this year. Of course if you have long naturally curly lashes (I could almost hate you right now, yes I'm talking to you Melissa from Kiss & Makeup and Tracy from Beauty Reflections) you may not even need to bother with this entry, these comments but, you may still find it... informative. :)
L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess: the brush is huge compared to the others and I don't quite get the curve of it. The wand itself is kind of soft and a little flimsy and I must admit that I was a afraid it would break at one point leaving the brush in the container. Still it was a good drugstore option because it did a good job and it's one I'd reconsider.
Estée Lauder Sumptuous: my favorite! It's a standard no fuss conic shaped brush that due to the fact it's more pointy makes mascara application easier on those inner corner tiny lashes.
Benefit They're Real!: Ok this one is a little funky and prickly but it does a good quick job. Combined with a good product it's one that I now buy in it's small size to always have available.
Diorshow Iconic: I truly loved this beautifully smooth formula but as mentioned the brush is a pain! Notice the difference below compared to the others? How the bristles are tight, close to one another? Once there a bit of products on the lashes it can barely grab on to them for a second coat. I was able to achieve a good look with it but it did take longer and that was rather annoying some mornings.
Diorshow Iconic Overcurl: curved brushes aren't my favorite and this one made it hard to grab the lashes on the inner corners of my eyes. I can't comment on the formula since it appears I ended up with a bad one that I had to take back but do know it gets a lot of love. I don't think I will try again just because of the brush.
My wish...
Could someone combine the formula of Diorshow Iconic with Estée Lauder's Sumptuous brush? This would make it one of the best mascaras out there!!!
Yes I dare say, even better than Benefit They're Real!
The mascaras mentioned here are all top sellers and get high ratings so yes, if you want to try any of them do go ahead. You may have noticed in the reviews I wrote about them, I really have nothing negative to say about their formulas* and unlike me, you may have no issues with their respective brushes. I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist in this area but at the same time I thought it would give you something to think about the next time you decide to purchase a new mascara. That is if you haven't found "The One" yet!
Of course this year I will be trying others in fact, I already have a few I'm considering and can't wait to play with! :D
When deciding on trying a new mascara, is the brush an important selling point or am I the only nut case out there?
*It was confirmed again this week that there was a bad shipment of Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara from another Dior counter where they too had some returns. My guess is it may have been exposed to extreme temperatures.
