[TAG] What’s in my Bag?

Last weekend I was tagged by one of my favorite bloggers from Germany, Shelynx from Der blasse Shimmer. I thought it is a good idea for me to go for a different type of post than I have written until now, since in this one I could be a bit more personal, which some of you may find lacking in my blog. I also don't want to miss this opportunity to tag a few friends and see inside their bags *evil smile*. Alright so here is my take on this... 

The Bag

My crazy orange bag

Yes this is bright and orange! This was the reason I wanted it. Although this year there are many similar orange bags, last year, despite Pantone color of the year being tangerine, it was rather a challenge to find one. This one was not being sold in Stuttgart, Germany but that couldn't hold me back. I made them order it from Michael Kors counter in Breuninger and waited for it for a month to come.

I am generally happy with the pockets and sections it offers. It has two zipped and one open part. I use the open one to put things I have to reach quickly but which are also large enough not to fall and get lost, something like umbrella or gloves.

A look at inside of my bag

Inside the bag

I decided to follow the schema of Shelynx and go through the things by numbering them. 

Things which are in the middle pocket

#1 - Case for my glasses: Yes I use glasses, especially when I am driving. After managing to live without them over 25 years, I had to get one for driving. I then noticed that it was much easier also at meetings to read small text reflected by beamer. I don't have lenses, if I don't want glasses, I just don't use them :-)

#2: Umbrella: The smallest and lightest umbrella I could find. I believe this one is from Marks & Spencer. I always carry it with me including summer seasons, as I found it to be life saving on some unexpected occasions. Also I hate doing my hair and having rain ruining it, so this one is a must have for me.

#3 Gloves for Smartphone: What is this doing here, aren't we in spring yet? Well we were and I put it away but yesterday it was so cold that I decided to put it back in. These ones were a present from my hubby last year for Christmas. They have some metal part on the tip of the thumb and index finger so that I can use my iphone also when it is cold outside. For those of you who are curious, I got mine from Roeckl.

Other things from middle pocket

#4 - Garage opener: True vintage item inside my bag. This device is an early sample of electrical garage opener from probably around 20th century ;-) White button opens the gate and red one is for my garage and these are the only two tasks this big device can do! Think about how the things changed from 1995 to today... Now smart phones are even smaller and lighter than that one. Anyway after these serve their purpose, I should donate it to vintage electronics museum.

#5 - Keychain and keys: I still keep my keys in the key holder I purchased from Shanghai during World Expo in 2010. 

#6 - Blotting papers from Chanel: Having dry to normal skin, I really don't need those but I use its mirror from time to time.

#7 - Passport: Yes I always carry it with me around, especially after once forgetting it right before a flight and missing that flight.

Things from front pocket

#8 - Random discount coupons: You can make sure that you always find a few of those in my bag. I go over those from time to time an throw away the ones which expires.

#9 - Silver case for business cards: A necessity for modern day business woman ;-p Mine was a present from my mother. I find it really useful but I try to remember leaving it at home before flying because a few times scans have shown a big metal thing in my bag and I had to convince them that it was just this case.

#10 - Paper tissues: Without those, I couldn't survive. Especially because my nose reacts to each temperature change especially between indoor and outdoor and anything spicy may make me reach for those.

#11: Mirror: A gift from Laura Mercier counter in Breuninger, very light and handy as it can be folded to be placed on a desk.

Random things from small side pocket of my bag

#12 - Keys for office: These are for opening my drawers and cupboard at the office. Keychain came as a present with one of my favorite shoes from Art.

#13 - Car keys: Despite the distance between home and work being just 4 km, I am usually driving to work for not to carry my laptop all the way. 

#14 - Biometric photos: These days you never know when you need one of those, so i slipped the last ones taken for my passport in my bag.

#15 - Chewing gum: Perfect for after eating if I can't brush my teeth because of being on the way.

#16 - Discount coupons from WC: These might be unique to German. The idea is that you pay 70 cents for WC on motor-way service areas and they give you a 50 cent coupon which you can spend later while buying something from the shop. I usually get these then never find them in my bag again. Do you know these in any other country?

Now it is time for some cosmetics...

Cosmetics lingering in my bag

#17 - Retractable lip brush: I am loving this recent addition to my bag, retractable lip blush from Dior for touch-ups during the day, comes in a cute velvet pouch. 

#18 - Retractable kabuki brush: Another recent addition to my collection. I am using this to apply Chanel Les Beiges healthy glow sheer powder. It is very soft and fluffy and it certainly needs cleaning soon...

#19 - Chanel Les Beiges No.20: I am still testing this product and planning to write a proper review on it soon. Since only no. 10, 30, 40 and 50 available in Germany, I ordered this one from France. 

#20 - Chanel Eclat Lumiere highlighter pen: For touch-ups during the days I need concealing on my spots.

Rest include my favorite lipsticks at the moment, so I will be just stating their name and numbers. I try not to carry more than five lipsticks in my bag:

#21 - Tom Ford lip Color Shine in 06 Abandon

#22 - Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 343 Spring Ball

#23 - YSL Volupte Shine Lipstick in 03 Violet Incognito

#24 - Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 51 Ce Soir

Inside and outside of my purse and my nail file

#25 - Purse: I got this purse for my winter bag, which is purple. I am so happy with it, I decided to keep it for now until I get something fitting to orange. I have some money, credit cards as well as store cards inside, which I won't reveal here for safety issues ;-)

#26 - Pocket file: Another must have for me since my long nails may break and need a first aid. 

Congratulations for reading up to here. I knew it would be a challenge to write about my bag and look how long this post became. Anyway now comes the fun part, I would like to tag my fellow blogger friends and hope to take a glance inside their bags: Bellyhead from Wondegondigo, Chicscience from Chic Science Blog,  Lipstickblvds from Lip Stick Boulevards, Kai from Kais Obsessions. Also any of you who would like to take the challenge or have already written a similar post, just put a link to your post below at comments section. 

YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

"Pure Chromatics" Wet & Dry eye shadow palettes have one of my favorite eye shadow formulas. I have collected quiet a few of them since their release and I make sure to follow the new releases. This addiction sometimes lead to fun transactions over the countries, I have YSL palettes bought in different countries in Europe and this one, no.13 which I would like to present you today, was ordered from France.

YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

This month YSL released their make-up collection for Summer 2013, called Saharienne Heat which currently, as far as I know, only available in US. The collection took my attention first with its hilarious promo picture which shows Lindsey Wixson hugging a stone bull and getting naughty. Then I have noticed the dark nail polish called Taupe Mauresque just to find out that I already have this shade as I picked it up a few months ago when only 30 pieces were sold as Breuninger exclusive in Stuttgart, Germany. I have to admit the color of the nail polish is really very dark and not particularly special for me but i am planning to get Vert Dorient, a gorgeous green, once the collection arrives to Europe. I knew I would pass on Ombres 5 Lumieres Eyeshadow Palette release, called Marrakesh Sunset. Although it does look gorgeous in the pan, according to past experience and what I have seen in blogs I know that I won't be reaching for the sheer and frosty formula of YSL quints. I have seen that they repromoted Pure Chromatics No. 20 from their 2011 Summer collection and released a new quad, No.13. In France Sephora, Pure Chromatics No 13 was already released a few months ago, although summer collection haven't arrived here yet. 

YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

The palette consists of four beautiful shades, a peachy pink shade on top left, next to it is a champagne highlighter color, bottom left you have a vibrant warm purple and bottom left is a dark plum which can also be used as a liner. All of the colors have good pay-off once applied dry. You can also slightly damp your eye shadow applicator and use them wet to build up more intensity and shimmer.

Colors close-up of YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 from Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection

Below I swatched them with my fingers starting from top left color, then moving to top right and bottom left color, finishing with the darkest bottom right shade. All of the swatches are dry but i used the main shades wet for following eye look.

Direct sun swatch of YSL Pure Chromatics No.13, from left to right: top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left

The colors get a nice but not over-the-top shimmer under sun light and appear rather muted under indirect light, to show you the effect here are the swatches in shadow.

Indirect light swatch of YSL Pure Chromatics No.13, from left to right: top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left

I wore them last week to work, on a sunny day when i was feeling summery. Unfortunately on the weekend it started raining and my mood dropped a bit. For the below eye makeup, I used the peachy pink shade wet all over the lid, then started defining the eyes by adding the darker plum on the crease rather lightly. I then added some more purple to this look by padding some of vibrant purple shade on the outer half of the lid. I also used an Urban Decay eye liner along the top lashes and Chanel Le Volume mascara to finish the look.

YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 in action, eyes closed

On the bottom I mixed the pinky peach and vibrant purple shades to add some definition here too. Here is the look once more eyes open (please excuse my messy eye brows). 

YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 in action, eyes open

I was very happy with my purchase, which gave me a gorgeous purple eye makeup and lasted all day without fading with a base. The results were not too vibrant (as you know I was a bit overhelmed with Guerlain's Attrape-coeur being too flashy for my taste) but still colorful enough for a summer look. Then I decided to check my collection of YSL Pure Chromatics quads which led to a slight disappointment, here is the reason why...

I have seen that YSL Pure Chromatics No.13 was almost a reshuffle mostly of No.4 mixed with one shade from No.6 for a change. Check out the photo below for color matches which are denoted with same color boxes.

The peachy pink color of No. 13 on top left is almost a one to one match with the bottom left color from No.6, the darkest plum (bottom left) could also found in both of the palettes No. 4 and 6, No.4 being the closest. The other colors, the champagne is very close to the highlight color from No.4 but slightly more peachy. The vibrant plum has no perfect match but bottom left color of No.4 is a close match (a bit more pink). Check comparison swatches below.

Final thoughts: I am always a big fan of YSL Pure Chromatics. Lasting power, color selection and the possibility to adjust the intensity of application by using them dry or wet are among few reasons why I love them. No. 13 released for this summer is no exception in terms of quality so if you were planning to try this formula and like wearing purples, go ahead and check this one out. On the other hand if you already own some YSL Pure Chromatics palettes, like I do, check out to see if you have No.4 and No.6 because the colors in No.13 are reasonably close to some shades from these two permanent palettes. 

Do you also like the formula of Pure Chromatics as much as I do? Are you planning to check out No.13? Picked up anything else from YSL Summer 2013 Saharienne Heat Collection?

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet & the Search for the Perfect Peach

The photos were taken and comparison swatches were done but it took sometime until I made it to this post, partly because I was interrupted with Chanel summer candies. The last piece from Avant Premiere de Chanel collection could still not be skipped. After Le Vernis 581 Cinema and 579 Paparazzi, today I would like to present you 575 Starlet, Chanel describes it as a peachy pink but I like calling it a low-key coral. I got used to making up a story about the polish to be compared, but you may skip this part and just check the photos, the captions and final thoughts if you wish. Once upon a time...

Starlet, Searching for the Perfect Peach

...there was a worm. An ugly white worm. They told her she would grow to be a beautiful butterfly with iridescent wings and a crown of a princess, but for this to happen, she had to find the perfect peach to eat. She packed her things and started crawling up the peach tree, slowly but determined.

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet from Avant Premiere Collection

As she reached the top, she looked down to enjoy the beautiful view. All those years of living in the meadow was over. A light breeze was blowing towards her tiny body. She grabbed the tree trunk not to fall. Slowly moving to a branch she had chosen, she had seen all the beautiful peaches, all full of meat and their small hair shining under the sun. Oh how delicious they looked...

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet together with similar peach colors

She first got her eyes on Ming, which was way too pink for her taste, sun must have not touched this one. She had seen Biarritz and Orange Blosson but they were almost looking like sour oranges. She grimaced as she turned her head and her eyes met Peche Nacree, such a beautiful name. She wished that it wouldn't be so pale. Then it was English Rose and Paparazzi, but find them to be a tad more pink than she would like. 

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet comparison wheel and mugshot with other similar colors

India was gorgeous, but was it going bad with this brownish hue? Bikini and Miami Peach were almost unreal, they were bright, Miami Peach has gorgeous golden sparkle to it. Could they be the perfect peach? 

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet comparison wheel with other similar colors

She was about the decide between these two but suddenly Starlet caught her attention. Its lovely tone, subtle pink shimmering skin, she drooled and she knew this was her peach. Slowly crawled over Starlet and took a bite. It was the most delicious food she had ever eaten in her whole worm life. Soon enough no one could see her anymore. She was lost in the deep peachy flesh, enjoying her new home.

Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet from Avant Premiere Collection

Final Thoughts: Chanel Le Vernis 575 Starlet is an understated coral with secret pink shimmer, you could call it a nude coral if this makes sense. It couldn't find a matching shade in my stash, but the base colors of 208 Paparazzi and 205 English Rose are close. Starlet is undoubtedly my favorite from three new Chanel releases in Avant Premiere de Chanel collection, too bad that it is also the only on which is limited edition.

Did you purchase Starlet? Do you like this color for spring and summer or do you find it to be a rather Fall shade? What is your favorite nail polish from Avant Premiere de Chanel?

Complete Swatches of Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows and Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras from L’été Papillon de Chanel

Today I was determined to publish a post about Le Vernis Starlet from Avant Premiere de Chanel collection, one of the few pieces I haven't reviewed yet and it was requested by some fellow bloggers. But when I opened my post box, there was something waiting for me inside which changed my plans. Oh those lovely candies...

 Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows and Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras from L’été Papillon de Chanel

On the weekend I finally tracked them all down, so today I would like to proudly present all of them to you, Stylo Fresh Effect Eye Shadows, all the six shades and Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras, all the four colorful shades (fifth one is a black mascara, which we all know how it looks like). Previously I reviewed the blue shades of this collection, with a demonstration on how it looked on the eyes, which you can find here. So let's start with the six gorgeous shadow sticks, shall we?

 Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

Once I arrived home, carrying the envelope in my hand with those candies packed in, I was so happy to see that it was wonderfully sunny outside. I rushed out to be able to take sunlight photos which show the gorgeous shimmer.

 Sunlight swatches of Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

To see the undertones, I also made an indirect light photo (see below). 07 Moon River is a warm taupe, which is my favorite of the bunch. 17 Cool Gold is a gold with strong yellow hues. Some bloggers were confused with the name as it is a very warm gold color. I think the indication of cold comes from the cooling effect of those eye shadows which I mentioned before, not from the tone. The third shade is 27 Pink Lagoon which is a peachy pink. 37 Jade shore is an aqua green leaning turquoise. I reviewed 47 Blue Bay before, it is a cool mid-toned blue with silver shimmer. 57 Black Stream is an intense black, which has subtle silver shimmer in it. Below are swatches photographed with indirect day light.

 Shadow swatches of Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel

I would like to compare them to Illusion D'ombres, which are sheerer in general. They also have more shimmer. I used them usually to add a wash of color to the lid or as a base color for powder eye shadows. Stylo Fresh Effect Eye Shadows are meant to be rather stand alone as they are much more pigmented. Of course they can also be used as base (black one would make a good base for color technique). Below are the comparison swatches with Illusion D'ombres. 88 Abstraction is close in color but it is much more sheer compared to 27 Pink Lagoon. 85 Mirifique is also sheerer and very shimmery once swatched side by side to Black Stream.

Comparison sunlight swatches of Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel with Illusion D'Ombres

The gap on top of Jade Shore could be filled with last year's asia exclusive shade Illusion D'ombre 87 Riviere but it was not released in Germany and I found it too sheer to justify the hunt so I don't own it. Later on I thought maybe 84 Epatant, which is a taupe green shade could be close to Jade Shore so did some more swatches which you can see below. In the end it turned out Epatant is closer to Moon River than Illusoire. Moon River is still a uniquely gorgeous taupe on its own.

Comparison sunlight swatches of Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadows from L’été Papillon de Chanel with Illusion D'Ombres

I also wanted to compare the golds from Illusion D'ombre and Cool Gold. As it turned out, they are also all very different, closest one being Apparence from Holiday 2012 look.

Comparison sunlight swatches of Cool Gold Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadow with gold Illusion D'Ombres

Now it is time to move on to the Mascaras. Yellow mascara? Who would think about it right? If someone would, this wouldn't be Chanel. But Chanel keeps on surprising us, so here are the four vibrant Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras.

 Vibrant Colored Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras from L’été Papillon de Chanel

I am planning to show those in action once I have some more time to play with them but for the time being, here are some more photos to enjoy.

Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras from L’été Papillon de Chanel

Zest is an egg yellow, Lime light is a turquoise. Aqua Blue is just what the name suggests, this one is also a bit shimmery compared to the others. I have already shown you Blue Note in action, if you want to check that out, it is here. I use those vibrant colors on black mascara for top lashes and directly for the bottom lashes to add some pop of color. I think there may really be very fun combinations with Stylo Eye Shadows.

 Sunlight swatches of Inimitable Waterproof Mascaras from L’été Papillon de Chanel

Final Thoughts: Very unexpected and pleasure to play around with those. I may need some time to figure out what kind of combinations will work for me but I am eager to try. As I already previously mentioned, I love the formula of Stylo Eye Shadows. Wish a few shades (like Moon River) would be permanent. By the way today "let's make-up" video of Lisa Eldridge is released and here is if you would like to check out how she used these:

Have you checked those out yet? Are you planning to get any of the vibrant mascaras? Which eye shadow colors are you eager to try out?

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons 03 Naturel-Brunettes Review and Comparison

Last month Guerlain released a new Terracotta collection, featuring lovely matte bronzers as the collection's focal point. As it hit the stores, many bloggers reviewed their picks, here are just a few to start with:

• Cafe Make-up Shades 00,02,04
• Beauty Look Book: Shades 00,02
• Temptalia:  Shade 05
• Lipstick Boulevards: Shade 00

The lightest two shades were sold out in Germany in no time although the price point for these are very steep around $75/62€. The price made every beauty nerd a bit curious about how the performance would be. The idea behind the product is that it consists of 4 different shades to meet the lighter or darker bronzer needs for every season.

I took advantage of cosmetics sales event in April at a local department store to purchase one of these to try it out myself. After almost half an hour of applying different shades on different parts of my face (which in the end turned out to be pretty funny), me and my PA decided on Shade 03, called "Naturel-Brunettes" which I would like to present you today.

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons 03 Naturel-Brunettes

I am NC 20-25 with natural undertones. I have seen/read that most of the people were going for lighter shades but during the trying process, I have noticed that the shade which had "blondes" in their names had some pink inside. Those were rather leaning cool in an undesirable way on my skin where the shades which ended with "brunettes" were blending and looking more natural. It may have to do with my undertones but I decided for the lightest brunettes shade as opposed to a medium blondes shade. Here are once more all the shades listed for reference:

• 00: Nude
• 02: Naturel-Blondes
• 03: Naturel-Brunettes
• 04: Moyen-Blondes
• 05: Moyen-Brunettes
• 08: Ebony

After coming home, I compared 03 Naturel-Brunettes with my other favorite bronzers from last summer, Soleil Tan de Chanel 907 Sable Beige and 917 Sable Rose and Diorskin Nude Tan 002 Sunlight. I have been using Soleil Tan de Chanel in Sable Rose a lot as a blusher, as it is way too pink as a bronzer for me. Sable Beige is a very natural light bronzer which I like using just to give a healthy glowing skin.

Soleil Tan de Chanel 907 Sable Beige (up left), 917 Sable Rose (up right), Diorskin Nude Tan 002 Sunlight (down left), Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons 03 Naturel-Brunettes (down right)

One bronzer I fell in love with but never reached for after my purchase is Diorskin Nude Tan 002. This one matches my skin tone beautifully and being not so shimmery as the Chanel bronzers, provides a natural day time look. I should definitely use this one on a more regular basis. Once all of them swatched together, it can be seen that the lightest of the two shades of Guerlain Terracotta 03 bronzer (top two shades) perform almost as dark as Diorskin 002 Sunlight, but they lean more brown then pink. Although Sable Rose is more pink than all the others, it is also visible that Terracotta 03 is more brown, less pink than any other shade, which justifies my buy, as it is something new in my collection.

Indirect light swatches of lightest shades and all shades of Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons 03 Naturel-Brunettes in comparison to Chanel and Dior bronzers from Summer 2012 collection

As I checked my swatches under the sun, I have seen that Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel bronzers are significantly more shimmery than Dior Nude Tan and Guerlain Terracotta. It can also be seen that Guerlain bronzer is not flat and has a slight dimension to it although it is matte, which makes this very finely milled bronzer even more gorgeous for me.

Direct sunlight swatches of lightest shades and all shades of Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons 03 Naturel-Brunettes in comparison to Chanel and Dior bronzers from Summer 2012 collection

Final Thoughts: Although price point is steep, Guerlain offers four shades in one, which may justify the price for some. Shades which have blondes in their names are more pink than the shades which are called "brunettes". You have to try and find out which one is more flattering for your skin tone. I chose 03 Naturel-Brunettes and very happy with my choice as my other bronzers were already leaning more pink and they were much lighter. With my new purchase, I filled a gap in my stash with luxury.

Have you tried Guerlain new Terracotta line? Any picks so far?

Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis & the Family of Corals

After the quick swatches of three new bold nail polishes from Chanel L'été Papillon Summer 2013 makeup collection, now it is time for a proper deep-dive into the ocean where gorgeous corals live. Here I go again with a story. For those who find the story part rather boring, please check out the photos, the captions and feel free to skip to final thoughts.

Lilis & the Coral Family

What a wonderful day in the ocean. Lilis opened her eyes and take a look around to see what was going on. The first lights of the day was just starting to touch the ground after traveling miles from the surface. The algea was now greener than ever. She looked at an angel fish which was just passing by her, its shining bluer than anything she had seen before. Lilis came to world just last night and this was the first morning of her life.

Mugshot: Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis from L'été Papillon de Chanel

Her parents looked at her with pride. Such sweet bright coral and it was theirs. As the sun now touched her surface, she was even prettier.

On nails, under the sun: Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis from L'été Papillon de Chanel

Her father smiled and looked at her mother. "She looks much like me!" he said, so bright and bold! Her mother shook her head and giggled. "Look at her under the sunlight will you? You are way too orange, she looks just like me!". Father shook her leaves in denial "Oh Fracas, you always see things yourself, you are so pink, she is much more like me!". The discussion would heat up but they all stopped and stared at a Mandarin Fish and its beautiful rings of orange and blue in awe.

Comparison of Le Vernis 647 Lilis to recent Chanel polishes, 571 Fracas (Spring 2013) and 617 Holiday (Summer 2012)

Being part of a large family of corals, now it was time for little Lilis to meet her sisters and brothers. They all surrounded their sister looking at her with their curious eyes.

Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis with other recent corals from Dior, Chanel and Lancome

Dior 537 Riviera was much like her sister Lilis, just a tad more brighter. Dior 545 Psychedelic Orange was also quiet close, just a tad pinker. Dior 231 Bikini, Chanel 549 Distraction and Chanel 307 Orange Fizz were all subtler and shy when compared to Lilis. They watched their sister waving her leaves with confidence and they giggled an her braveness. Dior 433 Delice was the one with gorgeous shimmer and the base color was almost like her sister Lilis but the overall effect was totally different once the sun hit her leaves.

Color wheel comparison with mug shot of Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis with other recent corals

Then Lancome Peach Melody arrived. She was the one which looked like no other in the family considering her shape. She had rather small leaves in which not many big fishes could hide but there she was and was almost the perfect match for the new born Lilis, maybe so slightly more orange but no one ever noticed.

Color wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis with other recent corals from Dior, Chanel and Lancome

On such a sunny beautiful day, Lilis was born. She was a gorgeous coral, very pigmented and with a beautiful consistency. She was also blessed with a beautiful large family. Lilis felt herself very lucky and sighed in happiness as her leaves danced with the ocean waves.

On nails, in shadow: Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis from L'été Papillon de Chanel

Final thoughts: Chanel Le Vernis 647 Lilis from L'été Papillon collection for Summer 2013 is a gorgeous coral. This color perfectly stands between two recently released Chanel nail polishes Fracas (Spring 2013) and Holiday (Summer 2012). Being very bright, Lilis is much bolder than Distraction, Dior Bikini or Chanel Orange Fizz. Dior Riviera is close but a bit brighter, redder. Dior Psychedelic Orange has slightly more pink in it. The closest match is Lancome's Peach Melody from their Spring 2013 collection, so if you look for a more affordable option, you may want to check this out. 

What is your favorite coral nail polish? Would you consider Lilis for this summer?

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow 47 Blue Bay, Inimitable Waterproof Mascara 57 Blue Note For Vibrant Blue Eyes This Summer

Today I would like to present you the second part of my L'été Papillon de Chanel haul. Although international release date is announced to be May, I am hearing that the collection had already arrived at some of the counters in US.

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow 47 Blue Bay (right), Inimitable Waterproof Mascara 57 Blue Note (left)

Chanel Stylo Fresh Effect Eyeshadow 47 Blue Bay is one of the six eye shadow sticks to be released, the other colors are listed in my previous post. Blue Bay is a true mid blue with silver sparkle. It can be applied very densely if needed and sets very quickly. It then stays put for a long time without creasing. I don't have oily lids to test out how it really performs, but I usually put on make up in the morning and expect that once I am back home, which is at least 10 hours later, that it doesn't fade. Most of the time creme eye shadows fade much quicker if not set by powder but I was impressed by Blue Bay. Below are the comparison swatches against two Illusion D'ombre, which were released with Blue Illusion collection, a light blue Destination and a darker blue Apparition. Fourth swatch shows Destination layered on Apparition. The last one is eye gloss from Dior's 2012 summer collection No 240 Azur.

Swatched in indirect daylight. From left to right: Stylo Eyeshadow 47 Blue Bay, Illusion D'Ombre Destination, Illusion D'Ombre Apparition, Destination and Apparition layered, Dior Eye Gloss 240 Azur

Compared to Illusion D'Ombres, Stylo Eyeshadow sets quicker and stays longer put. On the other hand because of this property, it is not easy to blend the edges, so one needs to be quick. I recommend doing one eye at a time, rather than applying it on both eyes then start blending. Below are the swatches under direct sun light to show the gorgeous shimmer which brings the wet effect to the eyes to make you summer chic.

Swatched under direct sunlight. From left to right: Stylo Eyeshadow 47 Blue Bay, Illusion D'Ombre Destination, Illusion D'Ombre Apparition, Destination and Apparition layered, Dior Eye Gloss 240 Azur

Aside from black, four new limited edition Inimitable Waterproof Mascara shades are also to be released with L'été Papillon de Chanel collection. It is really surprising to see that Chanel releases a yellow and turquoise mascara. Those are meant to be used either on the lower lash line or on top of black mascara to add a touch of color to the tip of your lashes, to give you butterfly wing effect once you wink. Below I swatched Inimitable Waterproof Mascara 57 Blue Note next to Style Eyeshadow in Blue Bay and took the photo under sun light.

Inimitable Waterproof Mascara 57 Blue Note (left), Stylo Eyshadow Blue Bay (right)

Now it is time to show the vibrant blues in action. I applied the following eye make-up on last weekend. The weather was rather hot and humid, which was appropriate to test the summer products. Once I applied the Style Eyeshadow, I could feel a cooling effect, which will be something very pleasant during hot summer days. I applied the eye shadow stick all over my lid, starting near the lash line and blending upwards. For the first two shots, I applied black mascara on upper lashes and Blue Note on lower lashes. For the last photo, I applied Blue Note on black mascara. On all photos I used a blue liner close to the upper lash line for further definition.

Stylo Eye Shadow 47 Blue Bay on lids, Le Volume de Chanel Black on upper lashes, Inimitable Waterproof Mascara on lower lashes

As you can see below, vibrant mascara on the lower lashes adds a nice color to the look. I can see this one looking good under a natural eye look too. The ones who like adding funky colors only to the lower lash line can enjoy this summer using the new vibrant waterproof mascaras for a change.

Stylo Eye Shadow 47 Blue Bay on lids, Le Volume de Chanel Black on upper lashes, Inimitable Waterproof Mascara on lower lashes

For the photo below, I added some Blue Note Mascara also to the upper lashes on top of black mascara. This way some more color is added to the look. I wanted to show how blue you can go with these but as an everyday look, I would rather go for Moon River (Platine) or Cool Gold (gold) Style Eye shadows and add a turquoise or blue accent with one of the new mascaras.

Stylo Eye Shadow 47 Blue Bay on lids, Le Volume de Chanel Black on upper lashes, Inimitable Waterproof Mascara on lower lashes and upper lashes

Edit: To see the swatches of all the Chanel Stylo eye shadow sticks and other colors of Inimitable Waterproof mascaras, check out this post too.

Final thoughts: New Stylo Eyeshadows are long lasting and very pigmented. I could also feel a nice cooling effect on the lids. I am impressed by the formula but one should work fast with blending before it sets. New Inimitable Waterproof Mascara is also ideal to add a pop of color to your make up. I see it best working over black mascara on upper or lower lashline as well as applied directly on the lower lashes.

Have you already tried Stylo Eyeshadow? Considering to try or purchase any of the colors? What do you think of vibrant colorful mascaras?