Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic & Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polishes, Review & Comparison

This year's Vogue Fashion Night Out was held in Berlin on 5th of September. By generous help of one of my best friends (air kisses and hugs for her!), I was able to get hold of two of Chanel Le Vernis which were sold exclusive for this event. Meet Cosmic & Magic.

Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic & Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polishes

These were available in KaDeWe and Chanel Boutique in Berlin. Since numbers were very limited (I have heard of 50 pieces for each), they were only giving one per person and she had to wait on the queue for a long time. I usually get my polishes from US, where things seem to be more abundant but this year I couldn't risk it. Although I knew at some point they will be available at chanel.com in the states, FNO event this year is canceled there so it is not certain when and how it is going to be.

Chanel Le Vernis Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

Magic is a medium to deep blue which has a green tingle which is slight but there and more apperant by the first coat. Having perfect consistency, it applies like a dream and to me. It is also very opaque and only one coat might be enough but I used two for the above swatch. There is something to this shade which I didn't expect to love by looking at the bottle but surprised to see how much I loved it after the application. The shade is not vivid but noticeable, kind of stays at a perfect balanced place between teal and blue, vivid and smokey. 

Chanel Le Vernis Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish, together with similar shades

I pulled out some shades from my stash for comparison. I was a bit surprised to see that there was a discontinued nail polish called Cosmique (#28), same name with one of the FNO polishes but spelled differently, like it is also with Azure and Azur. I also included Armani nail polish #701 Bleu d'Armani which I didn't have time to review for you yet but I am recently loving. 

From left to right:

• Chanel Le Vernis #28 Cosmique (discontinued)
• Armani Nail Lacquer #701 Bleu d'Armani
• Chanel Le Vernis #553 Blue Rebel
• Chanel Le Vernis Magic
• Dior Vernis #607 Blue Denim
• Dior Vernis #900 Blue Poison (discontinued)
• Chanel Le Vernis #555 Blue Boy

Mug comparison: Chanel Le Vernis Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

Chanel Magic put a spell on me right after the brush met my nail. I loved the way it applied and it looked. The unlucky fact about Magic is that it is somehow closer to one of the Chanel nail polishes fro the permanent line, #553 Blue Rebel. The difference is that Magic is more opaque and brighter. I wore Blue Rebel before and I kind of liked it, but I loved Magic when I was wearing it. So if you have Blue Rebel, you might find it difficult to justify purchasing Magic too but if you don't have both and you want to decide, I recommend Magic.

Nail wheel comparison: Chanel Le Vernis Magic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

Once the promo pictures were released, the nail polish which got everyone swoon was Cosmic. Although photos revealed were referring to some silver glitter, this one actually has very light blue glitter. Glitter is at the background, enough to make it interesting but is not the main player. Also the base is not blackest black. It is like a very deep smoke. Under the sun, the glitter particles shine beautifully.

Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

I pulled out some similar shades from my stash. Wish I also had Chanel Night Sky (Ciel de Nuit) to be able to make a comparison. I am searching for this shade for a long time now but didn't loose hope yet. That one has a dark blue base and more glitters, you can see a comparison between the two here (in German but pictures don't need translation). The same blogger also tried to put cosmic on Magic to recreate "Night Sky" from these two polishes. I don't think it really worked, but a nice effort. You can see her post here.

Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish together with some similar shades

The shades I picked up from my stash are, from left to right:

• Illamasqua Creator
• Diorific Vernis #901 Diva from last years Holiday collection
• Chanel Cosmic
• Chanel #219 Black Satin
• A-England Bridal Veil

Mug comparison: Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

I think the nail wheel comparison does a good job in showing the differences. Illamasqua Creator is rather packed with silver glitter. Dior Diva has warmer multi color shimmer like gold, green etc. I added Black Satin to show the difference between this one and a flat black. A-England Bridal Veil has smaller and holographic shimmer, which look very different. Overall, I couldn't find any dupes to that one.

Nail wheel comparison: Chanel Le Vernis Cosmic, Vogue Fashion Night Out 2013 Nail Polish

Final thoughts: I prefer this years FNO releases from Chanel to last year's. Many of you might go for Cosmic because it is unique but my favorite of these two was Magic. There was something magical about it. As for cosmic, if you like subtle and unique blacks, not to be missed.


Are you getting any of these polishes? Which one is your favorite?

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Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane Swatch & Review

My exploration of Suqqu Fall 2013 collection goes on. After being smitten, blown away, strung out by Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-15, I played with the second quad of the same collection, Ex-16 Benichagasane. 

The adventure already started before I purchased. It was quiet a wild ride getting hold of these items. Although now Selfridges started shipping to Germany, online purchase of Fall quads doesn't work. This is why I decided to contact my Suqqu Dealer, who I got to know from eBay. Long story short, she wanted me to pay around 25% of the price additionally to her, which I was not very fond of. In the end she lowered the price, sending me the pieces. I don't know if this makes them even more exciting but I will never know when it will be possible to visit a web page and think about which quad to choose instead of constantly worrying about how to get hold of one. So here is to you dear Selfridges, I hope you fix your problems soon!

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

Going back to the drool worthy Suqqu quads, are these worth all the hunt? I might have written it several times and I will do it again. Yes, to me they totally are. Let me put it this way, I wore this one yesterday, put it on around 8am. Blending and application was a dream on its own. Even with the shimmery shades, I find the textures to be very age appropriate and easier to pull off. What about the staying power? I was at work all day, then after work I went to Yoga for an hour. I was back at home around 8pm, it was almost like as if it is just applied. I can tell you this and mascara were the only things which survived my morning make-up. Isn't that amazing?

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

Let me go back to Ex-16. It has a similar concept to Ex-15 and Ex-17. The bottom left eye shadow is divided between a dark matte definition shade and a bright shimmery shade, which I prefer calling the "accent" shade. Ex-16 has a bright shimmery pink as accent next to a cool matte brown. Once these two are layered, you get a beautiful satin plum. I believe Ex-16 is going to be the most popular of this collection, because the rest of the shades are beautiful warm and complex neutrals, which are nicely balanced with two basic mattes for base and definition which are rather on cooler side. The quad itself speaks of versatility and balance in an elegant way.

Close-up: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

The shades are as follows:
#1: A warm gold champagne with shimmery finish
#2: A warm bronze with gold shimmer
#3: Off-white leaning slightly ivory with matte finish
#4a: Deep cool matte brown
#4b: Bright shimmery pink, with slightly transparent quality for optimal layering

Sun swatch: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

After the dream experience with Ex-15, my expectation mush have been higher and I have to admit during application, Ex-16 Benichagasane got me a little bit worried. It was one of "shorter" nights and my eyes were a little red in the morning. After I was finished with the basic application, I wanted to add some pink and suddenly it gave me the rabbit eyes! I gulped and popped a bit more brown eye liner on the corners to separate the pink and my eyes. I also padded some to the corner for the following look and I was a bit frustrated that it only made my eyes look more swollen.  

Here is the end result, let me know what you think...

In-action: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

I also applied Chanel Creme Blush in Fantastic and Rouge Coco Shine in Romantic (old sheer formula) for the following look. I think end result was a wearable pink and was really autumn appropriate but as I said, was difficult for me to balance pink amount to make sure it doesn't bring out the redness of the eyes. I can imagine if you have blemishes or redness on your skin (which after holiday luckily I don't have) it might be even more challenging to find the right amount of pink to that. But you can always use the other four shades for a gorgeous neutral eye.

FOTD: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow Ex-16 Benichagasane

Also check out Belly's beautiful FOTD with Benichagasane here and Kate's brilliant dupe post with FOTD here. Also check out great comparison swatches for all three palettes here.

Final thoughts: Ex-16 Benichagasane contains the most beautiful neutrals among the three quads of Suqqu Fall 2013 collection. Shimmery textures are not over the top, they are very complex and come together with buttery soft, finely milled and pigmented quality which makes it a great palette for everyday usage. On the other hand the pink shade may be difficult to pull off, especially if you have redness issues on your eyes or skin. I found this one to be higher maintenance than Ex-15  and would opt for Ex-15 if I had to choose. Let me try Ex-17 too though and I will write a wrap-up post after that.

Can you use pinks on your eyes? What is your tips for that?

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Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki, Swatch & Review

After the Spring release of Suqqu, I was convinced that no new release would make me so excited as much as this one. The shade combination, gorgeous duochrome finishes, versatility, quality. But it seems I was wrong. Suqqu did it again, and here I present you.... 

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

...Ex-15 Hanaazuki, one of the three quads from their Fall/Winter collection. Gorgeous matte base color, satin finish mid shade and what do we see here? A sparkly green shade as an accent. The first time I have seen it, I tried to understand why they didn't give us a whole eye shadow size of such a pretty shade. Maybe not just an eye shadow but we need buckets of that. Next to it is the dark matte, which whispers to me that I won't just like this one but fall in love with it. Let's take a closer look...

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

Close-up: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki consists of the following shades:

#1: Warm white with satin finish

#2: Deep cooler plum with silver shimmer

#3: Soft pale pink with matte finish

#4a: Deep warm plum with matte finish

#4b: Shimmery grass green

In spring we were talking about duo chromes, now we talk about self layered beauties revealing different complex shades. #1 can be layered with others to give a shimmery finish but my favorite is layering #4b in #4a. Doesn't the result look breathtaking?

Sun swatch: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

First let me warn you before I go on with the look. Unfortunately photos doesn't capture half of its gorgeousness but it may give you an idea. I followed these steps:

1. Primed eye lids with Nars Pro-prime.
2. From half of the lid to the outer lid, applied #2.
3. Applied #1 to the corner of the eyes, overlapping slightly with #2 in the middle for giving some dimension.
4. I used #4a at the crease and along upper lash line from middle all the way to the outer corner.
5. I intensified the liner by using a brown pencil (new one from Guerlain) lining the roots of the lashes top and bottom from half way to the outer corner.
6. I padded #4b along the liner area top and bottom.
7. I added #4b to the mid lid for a little bit of oomph, wish it would show up more on camera. In real life, it really does the trick.
8. Highlighter under my brow with #3.
9. Curled my lashes and applied mascara (YSL Baby Doll)

In-action: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

Here is the overall look. On lips I am wearing Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy #304 in Heat. Oh and nowadays I am enjoying my waves. I sometimes get bored of straight hair. It is one of those times, let's see how long I can hold on to that one.

FOTD: Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow EX-15 Hanaazuki

Final thoughts: Nothing but love! It is already so perfect but I wished that this green shade would be a little larger. It can really do wonders. Now I get very curious how the other two palettes will perform.

Do you like using accent colors on your eye makeup to add a little bit of something? Which shade would you prefer for this?

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Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush #86 Discretion vs. #44 Narcisse

A few days ago I have shown you two Joues Contraste Powder Blushes which Chanel is about to release. After coming back home (home sweet home, the roof over my precious stash ;-) ) I went through my Chanel JC collection. I was almost about to write that I haven't found anything similar, until I opened a new package which just arrived and inside found this...

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush #86 Discretion (right) vs. #44 Narcisse (left)

A few weeks ago, Belly from Wondegondigo showed us that discontinued Chanel blush, which was looking so stunning on her. On that very day, I have seen that someone was offering one on a German swapping website and got hold of it. I was so excited to try it out but at the same time I was on holiday, so had to wait until I was back. So here I got it, at the same time as #86 Discretion, I also present you #44 Narcisse.

Now comes the interesting part, can you mark the differences?

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush #86 Discretion vs. #44 Narcisse

Here are the differences I can see:

• Hair of the brushes are different, can the right one be real hair?
• Left brush has the logo, right brush has brand name written on it and it is written in white.

Other than these two, I was unable to point out any other difference so I decided to swatch them...

Swatch under direct sun light: Chanel Joues Contraste #86 Discretion vs. #44 Narcisse

After looking at them side by side under different light conditions, here is by observation:

• #44 Narcisse leans very slightly cooler (more blue) and therefore #86 Discretion is slightly more peachy and warmer.
• #86 Discretion has very tiny pink sparkles in the pan which transfers like a subtle glow on the cheeks and the formula is just so slightly less powdery.

Swatch in shadow: Chanel Joues Contraste #86 Discretion vs. #44 Narcisse

Final thoughts: If you have Narcisse, I don't think you need #86 Discretion. If you always wanted to get hold of Narcisse, I can recommend #86 Discretion, better formula and slightly more peachy which would look good on light to light medium complexions, even if you are slightly warmer.

Do you think these are dupes or different enough to own both?

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Tom Ford Quads Orchid Haze vs. Enchanted

After I posted about the new Tom Ford Quad Orchid Haze, some of you asked for a comparison between this one and an old discontinued Tom Ford Quad from last Fall, Enchanted. Recently I regained access to my stash (see my diving into eye shadows, showering with nail polish, sun bathing on loose powders! Is there a better feeling?) so here comes the requested comparison between the two.

Tom Ford Quads Orchid Haze (right) vs. Enchanted (left)

In the pan they look similar, taupey/plummy shades, satins and shimmers, both have no glitter shades. Enchanted may also be used wet, thus has a harder quality to that. Orchid Haze might be the smoothest and most buttery of all Tom Ford quads.

The sun swatch shows that Enchanted is more shimmery/frost whereas Orchid Haze plays it nicer, more subdued. Another difference is the darkest shade, Orchid Haze has a matte dark shade, which I personally find more useable since the definition is deeper once it doesn't reflect the light and I love my definition as deep as it gets (does it make sense?).

Swatch with direct sun light: Tom Ford Quads Orchid Haze vs. Enchanted

One more swatch in shadow to be able to concentrate on the shades rather than the textures. Enchanted is lighter and cooler whereas Orchid Haze can be more appealing to broader spectrum of complexions. 

Swatch in shadow: Tom Ford Quads Orchid Haze vs. Enchanted

Final thoughts: I personally prefer Orchid Haze to Enchanted so wouldn't worry if you missed Enchanted. Orchid Haze covers you.

Which one do you like more? 

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Blog Post Series: Tom Ford Quads, comparison, eye shadow, palette, Tom Ford

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

I posted a first look on Armani nail polishes, which started popping up at the counters around the world. Today I would like to introduce you to my favorite four from this release, #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol .In Germany I was informed that these are all limited editions.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

Since it is my last day in Capri, I will try to keep the description short and let the swatches speak. All four of the shades are shimmery duochromes.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope, #703 Leather Wood, #704 Amethyst and #705 Black Petrol

I would like to start with #702 Kaleidoscope. It is a pearly white duochrome, shifting to blue, green, purple kind of shades. I found the light reflecting property of this one very gorgeous but the formula may not be everyone's cup of tea. It is streaky and a little sheer. Below I used three coats for full opacity.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #702 Kaleidoscope

#703 Leather Wood is one of my favorites from the collection. It is bronze brown with gorgeous red shimmer and light shifting property to copper. I found this to be nice alternative to neutrals. Formula of this one is perfect. I could get along with just one coat but I used two for the following photos. I tried to catch some sun light to show you how beautiful the copper sheen is.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #703 Leather Wood

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #703 Leather Wood

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #703 Leather Wood

I was expecing #704 Amethyst to be a little more purple/pink but instead it is a medium blue shifting to purple with angle. I think the following pictures doesn't do it justice, it is more beautiful in real life. Perfect formula with that one, no streakiness and opaque with almost one coat. Amethyst looks a bit like Chanel Bel-Argus but more duo chromish and leaning overall more purple and less metallic.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #704 Amethyst

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #704 Amethyst

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #704 Amethyst

The last shade I would like to introduce today is #705 Black Petrol. It is a blackened navy base with teal green shimmer. Because of that at some angles it appears more green. This one reminds me of a green version of Chanel's Nuit de Russie from legendary Paris/Moscow Collection. Again very good consistency and opacity. One coat might be enough but I used two for the swatches below.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #705 Black Petrol

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #705 Black Petrol

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer #705 Black Petrol

Final thoughts: Love love love! I really like the light reflecting quality of those without being too metallic or frost. It seems so elegant and chic. My favorites are #703 Leather Wood and #704 Amethyst. Wish they wouldn't be limited editions and would contain more product, my two only complaints...

Are you eyeing any Armani nail polishes? Let me know.

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Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion, Two New Powder Blush from Chanel

Full moon in Capri is beautiful and I am enjoying it while I type these lines. I could enjoy it even more if I wouldn't type at all and watch it set over the sea but this post can't wait anymore. I found these two beauties by chance and quickly swatched and took photos right before I leave. Let me present you two new powder brush from Chanel, Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation and #86 Discretion.

Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Although I don't have lots of information regarding the release, I believe those will be released together with new Vitalumiere Compact Douceur powder foundation. As release date October is given but I see that those starting popping out here and there, so if you would like them, keep an eye or ask your counter. I am hearing that Evocation will be permanent but Discretion is a limited edition.

Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Joues Contraste in #86 Evocation has a tone between a bronzer and a blush if this makes sense. This will be perfect to prolong our sun kissed faces during fall. What I like about it is that it is not too brown which sometimes look too orangey or too warm on me. I think Evocation will work across the skin tones. Discretion on the other hand is for the fair ladies out there. As you can see on my tanned arm swatch below, it acts as a matte "highlighter" on my skin. Some of you may think of Stardust which was released for holiday 2012. I don't own it to compare but I have found it on this website, and Stardust seems to be more shimmery. Both of the shades read more matte, with very sparse shimmer, just enough to give a lit from within look. You can check the promo pictures here (text is in German).

Swatches of Joues Contraste in #85 Evocation & #86 Discretion

Edit: Please check out the following posts for comparisons

• #85 Discretion vs. #44 Narcisse
• #86 Evocation Comparisons

Final thoughts: Two new pretty Joues Contraste with buttery and beautiful texture and very sparse shimmer for a lit from within look. I am very excited about #85 Evocation and love its balance between bronze and rose, great addition to the permanent line. #86 Descretion should excite the fair ladies more, and if you have your eyes on that one, remember that it is limited edition. Everyone darker than NC25-30 may find it useful as a highlighter.

What do you think about the release of a new powder foundation of Chanel? Are you a powder foundation kind of gal? 

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blush, Chanel, review, swatch

First Look to Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, Swatches of All Shades on Nail Wheel

The long awaited Giorgio Armani nail polishes landed to Germany about a week ago. I was on my way back to Stuttgart and trying to make sure that I don't miss any limited edition item. A more detailed post has to wait since I travel tomorrow once again, this time for work. I didn't find any swatches on the internet and ordering the items sight unseen was hard for me, so just before I go, I found time to go to a counter and swatch all of the shades for you, hoping to save you time and money, in case you are about to order too. You can also expect nail swatches of 4 shades I loved the most very soon. All the others have to wait until I return next weekend.

Newly Released Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer

Above you can see my picks from the line, although I may cave in anytime today and get hold of two more. Below you can see the brush, it is a little fluffier than Chanel one but not as big as Dior nor flat like YSL. The application was easy with all the shades though. The bottles are tiny, only have 6ml inside, which disappointed me a little. I anyway never finish a bottle but get stressed when a bottle reaches the half. Armani SA claimed that these do last two times longer as other brands and therefore more expensive. I am going to report about this once I test it for 9 days as she suggested. 

Brush Close-up: Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer

Until I have time to nail swatch every color I picked, here is a quick guide for those of you who would like to decide soon. Range has 18 new nail polishes in 3 categories, 6 nudes, 6 reds, 6 pearls/duochromes. Armani SA here told me that the nail polishes from last category are limited edition. I haven't read this anywhere else but I can imagine it since it fits with their latest "Kaleidoscope" themed collection which also had duo-chrome Eyes To Kill singles. 

First Category: Nudes

• 100 Bianca

• 101 Zero

• 102 Second Skin

• 103 Parma Greige

• 104 Greige

• 105 Taupe Greige

#100 and #101 doesn't show up on white base of nail wheel since they are transparent. #102 also seems to have semi-sheer finish. I picked up #103, #104 and #105 after swatching all. They are very opaque, almost one-coaters and darker than the photo below. #103 leans lila, #104 leans slightly khaki and #105 leans mauve.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, #100, #101, #102, #103, #104, #105

Second Category: Reds

• 301 Gio

• 402 Teatro

• 400 Four Hundred

• 502 Scarlatoo

• 503 Eccentrico

• 602 Night Viper

This category has nail polishes which can be matched with the newly released CC Lip Sticks of the brand. I am personally not a huge fan of matchy matchy thing, so I skipped this category. However I may still crave and get #602 and #502. #502 is close to Chanel April, just a little edgier. #602 is gorgeous, applies like a plum on the first layer, than builds up to be a pretty and not so blacked vamp. #503 is a warm classic red, very beautiful but I think it is dupable. #400 is what I would call Maryln red if this makes sense. #301 and #402 are close, #301 is more orange than the latter.

Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer, #301, #400, #402, #502, #503, #602

Third Category: Pearls/Duochromes (probably limited edition)

• 700 Madre Perla

• 701 Bleu d‘Armani

• 702 Kaleidoscope 

• 703 Leather wood

• 704 Amethyst

• 705 Black Petrol 

This category was the most exciting among all. I picked up all of the shades and they mostly turned out to be very interesting. I am going to post nail swatches very soon, so I save my comments until then. All I would like to write is that although the below swatches reflects the color, it doesn't do them justice because on nail wheel, the pearl/duochrome properties are lost, so I suggest you to wait for the nail swatches before deciding. Short notice: #700 is sheer to the point of being rather a top coat. #702 is semi-sheer and needs 3 coats for opacity and a little streaky. #701 is the only creme in this category and #705 is a little blackened.

Final thoughts: More detailed swatch/review coming up soon. Note that these are only 6ml for the price of a Dior (10ml) or Chanel (13ml) nail polish. I am going to report about the claimed 9 days longevity after proper testing. For me Pearl/Duochrome Series (700s) are most interesting and worth the splurge. All in all nice quality, perfect application and short drying time. Also they are very glossy even without top coat.

Are you eyeing any of these? Do you like purchasing bigger or smaller bottles?

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Dior Vernis #501 Caprice, Backstage Studio Exclusive

Here comes a bit of an unusual post. I would like to talk about a nail polish I enjoyed wearing very much during this weekend when I was visiting Greek Islands Symi and Rhodes. This part may not sound so unusual but since I am not carrying my stash with me around the world, I find another way to show you the color or in others words to compare it with "something" and this approach was rather new to me. 

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice is one of the four Backstage Studio Exclusive shades and was sold out in Hong Kong. I found it from eBay for a rather reasonable price and went for it. Other shades are #801 Malice, #258 Rosalba and #398 Froufrou, the latter two were also Japan Exclusives for Spring 2012. Caprice is a beautiful bright yellowish green with subtle shimmer in the bottle but goes with creme finish on the nails. I really liked the formula and the consistency but it was a little sheer after the second coat so I opted for three. I believe some of you may also like to go for two. 

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice in shadow

Dior Caprice may remind you of #602 Lime from last year's Cruise Collection. Since I don't have this shade with me, I can't compare but I can tell you easily that Caprice has more yellow inside (thus Lime is greener). I was trying to find a way to be able to compare Caprice, with something, to give you an idea of the shade, so I looked around. All I have seen were some delicious fresh fruits so I decided to give it a try...

Comparison #1: Caprice vs. Green Apple

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice and a Green Apple 

I thought Caprice would be very similar to a green apple but it turns out it is more green, less yellow once compared. Thanks to the hotel breakfast buffet in Rhodes for sponsoring this valuable comparison. *big grin* One should always give credits!

Comparison #2: Caprice vs. Kiwi Juice

Dior Vernis #501 Caprice and Kiwi Juice

Kiwi Juice is almost on the spot! Once the seeds are ignored, the base color is almost the same. By the way Kiwi Juice was delicious and this time around it was not sponsored, but the view, it was priceless. Thanks to island of Symi for the inspiration.

Final thoughts: Love Dior Vernis #502 in Caprice for my prolonged summer. You may still hunt this one down in eBay if you are lucky or maybe it ends up as an exclusive shade, like Froufrou from the same collection appeared a few months ago as Sephore Exclusive (names as Lilac Colorvision) so keep your eyes open and keep checking if you would like one.

Do you also compare your nail polish shades with fruits, flowers or the like? Would you wear such a bright yellow kiwi green?

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