Chanel Le Blush Creme #67 Chamade & #69 Intonation from Notes du Printemps Collection for Spring 2014

Due to some technical problems (an almost lost package, double orders, package still arriving on time to return most of the items) my Chanel Spring 2014 posts got delayed and delayed. In the end I was convinced that everything was already sold out and there was no point in reviewing things you can't get anymore but hey, today I checked it out, in Germany almost all the pieces are available, even online. Here is a little post to show you the two additions to Chanel creme blushes, one is going to be added to the permanent line.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #67 Chamade & #69 Intonation

Testing the first six creme blushes which were released with Chanel Fall collection last year, I found out that their formulas are similar but have differences depending on the shade. I found some of them to be more drying on my normal to dry skin and some more hydrating and long lasting. Good news is that both Chamade and Intonation have one of the best formulas of this range. Previously I reviewed Presage and talked about how to make it last longer on the cheeks by applying it with a dense cheek or foundation brush, which is a valid statement also for these two shades.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #67 Chamade & #69 Intonation

In the pan #67 Chamade and #69 Intonation look similar. Once they are swatched, you can see that Intonation is lighter and a little brighter, Chamade is a little cooler. Once sheered out on the cheeks, they are similar though so if you can't get your hands on Intonation, which is the limited edition item, you can find Chamade in Chanel's permanent range.

Swatch: Chanel Le Blush Creme #67 Chamade & #69 Intonation

Below you can see the comparison to other Le Blush Creme de Chanel for your convenience. As you can see both Chamade and Intonation are rather unique to the line. Intonation is close to Revelation but a little cooler and brighter. The closest shade to Chamade is Fantastic, which is deeper and cooler.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #67 Chamade & #69 Intonation vs. other Chanel creme blushes

Final thoughts: Two new Creme Blushes of Chanel don't disappoint in terms of formula. Two shades are close so you may want to choose one. I will try to post some looks with these soon.

Have you picked up anything from Chanel's Spring Collection?

Caught in Action: Plum Lips for Spring, FOTDs with Rouge d'Armani Sheers #614 Belladonna & Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #45 L'Adoree

Here is a very short post about two of the lipsticks I am loving at the moment. The first one is Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #45 in L'Adoree. I didn't have time to review it but it is appropriate to say that I adore it!

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #45 L'Adoree

I wore it many times during last weeks but one of the fun looks I had was with Urban Decay's Heavy Metal glitter liner in ACDC (the purple one) and Chanel L'Adoree. With this look I received a compliment from the waitress at the restaurant we went for dinner, LOL. I mean I got some comments before at department stores or makeup counters but not at a restaurant. This one must have been the lipstick, who knows ;-)

FOTD with Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #45 L'Adoree

Next one is my new "love", Belladonna... ahh... Belladonna...

Did it seem so brown in the tube and at the arm swatches? It is not brown, it is a gorgeous plum/berry shade once applied on the lips. <33

Rouge d'Armani Sheers #614 Belladonna

Truly phenomenal that color, I simply have nothing like that in my collection... It has gorgeous multi dimensional pearl effect and is very hydrating too. Below is one of the looks I wore this week... (I think it is Diorshow Mono Eye Shadow in Tweed on eyes)

FOTD with Rouge d'Armani Sheers #614 Belladonna

Plums and Spring, I wouldn't put those two things together but I started enjoying this trend already...

Do you like plummy lips as much as I do? Which lipstick is your favorite at the moment?

Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers #314 Delirium, #614 Belladonna and Flash Lacquer #614 Belladonna from Effetto Nudo Spring 2014 Collection

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the beautiful highlighter of Giorgio Armani's Spring 2014 Collection, Belladonna already last year. I am still very careful while using it not to ruin the beautiful design (#firstworldproblems anyone?). Armani Spring Collection is released in Germany last week and I ordered two of the lipsticks sight unseen. But then I was too impatient and made it to the counter to check those out in person. There were three very pretty sheer lipsticks...   

Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers #314 Delirium, #514 Ivy and #614 Belladonna

From left to right: #314 Delirium, #514 Ivy and #614 Belladonna... I tried all three at the counter. Talking about make-up, I can buy almost anything sight unseen but I can't buy lipstick without trying, how strange of me.

Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers #314 Delirium, #514 Ivy and #614 Belladonna

I was surprised to find out that #514 Ivy, one of the lipsticks I ordered online was way too sheer for me. It was very pretty but I thought it didn't move me. #314 Delirium was a surprise, since usually peachy shades don't look good on me but this one really did, so I picked up that one from the counter. But in my opinion the real highlight was #614 Belladonna. We all have sheer peaches and pinks in our collection, but that browny plum, which has the most gorgeous sheen to it and applies so soft on the lips... Love!

Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers #314 Delirium, #514 Ivy and #614 Belladonna

I know many of you will be rather shy about Belladonna because of how dark it looks but if you can try it out, I am sure you will love it as much as I do. Below you can see swatches of Delirium and Belladonna. I couldn't swatch Ivy because I really want to return it. It is still here though, I hope i won't get weak ;-) Maybe I will try it once more at the counter before returning it... See the beautiful sheen and the softest sheerest color? These are superb nudes to add little bit of something without getting too much attention on the lips. 

Swatch: Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers #314 Delirium, #614 Belladonna

Since plummy brown of Belladonna took my mind away, I couldn't resist Flash Lacquer in the same color. I am usually not a gloss girl but I found this one to be very unique. It is sheer but again such an interesting pretty shade...

Giorgio Armani Flash Lacquer #614 Belladonna

Looks dark in the tube but once applied but on the lips it is very wearable, though it is darker and more dense than Rouge d'Armani Sheers #614 Belladonna. Flash Lacquer #614 Belladonna doesn't have any glitter or frost, it is purely glossy, which justifies owning both Sheers and Flash Lacquer in the same shade in my opinion. 

Here are one more set of swatches with Flash Lacquer #614 Belladonna. I would like to take a few lip photos but couldn't do it this week due to traveling and full on schedule. Keep an eye on the blog though, there may be some FOTD coming up which uses these shades on the lips.

Final thoughts: Loving the nude effect concept of Armani for Spring 2014. If you like sheer lipsticks, you should definitely check all three shades out. My favorite is #614 Belladonna, which is more of a unique shade among others but still love all three of them formula and shade wise.

Are you planning to get any of these?

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom and #187 Perle from Trianon Collection for Spring 2014, Swatch & Comparison

One of the highlights of Dior's Spring Collection Trianon must be the nail polishes. There are six different nail polishes released around the globe, four of which are available in Europe. I have reviewed two of the available shades, #457 Bouquet and #204 Porcelaine. With the unique color of Porcelaine and perfect formula of Bouquet, both have been hits for me. Today I would like to talk about the other two shades I picked.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom and #187 Perle from Trianon Collection

Dior Vernis Trianon Edition #187 Perle is a frosty, almost matte top coat with a very beautiful multi dimentional, multi colored shimmer. Dior Vernis #777 Bloom is a vibrant fuchsia creme for those of you who find pastels rather boring.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom and #187 Perle from Trianon Collection

I would like to start by apologizing for the state of my cuticles, lol. Please concentrate on the shades instead ;-) Dior Vernis #777 Bloom has the best of Dior's formula. It has a slightly jelly character to it but by two coats it was opaque on my nails. It is a vivid cheerful shade for spring and summer.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom without flash

Depending on the light, Bloom may look cooler or warmer. Below you can see it looking a bit cooler with flash.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom with flash

Bloom has a pretty shade but most of us have similar ones in our stash, I took out a few for comparison.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom and similar shades from my stash

Chanel #339 Cassis is darker, more blue based and more muted. Tom Ford #06 Indian Pink and Chanel #111 Boa are redder. Spring 2014 shade of Givenchy Rose Addiction (reviewed here) is lighter and slightly redder. Dior's Summer shade from last year #678 Creoles (reviewed here) is darker and brighter. Dior Plaza and Chanel Splendeur pull warmer (redder). Chanel #74 Kabuki (discontinued) is darker and cooler. Illamasqua Obsess is much more blue based.

I couldn't find an exact dupe for Dior Vernis #777 Bloom but some of the following shades were very close: Dior #678 Creoles, Dior #579 Plaza, Chanel #111 Boa. If you have any of these, you may want to shop your stash first.

Nail wheel swatches, Dior Vernis #777 Bloom and similar shades

Dior Vernis #187 Perle is more of a top coat and sheer on its own so I didn't want to insist on building it up on all my nails and use up half of the bottle. Instead, below you can see it alone on my pinky and applied on other shades of Dior's Spring collection, like #777 Bloom, #204 Porcelaine, #457 Bouquet on the second picture. First picture has two coats of each, second picture shows three coats of Perle alone and one coat applied over two coats of each nail polish.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom, #187 Perle, #457 Bouquet and #204 Porcelaine from Trianon Collection

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom,#457 Bouquet and #204 Porcelaine (two coats each + one coat #187 Perle)

Below I added one more layer of Perle on each, so that Perle alone had four coats (you can still see the nail line!) and two coats over two coats of each other polish. I found out that the difference between applying one coat or two coat doesn't really make a big difference in terms of the finish but it takes forever to dry. So lessons learned: One coat of Perle over two coats of the polish of your choice is enough to get the most of the pretty effect.

Dior Vernis #777 Bloom,#457 Bouquet and #204 Porcelaine (two coats each + two coats #187 Perle)

Final thoughts: Dior Vernis #777 Bloom is for those who would like something more vibrant for Spring. It is pretty and has a very nice formula but not that unique to my stash. Perle, on the other hand, is more interesting. It adds an oomph to your polishes and looks especially nice on pastels. I can't wait to wear it on Porcelaine this spring. Love it!

On a side note as once requested, you can now see my nail polish stash by checking out tab "Stash" on the top of the page if you are interested. Some lines are completely missing though, like OPI and YSL. I will try to update and add these soon.

Which Spring polishes are on your radar?

Caught In Action: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green from Spring 2014 Collection

A few days ago I posted my first impressions, swatches and comparisons of one of the two new Burberry Quads here. For a complete review, I would like to wait to play around with it. This week I used it two times, and here is what I think...

Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green

As I mentioned earlier, the darkest color in the quad, which is a bronze brown is almost as light as Pale Barley. I am telling it for reference here because many of you own PB and you can tell how much it shows on your lids. I was a little let down by the fact it was very soft because there were no shades to define an eye look, unless i would combine it with another palette.

I was very happy with the ivory (up most) and vivid grass green (bottom most) shades. They are indeed very pigmented. Bottom most grass green shade is very interesting. I would buy it if it would be a single. The only problem with these two shades are that they are like half the size of the other two "not that pigmented" shades. Green in the middle is rather muddy and the color pay off of bronze shade could be better.

For the following look I used the ivory in the inner corner, bronze and green on the lid, tried to define the look with bronze, didn't really work though. Then I added the grass green shade to the bottom and to the mid of the lid extending it outwards. It gave me a soft springy eye without being too pastel (which is a good thing since pastels may wash me out).

In-Action: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green on eyes

I tried those shades with Dior Backstage Primer (yet to be reviewed) and Nars Pro-prime. With Nars Pro-prime it worked better but I experienced some fading throughout the day. I know many of you reported that Burberry shades wear especially well on oily lids but for my rather dry lids, it does somehow "fade". At the end of the day, (about 10 hours later) the shades look even softer. In this case it is a concern because they are anyway very soft to start with. I know other formulas which work better on my skin (like Suqqu). Here is the complete look.

FOTD: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green on eyes

All in all I am a little torn. I would like to love this one and I do like the soft but colorful look it gives but I find the middle two shades lacking some pigmentation. As for the formula, I still prefer Burberry singles over their quads. I think it is a nice quad though, but maybe not "Complete" as the name suggests as I'd rather need another shade to define the look.

Also check out Jenny's review of the pink quad #10 Rose Pink here. She also has similar feelings about hers. I am not sure if those are limited edition or intended to be added to the permanent line. I purchased mine at Burberry German Website (which is a German version of their Website in UK and everything is sent from there).

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa, #49 Rouge Pablo from Spring 2014 Flower Crush Collection, Swatches & Comparison

Today I would like to post some notes about my Burberry Spring Quad experience but first things first, I would like to talk about two new Yves Saint Laurent nail polishes which are released for the upcoming spring, as a part of their Flower Crush Collection. Just a side note, I have reviewed the beautiful highlighter palette from the same collection, you can check it out here.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa and #49 Rouge Pablo

This one is going to be a short post since we are running late for movies tonight. After not being able to get tickets (all sold out) for Wolf of Wall Street on Friday and Saturday, tonight we have reserved and hoping that this time it will work. Movies are being shown in original sound in only a very few theaters in Stuttgart, Germany so getting a ticket is sometimes not that easy. Alright so back to those pretties...

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa and #49 Rouge Pablo

YSL La Laque Couture #48 Scabiosa is a creme lilacy pink. It applies a little streaky and sheer by the first coat but it all evens out by the second coat. You should make sure though not to apply too much at once because it has tendency to get thick. YSL has one of my favorite nail polish formulas and this one impressed me a little less than usual but still it is easy to work with and the result is totally worth it. Look at this... It may look like a few shades you know but I ensure you it is indeed rather unique. (excuse me for the state of my nails, ugh, wanted to cut them shorter but they are always a challenge to file)

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa

Once more against the still green background. Here in Germany the weather has been so nice throughout the winter, I am already in Spring mood. I hope it stays that way.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa

YSL #49 Rouge Pablo may look familiar. This one has the dream formula of YSL, not thick but covers beautifully, dream consistency and drying time. It is almost one coater but I applied two for the photos below. It is a gorgeous cheerful red creme with blue undertones. It is a classically beautiful one, which would appeal to red lovers.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #49 Rouge Pablo

It is not too light nor too dark, makes it a day appropriate shade but also can be worn to a special occasion alike.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #49 Rouge Pablo

I thought Rose Scabiosa would be very close to Chanel #535 May but I was wrong. May has less blue in it and appears more pink than lilac. Dior Rosy #355 Bow is also more pink, less lilac. Chanel #277 Rodeo Drive is lavender (cooler) and darker. As you see Rose Scabiosa is very unique to my stash and this is why I am loving it.

YSL #49 Rouge Pablo is darker than Givenchy's Spring shade #16 Rose Addiction (reviewed here) but it is very close to Chanel #Tapage (reviewed here) and Chanel Rouge Rubis (reviewed here). It is indeed between those two in terms warm/cool scale. If you have one or both of these shades, you may want to skip Rouge Pablo.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture #48 Rose Scabiosa, #49 Rouge Pablo, comparison to similar shades

Final thoughts: YSL's new nail polishes for spring are a lilac which is rather unique and a red, which has great formula but rather close to two recent Chanel shades. Rose Scabiosa and Rouge Pablo are already released and both should be limited edition.

What is your favorite Spring nail polish for the upcoming season until now?

Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green from Spring 2014 Collection, Review & Comparison

I just happened to receive my Burberry order tonight and I couldn't wait to share this one with you... The brand new green quad from their Spring 2014 Collection, Sage Green. 

Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green

The packaging is the same as the permanent quads, comes with three applicators which can be kept inside the pocket of the velvet pouch.

Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green

Sage Green is a quad composed of soft colors of greens, one mid-toned bronze and a frosty pale ivory. It is very finely milled and soft to touch, color pay-off is good but as I mentioned those are rather soft colors so don't expect any drama here.

Close-up: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green

Swatched side by side, you can see that the shades don't offer a lot of contrast for defined eye looks. I think I might need a darker color to define the crease with this particular palette but I will let you know after I try these on my eyes tomorrow. I just wanted to post some swatches and comparisons for those of you who are considering to check it out. One of the greens is vivid and more shimmery, second one is subdued and almost matte. Bronze shade is gorgeous and complex, ivory is frost but looks nice and wearable.

Swatch: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green

I quickly pulled out some palettes which I thought to be close and two Burberry singles to compare with the bronze shade. I also checked Dior's Garden Pastels quad (not show here) which was very different and pastel! I am happy that Sage Green is not a proper pastel but more of a soft Spring palette.

Comparison: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green, Burberry Pale Parley & Midnight Brown, Dior Bonne-Etoile, Giorgio Armani Venomous Green

I think the closest palette I own is Venomous Green of Giorgio Armani from their Fall 2013 Kaleidoscope collection (reviewed previously here).  You see Venomous Green offers more contrast and is for more dramatic looks (I kept thinking this is why I must be loving Fall for buying make-up)

Giorgio Armani Venomous Green vs. Burberry Sage Green

Next I would like to compare just greens of all three palettes. You see that Sage Green has two greens which don't resemble any others. Dior Bonne Etoile (reviewed here) has more metallic shades, just like the collection they were released with, named properly as "Mystic Metallics".

Comparison of greens: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green, Burberry Pale Parley & Midnight Brown, Dior Bonne-Etoile, Giorgio Armani Venomous Green

Once the bronze and browns are compared, you can see why I call Sage Green a "soft" palette. The darkest shade of Sage Green is just a little darker than Pale Barley! Now that I see this, I am not sure if these all show that well on me. I will try them on tomorrow and let you know. I will probably update this post then.

Comparison of browns: Burberry Complete Eye Palette #15 Sage Green, Burberry Pale Parley & Midnight Brown, Dior Bonne-Etoile, Giorgio Armani Venomous Green

Final thoughts: I will try these on tomorrow and let you know but it all seems to be very soft and spring like so depends if you like it that way or not.

EDIT: You can see the eye and face look as well as read more thought on this quad here.

Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite and Rouge Dior #531 Rose Crinoline from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection, Review & Swatches

I was detrained not to get any "pastel" eye shadows this Spring but this one made me change my mind...

Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

Dior's make-up palette for glowing eyes & fresh complexion. Dior released two of these palettes, but in Germany we received only #001 Favorite. You can see them swatched together here. Favorite has given me a feeling of luxury as no other make-up product had done before. I was very excited already after removing the transparency and taking out the grey ultra smooth velvet pouch out of the box. 

Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

The experience is full of pretty details such as a small tag indicating some details (Made in France, 6g, the name of the palette etc.) and the magnetic closure which works like a magic. The backside of the pouch has a pocket for the cute brush with a bow on it. Aww the tiny bow has letters C D on it. Sunny reports that she had made the kitty test on the brush and that it is probably real hair. I also believe it is made of goat.  

Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

The palette consist of a blush in the center and four eye shadows around it. Dior defines of the these eye shadows as "eyeliner" shade. It is a black shade with matte finish but luckily it is not as dry as some of Dior's eye liner shades in their glow palettes (remember Silver Glow?) so it can also be used to define the crease.

Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

Other three shades are a very light peachy pink with satin to metallic finish, a semi opaque grass green with satin finish and a gorgeous bronze shade with satin finish. I think after seeing how the bronze plays with the light once applied wet, I was sold on this palette. 

Close-up: Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

Blush in the middle is a rather light one and as the name suggests gives a fresh complexion. It does show on me once applied with a dense brush (like Tom Ford Cheek Brush). I would say I am the border though, anyone darker than NC25 may not be able to use it as a blush. I compared that blush at the counter to the #946 Pink Reverie which is also released with this collection. Pink Reverie is a lighter pink with more blue undertones. 

Swatch: Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

Once I applied the palette to the eyes, its magic was kind of over for me. Although it gave a nice soft look, which is great for spring time, I was not impressed with how the eye shadows performed. Although they are very soft and finely milled, and come to life once applied wet, they somehow lacked the pigmentation in my book. But maybe it is just me because I like very pigmented eye shadows. For the below look I used the pink at the inner corner, bronze and green on the lid and used black for definition and along the lash line as a liner.

In-action: Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

I combined this look with the new permanent lipstick released together with Trianon collection, Rouge Dior #531 Rose Crinoline. It is a perfect peachy nude for the upcoming season. I find the new formula of Dior is also very hydrating and pigmented.

Rouge Dior #531 Rose Crinoline from Trianon Spring 2014 Collection

Below you can see lipstick, blush and eye shadow combo all together. A soft green eye, very subtle blush and nude lips. I had some issues during application, like blush kicking off some powder which then covers the eye shadows (had to be puffed away) and green muddies the gorgeous bronze on the eyes once applied close. I think the most interesting part of this journey was unpacking this pretty compact and getting to know the details. I don't know if this experience is worth the price though...

FOTD: Dior Trianon Make-up Palette #001 Favorite and Rouge Dior #531 Rose Crinoline

Final thoughts: Great for those with fair skin or ones who would like a soft eye look.

How important is the packaging for you? Would you prefer affordable prices coming with less quality packaging?