Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #03 Afrique, Swatches, Review & FOTD

Today I have another palette to share with you which released by YSL as a part of their new 5 Couleurs Couture Palette range. I have reviewed #7 Parisienne a few days ago. If the shades in Parisienne were too cool for you, you may want to check #3 Afrique out.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #03 Afrique

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Chanel's Summer Eyes, Illusion d'Ombre #95 Mirage, #96 Utopia and #97 New Moon, Stylo Yeux #911 Ambre Dore from Reflets D'Été Collection

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. My plans are shopping, watching world cup and get a good nights sleep. I have been playing with Chanel's eye releases from their Summer 2014 Collection Reflets D'Été and have been asked a few times to tell my thoughts about it. I am a big fan of Illusion d'Ombre formula and use them often for a simple and quick look in the morning. I was very much in love by the recent ones from Spring 2014 Collection, Diapason and Impulsion and Holiday 2013 Collection Fatal and Initiation. So when I have heard that there were three more shades coming up, I was very excited to try them out.

Chanel  Illusion d'Ombre #95 Mirage, #96 Utopia and #97 New Moon, Stylo Yeux #911 Ambre Dore

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Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne, Swatches, Review & FOTD

I am back from holiday and happy to tell that it was a great one. It started somehow awkward when I noticed that I left my iPad on the front pocket of my suitcase. I have to tell you, make sure you check out everything before you hand in your luggage because it is not possible to get it back! Anyway, I was lucky that it survived. Venice is a beautiful city, where I have visited 12 years ago when I was a poor student. Needless to say this time it was much more fun.

I have many stories to tell but today I would like to introduce you to one of the 11 permanent eye shadow palettes (8 of them are swatched here) released by YSL, #07 in Parisienne. This one was my first pick since it has my two favorite shades, taupe & plum, and all in all it is more cool toned, which I also prefer.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

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"Be Right Back" Post featuring Chanel Le Vernis #499 Gondola, Review & Swatch

You know that I am an avid Chanel nail polish collector and from time to time I can't help but feature a few older discontinued nail polishes here. You can check out most of my stash and if you have some special requests, let me know. For today I picked up this lovely burgundy shade with gorgeous red shimmer...

Chanel Le Vernis #499 Gondola

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My Picks from MAC Sharon and Kelly Osbourne Collection, Bloody Brilliant Quad, Peaches & Cream and Cheeky Bugger Blushes, Jolly Good Mineralize Skinfinish, Kelly Yum-Yum and Dodgy Girl Lipsticks, Review, Swatch & FOTD

MAC Sharon and Kelly Osbourne Collection is released a few weeks ago in US and it is almost sold out. If you are still eyeing some items, you should act quickly. I was following discussion threads in Specktra and seeing how gorgeous the ladies look with their goodies. I started to form a wish list although I learned that the collection will only come to Germany in August. Today I feel blessed to be able to show you my picks. Special thanks go to Susan who picked these up for me after it was released last week in London. 

My Picks from MAC Sharon and Kelly Osbourne Collection

Sharon & Kelly Osbourne Collection is composed of two parts, Sharon's part which has red packaging, the products have warmer and more subtle shades. Kelly's part in lavender packaging has cooler toned products and it also features daring lips. I went mostly for Kelly's Collection since I prefer cooler shades to warmer ones. I have to admit that I then went back and ordered Sharon's Quad in US, since it received very good reviews, such as Stacey's here. She also thinks this one will look nice on green eyes so we will see ;-)

The items which were sold out first were the Powder Blushes. I picked up both Sharon's Blush Peaches & Cream and Kelly's Blush Cheeky Bugger and I can see why they were on high demand. They have lovely textures, very smooth to touch. They are subtle, yet buildable and color pay-off is very good. I especially like Cheeky Bugger on my complexion.

MAC Cheeky Bugger and Peaches & Cream Blushes

Cheeky Bugger is a light peachy pink with satin finish. The shimmer in these are very subtle and lovely. Peaches & Cream is a mid-toned warm rose shade which can be flattering across complexions. With a light hand, it looks lovely on me but it would show up well on deeper complexions as well. Peaches & Cream also has satin finish and very subtle shimmer similar to that of Cheeky Bugger.

Swatch: MAC Cheeky Bugger and Peaches & Cream Blushes

Next item I picked up is a Mineralize Skinfinish Duo. To the best of my knowledge, duos of this formula is brand new. I decided for Kelly's MS Duo since Sharon's have very warm tones, which easily turn orange on me. I need to try it out in person though once the collection arrives here. Kelly's Skinfinish Duo in Jolly Good is a safe bet for those around NC15-20 and lighter if you want to contour and highlight with it. If you want it as an overall powder to brighten up your complexion and add a subtle heathy glow, it would work also on medium complexions. On me I feel like I can do both, so it is love for me. 

MAC Jolly Good Mineralize Skinfinish

I used the skin toned part to contour and pale pink to highlight for the look below. Although the finish is not matte, it still looks lovely as a contour since the shimmer in these are much more subtle than any other Mineralize Skinfinish I personally own. Once mixed together, it disappears on my skin (hence no swatch) and provides a lovely brightening effect. I can't recommend this one enough if you are close to my coloring. 

Swatch: MAC Jolly Good Mineralize Skinfinish

I picked up Kelly's Eyeshadow Quad Bloody Brilliant although I have read mixed reviews about it. The main concern was that the makeup worn by Kelly on the promo photos looked more purple and intense whereas this quad neither of both. After trying it out though, I really liked it combined with the other pieces of Kelly's Collection, especially with the lip and cheek products. 

MAC Bloody Brilliant Quad

It is also important to not that Bloody Brilliant Eyeshadow Quad does perform much better than it swatches. As you can see below the only matte shade, a very deep plum called Shadowy lady is a little dry and patchy once swatched. It did apply fine though. My favorite shade of this quad is Tickety Boo, which is a warm taupe with matte to satin finish. I contoured my nose with that one as well as defined my crease of the look below. It is a lovely "sculpting" shade. I like how Fizzy Rose, a lilacy pink with satin to matte finish brightens up the eyes. I used Spoonful of Sugar on the inner corner of the lids to highlight and found it a littlee hard to work once layered with other shades. On its own, it works much better too.

Swatch: MAC Bloody Brilliant Quad, Shades: Spoonful of Sugar, Tickety Boo, Fizzy Rose, Shadowy Lady

As for the lipsticks go, I picked up two boldest shades from this collection and passed on the nudes since I have recently acquired one nude lipstick from MAC Pedro Lourenco Collection, Peachy Beige and it doesn't look all that great on me (aka concealer lips) so I decided to check out the nudes on the counter before I commit. 

MAC Kelly Yum-Yum and Dodgy Girl Lipsticks

Since I have seen promos I had to have Dodgy Girl since I don't have anything like that in my stash. Kelly Yum-Yum was more of a hype buy for me, given the fact that I also purchased Chanel's La Diva and couldn't find an opportunity to wear it since months. It turned out though both of these shades are very wearable as stains and very eye catching and interesting once applied fully. I tried to pull off full-on Dodgy Girl below, please tell me in the comments how do you like it :-)

Swatch: MAC Kelly Yum-Yum and Dodgy Girl Lipsticks

Here is my FOTD with Kelly's Products. I am wearing Cheeky Bugger on the apples of my cheeks and contoured and highlighter them with Mineralize Skinfinish Duo in Jolly Good. I applied Tickety Boo on the crease which I then deepened a little bit more with Shadowy Lady. I have Fizzy Rose applied over the eye lid and Spoonful of Sugar on inner corner. I am also wearing Dodgy Girl on my lips (couldn't you tell? ;-))

All in all I liked how this look turned out to be. The most challenging thing about it must have been to find an outfit which wouldn't crash badly with the lipstick. I went for the safest shade, white, but I believe cooler tones should work. Any suggestions?

FOTD with Cheeky Bugger Blush, Bloody Brilliant Quad, Jolly Good as Contour & Highlighter, Dodgy Girl Lipstick

Final thoughts: MAC's Osbournes Collection has lovely items with good textures. I especially liked how these complimented each other. My picks within the items I tested would be Cheeky Bugger Blush, Jolly Good Mineralize Skin Finish Duo and Dodgy Girl Lipstick. 

How would you combine Dodgy Girl? Blush, eyes, clothes... Ideas?

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blush, eye shadow, FOTD, Lipstick, MAC, palette, powder compact, quad, review, Summer2014, swatch

YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection, Review, Swatch & FOTD

After a long winter for some of us (and no winter for the others), all we want to think about might be sun shine warming our face while sipping a glass of Mojito. I thought staying up to date still counts while doing that, so today I bring you a very pretty item from Fall 2014, YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette.

YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

Excuse me for the abundance of photos but I couldn't help myself but took them as I am excited about how the colors and the design look so pretty together. Deep Blue, beige and warm naturals are the theme of this gorgeous palette. They remind me of autumn leaves on a night walk by the park.

YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

The design of the palette is the same as the new eyeshadow palette releases from YSL (swatches here) and their summer palette (reviewed here).

YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

When I have heard the name Fétiche, I wondered what kind of fetish are they talking about? Well, you can see that after touching the palette since it is covered with leather. I am guessing (and smelling) that it is artificial but the optic looks very pretty. 

On a side note, I am thinking about these while writing the post: 

I am trying not to think about leather clothes since it is very hot here in Stuttgart since days. 

I can't help but smile thinking what kind of "search" words will led people to this post *big grin*

Packaging: YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

On the package the top most shades are indicated as base (left) and highlight (right) as the other  three are denoted to be "color" shades. All in all the palette pulls quiet warm while blue cools things down a bit. This looks like a perfect color combination for brown eyed ladies with warm complexion as well as blue eyed gals. I tried my best to pull it off too though (scroll down to see the results).

Close-up: YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

All shades are buttery/silky to touch with great color pay-off without an exception.

Top left: A mid-toned warm bronze with golden shimmer
Top right: Light beige with satin to shimmery finish
Middle: Very deep cool brown with subtle golden shimmer
Bottom left: Deep petrol blue with satin finish. By the way I have just learned that petrol is not blue and the name comes from Blue Petrel which is named after teal duck.
Bottom right: Very deep cool black with satin to matte finish and very sparse silver shimmer.

Swatch under sunlight: YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

Below I applied the highlighter shade on the inner lid, base shade on the lid until the outer corner. I added blue to the outer corner and defined the crease with the deep brown, which I later on deepened with black. On this look I used Urban Decay 24/5 Eyeliner in Junkie along the upper lash line and lower waterline. The crease can be softened with the base shade but you know me, I liked it a little dramatic.

In-action: YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

Here is the whole look, combined with my favorite nude lippie at the moment, MAC Woodrose (reviewed here). With a strong eye, I kept the rest of the makeup very minimal. Teal blue shirt which I am wearing is from Jake*s. 

FOTD: YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette from Fall 2014 Leather Fetish Collection

Final thoughts: Although it is too early to think about leathers and fallen leaves, I can't recommend YSL Fétiche Eyeshadow Palette enough. I love the texture and the color combination. This one is a good candidate for being a stand out of the next season.

YSL Leather Fetish Collection will be released in August, you can see the promo pictures here.  I found mine at evil bay by luck. 

Are you eyeing anything from YSL Fall Collection?

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Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion from États Poétiques Collection for Fall 2014, Swatch, Comparison and FOTD

I have been silent for a few days, since I didn't feel like writing after my grandmother's passing away. I feel like my mood is somehow unstable, to me it is very hard to believe that I won't be able to see her again. Isn't it such an inevitable conflict that although eventually everyone dies, still it is hard to cope up with the loss of a loved one. 

But don't worry, this post is not about life and death. Instead it is about the first winds of Fall reaching Color Me Loud during last week. Chanel released their Fall Collection a few days ago in the States and these will be available in Europe not before August. The collection has three nail polishes, one blush, 6 single eye shadows, 4 Coco Rouge Shines and 2 lip glosses (promo photos can be seen here). I got lucky on evil bay and I would like to show you one of the eye shadow singles today. 

Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion

Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 is a deep plum/aubergine with matte finish. I might be going crazy but I have seen some very sparse and fine silver glitters, which can only be noticed once it is on the eye and I was like wowed. Then I had to swatch it again and I didn't see it. I suppose those very sparse glitters were left off from blending of my recent Illusion d'Ombre eye look, hmpf.

I like seeing the single eye shadows like a concerto or a rhapsody (where a Solo Instrument stays  in focus throughout the piece) while quads being, say a String Quartet and larger palettes being Symphony. Strange analogy right? Let me try to explain what I mean.

Packaging: Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion

To me since the singles are being sold separately, they are supposed to function alone to provide a certain look without being "combined" with other eye shadows. I would personally not invest in a single just to use on the crease or as a liner. Therefore I am a little undecided about Pulsion. On one other hand it somehow lacks a bit of complexity for me. The texture is a little dry to touch too. On the eyes though, I loved wearing it. I really liked the resulting look and the fact that it could be build upon on the crease for a defined look and sheered out on the lid for a softer look, all could be done with one eye shadow.

Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion

You are probably guessing that I have quiet a bit of Plums and Aubergines in my stash. I wanted to show Pulsion against some other singles I own. You can see that what I mean about Concerto when you see Chanel's Magic Night. It is such a stunner with complex shimmer and dimension. Chanel's Amethyst has gorgeous purple shimmer. Giorgio Armani's Dark Plum has very fine shimmer and a buttery texture, which I like a lot. Chanel's Pulsion on the other hand has a matte texture and is close to Laura Mercier's Violet Ink, which I like using on my crease when I wear Plums and purples. 

Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion and similar single shades from Laura Mercier, Giorgio Armani and Chanel

Nevertheless, I loved the resulting look with Pulsion. I combined it with MAC Sculpt to contour (reviewed here) and MAC Corol to add color to the cheeks (reviewed here). I then mixed a few pink lipstick with a plum one to achieve that pink plummy lips. I am also wearing Marc Jacobs Precision Eye Liner on the eyes which was given me as a present from a dear friend (sending hugs and kisses!) and I love it. I have worn black eye liner all through my teen years and now I might get addicted again. Back to the topic though, Pulsion could be build up on the crease and could be used lighter or darker which was a nice surprise. 

FOTD: Chanel Ombre Essentielle #112 Pulsion

Final thoughts: Pulsion is a matte deep plum and can be sheered out or build up and looks lovely once worn on its own despite of being a little drier to touch. Still I am not sure if it is worth shelling out 30 bucks for 2 g of a plummy matte single, one which you probably already own.

Are you ready for Fall yet or do you find this release a little too early?

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Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky from Reflets D'Été Collection for Summer 2014, Review, Swatch, Comparison & FOTD

Thank you for all your good wishes and comments on the previous post. Unfortunately according to the latest news my grandmother's situation got worse. I am trying to stay calm and hope for the best. I have stayed up a little late last night (read: couldn't sleep) and decided to edit some photos I have taken during the weekend. Today I would like to review another item I picked up from Chanel's Summer Collection Reflets D'Été. After the nail polishes, it can be my favorite piece of the collection which is a little surprising. What happened to eyes right? Well, that will be a topic of another post. But until then, here is Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 in Cheeky.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky from Reflets D'Été Collection for Summer 2014

By looking at the pan, some might think it is too brown or is like a bronzer, but as the comparison swatches later on will show, it is neither too brown nor is close to the bronzing base of Chanel. To me it is a mid-toned rosy brown with matte cream to powder finish.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky from Reflets D'Été Collection for Summer 2014

This picture might be a little abundant but I had to pose with my reverse manicure featuring Le Vernis #623 Mirabella over #613 Eastern Light. With direct afternoon sun, you see that Cheeky appears more like a coral-brown and less rosy.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky, On nails: Le Vernis Mirabella and Eastern Light

The closest shade I had in my stash is Chanel's Cream Blush #61 Destiny which is warmer and more brown but once sheered out, on the cheeks they look quiet close so if you have one, you might not need the other. As you see Chanel's Bronzing Base Soleil Tan is more beige/brown. On my complexion Cheeky mimics the brownish rosy shades my tanned skin shows up since I don't become chocolate brown but there is always a pinky undertone. Once compared with Destiny, I prefer Cheeky because it doesn't turn orange on me.

Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky vs. #61 Destiny and Chanel Soleil Tan Bronzing Base

Below I am wearing Cheeky on the cheeks, Lipgloss in Happy on my lips and some of the IdOs, all from Chanel's Summer Collection which I will review shortly. The linen dress I am wearing is from Per Una. Since it has been over 30°C lately, I am struggling with make-up, especially with base products but even under these conditions, Cheeky performed quiet well. You see that it can be sheered out to give a healthy summer glow.

FOTD with Chanel Le Blush Creme #71 Cheeky 

Final thoughts: If you want to decide for one item, Cheeky is my pick from Chanel's Summer Collection, which just hit the stores in Germany this week. It can be used sheer or built up to give a healthy look without turning orange. Cream to powder formula is great to apply under or over powder products, thumbs up.

What are your picks from Chanel Summer Collection?

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MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from Maleficent Collection, Review, Swatch & Comparison

Today it is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary but I am a little heart broken since my grandmother (who raised me up) is in hospital at the moment. Still I am going to try to make the best out of tonight. There is something I would like to share with you before me and hubby go out for one of our favorite Japanese Restaurants. It is the only piece I got from MAC's Maleficent Collection, Sculpting Powder in Sculpt.

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from Maleficent Collection

Although I haven't seen the movie yet (we are planning to watch it on Thursday), I have noticed the strong contouring going on at photos and trailer. There are also so many make-up tutorials at You Tube which are so much fun to watch (horns included). Since contouring made its way from editorial/show looks to everyday make-up, I am very much amazed to see how make-up enthusiast hunt for contouring powders. These are seriously hard to find "over the counter". Once they are released, they are always the first to sell out. Best examples would be Chanel's Notorious and many sculpting powders MAC is releasing with some of their collections. I still don't understand though why marketing departments don't see this trend...

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from Maleficent Collection

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt was the first item that sold out from the collection at pretty much everywhere. But did you know that actually this one is permanent as a refill pan at MAC Pro-Shops? In US, you can even order it online, in Germany you have to call Berlin or Düsseldorf for them to send you one. If you were eyeing it but didn't know how to lay your hands on one, now that you know, here are some comparison swatches to help you make up your mind (and cheekbones).

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from Maleficent Collection vs. Chanel Notorious and Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder

Chanel Notorious is the coolest tone Sculpting Powder to the best of my knowledge which may turn ashy if you have warm undertones. On me it works nicely if used sparingly. Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder is the most pigmented one so if you are a beginner in contouring, you might want to get the access powder at the back of your hand before you attempt to give those cheekbones some shadow. MAC Sculpt on the other hand is not that pigmented so easier to use. Also it has a bit more warmth than the other two but still because of slight rosiness it has, it doesn't turn orangy. I can see this being a fool proof cheek bone enhancer for fair to medium complexions. I think for anyone darker than NC30, it might be too subtle though.

MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from Maleficent Collection vs. Chanel Notorious and Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder

Final thoughts: If you need a fool-proof contouring powder to enhance your cheekbones on a daily basis, MAC Sculpt might be what you are searching for. If you are fine with having a refill pan without fancy Angelina Jolie Wings on the packaging, you can always call a MAC Pro-Store or if you are in US, you can order it online since this is permanent at MAC's Pro Line.

Do you contour daily? What is your favorite product? Which brush do you use?

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Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #01 Tuxedo, #02 Fauves, #03 Afrique, #04 Saharienne, #05 Surrealiste, #07 Parisienne, #09 Love, #10 Lumières Majorelle, Swatches & Review

Yves Saint Laurent recently released 11 new and permanent eye shadow palettes. Before those started appearing at the counters, I could lay my hands on the limited edition Summer Quint Blues Lumieres, which has the same design. Read the story of the inspiration behind the palette's design and see my blue coral FOTD here.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs Display at Breuninger Stuttgart

I have already ordered a few (!) of these from Feelunique when they were having a 20% promotion 10 days ago but I haven't received my parcel yet. It should be here very soon though, so do expect some reviews coming up. In the meanwhile I have seen them popping at random counters, and here is the display from Breuninger Stuttgart. They did have the display but not the products though, but these are now available online at various retailers. Some of the shades are harder to find though, such as #06 Ruve Gauche, #08 Avant-Garde and #11 Ballet Russe. Breuninger had only 8 of the shades as seen below, so I took swatches for these three. 

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs Display at Breuninger Stuttgart

#01 Tuxedo is a classical cool/neutral smokey eye palette with grey and black. It also has two glitter shades to carry a day look into a night one. 

Impressions: A cool grey, a warmer taupe and black make a great everyday palette. These three shades have matte to satin finish and they are very pigmented. White glitter shade has a transparent base so it can be applied on top of the others. I thought black glitter shade was a little dry and I have to test it to make sure that this doesn't have fall outs. This is one of the palettes I ordered, so I will be reviewing it in detail soon.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #01 Tuxedo

#02 Fauves has one of the best textures in the range. All the shades are buttery with great color pay-off. It is a warm brown palette, which would look especially good with blue eyes as well as on those of you with warm complexions.

Impressions: The texture of Fauves is to die for, my only problem with this one was that the below two shades were too close to see a big difference, I suspect they might apply very similar on the lids. This palette is also one of those I decided to order, so I will review it in detail soon and report about how these two shades look on me. I like the balance and the color combination of this one. You can also see lovely swatches here at Jenny's blog.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #02 Fauves

#03 Afrique is a stunner! This is the one which I was eyeing since I have seen the promo pictures. Plummy dark shade and complimenting rose gold and coppers make my heart skip a beat. No need to say that this one is also on its way to me. I can't wait to try it out.

Impressions: The textures in this palette are mostly shimmery, darkest shade has less shimmer, copper and rose gold are almost metallic. The palest shade is not very opaque but since all the others have great color pay-off, I think they will all coordinate well. The color combination reminds me of Dior's summer palette in Sundeck, which had some mattes thrown in, so the difference in textures justify owning both I think.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #03 Afrique

#04 Saharienne is a cooler natural combination with a gorgeous taupe and two light shimmery shades. The pigmentation in this palette was good but not as smooth and buttery as some other palettes, so I am thorn between getting this one or not. In the end I might give up just because of the taupe shade (lower right).

Impressions: This would work good on cooler and lighter complexions since it has a soft color pay-off. It took me more swipes to get the color density in this one. Nevertheless it is a lovely palette. Check out the swatches at Jenny's blog too.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #04 Saharienne

#05 Surrealist is a purple lover's dream. It has four different shades of purple and a pale pink to highlight. The texture is mostly satin to shimmery and some of the shades show some transparency.

Impressions: Despite all the expectations, this one is not love at the first sight for me. After playing with it at the counter, I can see myself not reaching for it very often. The reason is that to me it lacks variation by color as well as texture. The textures are all shimmery and colors are all pretty much purple with same undertones. I couldn't resist it though, just because it is purple.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #05 Surrealiste

#07 Parisienne, be still my beating heart. Although the palette is more shimmery than I would normally go for, I love the selection of shades, not being too pink nor too plummy, everything is balanced with a taupe. Only if that taupe would have a better color pay-off. 

Impressions: Just by looking at the color combination in the pan, I can sigh happily. After I play with those though, I am pondering a little how all the shimmery shades will look on the eyes. To find it out, I ordered that one too, so I will report about it soon.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #07 Parisienne

#09 Love is, well, not love. I ordered that one before I swatched it and now I am afraid this is the ultimate palette for a rabbit costume at a Easter Party. Shimmery, yellows, pinks, even fuchsia. *shakes head* I will have to see about this one.

Impression: No comment yet. I doubt though many of us can pull off these shades. I unfortunately ordered that sight unseen so you will hear about how wearable these are on me, very soon.

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #09 Love

#10 Lumières Majorelle is not for the shy. I appreciate it when high-end brands release some bold artsy shades like this one. It reminds me of YSL's Pure Chromatics release from last year's fall collection, Palette Arty, reviewed here.

Impressions: Two of the shades, the medium blue and deep blue has sparse glitters in them which looks like they are prone to fall out. The soft green is very beautiful both color and texture wise. A pop of acid green might also look interesting. 

Swatch: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette 5 Couleurs #10 Lumieres Majorelle

This post has only my first impressions. I will be doing a detailed review of the palettes I ordered. Linda from Silverkis also has a swatch galore of these and do check out her blog too to get a better idea if you are ordering sight unseen.

Are you eyeing any of the new YSL Palettes or have already tried them? I would like to hear your thoughts.

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Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette for Summer 2014 Collection, Review, Swatch & FOTD

Peaches & Blues are having a moment this Summer. Right on time for FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Clarins releases Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette which combines peach & taupe with vivid Brazil Blue liner, a beautiful combination. 

Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette comes in a sleek compact, a velvet pouch and a look card which shows how to use the palette. The eye shadows can be used dry for a soft look or wet for a more intense dramatic one. In the past I have seen some of the palettes working much better when used wet but Color of Brazil has good color pay-off even when it is used dry. 

Packaging: Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

The palette has three neutral shades, one peachy shade for a summery fresh look and a vivid blue liner shade which is a little drier and stiffer but is denser so can be used better on a small area with more intensity. In the compact there are two brushes, one has a pointier edge for lining and a brush for blending. The eye shadows are embossed with traditional patterns of squares and circles (can anyone tell us if this is special to Brazil?).

Close-up: Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette is composed of the following shades:

Top Left: Mid-toned bronze gold with a tad of green. The finish is satin to metallic. This one was the only shade which was a little drier compared to the others and didn't have a very good color pay-off. It performs better when used wet though.

Top Right: Mid-toned peach shade with satin finish. It has subtle shimmer and a very good color pay-off. Also perfect for layering to add a freshness to the eye look.

Bottom Left: Deep natural brown with satin to matte finish. It is very soft to touch and pigmentation is very dense.

Bottom Right: Light matte taupe. This is a gorgeous shade for a base or a subtle eye look. It applied beautifully.

Liner shade: Vivid blue with matte finish. Although this one has a good color pay-off once dry, I recommend it using wet to get the full density for an eye liner. With a right brush, this can also add some color to your eye look once layered on other shades.

Swatch with direct sun: Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

Below I used the light taupe on inner corner, peach on mid-lid and darker brown on the outer. I then applied the blue as a liner and added a bit more to the other corner to smoke it out. I used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye-Pencil in Ultraviolet (which is a shimmery sister of Chaos) on the lower lash line and smoked it out with the liner shade from the palette.

In-action on the eyes: Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

For the rest of the look, I used Giorgio Armani Dolci blush on the cheeks and YSL Kiss& Blush #04 in Orange Fougueux concentrated mostly on the center of lips for a bitten effect. I really liked how summery and fresh this look turned out to be. The resulting effect is close to Tom Ford's Summer Palette Unabashed which also had a similar blue and taupe combination. If you missed on that one or you are in search for a more affordable option, check out Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette. Also watch the application tips on this video at Clarins USA website.

FOTD: Clarins Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette

Final thoughts: A lovely color combination and nice texture (only the golden shade could be smoother with better color pay-off). Clarins Colors of Brazil is now available at Clarins counters, for those of you who love the fresh breeze of summer over the dark blue seas.

Have you tried Clarins make up products? What are your impressions?

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