Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector Citrus-Scented juicy mandarin and pink grapefruit swatched

November 11, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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Well, here we go, two more limited editions of Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. I’ve already told you about the two previous limited editions and the formula and the application and… a lot of other stuff 🙂 here Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector pink shimmer and red shimmer swatched. To recap real quick, this formula is soft on the lips, it might be balmy, but just a little, not really all the way balmy. The fluffy applicator is all soft and nice, but you might as well forget all about precision application with it 🙂 This balm or this gloss – or a mix thereof – is thicker than what you usually expect from lip gloss. You can go as light handed on it or as heavy handed as you want though 🙂 So, sheer or full on colour with gloss is your choice. The scent was all sweet last time around, we’ll see what it’s like now that it’s citrus scented 🙂

 

I did like the white design with red carnation pattern very much last time around. I have to tell you that white boxing with fruity pattern we’re getting now is no less impressive. I presume, what we see here is juicy mandarin, as that’s the name of this shade. Very nice, perky, fun and – just like all the carnations – very Clarins. I love it, when brands do something that’s really in tune with their DNA and what they are. When I look at this packaging, there’s no mistake. It can’t be anyone else other than Clarins, and that’s good news. Now, what I’m interested in here in this particular edition – or should I say these two particular editions  🙂 – is the scent. I’m very scent sensitive, so Clarins signature super sweet scent in a lot of their lip colour, especially balmy kinds, frankly, bothers me. So, I’m hoping that citrus will be less demanding and more subdued, maybe. We’ll see   🙂

 

The shade is called 14 juicy mandarin. Very nice 🙂 So, it’s mandarin on the packaging. Tangerine, that is 🙂 The tube is the opposite colourwise from what we’ve seen on the boxing. It’s orange with white tangerines, not vice versa. It looks all summery and fun, so that I wanna have it in my purse sometimes just for the look of it, you know 🙂 Now, let’s talk about the important stuff – the scent. Citrus? Yeah, there is some citrus here, definitely. But that’s not all there is there. We also somehow get… vanilla. So, in all honesty, the scent is not citrus, it’s citrus sweet. Or else, sweet citrus. It’s not unpleasant, more bearable to me than the classic and just sweet without citrus Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector scent. Still, it’s pretty strong. And the sweetness in it undermines the lightness of citrus. To me, the bottom line is – this scent is interesting and nice, still it’s too strong for me to be able to bear it on the lips for a while 🙂 Which is a pity.

 

Uh, here we go with the fluffy cushiony tip. Once again, I just can’t get rid of the feeling that the whole design with this bright tube and this soft tip looks very much like my very first lip gloss variations, banana and something like that 🙂 You know, when there’s no colour to it, just a touch of shine and a distant pleasant scent and, maybe, a sparkle or two. Anyway… it’s all the same in this limited edition in terms of formula and application. This balmy gloss is thicker than most lip glosses. Probably, because it’s balmy 🙂 You can build it on the lips though from sheer to full on shiny lip colour. Do remember though, that the soft tip with all the fluff on it hinders precision of application like crazy, even if it’s super comfy to the touch. So, forget about throwing on an extra layer of gloss on the run. This thing here requires work, work and then some 🙂

 

The shade is intense, bright and happy. Orange. Medium orange, I’d say, although – again – you can dilute it or build it all you want. The formula allows as much.

 

Next, please. I wanna see that grapefruit on the packaging. Uh, here it is. Pink with yellow and orange against the white. Wonderful. It’s like they grabbed you and dipped you into summer all of a sudden. Not a bad thing in the middle of fall steering towards winter. And I can’t stop admiring the fact, that the grapefruit leaves on the box are white. It makes the whole pattern and the whole packaging design so stylish. I must say, grapefruit looks kind of like… peach here. Now, if they released lip gloss or balm or something that smelled like peach, I’d be like rushing to get it 🙂 Because peach scent is pretty cool and rare in makeup. But no… Instead there’s still the same sweet citrus or citrus vanilla something. Ok, maybe, some people will like it as much as I like peach, who knows 🙂 I sure hope you do and can get a kick out of it.

 

This shade is called 13 pink grapefruit. Ok, Ok, I know, grapefruit, not peach. Missed it that much, huh? 🙂 The tube and the shade and everything is pink, which makes sense, given the name of the shade. It all tracks, Clarins – orange tangerine, pink grapefruit. Well, last time around, in that limited edition with red carnations and without the citrus vanilla scent 🙂 the pink shade was, in all honesty, hard to pull for a lot of people. So, I’m hoping this pink colour will be an easier undertaking… Yep, this pink is warm, but pretty clear, there’s nothing really mixed into it. So, most of us can enjoy it without going nuts trying to match our clothes and look to it and somehow fit it in there and make it work. The bright pink tube has white grapefruit on it in this one. Instead of white tangerines on the orange tube in juicy mandarin 🙂

 

I couldn’t possibly tell you why, but I get a bigger splash of joy and emotion, when looking at the orange tube. Oh, guess what, it’s probably because orange presents a starker contrast to white than pink. Still, this tube is small, light in my hand, because it’s made of thinner plastic than a lot of lip colour tubes are, so it will fit into all those purses and pockets and whatnot. By the way, even though the plastic of the tube is so light, you need to squeezes it pretty hard to get the lip perfector to show up on that fluffy tip for you to be able to use it 🙂 I don’t know why, but that’s definitely the way it goes for me. Speaking about lip perfector, I can’t say I feel it perfecting my lips much or at all even 🙂 Perfecting is a tough job, you know, and only few things in makeup and life, if you come to think of it, can perfect anything or anyone. Well, not this thing 🙂

 

You know what’s so great about Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector 13 pink grapefruit – other than the packaging 🙂 Cool pinks are common, warm pinks are rare.

 

That’s our sweet couple – or should I say citrus sweet couple? 🙂 – by Clarins. If you do enjoy the scent, then these two are nice to have. Be sure to get a good sniff before you buy though, just in case, you know. Also, do take your time to learn how to operate the tube and the fluffy tip and master the squeezing, because it doesn’t really feel quite like anything else I’ve tried before. Say, Juicy Tube by Lancome is made of different plastic, I guess, so the whole squeezing process is different, believe it or not 🙂 Anyway, once you get past the scent, the squeezing and the thicker than usual texture and get tuned and adjusted to all of the above, you are all set and ready to enjoy the shades and the design. I’ll tell you one thing, these two small little tubes by Clarins are two vibrant pieces of summer and sun that you can always have with you, wherever you go.

ANNY Elena and the Unicorns swatched

November 10, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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Unicorns are hot. There’s so much hype about them. They are cute too. So, it’s no surprise 🙂 This nail polish collection by ANNY is yet another link in the long chain of unicorn stuff getting thrown at us at every corner 🙂 Who’s Elena? I don’t know. It’s a fairytalish name. There’s a book called ‘Elena and the Unicorn’ (unicorn in single person), but there’s nothing, really, that’s called Elena and the Unicorns (in plural). So, I’ll just presume ANNY came up with this collection name, as they needed something unicornish. As usual, they have six shades in their collection. Not that many, if you come to think of it 🙂 All six come in the finish, that they call Chrome in ANNY. I’ll decipher it for you. In simple terms, chrome finish by ANNY is metallic. Or, I guess, you might say, it’s like super metallic finish. That is, finish, stuffed with pearl and then some. Well, that’s what these shades are. Metallic. Shiny. Pearly. All that. Ok, Ok, ANNY, they are chrome 🙂

 

This finish makes sense in the context of unicorns and fantasy world, as far as I’m concerned. Even if you aren’t really into unicorns though 🙂 , metallic are a trend now, the kind of trend that seems to be persistent. We keep seeing metallics on the lips and on the nails, naturally, as lip colour and nail colour are related in certain ways. Also, there’s a bit of nineties feel floating around. And metallics in makeup – and manicure – and even clothes 🙂 – were very hot back then, hence, all the shiny shades emerging. So, this collection is a compact and easy way to quickly dip your fingers into the whole metallic frenzy. Here’s what I like about this batch in particular. Even if the shades are super shiny and metallic, they are wearable. The artsiest shade of all here is turquoise. The rest are pinks and reds and corals and beiges. Also, I’d like to tell you up front, that these shades – as any metallic shades – get pretty streaky, so, do use a clear top coat over them to even them out.

 

One.

 

155.80 innocent unicorn tears

 

A10.155.80

 

This shade is medium orange or coral.

 

Or else, pearly orange or pearly coral. It’s all pearly here, remember?

 

If you like corals, it might be a fun way to do a little tweak on your usual manicure routine.

 

It could be a big time, super bright, neon like orange. It’s not though, and that’s what makes it interesting 🙂

 

There’s something sophisticated about it, something stylish. And I don’t even love corals 🙂

 

Two.

 

176.60 magic candygirl

 

A10.176.60

 

Magic candygirl. How cute is that 🙂 I love this name.

 

As for the shade, it’s purple pink. Or pink purple, I guess you could call it that, why not? 🙂

 

Some people will even say it’s just purple.

 

To be more precise, it’s bright metallic purple with mysterious gleam to it.

 

This shade is fresh. An awesome modern purple or pink manicure option.

 

Three.

 

379.20 funky rainbow drops

 

A10.379.20

 

This is aqua. Or turquoise. You pick 🙂

 

Metallic aqua? Sounds almost like it’s too much. Bright aqua – shiny aqua?

 

Rest assured though, it’s not too much. Not over the top. It’s pretty 🙂

 

The kind of aqua you can wear all year round. Not only in summer. Imagine that 🙂 Cool, isn’t it?

 

A very nice shade. Very rare too. Full of funky rainbow drops.

 

Four.

 

317.10 born to sparkle

 

A10.317.10

 

This shade looks greige in the bottle.

 

To be more precise, it looks greige with silvery gleam to it. Darker silvery gleam.

 

The silver pearl overpowers everything in it though, once it lands on the nails.

 

So that the shade almost looks metallic silver.

 

I so wish there were more greige in this shade. I would be ecstatic then. As it is, this silvery shade is nice, but pretty common.

 

Five.

 

299 #annycorn

 

A10.299

 

This shade looks copperish in the bottle. It gets more bronze like, once it settles comfortably on your nails.

 

It’s holiday season now, so there’s a lot of bronze and gold floating around.

 

Which makes it easy to compare this shade to the rest of the shiny stuff 🙂

 

And even if this shade is bronze metallic, it’s not crazy shiny and out there in the least.

 

Instead it’s chic and glamorous and celebratory. Wonderful, really 🙂

 

Six.

 

222.61 twinkle twinkle

 

A10.222.61

 

This shade looks warm pink in the bottle.

 

When I apply it though – and when you apply it, if you do 🙂 – it reveals a strong red undertone.

 

As a result, this shade looks more like red pink. Or even pink red – depends on your colour perception.

 

Metallic red pink? Shiny red pink, that is? Now, that’s exciting.

 

Twinkle twinkle is high end, it’s sophisticated, it’s amazing. And rare, once again 🙂

 

That’s Elena and the Unicorns by ANNY. I have to be honest here, when I thought about the concept of this collection, when I looked at the promo photos, and even when I got hold of the six shades and held them in my hand, I was like – another bunch of metallic pinks and golds, huh? I’m so happy I was proved wrong by ANNY though. This batch of six is splendid in a way, that even people who generally shun metallics, can wear them and enjoy them. These shades are lush, not too shiny, and you’ll feel comfortable with them on any given day. They are like a handbook on basic metallic nail shades. It’s like – start with these ones. Or – if you are thinking, what metallics you should get – grab this collection and add it to your stash. It’s an easy way to be exquisite. And one of the best ways to follow the metallics trend and make it your own all at the same time. There’s just something about these nail colours that’s ever so appealing 🙂

   

   

   

Givenchy Striking Night Lights holiday 2017 swatched

November 3, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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Holiday collections are in, and even if you are not celebrating this upcoming holiday season, why don’t you stack up on some pretty shades and cute limited editions? 🙂 The first holiday collection I’m looking at this season is Striking Night Lights by Givenchy. Striking Night Lights? Sounds good and just right for the holidays. Or parties, for that matter 🙂 We’ll see how exactly striking those lights by Givenchy are going to be. Givenchy collections tend to be compact, that is, there aren’t that many items proper in them. Also, of late nail polish hasn’t really been part of Givenchy collections that much. Which is a pity, by the way, because manicure rounds up our look nicely usually. Here’s good news though. In holiday collections especially – not only in holidays ones though – Givenchy usually does kind of artsy and beautiful packaging design. So, I hope to see something special this year.

 

Givenchy stands out among the luxury brands that produce makeup in a way, that it’s artsy and edgy and chic at the same time. It’s more like couture artsy, as opposed to real big time edgy like, say, Urban Decay, which is very different. It’s certainly nice to see something off the beaten track a little in luxury makeup world and bring in some fun elements into our looks, even if those looks tend to be womanly and sophisticated. Givenchy edginess is pretty safe, they don’t push the limits too much, so it’s a good way to try something in that field. Especially when this something is packaged the way it is in this collection 🙂 The packaging here is amazing, really. And green. Or else, grey green with some blue and purple here and there. Amazing 🙂 The boxing looked so purple in promo pictures, I was pleasantly surprised, no, stunned really, when I saw all the gorgeous snaky glittery green and grey of it in real life. Green is my favorite 🙂

 

The first item in the collection is Prisme Libre.

 

The shade is called 9 Eclats de Rose.

 

This powder is pretty much light pink, but very very light, so light it works like Meteorites by Guerlain, more or less, that is, it evens out skin tone, lights it up a little bit, but it doesn’t paint it any specific shade. It also has tiny holographic silver pink and then shining all kind of kind of colours glitter in it that you can’t see almost. It’s more of a light reflecting thing. They always say such shades are universal, I do believe though, that they work better on fair skinned beauties and on those who have any sallow in their skin tone, because pink neutralizes it best.

 

Next in this collection we have a very Givenchy thing – mascara top coat.

 

The shade is called 04 Eclats Violines.

 

I’ve already told you about how I made friends with this mascara top coat shovely brush. I mean, it looks impossible to operate, but once you do it, it’s actually quite easy and efficient somehow 🙂

 

The mascara top coat is amazing violet colour with a whole bunch of purple and blue sparkle in it. It has a lot of blue sheen in it too. Beautiful. I love it. I’ve told you already, how violet in makeup is rare, underrated and extremely becoming. It looks good on almost everyone and brings out the very best of your brown, blue or green eyes. Also, it looks very exotic, by the way, when you clash it with warmer yellow tone eyes.

 

On we go. Eye palette.

 

La Palette Eclats Nocturnes

 

The starry sparkly design is stunning and then some. Also, it really stands out. Even among holiday limited editions. Givenchy managed to take their signature star and turn it into a beauty of an eye palette form.

 

We have three shades here:

 

Lighter satin violet with silvery sheen and tiny little pink and purple and blue sparkle hidden in its depth. This shade will make for a dangerously hot combination with that violet mascara top coat.

 

Satin bronze with golden pink sheen and tiny bronze and pink sparkle. See, what did I tell you about clashing violet against the yellow of your eyes, huh? That’s exactly what Givenchy is doing here with this shade and the violet shade.

 

Darker vintage copperish gold. It’s all sparkly and shiny, not satiny, its texture is different from the two other shades. It’s pretty loose and very very sparkly. Very festive. And for once it’s not that crazy shiny kind of gold that we always seem to get for holidays. This is a much nobler version of it and a much better match for that violet shade. Try to swap the usual shiny holiday season gold for this one here. You might achieve some incredible results 🙂

 

We are getting to the finish line here 🙂 Le Rouge.

 

The shade is called 328 Grenat Nocturne.

 

Once again, this lipstick is not really matt 🙂 I don’t know why they keep calling it that 🙂 It’s a classic creamy satin finish, maybe, a little less shiny and, maybe, a little more satin than the good old creamy one. Still…

 

The makeupey powdery scent is still there, and I do hope you like it, because it’s as strong as ever. In all honesty, it’s always that strong. Too strong for me. It makes me like Le Rouge less than I could otherwise. Then again, I’m very scent sensitive, maybe, you aren’t.

 

The shade is brown red. I guess, you could call it a darker brick shade. That is, if brick is orange red, this is, once again, brown red. It’s a nice darker sultry red shade that’s not too common and that’s easier to pull for more people than femme fatale like black cherry.

 

And… the last item in this collection. Le Rouge a-porter.

 

The shade is called 306 Brun Nocturne.

 

When they just came out with this variation of Le Rouge, I was like – lose the scent, lose the scent, please – but no, it’s still there. A little more manageable, yes, but it just wouldn’t go away. I guess, there are a lot of people out there who enjoy it 🙂

 

This is a lighter and shinier version of the red brown we’ve just seen in Le Rouge, really. It’s more diluted, there’s a slight chance there’s a touch more orange there, still it’s definitely very close and in the same family.

 

See, told you, for some reason there’s usually no nail colour in makeup collections by Givenchy. At least, it’s been true of late. They used to have some really good limited edition nail shades before. I wish they got back to making them 🙂

 

That’s it. Striking Night Lights by Givenchy. Everything in this collection makes me love it so much. The stunner of the green and grey design, the starry eye palette, the shine that’s there in a kind of holiday way but without going overboard. Here’s the best thing about this collection though, in my opinion – the shades. The shades are handpicked and matched so carefully, they really stand out from the row of incessant holiday golds and pinks and reds. You know what I’m talking about 🙂 These shades by Givenchy are truly exquisite proving that anything is possible, and shine and sparkle can be sophisticated and elegant, if you so desire and think carefully, when you put your makeup and look together J This small batch of products is a great way to add that very zest to your look that’s ever so stylish, you know. And not just your holiday look. Your everyday look too 🙂

Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother and Giorgio Armani Crema Nuda

November 1, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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I’ve told you many times about the colour and care trend in makeup. It’s been going on in all planes and territories – in nail colour (and care), lip colour (and care), all over the place. And you know how I’m mostly skeptical about these type of products, because once you try to do two things at the same time, it doesn’t always work so well. You do remember, how to me, Lip Lover by Lancome is pretty much the only colour and care thing in lip colour that really really works. Well, guess what, as much as I’m happy with one thing done perfectly usually, there’s this one department in makeup, where the colour and care concept seems to actually rock. Base and tone. That is, face department. Why is that? Probably because the texture and formula of base and tone products is close enough to all the lotion and cream and serum variations, where they can be mixed together easily.

 

You know what I’m saying, right? Base and tone with care element in it has been around for a while. It just seems to make sense. In our time and in our world, when everything around is moving oh so fast, it’s nice to be able to do two things in one run. Say, even out the tone and disguise the imperfections and do base. Or moisturize and do tone. And, yes, I do think that you can actually do it efficiently enough with the products that are out there in the market. Keep in mind though, that skin care – even when it’s part of makeup 🙂 – is even more individual than makeup itself. Try to find the things and products that are right for you specifically. And not just for everyone. How can you do that? By reading reviews online and by testing and trying stuff. Try your favourite brands and textures and you’ll hopefully find what will be a blast for you.

 

And I’m going to tell you here about the things that work for me 🙂 Who knows, our preferences might coincide, or at least, you’ll learn some things about these products and, maybe, conclude that they aren’t really what you need. Anyway… here’s one thing that seems to be a really good match to me – primer and smoothening and tone evening skin care. I mean, it’s just logically compatible 🙂 Primer is there to even out skin tone and disguise imperfections. There are whole ranges of skin care that actually do just that. Say, Ibuki by Shiseido. So, when they came up with this primer not too long ago that combines makeup qualities and traits of their Ibuki skin care line, I was like – hm, this might work. So, I tried it, and here’s what I found 🙂 The product is called Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother Filtre Lissant Instantane.

 

The first thing I always do is read into what it says on the packaging. You’ll be surprised, how much you can learn, if you read past the name and whatever else it says on the front in big letters 🙂 Well, for starters, it says that this product blurs imperfections. Ok, that’s what primers are for 🙂 so, good. Now, if we look closely at the French on the packaging 🙂 (see, it’s not only small letters and caps, whatever they say there in different languages can also differ 🙂 , we’ll see that it filters and smooths it all out ‘instantly’. Nice 🙂 Next. From the back of the packaging I learn that it’s serum. See Smart Filtering Smoother (Serum). Uh-huh. It’s a good thing to know. Some of us like serum as skin care, others don’t. So, be forewarned. You know that serum is the most concentrated kind of skin care, it’s most intense, that is.

 

Next thing I wanna know is what this product is supposed to do. According to the packaging – once again – it visibly corrects: shine and pores. Let’s decipher that. How can something correct shine and pores? By mattifying. That’s the action behind the smoothing here then, I guess. Well now, I’ve learned a lot here already 🙂 I like learning new stuff, so I’m pretty happy. There’s nothing wrong with mattifying. Just be careful with it, if your skin is dry, Ok? And remember, as long as this is serum, don’t use too much. Once again, serum is a very concentrated thing, and if you use serum as part of your skin care routine, you know that you need a couple of drops of it, really. And as long as Shiseido Ibuki smoother is serum, the same goes for it. Also, the packaging itself gives us a hint we should only use a little, because it’s just so… small 🙂

 

Ibuki Smoother by Shiseido needs to be shaken up before use. It’s very light pinkish in colour. It has a makeupey skincarey scent that’s not too much, still, it’s conspicuous enough, it’s there, and it hovers over your face for a while, after you apply it, so in case you are scent sensitive, please, be careful. The bottle it comes in is small and thin, so you’ll be able to fit it into most of your purses, probably, and carry it around to fix your makeup on the run. In terms of what it does… It doesn’t really make you up. It doesn’t have colour to it or almost none. It’s more of a unifying skin care thing, when it comes to texture and action. So, you’ll need to top it with base to actually fully correct the imperfections. It does help to deal with pores and breakouts and things like that though, once it’s on. And it seems to do it in the long term.

 

The long term part is the best part of it all. It means, pretty much, that you’ll get less of the issues you are trying to deal with day by day, when using Ibuki Shiseiso Smoother. It’s not skin care all the way though. So, don’t think that you’ll deal with your skin needs that go along the lines of Ibuki Shiseiso range by using this Smoother alone. If you want skin care proper, go for the whole range by Shiseido or for the range of the kind that you like best. As for the primer in question, it’s a good primer (primer is the key word here). It doesn’t work miracles, but it’s solid in terms of quality and actually works. A good example of successful skin care and makeup fusion.

 

The second product in colour and care family I found that works for me is not a primer. It’s a full on base that does have shade and colour to it. Base and tone is probably the best liaison in terms of colour and care. There are even products now, where you can add drops of colour to skin care products and come up with your own mix. Say, Clinique has a thing of the kind 🙂 I found this tinted cream base here by going to one of my favourite brands. Told ya, it’s one of the ways to do it 🙂 This product is called Crema Nuda by Giorgio Armani. The first thing I gather from the name of this product is that it sounds like Crema Nero, a high end skin care line by Armani. According to the packaging – once again – it’s a supreme glow reviving tinted cream. Tinted cream. Interesting. It pretty much says here it’s more of tinted skin care than colour with a skin care element to it.

 

I’m also noticing that it’s glow reviving. It sounds like a product that will bring out the natural glow of our skin, but something’s telling me that it’s going to be one of those glowy bases that have been hot for a while now in makeup world. We’ll see. It says on the box too that it hydrates, corrects, unifies. Correcting and unifying sounds primer like and base like, these are traditional face makeup functions. The exciting and skin carish element here is that Crema Nuda is supposed to hydrate our skin. Hydration is what skin care does, generally speaking, not makeup. What is hydration, in essence? Mosturizing. Moisturizers are hydration products. We know, that in terms of skin care, hydration is one of the most important or even the most important thing period. It’s what our skin needs most. And what the environment tends to deprive it of 🙂

 

It’s also seemingly the easiest thing to do. Moisturizing. Sounds much easier to achieve than correcting imperfections, anti age treatment and what not. Still, finding the right moisturizers that work efficiently and give you what you of all people need is a tough cookie to crack. When it comes to me, it’s all about trying all kind of products and reading about them. Say, just recently I’ve reading online about moisturizers here  https://www.reviews.com/face-moisturizer/ and found a couple of products I might want to try. You know why I read about skin care? Its components and ingredients are complex, and sometimes it takes expertise and knowledge to decipher it all and understand it all to the full. Ok, Ok, I’m back to Crema Nuda by Giorgio Armani here 🙂 that, according to the packaging, hydrates.

 

The key word in the description of how Crema Nuda feels is the first word we saw in its description on the box. Remember that word? No? Supreme 🙂 Supreme glow reviving tinted cream. Well, sure enough, this tinted cream does feel supreme. Feels awesome, lush and wonderful. There’s this extra something there. That extra kick on top of it just feeling caring and soothing and nice and pleasant. It has makeupey skin carey scent to it. It’s not too much, but pretty persistent. In terms of hydration, I’ll tell you something, there’s something there, something skin care like, in this product, I can’t tell you for sure though, whether it’s hydration, nutrition, care or what. It just feels good and feels lush on the skin. And I love that. Now, in terms of glow, it’s glowy, very much so. Might be too glowy for me, personally 🙂 It’s not just glow reviving, the product itself is glowy.

 

The shade I got is 02. And it’s called light glow. The shade is a lighter beige with rosy or pink undertone to it. A very nice and flattering shade. The packaging is heavy in my hand, in a good way. It’s posh looking and feeling. There’s also a small little shovely thing there, so that you don’t have to go into the jar with your fingers. All in all, Crema Nuda by Giorgio Armani is a great colour and care product. It works as base and tone and feels like skin care. Keep in mind though, that it’s not just base, it’s a glowy base, so be sure, that you like glow in your face products, really like it, before you venture into wearing it. The quality is so good, you don’t have to top it with powder, unless you want to.

 

That’s my duo of colour and care products that work for me. Ibuki Smoother by Shiseido and Crema Nuda by Armani. See if you agree with me 🙂 Personally, I’m confirmed in my opinion that in all of makeup, base and tone is the best direction to take, when trying to do skin care and makeup fusion. The two merge without colliding and bring out the best in each other. A perfect match 🙂

 

OPI Iceland fall/winter 2017 swatched

October 31, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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What do we know about Iceland? Iceland is a Nordic island state with subarctic climate that’s similar to the Alaska Peninsula climate. It’s located on the juncture of North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik. Anyway… my geography lesson is over here, don’t you worry. To cut the long story short, our image of Iceland is mostly of a Northern European, Scandinavian country with pretty cold weather and beautifully stern and laconic nature. At least, that’s my image of it. If you live in Iceland, please, weigh in and tell us about your homeland. I would love to hear your stories and thoughts, because OPI decided to call their fall/winter collection Iceland this year. It’s an interesting choice that seems to make sense in terms of this country landscape and nature and weather, in my opinion. Here’s why.

 

They call Iceland the land of fire and ice. Or the land of ice and fire, for that matter 🙂 This metaphor has something to do with Iceland climate and history. Also, they often say that Iceland is a country of extremes. It has both glaciers and volcanoes in it, for one 🙂 And it has an exciting combination of warm and intense shades and silver white and blue colour shades in its landscape. I’m going to presume though, that as long as this here a fall/winter season collection, it’s going to be more about moody and subdued nail shades than anything else. With a couple of bright warmer spots in it here and there. The other thing that comes to mind immediately, when I think about Iceland, is its Scandinavian cultural roots. There’s so much there, so much heritage, so many myths, a whirlpool of images and possibilities that can be reflected in this collection.

 

Now, are you ready? ‘Cause here it is – Iceland by OPI – fall/winter 2017. We have twelve shades here, the usual number for OPI. And the dozen is…

 

Here’s my first impression. This collection does strike me as being on the cooler and darker side. There’s a lot of greige and a lot of violet here with a touch of green, blue, coral and pink.

 

The formula is good and solid, very much like OPI. In terms of texture, there’s a lot of cream and a handful of pearl scattered around. No glitters – they are all reserved for holidays 🙂

 

Now, before I get to shade by shade breakdown, would you take a minute to listen to these shade names. I mean, just listen…

 

Icelanded a Bottle of OPI, Suzi & the Arctic Fox, That’s What Friends Are Thor, Turn On the Northern Lights!, Krona-logical Order, This Isn’t Greenland, Less Is Norse, One Heckla of a Color!, I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic, Aurora Berry-alis, Check Out the Old Geysirs, Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots.

 

Well, there are some puns in the names, some history and culture and some economy even 🙂 I’ll take one more minute before moving on to the shades proper to draw your attention to the fact that OPI bottle design is changing obviously. In this batch of twelve shades I’ve come across both old design (on the left) and new design (on the right) that’s very much like Infinite Shine formula bottle design, if you take the Infinite Shine words out of the equation 🙂

 

Twelve shades. Iceland by OPI. On we go.

 

One.

 

Icelanded a Bottle of OPI

 

NL 153

 

What a great pun in the name of this shade. I wish there were such a verb, actually, ‘to iceland’ 🙂

 

The shade numbering system also changed, obviously. Interesting.

 

The only part of the numbering that is intact is NL and a number part.

 

The shade is medium to lighter greige. Under certain angles it looks grey, under other angles it looks beige.

 

If you like both grey and beige manicures, this is the shade for you.

 

Two.

 

Suzi & the Arctic Fox

 

NL 156

 

OPI co-founder’s – Suzi Weiss-Fischmann’s – first name traditionally makes its appearance in each collection by this brand 🙂

 

You know, she’s the one who’s known all over the world as the First Lady of Nails. Anyway…

 

Arctic fox is super cute. I mean, super cute. No, really 🙂

 

The shade is an amazing deep blue violet. Rare. Very rare. Moody.

 

If you love dark manicures, if your eyes are violet or blue, do get it.

 

Three.

 

That’s What Friends Are Thor

 

NL 154

 

Another good pun in the shade name. And a mention of Thor. All in one. Nice 🙂

 

What did I tell you about the Scandinavian myths that had to make it here somehow, huh?

 

And in all of the Scandinavian mythology Thor is the most important figure, that’s for sure. God of Thunder. The big boss guy 🙂

 

This shade is a cooler darker greige. A dark milk and coffeeish colour with a lot of grey undertone in it.

 

A very nice and languid shade. A great balance of light and cool.

 

Four.

 

Turn On the Northern Lights!

 

NL 157

 

I love this shade name. Yes, let’s turn on the Northern Lights 🙂

 

I mean, the Northern Lights are beautiful.

 

Yes, this shade does have something in common with the Northern Lights.

 

It’s metallic violet with tiny little purple sparkle hidden in its depth. Pearly and nice.

 

If you like metallics, but are always worried that they might be too much, you might really enjoy this shade.

 

Five.

 

Krona-logical Order

 

NL 155

 

For starters, this pun is clever. Also, how do you like bringing economy into a nail shade name? 🙂

 

It’s really cool. You can paint your nails and be reminded that krona is the currency of Iceland.

 

The shade is a darker greige with a big time grey undertone in it.

 

You could even say this shade is brown, that’s surprisingly cool and has a lot of grey colour in it.

 

A very interesting dark manicure option. Modern and sophisticated all at the same time.

 

Six.

 

This Isn’t Greenland

 

NL 158

 

No, m’am, this isn’t Greenland, this is Iceland. Iceland by OPI, that is 🙂

 

A light warm khaki green.

 

A serene and easy chic shade that has a little bit of an edge to it.

 

Even if you don’t like green in manicures, you might surprise yourself by liking this shade a lot.

 

There’s nothing artsy about it. It’s full of understatement and warmth and languid mood.

 

Seven.

 

Less Is Norse

 

NL 159

 

Less Is More. True. Less Is Norse. True too. In case of this collection especially 🙂

 

This shade is a head turning combo of blue, violet and grey.

 

The violet shades in this collection are spectacular. And there are so many of them.

 

Violet is not too common in manicure world. There are many more warm purples out there than violets.

 

While violet is an awesome dark manicure option without being too dark.

 

Eight.

 

One Heckla of a Color!

 

NL 162

 

O-okay, in this shade we have some geography, obviously. You know what Hekla or Hecla is? No?

 

It’s a volcano in the south of Iceland. One of the most active volcanoes in this country, in fact.

 

This is a moody lilac shade.

 

All of a sudden lilac is not pastel, it’s… well, fall like.

 

And that’s great. Because there are so many pastel lilacs in this world and only few shades like this one here.

 

Nine.

 

I’ll Have a Gin & Tectonic

 

NL 161

 

How’s that for a pun, huh? Bringing cocktails and geology together in a shade name, I give OPI credit for that. By all means 🙂

 

This is a lighter to medium coral shade.

 

Sometimes it looks warmer, at other times it looks cooler.

 

Depends on the light you are in.

 

This shade is definitely not one of those summery corals though. It’s elegant, really.

 

Ten.

 

Aurora Berry-alis

 

NL 164

 

Two shade names in this collection are devoted to the Northern Lights, huh. Aurora Borealis is their Latin name, so it’s the second one.

 

The Berry-alis part of it all is due to this shade being berry like, I presume.

 

It’s an interesting mix of purple and pink, that’s what it is.

 

Pretty bright, but not too bright.

 

A very womanly colour. A perfect modern day classic thing. Well balanced and classy.

 

Eleven.

 

Check Out the Old Geysirs

 

NL 160

 

Geysir – or the Great Geysir sometimes – is the name of a geyser in the south west of Iceland.

 

The English word ‘geyser’ is actually derived from this geyser name – ‘Geysir’. While the word ‘geysir’ itself comes from the Icelandic verb ‘geysa’.

 

‘Geysa’ means pretty much ‘to gush’, it dates back to the Old Norse language.

 

This shade is medium linen blue like blue that can make you love blue manicures, even if you couldn’t even imagine ever – ever – painting your nails blue.

 

Exquisite, beautiful, classy. It’s all here. Love it. Oh, there’s some sort of holographic pearl in it too, that doesn’t make it metallic, but gives it a sort of surreal – in a good way – sheen at certain angles. Wow.

 

Twelve.

 

Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots

 

NL 163

 

Another geology reference in the name of a shade.

 

In geology they call volcanic regions, that are fed by super hot mantle, hotspots or hot spots. So, that’s what it’s all about.

 

If you took greige, warmed it up to turn it into cappuccino and then made it metallic and pearly… then you’d get this shade.

 

Doesn’t sound so great? But it does. It is, that is. It’s oh so great.

 

Love it. There’s tiny little silver sparkle in it too. Pretty.

 

That’s Iceland by OPI. I’ll tell you what. It’s like it’s the ultimate fall/winter nail colour collection. These twelve shades are perfect for colder weather. They are moody and darker without being too dark. They are very sophisticated in just how subdued and understated they are. At the same time, OPI managed not to go to the off black territory. Instead we have all the violets here. Amazing violets. Rare violets. Special violets. Becoming violets. A great chance to try violet manicure, if you haven’t tried it yet. Also, there are some greiges here. Greiges are so chic. And the range of greige in this collection is a good one. From lighter to deeper and more intense. To suit any taste. And then, of course, there’s blue and there’s green there. I do like both colours in manicure. These two shades in particular though happen to be just wonderful.

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

If you are a traditionalist in manicures, check out that coral shade and that berry shade, purple pink, that is. You’ll probably enjoy them. They are a classic with a zest. And… don’t forget about the warm greige with a bronze edge. It’s a splendid shade. You’ll see  🙂 All in all, Iceland by OPI looks very fall like to me. It belongs in fall with its held back dignity and its small little artsy colourful streak. In the winter this collection will look exquisite, because these twelve shades aren’t all the way wintery. Or else, they aren’t necessarily, what we expect to see in winter nail colour collection or what we are used to seeing there. I really appreciate, when something is done in manicure and makeup alike, that’s off the beaten track, sort of. After all, fall and winter come every year, and every year we wear those shades, so it’s nice to see something new there, you know 🙂

Halloween makeup and manicure ideas 2017 with Urban Decay Electric eye palette

October 30, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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You’re ready for Halloween? Not celebrating Halloween? Ready to party then? 🙂 If you come to think of it, Halloween makeup and manicure and just party makeup and manicure have a lot in common. Here’s how. What is the most popular or common path to take, when in comes to Halloween makeup and manicure? Dark, sultry, smoky. Right? Well, what’s the most popular or common way to make up, when you are going out? Uh-huh 🙂 Smoking hot and darker, more intense, that is, seems to be the strategy the two occasions share. When I hear Halloween makeup and manicure, I can’t help seeing images of red lip and red manicures, dark purple and plum lips and black manicures, black arrows, smoky eyes and such. Me being me though, I can’t help wanting to go a different way 🙂 To me, Halloween is not a yearly occasion to do red lip or paint my nails black. I mean, I can do it on some other day or days 🙂 I wanna do colour for Halloween. Wha?? What? Colour? For Halloween? Yep. Let me explain.

 

Halloween is the best time of the year to try new things. Tell me, what other time can you paint your lips… green? Or yellow? Or blue? Or use red mascara? Or highlighters with green and lilac sparkle? Only for Halloween. Unless you are going to a costume party or ball. And isn’t that what Halloween is, essentially? One giant costume party. How many other occasions do we have in life, when we can do something out of the box in makeup and manicure department? Not that many. Most of us can’t do it at work. At home? Maybe, but this kind of manicure and makeup that’s special, to put it simply, calls for a special environment and special atmosphere, where it will work best. It also calls for dressing up. So, just hanging at home made up like that or going shopping in your neighbourhood made up like that is not as fun as doing that at a Halloween party or just a party. No, you don’t have to do it for Halloween necessarily. You can just go clubbing and be the centre of attention there with your look.

 

The simple way to create the look I’m talking about in terms of makeup and manicure – and in clothes department too, by the way – is doing something you don’t usually do. Say, when we go out, a lot of us tend to do brighter eyeshadow – green or blue – and brighter lip – red or pink. Makes sense. A lot of people do it. Well, why don’t you swap it? Red eyeshadow and green or blue lip. Now, how many people do that? How often? Uh-huh. That’s the simplest example. It can be your starting point, and then you can just let yourself go and do just anything your imagination will tell you to do. Trust me, a colourful look of the kind will be no less striking as the usual dark Halloween look. Be sure to rehearse and test run your makeup and manicure on the eve of the event. In fact, any special occasion makeup and manicure should probably be tested before the actual day and time you are going to wear it. This way you’ll have time and chance and room for improvement. Always a good thing 🙂

 

There are so many interesting and exciting shades out there in the world. You don’t have to be super artsy, if that’s not your kind of thing, you can just go a little outside you usual range, be a little bolder and a little more daring in your makeup and manicure. If you are looking for inspiration for your Halloween look, check out my two posts about what you can do and places you can go, when you are considering, what you want to look this Halloween, any other Halloween or any time you are going clubbing or partying, where it involves dressing up. Halloween manicure and makeup and  Halloween manicure and makeup 2016. I just want to show you this one palette by Urban Decay called Electric to give you an idea of what I mean, when I talk about brights in makeup. It’s eyeshadow palette, but when you see it, you’ll know where to go in terms of lip colour and nail colour and anything else, if you so choose.

 

The design of this palette itself is very much in tune with how I feel about this year Halloween look 🙂 See how vibrant and intense it is? Just look at this major splash of colour. Too much? Think about it this way. It’s just so happy looking 🙂 Wouldn’t you agree? If such bright shades – neon like shades even – are way too much for you, don’t forget, that you can introduce elements of brights into your look. Don’t want to do eyeshadow or lip colour that’s so artsy? How about doing it in eyeliner or manicure department? 🙂 It’s easier to do it there. You are going to be surprised how small bright touches – here and there – can change your whole look. You might come to like it so much you’ll use these techniques and new elements you’ll discover this Halloween in your everyday makeup and manicure and your party makeup and manicure. That is, you’ll find something new, some new things you enjoy. To me, that’s the best thing that can happen. I love new things 🙂

 

Ok, back to my example. Electric eyeshadow palette by Urban Decay. Ten shades that definitely stand out in the best possible way 🙂 Let’s get to know them better. Here’s what we have:

Revolt is a whirlwind of silver pearl and sparkle

 

Gonzo is matt aqua with blue taking over green in it conspicuously, and a couple of handfuls of metallic light cool blue sparkle

 

Slowburn is matt bright orange with a lot of metallic pink sparkle wrapped in it

 

Savage is matt cool and bright pink, neon pink

 

Fringe is classically aquaish aqua, pearly, metallic, that is

 

Chaos is matt bright blue that’s not dark at all, but bright and intense instead, with a bit of metallic purple sparkle, sprinkled here and there

 

Jilted is satin fuchsia with cool lilac sheen in it and super tiny lilac sparkle, just a touch

 

Urban is a super cool and intense satin violet with really cool lilac sheen and super tiny pink sparkle

 

Freak is an ever so pearly and bright tropical jungle like green

 

Thrash is neon acid pearly yellow green packed with golden sparkle

 

That’s Electric palette by Urban Decay. And that’s my take on Halloween makeup and manicure this year. Instead of going dark, I’m going bright. There’s something fresh about these shades. Something artsy and edgy. Something modern. And it’s a good thing. It’s always nice to open new territories and discover new grounds. To me, that’s what makeup is all about. It’s about having fun. So, it goes well with parties, with holidays and with Halloween, in particular. Because isn’t that what they are all about? About having fun 🙂 Of all holidays, events and occasions, Halloween happens to be the one to give us most opportunities and space for experiment. You don’t have to celebrate Halloween, you can just go out on this day – night, that is 🙂 – go party and try something in your look, that you haven’t tried yet, but really want to try. This way you’ll know, whether this something can really work for you, or you’ll see that it’s a one time thing. Both outcomes are pleasant and beneficial, as far as I’m concerned. Now see what you think 🙂

Chanel Coco Codes spring/summer 2017 swatched

October 23, 2017
by makeupsmartie
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This collection is a big difference. In the middle of all the summer frenzy with the brightest possible shades splashed all over us and candy pastel colours intrusively trying to make their way on our lids and lips and nails in spring, Chanel Coco Codes is like a breeze proving that one can be elegant at any time. And that there’s a reason why Chanel, of all brands, is the creator of quintessential and iconic elegance. Timeless, that is. For starters, this is the collection you’ll be able to wear whenever, not just in spring or summer. Also, if you are looking for sophistication and understatement, for classic and classy rather than just having fun once or twice a season, Coco Codes is right up your alley. It’s an easy way to always looking chic. And it teaches us how to pull this easy and exquisite look together. Just look at the shades, textures and shade combos, and you’ll know how to do it – with these products or any products you want.

 

The signature item in this collection is this blush harmony that sets the tone for the whole batch to come. It’s surprisingly calm and serene and pulled back looking, even though there’s a clash of warm and cool shades in its core.

 

On top here we have white with cooler beige. And then on the bottom there’s an intense to medium coral red with a warmish golden sand beige. Usually, when there’s such a collision, we get something artsy. Not this time around though.

 

The design is simple, elegant and graphic with straight lines, square shapes and round letters. That is, it’s not that simple either. There’s a little bit of juxtaposition here too. Personally, I like things that have more to them than it seems initially.

 

By the way, when I look at these shades, I can’t help thinking, that they can be more than blush. Contouring, highlighting, strobing – it’s all here, really, whatever your heart desires at the moment and whatever change of heart you might have 🙂

 

And if you feel artistic, inspired and adventurous or all of the above, there’s always a mixing option, when it comes to palettes of the kind. Other than just doing one big swipe over the whole thing, you can mix this and that shade together, depending on your mood.

 

To round it up, there’s something about this palette. Don’t be deceived by its simplicity. There’s so much more here than just what you see at first glance. There are codes and ideas and things you’ll be uncovering, when using these four shades.

 

Speaking about the shades, here we have:

a kind of pearly white with a handful of white sparkle.

 

a cooler beige that perfectly blends in with you skin tone.

 

a vibrant coral red or red coral, depends on how you look at it.

 

and a kind of pearly vintage gold with some golden to bronze sparkle lingering there.

 

One big major swipe surprises me and somehow gives me… pink or lilac pink, romantic in a way with a good degree of sparkle that’s more about reflections and light play than sparkly shine. Wow. Beautiful.

 

The texture is nice and pleasant. I can’t say there’s some extra kick or extra lush feel about it. It’s as elegant and simple and pleasant as the palette itself, as its design and its shades are and just about everything in it. Very nice, indeed.

 

I have to say, Coco Code blush harmony is a great palette in the sense that it brings up a flurry of images, uses, makeup options and what not. Once again, the most important thing here is the combo of the shades, the choice of the shades and the clash of cool and warm. These are the things I especially appreciate and wanna use in my looks.

 

Believe it or not, but there’s another blush in this collection 🙂 This one is Chanel classic. Joues Contraste. It’s a mono powder blush. What we are used to seeing and thinking, when we talk about blush, basically.

 

Now, what did I tell you about what the core of this collection is? Remember? Elegance. That’s the key to this look and these shades and textures. That’s what this blush shade is called too. Elegance. Makes sense, as far as I’m concerned 🙂

 

There’s one thing you need to know about this blush. It has a strong violet scent to it. If you wear Chanel blush and like their limited edition face products, you know this scent. It’s pleasant, but pretty strong. So, if you are scent sensitive, be careful.

 

The texture is nice, one of the best classic powder blush textures out there, in my opinion. The shade is subtle, flattering and wonderful. It’s very much in tune with the blush harmony. It’s the same style and has the same feel about it.

 

The shade is beige, it’s on the cooler side, there seems to be some satiny sheen there. And a handful of sparkle, but just a handful. There’s usually sparkle in Joues Contraste by Chanel. There’s a lingering lilac pink cloud of an undertone hovering over this shade too.

 

This shade is a perfect natural pretty shade. It’s sophisticated, delicate, wonderful. It’s intended to highlight your natural beauty, not to paint you into being someone else. Chanel is really good at coming up with such beige blush colours, generally speaking, and this one is as chic as ever.

 

These are the two face products in Coco Codes collection by Chanel. Consider adding these shades to your makeup stash. They are powerful in their understatement. Also, don’t be afraid to go against the rules and mix the single blush into any of the four shades in the blush harmony. You might come up with something really really exciting.

 

Moving on here. Next thing we are going to see is eye colour. That is, in this collection there are two eye quads – and that’s a lot 🙂 – and then there are eye pencils that are supposed to match the eyeshadow palettes, I guess.

 

Anyway, believe it or not, but the first palette is called Codes Elegants. Told ya 🙂 Elegance is the word, when it comes to this collection. It’s all about elegance and all about timeless here, not about fashion or trends.

 

We know the deal, when it comes to these eye quads by Chanel. Texturewise, it’s traditional powder eyeshadow. The quality is usually good. The shades can be pearly or matt or satiny, any of those, actually.

 

In this palette in particular they seem to be warmer. Oh so warm. Even the one shade that looks cool in the box – looks grey, that is – proves to be a much warmer greige, when swatched. So, this palette is all about cozily warm hues.

 

There’s something about warm shades that makes them languid and exquisite and gorgeous. Special occasion like, to put it simply. At the same time, these shades do not necessarily call for an evening gown. You could wear jean and a sweater and look beautiful, when you wear them.

 

This palette – or these four shades, to be precise – is something you wanna grab and wanna hold. Because you’ll find that they’ll help you out again and again and make your life easy or easier at times. They aren’t kidding, when they say ‘elegance’ here 🙂

 

So, the four shades are:

a gorgeous vintage gold, no, it’s not too bright and not too shiny, even though there’s some sparkle there in addition to pearl.

 

a lighty light pearly whitish gold shade that will – yes – light up any look and bring out the beauty of your eyes, there’s some sparkle here too.

 

a dark copperish satiny shade that calls out exquisite every time I look at it and tries to lure me into wearing it. It might have the same effect on you.

 

a Sunday brunch like greige with a bit of satiny sheen to it. You know why it’s Sunday brunch like? ‘Cause it’s relaxed and nice and sure to please.

 

In terms of performance, these four do what they promise. I didn’t encounter many problems when applying them. They seem to behave, and that’s definitely good news, when it comes to makeup.

 

This eye quad is just so-o nice. So glamorous too in a truly subtle way. The real way. It can carry you through your whole day – from an office or a business meeting to a big party – and you’ll look and feel awesome all along. Great, isn’t it?

 

Here’s the second palette, and I can only hope it will be as amazing as the first one. It’s called Codes Subtils. Uh-huh. Subtils. Yes, of course, there’s a lot of subtlety in these colours. By all means. Makes as much sense as elegance.

 

If the blush harmony is any indication of what’s coming in this collection, I think this palette is going to be cooler. Or else, there are going to be some conspicuously cool shades in it. And, maybe, some warm shades hidden there too.

 

Yes, here we are. This palette is markedly cooler and seemingly has more gleam to it. If you like warmer shades though, there’s a beauty – a couple of beauties, actually – planted there by Chanel in the middle of it all. Especially for you 🙂 Because these palettes are really well balanced. They have it all in them.

 

The shades are as flattering as their warm counterparts from the first palette. What I like about them is that anyone can try them and wear them and look stunning and feel that you do look this way, you know. Without being too made up.

 

As much as I like the warm shades and find them very appealing and very underrated a lot of the times, these four here get me ecstatic almost. This mysterious gleam in them makes all the difference to me and mesmerizes me every time I come across it.

 

Here are our four shades:

a wonderful pearly cool pink with a little bit of a lilac touch to it. There’s some warmer golden like sparkle there, but not too much.

 

an amazing warm pearly golden beige. It’s a great shade to have, and an even better shade, when it has this golden glow in it.

 

a super warm honey beige, copperish almost, but not quite. Amber like. Yes, amber is a good way to describe this shade that doesn’t have any metallic shine to it, ‘cause it doesn’t need it 🙂

 

uh, here it is. Remember that shade in the first palette, that looked grey and promised to be that, but instead actually proved to be greige? Well, this one is grey, rest assured. Satiny, warmer, deep and sultry.

 

Let’s talk quality, performance and application here for a minute. Out of the four shades two are pearly, more so than the two shiny shades in the first palette. The other two shades are classically satiny powder eyeshadow. All four seem to behave 🙂

 

This is a beautiful, beautiful and then some eye palette. These shades might not immediately strike you as something super special, but remember, understatement is the key to understanding this collection. Take my word though, these four colours are superb for eyeshadow, red carpet level fabulous.

 

That’s that, and by that I mean eyeshadow palettes. I absolutely love them. Love the shades and the textures and the combos, everything. Love how they aren’t linear. How warm shades are paired up with cool shades and vice versa.

 

Now let’s see those eye pencils. You wanna guess how many of those there are in this collection? Yes. Two. This eyeliner is long lasting, according to Chanel. I can’t really confirm that, because eyeliners and mascara doesn’t get smudged on me that much. They usually stay in place for as long as I need them to.

 

It’s nice to know though, that this eye pencil is waterproof, just in case 🙂 Here’s something I do like about stylo yeux by Chanel though. It’s soft without being too soft. To me, it’s crucial in eyeliner.

 

When it’s too soft, it’s hard to apply, it goes all over the place, while I like precision, even when I’m trying to create more of a relaxed look. When eye pencil is too hard, it’s just too harsh on my lids. Ouch. I don’t want any of this uncomfortable feeling.

 

You know what I mean? 🙂 I don’t know what that is. Maybe, it’s my lids being too sensitive. I’m just always looking for that perfect balance of not too soft and not too hard, and this eye pencil is up to that mark and a very thin line of mine 🙂

 

Here’s one little inconvenience though, when it comes to this kind of eye pencils. Sharpening them is a drag. A major drag compared to sharpening the basic and usual kind of eye pencil. Even with that tiny sharpener at every eye pencil bottom. Still.

 

The shade is interesting. What’s even more intriguing is that it’s called Noir Petrole. To my eye and in my perception, this shade is a complex grey. There might be something there. Black, blue, brown or whatever it is. But mostly it’s grey, it’s darker, it’s sultry. Hot. At the same time, it’s not as on the nose as black.

 

In terms of quality, this eye pencil is solid, in my opinion. In fact, I’m not very deft, when it comes to drawing lines and arrows, but I can work this pencil, and I can pull nice enough lines with it. And that tells you a lot 🙂

 

At some point I couldn’t really understand, why they keep releasing all those dark grey eyeliners, when there are black eyeliners in the world. Too close. Or is it? There’s something about grey eyeliners though, I’ve come to realize. Something hot. A mystery behind them. Maybe, that’s it. Mystery. A good thing. Check it out 🙂

 

And next stylo yeux shade, please. Let me try to guess. Noir Petrole is cool. Given this collection style and concept, given what those two eye palettes are like, I’m going to say here, that the second eyeliner shade is probably warm.

 

If you come to think of it, that’s what this collection is all about. The combo of warm and cool, that’s pretty natural, in all honesty. Out in the real world warm shades often go side by side with cool ones and somehow correspond and communicate.

 

And we are so used to seeing those two opposites together, we don’t even percept it as a clash. It’s a natural image that we see all the time. That is, having both warm and cool shades in one makeup, even if you are going for a natural look, is possible.

 

So, warm, I guess? Yep, warm it is. This shade is called 932 Matt Taupe. Wa-a-ait a minute. Isn’t taupe usually grey brown or brown grey? That is, a cooler shade, at least, to a degree? Isn’t it? I’m pretty sure it is.

 

Yes, it is. So, does it being matt make it warmer somehow? Not really. Why would it? What does matt have to do with it? Somehow though, this shade is a very interesting warm shade. Well, I’m going to look into it to figure out, what makes it so warm.

 

Wow. It’s a great shade. Yes, it’s kind of matt. And is there some grey brown in it? Maybe, there is. What’s there too though is a great golden tinge that warms it up and makes it special. I haven’t really seen a shade quite like that.

 

This shade is like a greige shade that had some honey added to it. The result proved to be inspiring, really. It’s so flattering for almost all of us. I just wish I found this shade earlier. It will get you through any special occasions with you feeling gorgeous.

 

If we talk about application here, I think it’s fine. I can do it. You can probably do it too 🙂 This shade would be worth it, even if it were capricious, but it’s not. As it is, this greige warmed up by the golden sun, is really a find, as far as I’m concerned.

 

And we are done here with eyeshadow and eye pencil shades. I didn’t even expect the eye pencil shades to prove to be that good. But they are. They are everything this collection promises – subtle, elegant, sophisticated. Great things to have.

 

That’s all for the eyes.

 

Ok, so we’ve talked about face makeup, eye makeup. Now we are going to talk about lip makeup, logically 🙂 There are a lot of lip shades in this collection. And, luckily, they are different. Six shades, three textures, everything you might crave might be there for you.

 

Let’s start with classic cream lipstick texture. If you are a fan of where lipstick started and what it’s always been 🙂 , there are two shades that Chanel prepared for you. The shades are very classic and classy too, so here goes.

 

Rouge Allure by Chanel is a very solid formula. Despite it being a kind of creamy traditional lipstick, there are some innovations there that, in my opinion, are quite good. I mean, let’s remember, that there’s also Rouge Coco out there for those of us, who are looking for an absolute classic.

 

Anyway, according to Chanel, Rouge Allure is luminous and intense. Luminous? Maybe. I guess, you could say so. Although, to me, its luminous quality is very much like cream lipstick satiny sheen without too much shine.

 

And then it’s intense. I would definitely agree with that. This formula is pretty intense. There’s a lot of colour concentrated in this stick. More so than there usually is in cream lipstick. So, if you like radiance and colour in lipstick, you’ll probably enjoy it 🙂

 

And then there’s the packaging, of course. I love Rouge Allure tube. There’s something about this design, where you have to press on the bottom of it and pull it out, you know? To put it simply, it’s cool. Till this day, to me, there’s nothing like that in lip colour packaging design.

 

The shade is truly ardente. It’s burning hot, it’s bright, it’s red. It’s happy. Ardent, yes. But happy too. My favourite kind of red. This happy feeling is what I’m looking for in reds, not so much the vampy quality.

 

If you are looking for vampy and sultry in red lip colour, check out the next shade of Rouge Allure that’s coming up 🙂 While this shade here is poppy reddish and ardent. By the way, you might find that this shade is as hot, only in a different way.

 

In terms of how this lipstick feels on the lips, when it comes to me, it feels pretty good. Even lush, in fact. It has a powdery scent to it that I don’t mind, even though I’m scent sensitive, when it’s about lip colour especially. To cut a long story short, it’s a good formula 🙂

 

A-a-and more Rouge Allure 🙂 It’s interesting, by the way, that with all the mostly rather neutral face and eye shades they went for such bold lip shades. It calls for exciting looks with a zest to them. And I’m always looking for this zest, for something more in makeup.

 

A pop of colour in Rouge Allure is very nice and very becoming, when it comes to reds. Rouge Allure formula doesn’t have much shine to it, just sheen, but it brings out all the colour there is in lipstick.

 

And when we are talking red colour, all of the above produces amazing results. There’s a reason why reds are the iconic lip shades. And Chanel Rouge Allure finish shows to the full what’s so special about them and why we love them so much.

 

The name of this shade is Independante. Wouldn’t you say that it’s very appropriate? There’s something truly independent about red lip colour. It’s part of what makes it so great, its independence.

 

You know how you can just throw on some base and red lip colour sometimes… and that’s it? And look gorgeous? Yep. I was walking out in the street once and was approached by two makeup artists, who asked me to let them take a picture of me.

 

I was like – wha?? And they said they just loved so much my red lip and wanted to show it to other women in their master classes to let them know and see, how easy it is to look stunning, how red lipstick is all we need in certain situations 🙂

 

So, trust me, there’s something about red lip colour. Especially when it’s Chanel quality, Rouge Allure finish and oh so vampy a shade. And that’s what this shade is. It’s darker, deeper, redder, if possible 🙂

 

Even though I like lighter and more radiant or luminous reds – that’s my own preference 🙂 – this red is awesome. I’d wear it. There are certain outfits that call for more sultry reds. Independent reds. Like this one. Especially as it feels so good on the lips.

 

That’s Rouge Allure.

 

We are moving on to a different texture here. It’s Rouge Allure too, but not quite. To be more specific, it’s Rouge Allure Velvet. There are two shades that come in this finish in this collection. I told you Chanel has lip colour to suit any taste here.

 

Let’s try to understand, what Rouge Allure Velvet texture is. Velvet is a little bit confusing, to my taste. What’s velvet? A nice and soft fabric. With some shine to it. But not as much as in, say, satin.

 

Well, once again, that’s confusing. Let’s straighten it all out. To put it simply, this texture is matt like. Very much so, in fact. I dare say, a lot of people will call it matt. Now that’s what I’ll call it here too to make it absolutely clear 🙂

 

Have you noticed, by the way, that Chanel came up with this texture and added it to their permanent range – by the way – much earlier than the whole matt lip frenzy kicked in, and everyone started releasing products of the kind.

 

To me, this texture is not as great as Rouge Allure proper texture, still, it’s better feeling on the lips than a lot of matt lip colour textures that always feel dry somehow. See more on the subject here Matt lip colour: the catches.

 

Okaaay, so our first velvet shade is called La Secrete. Secret. Awesome. That’s what’s so exciting about lipstick in particular and makeup in general. There’s always a secret there, a mystery hovering over those tubes and boxes and stuff.

 

What’s our next look is going to be? What’s our next makeup is going to be? What colours shall we pick? How are we going to combine them? What outfit is this makeup going to match? How it will all come together?

 

Le Rouge Velvet La Secrete by Chanel is very different from the two Le Rouge reds we’ve already seen. It’s a medium warm pink. If you like warm pinks, this is a good one. And the finish makes it stand out quite a bit and not just be yet another pink. Be careful though, warm pinks aren’t universally becoming.

 

Wow. A medium pink all of a sudden, only warm, and in this velvet finish. I wonder what else Chanel has for us here. It seems, with this finish they’ve gone some other way. Not the way they’ve chosen with Rouge Allure and all the reds. I appreciate the thinking behind it all, there’s quite a bit.

 

It makes total sense to me. Red is classic, and the two red shades come in a classically creamy finish. While the shades that are not brights, but more like medium, it seems, come in matt like velvety texture.

 

Speaking about texture, have you ever noticed, that texture can make all the difference in makeup? One and the same shade in creamy, matt or shiny finish reveals various traits, sides and details.

 

So, playing with textures is no less exciting than playing with colours. We all have our likings and preferences, but what are the benefits of velvety matt lip textures? They are softer, not as on the nose, you know, understated.

 

And if we got back a little to what we talked about in the beginning, when discussing face shades and eye shades, this collection is very much about understatement. So, matt finish fits in really well here.

 

In terms of texture, Rouge Allure Velvet feels better than most matt textures on my lips, but not as great as Rouge Allure proper. Due to that dryness always hiding at the bottom of matt textures, even if here it’s actually very slight, it’s just not as lush feeling on the lips.

 

The shade is medium, just like that warm – very warm – pink. A bit cooler, probably, because it’s purple. Or mauve, if you want to know all the details 🙂 A kind of moody mauve though, not pastel in the least.