Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Jardin Zen

Today I will be sharing with you my thoughts of one of the items in Chanel Jardin de Camelias Collection. It is none other than the eyeshadow quad in Jardin Zen.

Other than the fact that I am a sucker for purple shade, the embossing on the quad is also catching my attention. I feel kinof sad that by using it, I will be destroying the design, but well.........

I love how Jardin Zen is a versatile quad that gives the girly feminine look and it can also be transformed to give a smoky look.

The texture of Jardin Zen quad is smoother than the usual baked formula and it's a breeze applying and blending these shadows. The black shade is the only exception that feels dryer. However, since we do not use much of it, the issue is manageable.

Other than Jardin Zen quad, I also picked up Rouge Allure in Fleurie (which I have yet to  break into, hahah). Below are the swatches I took of Jardin Zen quad, Rouge Allure in Fleurie and Sakura Blush over the counter.

Have your picked up any items from the Chanel Jardin de Camelias Collection? Do share with me your purchases. :)

Chanel Spring 2014 Collection: Cream Blush in Intonation and Glossimer in Sonate

Another Spring Collection that I can't miss is definitely Chanel. In fact, me and Jacq has been eyeing this collection for a while and during our Jo Malone date, both our pockets are burnt by Chanel too! Lol. I have picked up cream blush in Intonation, lip glossimer in Sonate, eyeshadow quad in Quadrille and Illusion D' Ombre in Diapason.

I will leave the posting on the eye products in another post after playing more with them so let's talk about Intonation and Sonate this round!

Intonation is a limited edition shade from the cream blush collection and honestly the strong coral shade in the pan does scare me off abit. But after swatching over the counter, I was drawn to the coral shade. After blending, it certainly does not look as scary as I thought.

From left to right: Heavily swatched, blended

Initially I did think that Intonation is very close to Revelation which I already own so I made a comparison swatch below.

From left to right: Revelation, Intonation

You can see from the swatch above that Revelation is lighter with more brown tone. One thing which I thought is worth mentioning is that I did notice that my Revelation does look drier than Intonation. I do suspect it is due to usage and exposure to air? Not sure if anyone of you has the same experience as me, I would love to hear about it.

Next up on this post is lip glossimer in Sonate. Like I mention before, I am more of a lipstick gal BUT Sonate is soooo gorgeous that I have to have it!!

When applied to the lips, it made my lips look glossy and  very very slight redder (I have concluded it is almost impossible to let ANY gloss stand out on my pigmented lips, ha!). Good thing about Chanel glossimer, it doesn't feels sticky like MAC lipglass, which is great.

I will look into posting on the eye products that were purchased as well so do stay patient with me. In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts about the Chanel Spring Collection!

What's your Christmas look?

Hello everyone!! How's your preparation for Christmas which is going to be here in less than 24 hours. Many would be partying out and some will be hosting a simple Christmas dinner at home. In or out of house, don't you just feel like dressing up a bit for this joyous occasion? Other than that black dress (which every lady should have), perfume is definitely something I would like to put on too.

BOSS Nuit Pour Femme is the sophisticated new fragrance for women from BOSS Fragrances. The alluring and feminine scent is inspired by the most iconic symbol of feminine style – the little black dress and the confident reassurance it gives to women. Featuring a modern composition of feminine florals blended with sparkling top notes, BOSS Nuit Pour Femme is the perfect complement to the little black dress, serving as the uplifting finishing touch to the BOSS woman’s evening preparation, ensuring she feels ‘perfectly put together’.

Do you know Gwyneth Paltrow is the newly signed ambassador for BOSS Nuit Pour Femme? A successful woman both in her career and a wonderful wife and mother to her family, she is the epitome of today’s hard-working, multi-faceted modern woman. Confident, self-assured and supremely successful, her flawless style, charisma and sophisticated femininity make her the natural embodiment of BOSS Nuit Pour Femme.

Notes of BOSS Nuit Pour Femme

Top Notes

The top notes express the BOSS woman’s sense of excitement and anticipation as she prepares for her special occasion. The juiciness of the white peach combined with the thrilling radiance of the wet aldehydic accord provides a fresh and sparkling effect.

Heart Accord

Beneath the modern top, the heart accord represents her feminine sophistication, featuring a feminine jasmine and white flowers bouquet, while violet adds a sensual softness.

Base Notes

The base of the fragrance is laced with a seductive edge that grows ever richer as the evening unfolds, mirroring the BOSS woman’s sensuality. In the dry down, vibrant crystal moss echoes the dazzling character of the top while warm woods and creamy sandalwood bring a soft and gentle quality.

Just like that simple black dress that every lady has to own one, BOSS Nuit Pour Femme is housed in an elegant black glass bottle with luxurious glass details.

In case you are wondering what is Gwyneth Paltrow's choice of Christmas outfit, I am not surprised to know that she will opt for something simple like a black outfit with red lips (even though she confessed that she is not very good with red lips and will end up choosing a natural look).

Well, when it comes to the Christmas outfit for me, it will definitely be something simple and comfortable (especially if you are hosting) and some simple makeup to bring that glow to your face. Below are my choices of makeup items that I will use.

Do share what will your Christmas outfit be this year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my beautiful readers out there a Merry Christmas. :)

Lunasol Full Glamour Liquid Lips in EX03

Lunasol Full Glamour Liquid Lips in EX03 was purchased months ago during the Kanebo sale and yes.... lazy me only got down to blogging about it now. I am guilty as charged, hehe.

I admit that I am more of a lipstick then lipgloss person because my preference has always been to have colours seen on my lips. Glosses are just shiny, sticky substance that we apply on our lips to achieve that pouty look which frankly, I don't quite need it with my thick lips.

Honestly, if you hate the super sticky texture of MAC lip glosses, you should look at Lunasol Liquid Lips. The texture is much lighter and not as sticky as MAC. Glosses being glosses, there is no way it is not sticky though.

Lunaol Full Glamour Liquid Lips in EX03 is a cool raspberry pink shade which looks very sweet. Although it does not look very pigmented on my lips, it gives a healthy pinkish tone to my lips.

I have compared it against Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Insolence in the picture below. The reason why I choose Insolence in the comparison was because the colour of both glosses look very close when I look at the product on the doe head applicator. However, clearly they are different. EX03 is a cool pink shade with very subtle shimmer whereas Insolence looks redder.

Chanel Illusion D' Ombre in Initiation

Chanel Illusion D' Ombre in Initiation was a gift to me by a very sweet angel. I'm glad to have this for free (cheapo me!!!) because Initiation is indeed a gorgeous shade!

There have been a lot of rants on the blogsphere about the quality issue of the this collection of the ombre and I can see why. It is not as bouncy as the usual batch and you can also see from the picture below that the eyeshadow does not touch the side of the pot as well.

The saving grace, on the other hand was that the texture is still smooth and the colour was not compromised.

Initiation is a beautiful bronze shade which is absolutely versatile for day or night use. I have been using Initiation on it's own in the morning and it is super convenient. Pat it on my eyelid using my finger, draw on my liner, sweep on some mascara and my eye makeup is done in 5 mins!

For a heavier night makeup, just pair Initiation with a darker shade such as Burberry's Mulberry, MAC's Satin Taupe (and the list goes on.....) and you are all ready to party for the night. :)

Chanel Joues Contraste in Accent

Once again, sorry for the silence. I have finally step into my new role with a new company and am both excited and scared at the same time. But I told myself, I will survive!!! Stay positive, ganbatte!!! Lol. On a happy note, my motivation to play with more makeup in the morning is back and I hope I am able to give more prompt and better reviews on this blog. Thank you for being so patient with me. :)

Enough of the rumbling and let's get down to business, haha. Today I will be sharing Chanel Joues Contraste in Accent, which is part of 2013 Holiday Collection. Although this collection is already out in Singapore, I was determined to purchase the US formula. Thus with my partners in crime, Jacq and Meryl, we ordered our products from Nordstrom.

Accent is a beautiful mauve pink tone with slight shimmers. A total beauty when I look at the pan. :)

Based on the swatch below, you can see that Accent has beige brown tone as well which I absolutely love, as I prefer blushes that are not too bright. Do not be alarm if you feel the colour is too dark as it look very subtle when you apply and blend it out.

The texture of US formula Joues Contraste is amazingly smooth. I have no issues picking up the pigment by lighting tapping my MAC Blush brush into the pan. Note that this is not the case for the baked version of Joues Contraste.

I would say Accent blush is definitely a winner in this Holiday collection and if possible, go for the US formula, you won't regret! :) Do check out Meryl's thoughts on Accent blush as well, she has done some comparison with other blushes if you are looking for dupes.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Frivole

Chanel's Joues Contraste Blush has been available in 2 formulas: US pressed version vs rest of the world baked version. When I head off to USA for my holiday, I was excited thinking that I finally get to purchase the US pressed version. However, I made the classic mistake of being a cheapo. Considering the non tax refund policy in San Francisco, I decided to make my purchase at the airport so that I need not pay the sales tax. BIG MISTAKE....... they only have the baked version at the airport!!!! %##%*()_ Anyways...... I decided to get Frivole nonetheless as I have been thinking about it for the longest time. -_-

Frivole is a nice orangey blush which I find flattering for most ladies. It is a nice switch away from pink blushes.

The blush looks lighter in the pan but colour intensity is buildable from the swatch below.

From left to right: Heavily swatched, blended

I made the mistake of going heavy handed the first time I used it as I was 'deceived' by the colour when  I look at the pan. My suggestion is to go light and slowly build the colour intensity till desired. :)

Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Revelation & Destiny

With the review of Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage previously, today I am sharing my review of Revelation and Destiny.

Revelation is another popular shade from the Le Blush Creme de Chanel which I see alot of gaga over the beauty blogsphere. It is a lovely warm pink peach tone which I think most ladies can carry.

Destiny is a brown tan shade which works perfect as a bronzer.

In the following swatch picture, I have included Presage for your benefit and you can see that Presage and Revelation looks different. Revelation clearly has pink tones in it whereas Presage is indeed more orangey. I love my choices in this Le Blush Creme de Chanel as the shades are different. :)

Just as per my post previously, the texture of Le Blush Creme de Chanel is smooth and creamy and a little goes a long way. Stippling brush works best for me so far when handling these blushes. However, if you are considering using Destiny to contour, my suggestion is to use a dense goat hair brush instead. The effect comes out flawless and makes your contouring looks more natural as compared to a stippling brush.

With a good lasting power of approximately 6 hours on me, I really love these blushes to bits!

Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage

Hello all! How are you enjoying the long weekend? I am really enjoying it, spending time with my family, caught up with my reading and now finally getting around to blog about Le Blush Creme de Chanel in Presage!

Le Blush Creme de Chanel is the latest addition to the blush collection for Chanel. Housed in the signature plastic black case with the Chanel logo at the top, it look sleek and chic. It also comes with a mirror in the case which makes it friendly for touch up.

Presage is a matte orange-y shade when we look in the pan. When swatched, I can see hint of pink in it as it does not turns out just like orange.

Left to right: Heavily swatched, blended

The texture of Le Blush Creme de Chanel is creamy and smooth. The pigmentation is extremely pigmented as well and you really need to go easy at the beginning and slowly build up the colour intensity. I noticed using my finger for application can be tricky. I would suggest using a stippling brush to slowly blend it to the intensity that you want and still looks natural. Presage last approximately 6 hours on my combination skin and even at the end of the day when the shade looks much lighter, it has a light stained look which I love.

Presage is a shade that is limited edition so I would suggest for you to purchase it soon if you really like it. :) 

Chanel Les 4 Ombres 39 Raffinement

The first item I picked up from a Spring Collection in 2013 was the Chanel Les 4 Ombres 39 Raffinement. From the swatches I saw on the beauty blogsphere, I was so sure that I will end up with this palette and it was indeed love at first swatch.

There is no doubt that I love neutral shades. Neutral shades are just so versatile for daily use and I normally prefer to look understated at work. The people in my office are totally under-dressed most of the time so I tend to prefer not to bring too much attention to myself.

Raffinement is a palette with lovely warm neutral shades, 3 of which are shimmery and 1 is matte.

Although I would not say that its texture is the best, application is not difficult (with eyeshadow brush) and I also did not experience any fallouts. The colours came out natural, smooth and blendable. The matte brown shade makes a wonderful wonderful eyeliner colour, I have tried laying it over my HG eyeliner Chanel Stylo Yeux in espresso and it lasts me all day (coupled with Too Faced eyeshadow primer).

For neutral shade lovers, I say this is a must-have. For me, as long as it is neutral and Chanel, I GOT TO HAVE IT. :)

Forgotten haul.... Rouge Dior Serum De Rouge 580 Smoky Pink Serum

While rambling through my Muji drawers last week, I noticed a slim dark blue case hidden right at the end of the drawer. Wondering what treasure is that, I pulled it out and saw it to be a lovely lipstick that I bought 2 years ago (!!!!) which was left forgotten for the longest time! *slap forehead*

If my memory did not fail me, Rouge Dior Serum De Rouge seems to be an older formula as compared to the new Dior 'Serum de Rouge Crystal' Luminous Color Lip Treatment or Dior 'Serum de Rouge' Luminous Color Lip Treatment. The texture is smooth and moisturising without compromising the colour intensity. Lucky for me, as the lipstick is stored in a room where air con is switched on almost every night, I do not smell anything funky from it.

580 Smoky Pink Serum is a cool-toned mauve pink shade, and if I recall correctly was part of the autumn collection years ago. The slimmer than usual tip makes it really helpful to apply the product at the corners of the lips.

I love the colour intensity and moisturising shine from this lipstick and have been using it for the past 1 week. At the same time, I actually get a kick from the clicking sound when twisting the lipstick, sound so mechanical but I like it (weirdo, right???)

In comparison to Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Dior Addict, I would rank it in the following scale:-

- Chanel Rouge Coco Shine win hands down in terms of moisturising factor followed by both Dior Addict and Rouge Dior Serum De Rouge

- Rouge Dior Serum De Rouge is ranked higher in terms of colour intensity followed by Dior Addict and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine ranking last.

I hope you ladies have not forgotten any hauls that you made previously and it is definitely good for you to pull out your makeup drawer and take a good peek now. :)

Giorgio Armani ETK 25 Rusted Gold

My love for Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill has only increased and not decreased especially after I find it so so so fuss free and easy to use if I want a quick way to put on some colours and head out for a date.

In the recent Aqua Collection Summer 2012, 2 ETKs caught my eyes and they are 25 Rusted Gold and 28 Red Platine. I troubled Juju to order through Nordstrom for me not knowing if this collection will reach our shore and I'm glad that they did.

Just like how the name is, it looks like a pot of rusty gold with mixture of black and gold in a pot. However, it looks more complex than just black and gold as it looks khaki as well when swatched. This was what make me took and plunge and bought it as I am a fan of khaki shade.

For the look below, I did a simple 5 mins ETK eye look by applying 25 Rusted Gold onto my crease and tap in 8 champagne lightly in the inner corner of my eyes. All done with my ring finger and pinkie and nothing wise which explains why I only need about 5 mins. Given the fine powdery texture of ETK, blending is not a problem even using your fingers as long as you don't tug and sweep the colour too hard. I do not experience any fallouts during application and even without putting on any eyeshadow primer, it last very well on me for more than 6 hours in the hot and humid weather here.

For the movie date yesterday, below are the gears I used:-

I have to say, I love Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine...... !!!

Nordstrom haul!! Chanel, Burberry and more!

This is a haul that I have been waiting to receive for the longest time because I placed my order online in end July and vPost only delivered to me yesterday. Honestly, this is a huge test of my patience as I really want to get my hands on them FAST!

So here it is!!!

1) Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine

2) Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo in Sable Emouvant (Yeah!!!)

3) Le Metier De Beaute Creme Tint in poppy

4) Burberry Sheer eye shadow in Midnight Brown

5) Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Troublant

6) Nars foundation pump applicator

What made me haul is really just Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo in Sable Emouvant since it is no longer available in Singapore but you know just how scary online shopping is..... click click click and you have a cart full of items, lol.

Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Midnight Brown needs no introduction as there have been raves and raves about this shade and I'm glad I got it. Burberry Light Glow Blush in Tangerine is the only shade that caught my eyes when I look through their blush collection and I love the neutral peachy shade.

The highlight of the whole haul.... Chanel Ombres Contraste Duo in Sable Emouvant. I am a happy girl just looking at it. I love neutrals!

Le Metier De Beaute creme tint in poppy was quite a wild card in this haul. I did not meant to purchase this but the few days before I made my purchase online, there have been a few beauty blogs posting about this and so I conveniently added to my cart since I am keen to try out a cream blush. Lovely pink shade even though it looks peach in the picture. I just can't seem to get the picture to turn out well! :(

I fell in love with Troublant when I first set eyes on the swatches online and I knew I am getting it. I am a fan of muted rose or plum shade and this was what attracted me to Troublant. It has light gold shimmers in it as well which looks lovely.

Lastly, Nars foundation pump applicator...... I have no idea why companies will want to make the design of their containers user unfriendly and Nars is one of them. A foundation bottle with just an opening is just plain stupid. But thinking of it now, Nars is not so stupid after all, isn't it? Because they just manage to make me cough out a small amount for this pump!

My shopping experience with Nordstrom so far has been quite pleasant from friendly and efficient customer service officers who can assist you via Live Chat to prompt delivery. This is certainly not going to be pocket friendly for me! Haha

It is finally going to be another long weekend so do enjoy yourself and Selamat Hari Raya to all!

My new love: Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 33 La Distinguee

If you were to ask me if I am a lipstick or gloss person, it will definitely be lipstick. I used to love MAC glosses but the stickiness of the gloss was just too much for me to bear, especially when the wind blows and I have a bunch of hair stuck to my lips, no thanks to MAC. Given my natural darker lip colour (where SAs sometimes mistaken me of applying lip colour on my lips when I didn't), I specially think glosses will just look plain glossy on me and that's that. With lipsticks, the colour will tend to be more obvious.

I have tonnes of lipsticks, to be honest. But still I couldn't resist buying more because there is always new formula, new finish, new shades, new collections!! Totally spoilt for choice! I have hoard enough lipsticks to worry that they will turn bad before I can finish using them, but again, who cares? I am STILL buying more, haha.

My latest love has got to be Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet. Not only is the casing classy, the formula is amazing. Even though it is a matte finish, it's not drying and feels smooth and moisturising on your lips. For ladies with dry lips, you might want to apply a thin layer of lip balm before applying the lipstick, just to play safe. I personally got dry lips and is a lazy bum when it comes to applying lip balm, but Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet still goes on fine on my lips.

I scored 33 La Distinguee last weekend when I met up with Juju. This shade was strongly recommended by her!

  La Distinguee is lovely beige peachy pink shade which is a very versatile shade to wear. Even though I had natural dark lips, this shade doesn't wash me out and instead gives me a nice warm neutral tone on my lips.

It lasted a good 4 hours through breakfast and by lunch time it is gone. Personally, this is a very reasonable staying power coming from a matte lipstick.

Have you checked out Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet range yet? You should if you haven't.

Weekly Photo Challenge – All Star Makeup Edition

It has been a while since I last joined Yumeko weekly photo challenge and it's time to join in the fun!!

1. The Super Star. Something you have used for over a year and will still using.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and Chanel Mat Lumiere Extreme are 2 products I have been using for years and running through many refills.

2. The Fast Rising Star. Something you have used for over 6 months and will still be using.

Giorgio Armami Eyes To Kill are just amazing. Wonderful texture and lasting power. Love love love!!

3. The Number 1 Draft Pick. Something you just started using and am loving it.

I have never tried lip stains before and YSL glossy lip stains are the first I tried. The colour selections are amazing. I had a hard time trying to choose the shades I wanted!!

4. The FAIL. Something you tried recently and does not work for you.

Revlon lip butters are such a disappointment especially when there were raves and raves going on the beauty blogsphere before they finally reached our shore. But it just didn't work for me, my lips ended up feeling dry and cracked instead of moisturised. *thumbs down*

5. The Experiment. Something you bought and am going to try next.

Ok, this is not something I bought as it was a sample gifted to me by Jacq. Chanel Perfection Lumiere liquid foundation is yet another highly raved product and I'm glad that the initial feel of the product was good so far.

Are you guys interested in joining this photo challenge? Come join in the fun. :)