Dupe Alert! Chanel Rouge Coco Shine vs L'Oreal Color Riche Balm

I had a funny feeling the other day while I was sharing my love for the L'Oreal Color Riche Balms to the the world aka via Twitter. I have been meaning to do a post on the L'Oreal Rose Elixir shade but haven't managed to take photos of the swatches yet- bad beauty blogger!. I have, however, recommended it to friends. Everyone who tries it loves it and is obviously thrilled with a gorgeous conditioning lip balm with a touch of colour for under $10. The Color Riche Balms smooth and moisturize the lips, have SPF15, and really add a subtle yet brightening pop of colour. Rose Elixir really adds a just bitten glow to the lips. I also love Pink Satin for more of a baby pink lip.

vs

However. I had a creeping suspicion the other day as I was playing around with the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines at the Chanel counter that they reminded me of something. Yep - you got it. The L'Oreal Color Riche Balm. They have an almost identical luxe balm feel, impart a  Your Lips But Better tint that sticks around for a little while, and leave a wee stain effect behind. Seriously? A drugstore cheapie vs a $38 department store luxe product. I actually did a little running between the pharmacy and the Chanel counter to be sure I wasn't cray. Ok well, that I wasn't "completely" cray. I wish I had been able to photograph swatches but the comparisons were on the fly with only my iPhone and crappy mall lighting. Plus as usual I was running late. For something. Even thought this was a lippy emergency.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Boy = A cross between L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Heavenly Berry and Rose Elixir. Depending on your natural lip tone, one reads a little bluer than the other so play with the testers to see which is best. Or, buy both. And a treat from Starbucks, you will still have money left over with what you would have paid for the Chanel.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bel Ami = this lovely grape tone which is So Perfect for fall is basically the same L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Plush Plum on me. Swatched on my arm, Bel Ami is a teensy touch redder, with Plush Plum being slightly more on the, well, plum end of the spectrum. But on my lips (fairly pigmented) it is hardly noticeable.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Chance = this pale and sheer baby pink that I have been tempted to buy is so close to L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Pink Satin that I won't bother now may buy it later when I've forgotten and get all impulse-y at the Chanel counter. Pink Satin has been a summer go-to staple for me this year. So beachy and casual. It's a pale pink with a blue tone that is sheer enough that I don't look washed out, and it goes beautifully to night with a smoky eye. I'd even say that Pink Satin is close to Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Royallieu, just slightly pinker vs nude.

Now, one would think that with such glaring similarities that I would be discouraged from buying any more high end lippies. But one would be wrong, because I LOVE THEM ALL!

Do you have any high-low dupes to share? I'd love the scoop!

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Royallieu For Pale Rose Lips

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Royallieu

The best part of Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks is the balm aspect. No other lipstick feels as soft, silky and conditioning as the Rouge Coco Shine line thanks to the built in balm. I adore them, and am grateful for an elegant and sheer lipstick that has a case as beautiful as what is inside. I'm a sucker for that Chanel packaging, I admit it.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Royallieu - daylight

My last trip to the Chanel counter had me trying Royallieu. I really need to replace the Boy that my youngest daughter swiped but I always end up getting distracted....Chanel Royallieu is a dusty taupe pink, and a perfect your lips but better shade, with some added shine. It has some wee tiny micro shimmer, but like the magic shimmer in Chanel Le Vernis nail polishes, it doesn't show on the lip as shimmer. If you click on the photo of the tube of lipstick at the top of the post, you can see the shimmery bits on the lipstick. But, not on my lips. Like most Rouge Coco Shines, it can be applied without a mirror, which I love. It feels like a balm, and smooths on like buttah. 

Right - Chanel Glossimer Amour 166 Left - Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Royallieu

I read a review of Chanel Glossimer in Amour 166, and decided I Had To Have It. Turns out the two go perfectly together! The Glossimers are lovely glosses, not too sticky and not overly pigmented, with better than average lasting power. Pretty pink lips are just that easy. 1-2 and go! 

Chanel Royallieu with Glossimer in Amour on top

Next Chanel review coming is the new Le Vernis for Fall 2012, Frenzy, which is the Most Beautiful Nude I have evah seen....

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Glossimers are available on their website and at Chanel cosmetic counters.

Chanel Jersey is a Pretty, Soft, & Fluffy Lavender

Chanel's lastest offering in their Exclusive line is the lavender based Jersey. It was released to mixed reviews, but, luckily I know I have to judge things for myself so I still really wanted to check it out, given my mad love for Chanel perfumes. Chanel Jersey is named after the ubiquitous fabric Chanel took from menswear and make accessible for women, and the perfume Jersey takes the scent lavender, almost always used in men's colognes, and adds a feminine touch. Chanel's website says Jersey is meant to be evocative of a meadow lush with lavender. Well, doesn't that sound beautiful! The notes are given as lavender, vanilla and musk. I think I detect a powdery iris in there somewhere, and perhaps a warm wood in the base, but that could be tonka. By "think I detect" I mean that this scent is so soft & delicate, no one note jumps out at you. 

Lavender fields in Provence, France

On first sniff I thought "pretty!". Then, as it dried down I thought "too sweet!" then "too powdery"! I thought why would I buy Chanel for a simple powdery lavender scent? But, as is often my wont, I had a turnaround. I have been know to hate a perfume on first sniff, only to later love it more than anything. So I never really say never with regards to perfume. Hours after applying the Jersey, the scent left behind was a delicate, warm, cuddly and cozy skin scent. It had a little something of the Guerlain warmth that I love so much in it, that warm skin smell that is very hard to describe without actually smelling it. So I thought, well, I will re-test and see what I think on subsequent wearings. 

Lavender honey ice cream

Well, turns out I like it. It is pretty, soft and clean smelling. There is a snuggly aspect that works even in warmer weather, likely due to the cooling & calming lavender notes. The musk/tonka combination adds a sweetness to the dry down that is sweet & enticing on the skin. It has a lovely spa effect, which I suppose one might expect from lavender. If you like soft elegant perfumes and you like lavender, I recommend you add Chanel Jersey to your sniff list. Verdict? Love.

Chanel Jersey is an Exclusive perfume, available at Chanel Boutiques and their website.

Chanel 28 la Pausa: Refined, Relaxed & Calming Iris

I love iris. It can be a challenging scent, and not every iris perfume is for every lover of iris. It can smell like dirt, paper (Hermes Hiris!) or even a bit medicinal if it isn't blended with notes that make it sing on the wearer's skin. Because you know now that everyone wears every perfume differently, right? That we all "cook" the scent in a different way, depending on so many things. Our skin type (dry vs oily) our internal temperature (you know how some people are just warm? Or always cold?), what we eat, how we sweat etc etc etc. I wrote about my number one gorgeous iris scent, Guerlain Après L'Ondée, which is mixed with violets and heliotropin for a soft powdery sweetness. Some others I have enjoyed are Le Labo Iris 39, which is the definition of a rich and sensual iris, with the iris note being propped up by the earthiness of patchouli- which also makes it easy for a man to wear. Guerlain Iris Ganache is the gourmande delicious iris, with notes of white chocolate, musk and vanilla making you smell like edible iris. Yummy. The one that really works for me when I crave simple unadorned iris, however, is Chanel 28 la Pausa.

Roquebrune, Cap Martin

Chanel 28 la Pausa is part of the Chanel Exclusif line, which is sold at Chanel Boutiques and at some special Chanel counters in certain department stores. I have not been able to find a list of "notes" on line, which is ok actually. In most cases, the notes listed for perfumes aren't actually the actual notes, but more of an approximation of what the designer is trying to convey. Or, more often, they are basically ad copy disguised as legitimate information. Chanel 28 la Pausa simply smells beautiful, which isn't surprising given that Chanel has access to some of the finest perfume ingredients in the world. Every note is perfect. 28 la Pausa is named after the address of Mademoiselle Chanel's estate on the French Riviera outside Roquebrune Cap Martin. She would holiday there, often surrounded by luminaries of the time: the Duke of Westminster, Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. From Chanel's site: 

"28 la Pausa is a scent full of contrasts -- radiant yet delicate, simple yet luxurious, earthy yet powdery -- with a tranquil, soothing character."

What do I smell? Hm. Let's see. On the top, I get some gentle fruit notes. Citrus? Maybe a bit of a tart lime note but it is definitely more green than fruity. Earthy vetiver, for sure. Chanel knows vetiver, and there are hints of all her perfumes in, well, all her perfumes. The distinct vetiver note from Chanel Sycamore (another Exclusif) is here, but it is softened by the powdery aspect they have coaxed from the iris. It is cool, but not cold, as some iris scents can be. Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist is a frigid example of a cold iris. Brrrr.  No, the cool feeling in 28 la Pausa is soothing and calming, like meditation. I almost think I smell a white tea like scent in here, but who knows. It's probably a delicious musk, some kind of perfume illusion cast by Chanel's perfumer, Jacques Polge. Whatever it is, I adore it. And there it is- that earthy sensual iris note we love so much. It's not sensual in the carnal way jasmine and tuberose are, but more of a smoldering quiet sensuality. And luckily for me, la Pausa lasts hours and hours on my skin, which is made for perfumes that many find fleeting. 

It is cooling and soothing, and does indeed make one feel relaxed and refined. It smells like clean skin, but with an oh so subtle undertone of sophisticated sensuality. Perhaps it is the iris combined with whatever magical musk note Chanel has cooked up in their labs? It smells like skin, freshly showered skin, sitting in a cool ocean breeze, with perhaps a light silk scarf draped across your shoulders. Cool, silky and smooth. Yes, I will have another G&T please.

The new 75ml Exlusif bottle

In the past, you could only get the Exclusifs in honking 200ml bottles. They are gorgeous bottles, with a simple Chanel design and the most genius magnetic cap that always sits just right with the conjoined Chanel Cs sitting just as they should. But, now most of the Exlusifs are available in a 75ml bottle. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Bel Ami - Perfect For The Lipstick Challenged (like me!)

I was in a beauty conundrum. I wanted a lip colour that looked like, well, a colour. I am a YLBB (Your Lips But Better) woman at the best of times so this was indeed a challenge. My daughters are so brave and always sporting bright fun lippies and while I love colour, I just felt like they made me look old, weird and clownish. Not for moi. Chanel came to the rescue awhile back with their Rouge Coco Shine line, which is balm-like and basically gorgeous. All colours can be applied without a mirror (check), don't settle into lines or bleed (check) and condition your lips (check). So I wandered up to the Chanel counter with high hopes and was not disappointed. 

I had seen the pic above from Carolina Herrera on Beauty Editor  and had become obsessed with a slightly grape-y lip. Clinique Black Honey, you're thinking! For some reason, that shade just doesn't work on me. A tad too dark? I dunno, but it's not me. As soon as I said SLIGHTLY grape-y, the Chanel SA grabbed Bel Ami. I recoiled as it looks so dark and suspiciously like ACTUAL LIPSTICK in the tube but, lo and behold, I loved it. It is perfect. I feel like a real laydee now, with a (sort of) lipstick to call my very own. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Bel Ami

Bel Ami swatched lightly on lower left, more heavily on upper right

I love the lipstick and Chanel trivia behind the name Bel Ami. Coco Chanel's modiste career started with her hat-making and really bloomed when theatre actress Gabrielle Dorziat wore her designs in the Noziere play "Bel Ami" in 1912. If you haven't seen the movie "Coco Avant Chanel" with the divine Audrey Tatou, you simply must. 

Gabrielle Dorziat in "Bel Ami" and her Chanel chapeau...

She Approves of The Mani....

I was taking some photos the other night of my Chanel Black Pearl mani. It was at night so the colour wasn't showing up as true as it should. So I was snapping pics on my phone under various light sources in my house when - surprise! - saw Fluffy peeking at me. Just thought I'd share...

Chanel Black Pearl is one of my favourite winter mani colours. LOVE. You can see my review of the colour here.

Chanel Quartz is Beautiful & Elegant

How swoony are these colours?

Chanel's Fall 2011 nail polish shades are simply to die for. Neutral but with a metallic sparkle and iridescent edge that makes them irresistible. As usual. I dithered over the three and ended up with Quartz, thinking it would get the most wear. It is a an elegant neutral taupe frost that reminds me of an Annabelle frosty polish I wore in the 80s. LOVE. As gorgeous as Peridot is, I know myself well enough to say I just would never wear it. More like just admire it in the bottle. I am kind of dreaming about Graphite though....may have to revisit the counter. 

Those aren't chips on the tips- my nails peeled in 2 spots & are uneven

Smell Sexy & Beautiful

Just dabbing a bit of perfume on before bed...what? Of course I wear my fur to bed, silly!

This is a tough category, as we all have our own ways to feel sexy and beautiful, and the scent we choose is no exception to that individuality. I do think there are seasonal sexy scents, some work better in warmer weather, some in cooler weather, and there are different kinds of sexy. Fall is coming though, with soft cozy sweaters and wind whispering through the leaves as they fall to the ground. This puts me in mind of warmer skin scents, the kind you like to wear to cuddle up. These are a few I really enjoy wearing. They make me feel beautiful and cooler weather is perfect snuggling weather.

Etro Heliotrope Heliotrope is a neat perfume note,  simple and soft, from the flower of the same name. It is said that the flower smells like cherry pie, and there is also an almond note. So you can imagine it drifts off into gentle marzipan territory, and even a bit of Play-Doh. My daughters love this one, and my younger one Brigit perks up her ears if I say “oh this perfume has that Play Doh note” as she loves.  Etro Heliotrope is full of many notes like  orange blossom, almond, jasmine, heliotrope, rose, tonka bean, musk, and vanilla, but the heliotrope is the star here. This perfume is soft & wears very close to the skin. Longevity is so-so but that is to be expected from a soft perfume. This perfume is comforting, cozy, and pretty but also unusual and unexpected- always a compliment getter. I wrote about Etro Heliotrope here.

Chanel Bois des Iles What can I say about Bois des Iles that I didn’t say here? This is a gorgeous stunning perfume that is always right. The sandalwood & jasmine combined with the sparkling aldehydes make Bois des Iles perfect, especially in cooler weather. Wear this perfume and watch them melt in your wake. Perfection. Since it’s re-release as part of the Chanel Exclusif collection it was only available as an edt in 200ml bottles aka jugs. I am happy to report it can be had in 75ml bottles now. They show up on Chanel’s website, but you will have to check your local Chanel boutiques for further shopping info.

Guerlain Mistouko Mitsouko was created in 1919 so lets get right to the reformulated versions that are available to the average human today. Yes, you could scour the interwebs for vintage Mitsouko, it is divine etc etc. However, I own the current version in eau de parfum concentration and find it absolutely beautiful. It is a fruity chypre, with peach being the dominant fruit with a drydown to a divinely rich & complex base grounded by oakmoss. It is the Guerlain magic that happens in the middle that is so hypnotic & gorgeous. It also features bergamot, jasmine, may rose, cinnamon, vetiver, and woods and they are woven together so seamlessly it is a challenge to pick them out. The warm vanillic Guerlinade makes this perfume perfect for cool days. It is so different from what you smell on the market these days, and never fails to elicit an “Oh my gosh, what is that gorgeous perfume?” when I give someone a hug.

Ungaro Diva Ok so this perfume is a diva for sure, but it really is the way you wear it. Spray Ungaro Diva from head to toe? God, no. A few subtle spritzes on pulse points or a gentle mist before getting dressed? Drop dead sexy. This is an 80s chypre that makes no apologies for being all woman, and for roaring it from the rooftops. Yet I find in the eau de toilette formula (the lightest) and worn lightly, Diva becomes as soft as suede and melts into the skin beautifully. It is a veritable kitchen sink list of notes so I won’t even get into them all, but you can read them here. The ones that stand out to me as sexy, cozy and gorgeous though, and I just love them.  The multiple citrus notes on the top soften the multiple floral notes before softening to a gorgeous base of oakmoss, honeyed sandalwood and vanilla. It even tends to a slightly soapy feel, but not detergent soapy, more like expensive French soap soapy. Diva is not for the timid, but you can keep her voice to a whisper if you like.

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir I've written about Pomegranate Noir here. I love it, and it is a classic beauty for cooler weather. There are fruity top notes of pomegranate and raspberry, but it is the woody, spicy and resin-y base that makes this one sing. It smells rich, and I have even had people tell me it smells “expensive”. There is something oddly compelling about this one, and in case you think fruity means for kids, it’s not. As far as Jo Malone goes, this is one of the “stronger” perfumes. The patchouli note grounds this and makes it a Grown Up Perfume. A great evening perfume.

Houbigant Quelques Fleurs Quelques Fleurs is a floral perfume, as the name suggests, and I like to think of it as velvety. It is rich and creamy, and another one with an endless list of notes. This one was also launched at the beginning of the 20th century so it is a given that the notes have changed from then. I wear and love the currently available version. The flowers come off as so soft and feminine yet manage to be rich thanks to being propped up by a base full of woods, tonka, amber and musks. It is the amber and musk that really define this one for me. Amber to me is soft, warm and powdery, and always perfect for cooler weather. The musk they use is sweet sexy and quiet, so while neither of these notes jump out, their sweetness blend perfectly with the flowers. If you love gentle sweet florals with a grown up twist, Quelques Fleurs is a must try. It is another one that smells expensive- this perfume always makes me feel polished and womanly. The sweet and sexy in this are a dichotomy but somehow work. Pop culture connection- Quelques Fleurs is one of Nicole Ritchie's signature scents. I love her boho style and find it kind of neat that she wears such a womanly grown up scent.

Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie Another floral scent, Fleurs de Bulgarie is another one that I prefer in cooler weather. It is really all about rose, but not a powdery simple rose. Nor is it the dark rose scent that is ubiquitous these days, with the Stellas & Juliette Has A Gun types. Nor is the sexy rose chypre like Diva or L’Arte di Gucci.  It is chock full of one of Creed’s beloved ingredients, ambergris, along with amber and musks, and these ingredients really set it apart. It is an odd one, and perhaps a love it or hate it perfume. I was discussing with some perfumistas yesterday how I actually hated Fleurs de Bulgarie on first sniff and couldn’t stash that sample fast enough. But the ambergris stayed with me, and when I finally tried it again, it nearly set my mouth watering. Soapy, yet not clean, and quite sexy in my opinion.

What are YOUR favourite sexy perfumes, or sexy perfume notes?

Happy Birthday Coco Chanel!

A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future- Coco Chanel

Well today is Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's birthday- she would be 128 today! There is no question that Coco Chanel changed the way we feel about fashion and how women dress. She shook off the girdles and boning and restrictive frou frou fashion from the turn of the century and gave us jersey, dropped waists, pants and cropped hair. Even making the suntan (fake these days!) fashionable can be owed to Coco, thanks to her holidays in the sunny South of France.

This ad for Chanel No5 from the 80s with the gorgeous Carole Bouquet is just so perfect. The text is perfect hearbreak ennui. Here is the approximate translation:

You hate me, don't you?

Say it, tell me that you hate me.

It's a disturbing feeling....very disturbing.

For I hate you...I hate you so much

I think I shall die of it.

My love...

                                   

She revolutionized modern perfume with No5, taking the synthetic aldehydic note that is so clean fresh and tingly and amping it up to something never seen before in perfumery. She wanted a perfume that would smell "like a woman" and not just a composition of notes. 

70s ad with the stunning Catherine Deneuve

Chanel is still a force to be reckoned with. In my opinion it is one of the greatest perfume houses in the world, rivalled only by Guerlain and I would be hard pressed to choose a favourite between the two. The cosmetic collections still cause stampedes to the make up counters with Limited Editions items selling out in minutes and going for a small fortune on ebay for those not fortunate enough to have connections with a helpful Sales Associate. Ahem- have I mentioned how much I love the amazing Chanel ladies at The Bay? Anyways... Let's not forget her impact on fashion- her bouclé jackets and quilted bags are iconic and the demand has yet to wane for Chanel's luxe fashions.

Le Exclusifs de Chanel

Today, we have many stunning Chanel perfumes and there is something for everyone in the collection. I am a big fan of the Chanel Exclusif Collection, available at Chanel Boutiques on on their site. You can see from my blog banner that her Bois des Iles is one of my favourites. It is actually my favourite perfume of all time, and I own both the Exclusif and a pre-Exclusif vintage bottle. It is heartbreakingly gorgeous. I love many of the Exclusifs and today I will wear the summery 28 la Pausa in honour of Coco's birthday. Chanel 28 la Pausa is a soft powdery perfume based on the iris. Iris Pallida is one of the most expensive ingredients known to perfumers and has a deep earthy rooty scent that becomes a sexy skin perfume, very soft and wearing close to the skin. Which means someone has to get nice and close to smell it. 28 la Pausa is names for a home Mademoiselle Chanel owned on the French Riviera.  Joyeux anniversaire Mademoiselle Chanel!

How cool is Coco? Rock on you fashion rebel.

Chanel's Beautiful Intermezzo Nail Polish

And...my Chanel nail polish love continues with yet another soft neutral. Easy to wear and very summery, Chanel Intermezzo takes the "Secret Shimmer" Chanel does so well and bumps it up a notch. Not so secret but certainly subtle, the soft pink/green shimmer in the pale silvery white of Intermezzo adds a fun and very pretty dimension to what could just be another pale neutral. I usually wear opaque whites on my toes but decided since my Chanel Rose Insolent pedi was so perfect and cheery I opted for the nails. Yes, I am WILD that way!

Sun out...

...and then a cloud came...

Typical smooth lovely Chanel application followed by fairly decent drying time for a light colour, I am wearing two coats here with my Lippmann Hard Rock as a base and top coat. This is 2 days after applying. Love it- and we know that pale colours just don't show tip wear like the brights. Although I am feeling the need for a bright nail...one of my friends was Tweeting about her OPI High Maintenance manicure this morning and suddenly I find myself craving a candy red mani. I'm funny that way...

The Beautiful Chanel Jade Rose Nail Polish

Oh Chanel – you and your divine nail polish shades are making my wallet weep. I tried, like REALLY TRIED, to find a dupe for Chanel Jade Rose. Jade Rose underwhelmed me when it was released but, then, a year later, I just fell for it. Seeing it in Chanel’s Cruisewear 2011 show combined with Beige Petale as the mani-pedi combo made me have. To. Have. It. 

I looked high and low, thinking it would be easy to find a pale peachy pink nail polish. I mean, it's kind of a basic and surely every line would have something similar. Sadly, I was wrong. And I know why. Chanel has something I call Secret Shimmer- a subtle and ladylike shimmer, deep inside the polish, that adds a dimension to their colours that only Chanel can do. 

See that pink toned shine? The Secret Shimmer!

You see it in the bottle but barely notice it, if at all, on the nails. It just adds depth and beauty to a colour and no one, I mean NO ONE, else can do this. So I sucked it up and finally got myself some Jade Rose. And I don’t regret it for a minute. It is gorgeous and a lovely summer neutral with the peach tone adding a lovely twist to my collection of nude nail colours. It applies like a dream and wears very well, as all my Chanel nail polishes do. This is one of the reasons I shell out for them- a manicure that lasts more than a few days is priceless…when you are crazy…like me….At any rate, I know I will wear this one… like crazy.

In sunlight...

Natural light indoors...

Beautiful Beauty Blog Round Up

We have a nice variety of beauty products for you in this weekend's roundup. Let us know what suits your fancy!

Makeup

Amy is in Paris, and we are richer for it. We loved her Café Makeup feature about her first shopping trip after she arrived.

Sabrina showed us the exotic, Asia-exclusive Blossom Glossimer from Le Blanc Collection from Chanel. Find it at The Beauty Look Book.

Gaia was the first one of us to get her hands on the new Edward Bess eye shadows, and they are exquisite. See her photos and review at The Non-Blonde.

Kari showed us Bobbi Brown's Peony & Python Collection at Fab over Forty. All of us love Bobbi's new colors. Check them out with Kari.

Redheads often feel like the poor stepchildren of the makeup world. Kelly discovered great brow products for redheads. Find her discovery at Gouldylox Reviews.

Carla at Product Girl found another winner from Maybelline with the new One by One Volum' Express Mascara. Maybelline has so many mascara hits. Find out why this one is special.

Charlestongirl had the skinny on Giorgio Armani's new Eyes to Kill eye shadows for Spring 2011 at Best Things in Beauty.

Nails

Anne is ready to spring forward into spring with the China Glaze Anchors Away Collection. Check it out at BeautyXposé.

Multiple Treats

Jane covered a lot of ground in her feature "All Things Pink and Beautiful" at Daly Beauty. From Chanel to Tarte, she presented us with some marvelous pink options.

Michelle at Beauty Editor posted her Top 5 Beauty Editor picks - there are some GORGEOUS spring goodies, including a Shu Uemura palette I might give up a kidney for...

All Things Pink & Beautiful by Chanel, Bobbi Brown & Tarte

With Spring dragging her feet I really needed to add some cheery colour to my routine. Pink is always perfect. I love pink flowers, I love pink sunsets and my favourite fruit, watermelon, is a lovely pink. Pink clothes can work miracles and brighten a sallow complexion, and you will always look gorgeous and glowy in a pink room. Think about that when decorating a boudoir ladies….just saying…

So here are my favourite pink things today.

Chanel Rose Insolent Nail Polish is from their Fall 2010 collection. I recall thinking such a bright pink was an odd choice for Fall but loved it all the same. I also got the Rose Confidentiel which is a nude pink, also lovely, but today is a Pink Day so no neutrals…Rose Insolent is a lovely bright fuschia pink that straddles the cool/warm scale quite nicely. I think lovers of cool and warm tones could carry this off. It manages to be bright without being fluorescent which is nice for me, making it nice for work but still fun. Very sweet, very girly but deep, rich and far enough off the candy scale to work on a grown up. Verdict- LOVE.

natural light- it's not quite this blue in real life...

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pale Pink is a richly pigmented cream blush that enhances almost any complexion- if applied correctly. The key with the Pot Rouge blushes is intensity- as little or as much as you like. I cannot imagine using one up because they are so rich I only need a teensy bit to add a glow. As well, using a flat topped brush to apply a cream blush was a life changing experience for me.  The lovely Angie, a fabu make up artist here in Ottawa, suggested softening a cream blush by “buffing” it on with a flat brush. I have the Bobbi Brown one, that I bought to use with bronzing powder, but that NEVER worked for me so it just sat there in my make up drawer, taunting me for tossing away my money on something so useless. Not so! I just tap it on the blush, gently rub it in the lid before lightly buffing it on the apples of my cheeks. Ta-da! So pretty, and I look like I have been frolicking in the fresh spring air. This stuff lasts hours on me as well- it is not as fuschia in real life as the product shot above would indicate, but it is pigmented. Verdict- true pink LOVE.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge: sheer & intense, natural light

Tarte Lip Stain Lipsurgence natural lip tint in Charmed is a perfect way to bring the soft pink lip that has been all over the runways for Spring/Summer 2011 into real life. Fun, bright but so wearable, this colour has me seriously considering actually wearing more colour than Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Boy (Your Lips But Better Lipstick). My daughter Emilie got this (she is much braver than I regarding lippy!) and after seeing her wear it so effortlessly, I might be sold! It is a stain, so it lasts forever, yet it seems to have more presence on the lip than the lighter liquid stains we all know so well. She swatched it for me and it really is so sheer and lovely. But, it can be built up for more intensity. It is a “Lipsurgence” tint which means it is infused with all kind of good moisturizing stuff for a soft moist and naturally plumped look without any stinging or tingling. Lovely! I think I’ve been charmed…Verdict- LOVE! Thanks Em.

Tarte Charmed swatched in natural light on Emilie

What are your favourite pick me ups for Spring? Do you do pink and if so, what are your fave ways to wear it?