Chanel Jalousie Glossimer Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer 

When you're looking for a picker upper, what's better than indulging in sparkly and needless material things? Or maybe taking a stroll through Godiva or See's Candy for a piece of ridiculously overpriced, yet completely delicious chocolate. I like browsing the Chanel counter, and that's how I came across this little gem. Absolutely necessary? Absolutely not. Gorgeous? You bet.

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer ($29.50) is a vibrant pink with a purple pearl. You could also call it a glistening fuchsia. (Jalousie means Jealousy in French, btw!) This shade launched in the Roses Ultimes De Chanel Collection earlier in the year. As far as I know, it's limited edition, but is still available online.

If I was rolling in money bags, I'd love to own every shade of this angelic gloss, but for now I only own a few, and I don't wear them daily because they are just that precious.

Glossimers differ in terms of color payoff, some are sheer, but Jalousie is opaque with one swipe. As it wears down, the color sheers up slightly, but it still provides full on color.

It of course looks great on it's own, and it pairs really well with other pink lipsticks to make them a little brighter and pinker. You could also layer it over a similar fuchsia lipstick, such as MAC Lickable Lipstick or MAC Girl About Town for an intense pink lip. 

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer on my lips.

Glossimers are slightly thick, but due to their texture, they last really well on the lips in comparison to other lipglosses. With one layer they are very comfortable, but if you build it a few layers, it tends to feel a little heavy on the lips.

The formula is really smooth and moisturizing - even after several hours my lips remain soft.

It lasts at least three hours on my lips before I need a touch up, which I think is great for a gloss. Most glosses are gone after a maximum of two hours.

A single swatch of Chanel Jalousie Glossimer

Have you tried Chanel Glossimers? Do you like them? If so, which is your favorite?

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Opaque color
• Doesn't accentuate dryness
• Creamy and smooth on the lips
• Moisturizing 

Cons:

• Can feel heavy and a bit thick and uncomfortable on the lips if too much is applied.

Price: $29.50, Chanel, Macy's, Bloomingdales.

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush ($43) is a medium-toned cool pink with fine shimmer. It's not overly cool, so thankfully it works really well on my warm skin. It provides that dolly pink cheek that pairs well with neutral and cool eyeshadows (purples, taupe, etc).

Mine is the Euro (original 2010) version, which is a baked powder as opposed to the version you'd get from the Chanel counters in the US, which is the standard pressed-powder version. There are slight differences - in general, the baked version isn't as pigmented with one swipe and isn't as soft. I prefer the US version. (You can view a comparison on Cafe Makeup.)

If you know me by now, I find any form of pink color cosmetics hard to resist and I love, love, love Joues Contraste Blushes. Pink Explosion has been on my wishlist for a while now, so when I spotted it in a blog sale, I jumped on it! (Hi Risa!) Anyways, who wouldn't love a product named Pink Explosion?

The pigmentation is good - it's light, but buildable and what you'd want from a blush that's so pink. I'm actually less inclined to use some of my really pigmented blushes (Nars for instance) because I tend to use too heavy of a hand. With my Joues Contraste Blushes, I never go overboard - but if I do, the color blends so well into my skin that it never looks unnatural.

Swatched heavily on the left and lightly on the right.

Is it a must-have? Eh, not really considering I own shades that are similar enough and the color isn't all that unique overall. But, I love the luxury of Chanel cosmetics and I'm happy to have it.

The Round-Up

Pros:

• Cool pink that is soft enough for daily use
• Blends very well on the cheeks - diffuses into my skin, looking very natural
• Good amount of pigment that is buildable
• Luxurious packaging :)
• Rose scented - love!

Cons:

• None!

Repurchase? Well, I'm pretty sure I'll never finish this blush among others, but I love building up my little Chanel Blush collection and if per say I lost this blush, I would replace it. :)
.

Price: $43, Chanel.

Chanel 'In Love' Joues Contraste Blush - A Lovely Summer Peach.

 Chanel In Love Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel In Love Joues Contraste Blush ($43) is a medium peachy-coral with very fine golden shimmer. It applies sheer (but buildable) and gives off a soft, peachy-coral glow. The shimmer is tasteful and isn't chunky or frosty. It gives the illusion of very fresh, healthy, glowing cheeks. It has a slight vibrancy to the color, which makes it a really nice pick for the summer. It's almost like a peach version of Nars Orgasm Blush.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes are finely milled, super soft textured, pressed powder blushes - that when you touch them, you almost feel like because of the texture, they will apply powdery, like some of the softer textured budget brand blushes. But they apply such a soft, sheer veil of color to the cheeks that never looks blotchy or overdone. It's buildable, so with a couple of layers, you can really achieve intense color (if that's what you're looking for), otherwise, one layer deposits the perfect amount of blush.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush is available in eleven (11) shades: Imprevu, Orchid Rose, Rose Bronze, Rose Petale, In Love, Espiegle, Rose Ecrin, Pink Explosion, Plum Attraction, Malice and Tumulte. (You can correct me if I'm mistaken, but there are 11 currently listed on the website)

Here are a couple swatches on my hand (my skintone is around MAC NC25 coloring). The swatch on the left is the blush applied heavy with a cotton swab, and the swatch on the right is the blush applied with a brush. The right swatch accurately shows what it would look like on my face.

I tried to capture the way it looks on my face, but unfortunately, the lighting was awful, and it didn't photograph very well. If you'd like to see it on my cheeks, I will update this post later with an additional photo.

I really like this shade, and think it'd be great for Summer paired with flamingo-pink and coral lipsticks! If you already have a few similar shades in your blush collection, it's probably not a must-have, but if you're a Chanel fanatic (or a peach blush fanatic), I'm sure you'll enjoy using this blush.

Side Note: *Countries outside of the USA have a baked version of Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes rather than a pressed powder. There may be inconsistencies with both versions - the color may or may not be spot on and the texture and pigmentation differs. Everyone has their own preference, but I like the US version blushes better.


Price: $43, Chanel.

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad

If you didn't know by now, one of my guilty pleasures is blog sales and makeup swaps. Some may cringe at the thought of purchasing or trading used makeup, but over the past few years I've become a pro at sanitizing most makeup products (it's really not that hard). Most of the products I've obtained have barely been used, for a fraction of the price! 

One of the recent gems I picked up through a blog sale was Chanel Enigma Eye Shadow Quad. I don't own any Chanel quads, and have been really interested in trying them , but it's the $58 price tag that's setting me back - ouch!

Enigma is a limited edition palette, that launched in Chanel's 2010 Fall Collection. Enigma contains four shades: a pale pink, olive-taupe, deep blackened plum with silver shimmer and a silvered-charcoal.

All of the shades go very well together, and can create a gorgeous smokey eye. I like using the pale pink shade all over my lid, and any of the darker shades (typically the olive-taupe - third from the left, swatched below) smudged into my lashline and blended up to my crease. I like taking the deep plum and lining my top and bottom lid with it, as the purple tones in it makes the green in my hazel eyes stand out more.
I rarely ever use a primer with my eyeshadows, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the lasting power of these shadows is very good.

(I apologize that I couldn't get a very good photo of my eyes. My camera doesn't pick up eye makeup too well)

The shadows are very smooth and blend effortlessly. I love that I can use them wet as well, without ruining the texture of the shadows. When used wet, the colors are much more pigmented, but they are nicely pigmented as is, and translate very well on the lids. The dark shades can be used wet with an angled brush as a liner.

Here are the colors swatched with a slightly damp sponge applicator:

I didn't swatch the colors completely dry, but here are some swatches from Karlasugar for reference.

Even though this awesome palette isn't around any longer, you may be able to get a hold of it through makeup community swaps/blog sales and eBay.

Do you have any Chanel quads? Love em? Leave em? 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation Review!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere is Chanel's newest foundation, which I believe launched this past September of 2011. It claims to be a long wearing and comfortable, will make your skin look fresh and flawless, yet very natural. It is said to be suitable for all skin types.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere is available in 20 shades: 
12 Beige Rose, 22 Beige Rose, 32 Beige Rose, 42 Beige Rose, 52 Beige Rose, 10 Beige, 20 Beige, 20 Beige, 40 Beige, 60 Beige, 24 Beige Ambre, 34 Beige Ambre, 44 Beige Ambre, 54 Beige Ambre, 64 Beige Ambre, 94 Ambre, 104 Ambre, 114 Ambre, 134 Ambre, 154 Ambre.

I have samples of a few different shades - some were pretty random, but the sales associate just grabbed a bunch. Both B10 and Beige Rose 12 work fine on my (no tan) MAC NC15 skintone. B20 is great for NC25, and B30 is a good NC30-35 match. **Many reviewers mentioned that they noticed oxidation (once dry, it turns darker), so definitely try a sample before purchasing. I didn't notice any oxidation with BR12, and slight oxidation with B10.

With it's long-wearing claims, I was very interested in giving this foundation a try. I picked up several samples over the past few months and I feel that I can now properly evaluate it.

The consistency of this foundation is lovely. It's very thin and lightweight (in a way, it reminds me of Vita Aqua, but slightly more condensed and less "airy"). I actually like applying this foundation with my fingers - which is a method I rarely ever use with any of my foundations, but it seems to work the best for maximum coverage. It smooths on my face with ease, without feeling thick or dry. It contains several silicones, so it smooths very nicely across my face without having to go back and forth to add additional product.

It has a fragrance to it (I know there are some people out there that despise fragrance cosmetics) I personally love products that contain fragrance, and this foundation is no exception. I only smell it upon application, but it seems to fade away within a few minutes.

It gives a very nice medium coverage that is buildable to cover blemishes and imperfections, while impressively looks very natural - like a second skin.

I love the way it looks right away, but after a few minutes it dries matte. I'm not a big fan of a matte finish, so to add a little bit of luminosity to my skin, I like to apply a moisturizer prior, and an illuminator after (such as Benefit High Beam). I don't really think it makes my skin look "radiant" like the claims, but once I add my setting powder, bronzer and blush, my skin looks pretty flawless.

I've worn this foundation completely solo and wasn't very impressed with the overall foundation or wear-time (very average with a little shine on my chin after a few hours). But, when I wore it with moisturized skin and buffed in a setting powder with a dense kabuki brush, the results were so much better. After 10 hours, my foundation is still perfectly in tact and it didn't at all become oily.

Although this is a pretty good foundation, I don't think it's something I'll be purchasing. I love almost everything about it, but I just don't like the finish. I prefer something that's a little more radiant, with a satiny finish.

This may be a foundation worth trying for you if you're looking for a lightweight, medium coverage, long wearing foundation with a matte finish.

The search will continue for me, though! :)

The lipstick I'm wearing by the way is Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in #006 Pink Blush. I've been wearing it a lot lately! It's just a really pretty bubblegum pink.

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel Soft Glow Blush Review!

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel was the blush released with Chanel's Spring 2012 collection. Originally, I wasn't interesting in much from the collection other than the Glossimer (Bagatelle), which I posed about earlier last month. But my recent trip to the Chanel counter, the lovely sales associate was rocking this color on her cheeks (heavily, but very tasteful) and it looked amazing on her. For reference, she has a medium-tan complexion, with blonde hair and blue eyes and it looked like a very vibrant, warm pink. Pretty similar to Benefit Bella Bamba - unfortunately I don't own it to compare side-by-side, but one of my favorite Sephora SA's is always wearing Bella Bamba and it looks like a similar, vibrant warm pink. 

Anyhow, after doing some swatching, the color really grew on me. I can't say the overall color is that unique (unique enough to pay $60), but it is really beautiful and at that moment, I had to have it. 

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel contains stripes of warm pink, white, plum and peach-coral pink. When you swipe all of the shades together, you'll get a beautiful warm, peachy-pink with a glowy sheen.

If you'd like a more pink look, you can stick to using the top half of the blush, or for a more peach look, you can use the bottom half.

According to Chanel:
� To create freshness, use all of the blush shades as a harmony and sculpt your face using the beveled brush.
� For a healthy look, apply only the pink shade to the upper cheekbones and temples.
� For a glowing complexion, use the sun-kissed effect of a cloud of peach.

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel

I've only used this blush a couple of times so far, but when I've used it, I used all of the shades at once. And like I said, although it's not so unique (there are a million warm, pink-coral blushes out there), the finish of this blush is one of the things that makes this blush so beautiful. It looks very soft and luminous without looking shimmery or frosty - just a very healthy natural glow.

It's suppose to be more of a "highlighting" blush, so it's not really meant to deliver full-on-color, but nevertheless, it is pigmented, and very buildable. I think it will work well on a variety of skintones - light, medium and medium-dark.

The lasting power isn't too bad, I've never really considered Chanel Blushes long lasting - this blush starts to fade on me after 5-6 hours. 

I forgot to mention the blush does come with a brush. It's fairly flat and angled, so if you want to concentrate on certain stripes of color, you can really get specific with the brush. The bristles are soft, and it feels nice on the skin. But because there is no compartment for the brush, I doubt I'll be carrying it with me, or using it much. It does have a separate velvet pouch though, if you do want to carry it for travel. 

This blush is only around for a limited time, so if you're interested, definitely don't wait on it and call your local Chanel counter! It's definitely pricey at $58, but there is a very fair amount of product. This blush weighs in at .53 oz/15 g, which is pretty large for a blush.

MAC Blush has .21 oz/6g of product for $20
(no mirror or brush, crappy packaging)

Nars Blush has .16 oz/4.8g of product for $28.
(decent packaging - but gets very dirty, has a mirror, no brush)

Bobbi Brown has .13 oz/3.6g of product for $24.
(decent packaging, no mirror or brush)

It's pretty much known that you don't get much for what you pay for when you purchase a Bobbi Brown or Nars product, but it seems easier to shovel out $25 as opposed to over double that, but value-wise, it's a few dollars more than MAC, and worth it in the long-run if it's a blush you could see yourself using often.

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Eyeshadow Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

The Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wearing Eyeshadows is a small line of  "gel" eye shadows that newly launched this past Fall of 2011. During that time, it seemed everyone was going mad over the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Shadows, but the attention steered away from them for a little bit as these little glass pots stole the spotlight. I still have yet to get my hands on a Giorgio Armani!

What's special about the Chanel shadows is their unique formula. Are they a cream, gel, mousse? 

 Chanel describes them by saying, "An innovative gel texture that is both soft and cushiony allows it to be worn as eyeshadow or eyeliner." They are like hybrid between a mousse (but more dense) and a gel (like a MAC Paintpot, but much less dense). The texture is light and spongy, creamy and blends beautifully with intense pigment.

There are (6) shades in the line-up: Fantasme (shimmering white), Emerveille (shimmering peach/champagne), Illusoire (shimmering purple-mauve), Epatant (shimmering pewter-green), Mirifique (shimmering black) and Ebloui (shimmery burgundy). The shades I was most interested in is: Illusoire, Epatant and Emerville, but at $36 a pop, I only purchased one for now.

 

Epatant is a pewter-golden khaki green shimmering with silver reflects. On the eyes, I don't notice the green as much as I notice the silver. It reminds me a lot of Chanel Graphite Nail Polish, but in eyeshadow form.

Swatches of Chanel Epatant

The shadows come with a small synthetic applicator brush (pictured above), which actually works really well. It's almost like a lip brush (but angled) and you can apply it directly to your lash line as a liner or all over the lid for a wash of color. 

I wore it last night for the first time, applied all over my lid, with a black gel liner smudged into my lashline. It wore really well - 9 hours later, it was still there, even though I didn't use a base.  

I wrote a quick break-down of everything I wore. I was testing out the Chanel Perfection Lumiere (but my thoughts about that later!)

Face:  

Coastal Scents Camo Quad Concealer in Medium

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation in #20 Beige

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores HD Micro-Finishing Powder

Tarte Amazonian Clay Exposed Blush

MAC Porcelain Pink Mineralize Skinfinish

Brows:

MUFE Brow Corrector #3

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

Eyes:

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Epatant 

YSL Eyeliner Effect Faux Cils Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner in Pure Black 

Shiseido Mascara Base

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Lips:

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

Chanel Bagatelle Glossimer

I can't wait to pick up a couple more shades. It's such a low maintenance shadow, that you can take a quick sweep of it with your finger or brush, apply it to your lid and be out the door.

Chanel Bagatelle Glossimer Review, Photos and Swatches!

 Chanel Bagatelle Glossimer

After walking away from the MAC counter empty handed, I went over to the Chanel counter to check out their Spring 2012 Collection. The only products that really stood out to me were May Le Vernis, what seemed like the perfect, creamy pink nail polish, Blush Horizon De Chanel; a soft pinkish-coral face powder, and Bagatelle Glossimer.
I ended up getting only the Glossimer from the collection, as I knew right away that it would be the perfect layering gloss for most of my favorite lipsticks.

Bagatelle is a light-medium Pepto-Bismol pink, filled with fine gold shimmer. The gold shimmer gives the pink gloss a bright, warm pink with a hint of peach appearance. From swatches I've seen on other blogs, the lipgloss looks fairly pigmented - Although it may be slightly more opaque than the others in this collection, or Glossimers in general, it's still pretty sheer. When applied heavier, the color is more opaque, but it seems to sheer out pretty soon after.

Applied to my lips, it brightens, with adding a sheer pink hue and lots of shine.

I love Glossimers not only for the gorgeous shades and shimmer, but for the way they feel on the lips. They aren't thick or sticky and don't cause any additional dryness in my already dry lips. Also, from my experience, they seem to stick around on my lips for a few hours, which is pretty nice.

I have to mention though, that Bagatelle feels a little gritty on the lips. Not mega-gritty, but you can definitely feel the glitter when you rub your lips together.

Here it is on my bare lips.

I probably won't be wearing it too much by itself, but it looks lovely when applied over any light to medium pink lipstick, as well as peaches and corals.  I've been wearing it over MAC Creme Cup and love it!

I also picked up a sample of Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Foundation, so I'll be testing that out in the next few days, and I purchased an Illusion D'Ombre (IT'S ABOUT TIME, RIGHT?) so I'll be posting about those soon!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The Natural Pink Blushes in my Current Rotation!

Aside from foundation, blush is my most favored item of makeup. Blush instantly adds liveliness to the face, while sculpting the cheeks. I love all shades of blush, from peach, orange, pink and red. In the summer time, you can bet I'm sporting bronzer and warm-toned red and coral blushes, but in the winter, I usually wear colors that are much more natural.

For the past couple of months I've for the most part skipped out on self tanning and bronzer, and gone the natural-pink route for my cheeks. I've found myself picking up the same shades over and over again (thus calling it a rotation).

CONTINUE READING FOR MY PICKS + ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & SWATCHES!

MAC BLUSHBABY

Described on the MAC website as a beige-pink (sheertone), Blushbaby is a sheer, natural warm pink that mimics the rosy hue your cheeks naturally turn. It works on a wide variety of skintones, thus becoming one of MAC's most popular blushes. It's one of my no-brainer blushes that goes well with any eye makeup and lip color.

MAC CUBIC

Desdcribed on the MAC website as a soft, muted pink (satin), Cubic is a super-sheer natural pink that leans slightly warm-neutral. This blush could be Blushbaby's younger sister, as they are very similar. I find that Cubic is much less intense (not to say Blushbaby is intense, but it does pack a little more color). If you want a no-blush blush, or a shade that will go with everything, including a smokey eye or just a soft, sophisticated blush, you may want to give Cubic a try.

MAC MAGICALLY COOL LIQUID POWDER IN HONEY ROSE

Described as a sheer, rosy-beige with multi-dimensional shimmer on the MAC website, Honey Rose is just that. I like to think of Honey Rose more of a highlight than a blush, but it does add a little color to the cheeks. On my natural days when I want my complexion to look extra healthy and glowy, I stipple some Honey Rose on my apples. It adds a nice glow, and a very natural wash of warm, pink that's definitely there, but very soft and almost undetectable.

PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA HAPPY BOOSTER IN NATURAL

Natural is the pinkest blush out of the bunch, but because of it's warm tone, it looks very natural on my cheeks - as opposed to a bright, barbie or cotton candy pink. I love, love, love this blush and wear it on most days where I want a blush that is natural, but still packs a little extra punch. My favorite drugstore blush, for sure.

CHANEL JOUES CONTRASTE IN ROSE BRONZE

Rose Bronze is a gorgeous neutral-pink with a hint of warmth and pink shimmer. Applied heavily the color is much more of a vibrant rosy pink, but when worn lightly, it looks extremely natural. This is another favorite.. I don't believe it could look bad on anyone.

NARS MADLY
Described as a warm, soft-focus seashell pink on the NARS website, Madly is a bronzed, warm pink. It's one of those blushes where you don't need an additional bronzer, and instantly sculpts the face when applied along the cheeks. I love wearing this blush on days where I want a little bronzer and a hint of natural blush - Madly infuses the two together.

What blushes are in your current rotation?