Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks: Your Makeup Bag Needs One Right Meow!

July 25th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

Every day after Connor and I have lunch, we go outside to play on the grassy knoll in the front yard common area here in our little condo complex, and almost every day we go out there, I’ve got some degree of craziness on my face — mismatched eyeshadow, false lashes with the wingspan of a bird of prey, bright green Hulk gloss, etc. — so I usually look a little nuts and get some sidelong glances.

Do I really care? Nope!

It is nice, though, when I’m not testing some new makeup and actually, ya know, look kinda normal and someone gives me a compliment, which happened last week while I was wearing the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour stick No. 24.

Actually, come to think about it, whenever I wear one of these cream blushes, somebody asks about it. I’d probably do the same if I saw a gal wearing one, because they’re bomb!

chanel les beiges healthy glow sheer colour stick swatches — I wish I could wear all of these on my cheeks at the same time and not look completely cray-cray. From the top, that’s No. 21, No. 22, No. 23 and No. 24. There’s also a tan shade called No. 20 that I haven’t tried.

They’re twist-up cream blush sticks sort of like the NARS Multiples, and there are five of them, all available on Chanel counters now in the new Les Beiges collection. Also, yay! — I’ve been told that they’re permanent.

They feel similar to the Multiples but aren’t quite as dry. They’re wetter and creamier, so they’re also 1) easier to blend and 2) don’t push around whatever you have on your cheeks, like foundation, tinted moisturizer, concealer, etc.

chanel les beiges healthy glow sheer colour stick no 22 — No. 22

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Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette

July 11th, 2017 by Karen 14 Comments

You can pretty much get the gist of this Chanel palette’s raison d’être from its name, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette.

To put it another way, is this the type of glow that refers to the women of GLOW, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling? Meaning, would you see a bunch of lady wrestlers in the ’80s wearing this in the ring for a performance? Nope! Absolutely not. These beige, brown and black shadows create a much more natural look, with a lot less wrestling.

I totally get that this is so not exciting for some makeup lovers, but I love this kind of makeup. And I know I’m not the only one! I went to high tea at the Fairmont in SF last weekend with some girlfriends, and, not just one of them, but two of them pulled me aside separately and said, in so many words, “I need to know what’s on your eyes, and I need for you to teach me how to do that ASAP.”

Les Beiges Healthy Glow is a beautiful palette for natural, elegant makeup that’s “there-but-not-too-there.” For me, it’s the definition of clean beauty, which is a look you see a lot in bridal magazines here in the U.S., where there’s soft definition on the lids and lash lines, and you can tell there’s makeup in the mix, but it still looks natural and not O.T.T. Les Beiges is great for that.

I do have to say, though, that I’m surprised by the amount of fallout I’m seeing with this palette. First time I used it, I was so excited that I forgot to tap off my brush, and I ended up with more shadow than I expected on my cheekbones.

If you’re a Chanel enthusiast (like I am), it’s bearable, as long as you tap off your brush, but the palette is $65… Just something to think about.

Other than the fallout, I think the shadows work great. They mesh and blend together well, and they’re perfect shades for natural looks. They also last all day long for me.

chanel les beiges healthy glow natural eyeshadow palette k2 — Natural glow!

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Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Dimitri, My Latest Red Lipstick Love

June 29th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

How many times have I said, “I’ve been going through a … phase”? A minimal makeup phase, a smoky eye phase (since forever), a cat eye phase, what have you.

I’ve been going through a red lips phase since, roughly, birth, give or take a few days, and $37 Chanel Dimitri is my latest red lipstick love.

Dimitri is a permanent color in Chanel’s hydrating Rouge Coco line. It’s a warm, semi-opaque red with a finish that begins as a smooth, luscious, low-level lip shine but starts to look more like a matte after 30 minutes or so, which is the coolest thing about it to me, because Chanel is sooo good at subtle shifts like that.

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The Lust List, Vol. 8: Stuff I Kinda Want

May 10th, 2017 by Karen 31 Comments

What is it about pricey makeup palettes — or me, for that matter, haha! — that makes me wish I could give them all a happy home? Especially the warm ones with a golden brown, a taupe, golden beige and/or peach?

I want to tell them all, “Come live with me, little lovelies, and we shall skip and prance under the light of the full moon.”

On that note…please try to ignore the crazy lady typing on her keyboard, and proceed ahead to this week’s Lust List. 🙂

Charlotte Tilbury Seductive Instant Look in a Palette ($75) — Thanks, gals, for telling me that the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette looks great on medium and darker skin tones! Now it’s on mah wish list.
MZ WALLACE Mia Bedford Nylon Crossbody Bag ($325) — This is a straight-up mom bag, and yes, I want it. I’ve been carrying around the same brown Kipling nylon bag FOR YEARS, and it’s starting to look a little long in the tooth… This one’s much more stylish. I like the gold hardware and the red accents. Classy. PLUS, LOOK AT ALL THOSE POCKETS. They’ll come in handy for Connor’s binkies and all the Ziploc plastic bags I seem to need at all times.
Tom Ford Nude Dip Palette ($83) — I have one of Tom’s quads with this same powder shadow formula (it’s even silkier than TF’s other quads, and the shimmer looks almost glossy), and this version? [INSERT DROOL HERE] I’m all about neutral taupe, browns, peach and beige.
Been wanting this FOREVER but have yet to add it to my collection. One could probably wear it along with the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette, yes?
BECCA X Chrissy Teigan Glow Face Palette ($46) — I’ve put this in my cart — no joke — at least five times, and when I finish writing this post, I’ll probably do it again. This palette is a collab with model and cookbook author Chrissy Tiegan, and it sold out on the Sephora website in about two seconds.
It’s still on the BECCA site, though! There’s a bronzer, two highlighters and a blush in it, and everything’s warm toned, which is so my jam. My rationale for getting it is that if I also get one for my mom (despite the fact that she hardly ever wears makeup, so this makes NO SENSE AT ALL), I should also be able to get one for myself. Right? RIIIIIIIGHT!
Chanel Contour Eyeshadow Brush #20 ($38) — I’m doing a terrible job of convincing myself that I don’t need any more Chanel eyeshadow brushes…
Why do they have to be SO SOFT?? I keep picturing a whole slew of them in a dainty jar on my desk, and now I can’t un-see that image.

Hit me with what you got on your lust list. I can take it! (And I just might add to mine, haha!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Look at a Few Pieces From the Chanel Ombre Premiere Eyes Collection

May 4th, 2017 by Karen 34 Comments

I swear, nobody does subtle fancy finishes like Chanel. It’s their makeup super power. I love the way they handle satin and shimmer — love it deep down in the marrow of my bones! — and if you also get a thrill from subtle flashes of glossy shine here or shimmer there, I think you’ll love what Chanel is doing with their new Ombre Premier Eyes collection.

It’s a massive collection! It just launched at chanel.com and is coming soon to Chanel counters with a new line of cream eyeshadows (eight shades, $36 each), a new line of powder eyeshadow singles (16 shades, $30 each), a couple of dual-ended retractable eye brushes ($42 each), some eyeliners ($30 each) and two brow gels ($32 each).

The bulk of the pieces are also permanent, so yay! 🙂 If you fall in love with something (and you just might), you don’t have to decide right away. You have time to ruminate.

Don’t miss the Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows

I tried three of them and was hooked. They’re the things I was most looking forward to when I heard about the collection, so I had high expectations already, but even with that Chanel didn’t disappoint.

I’m already a super fan when it comes to the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows, and the new Ombre Premiere line has a similar, spongy, soft formula. When you press your finger into one of the pans and work it around, you can feel them give and sort of…bounce. They aren’t dense like a MAC Paint Pot.

chanel ombre premier swatches — From the top: Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows in Scintillance, Pourpre Profond and Noir Petrole; Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows in Talpa, Desert Rouge and Noir Satin

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Makeup Shortcuts: Smoke Out Your Lids With Liner, and Avoid Having to Clean Up Fallout [Featuring Chanel Summer 2017]

April 20th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

Cleaning up fallout is one of my least favorite things in this universe, right up there with ill-fitting underwear. I LOATHE having to clean up powder under my eyes. I just have better things to do with my life, ya know?

I recently stumbled on this technique where you smoke out the outer corners using an eyeliner, and it’s the Best. Thing. Ever. Because no fallout. 🙂 Basically, all you need is a pencil liner, your favorite blending brush and your best resting b*tch face.

Ha! I kid, I kid! The RBF is totally optional.

Step 1: Start with your (nearly) completed makeup look

But seriously, what you will need is a nearly completed makeup look, so let’s start with that, OK?

Since you won’t have to worry about cleaning up any fallout (YAY!), you can already have your eyes, base, cheeks and lips done.

Here I’m wearing a few things from Chanel Summer 2017, and I’ll list everything down at the bottom of the post.

Step 2: Apply a dark liner to the outer corner

Grab a dark liner that will complement your look, and reach for something that’s either off-black, gray or dark brown — something that isn’t too dark but will still add that smokiness to the outer corners.

I mean, you could use a true black liner instead, but then you’d have to do more blending.

Also, you’ll want your liner to be somewhat smudgy in a formula that doesn’t set super quickly. That way you can easily push it around with a brush.

I’m using a greenish black to go with the warm bronze and pink tones I’m wearing.

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Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 931 Noir Pétrole

January 20th, 2017 by Karen 12 Comments

chanel noir petrole — Yay for Chanel Noir Pétrole Waterproof Eye Liner! I’m also wearing the Chanel Codes Élégants quad on my eyes, Chanel Élégance Powder Blush on my cheeks and Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Peacemaker

Why, though?

WHY? Why are so many of the best things limited edition? It’s lunacy, and it’s REALLY annoying. Chanel Noir Pétrole Eyeliner ($33) deserves a permanent position — like the Codes Subtils quad — because if you have brown eyes (and even if you don’t), it’s magic.

Glossy, smoky perfection

I recognize that it’s OTT to get this excited about eyeliners, seeing as there are so many flashier products out there in Makeupville, but I love a schmexy liner, and this one is schmexy.

The color is a little hard to describe, but I’m gonna try. It’s a super dark, hella pigmented khaki black with an essence of golden shimmer for an otherworldly finish that begs the question, “How in the Milky Way did Chanel squeeze so much complexity into one little stick?” It boggles the mind. This beauty is glossy liner perfection.

Chanel Noir Pétrole — Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 931 Noir Pétrole, $33

Manna from heaven for brown-eyed babes (and boys!)

Sometimes when I wear this liner, it’ll look brown. Other times, more khaki. Other times still, more of a glossy blackish brown. Then I’ll catch a glance of myself in the mirror and see the shimmery gold winking at me, and I’ll be like totally feelin’ myself, LOL! “Who’s that girl in the mirror? Oh, ME?” 🙂 This liner will have you doing that. It looks amazing on brown eyes.

But it’s not just for brown eyes

I have a strong suspicion that Noir Pétrole will also enchant hazel eyes as well… I wish El Hub would let me play and put it on his lids. I’d ask, but he won’t even let me curl his luscious lashes (rude!).

Anyway, if you have hazel eyes and have a moment with this, you have to let me know.

chanel noir petrole eye closeup — I’m wearing Noir Pétrole on my lash lines and water lines; the eyeshadow is the Chanel Codes Élégants quad

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Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 370 Élégance

January 20th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

chanel elegance blush — That’s Chanel Élégance blush on my cheeks, Chanel Codes Élégants quad and Noir Petrole liner on my lashes, and Hourglass Peacemaker Girl Lip Stylo on my lips

Isn’t it just so typical? Right when you’re ready to drive down to the neighborhood tattoo parlor to get a tattoo of your favorite Chanel blush, because you love it that much (ahem, Malice!), another one comes along and steals your heart away.

Just goes to show ya…getting a tattoo of your true love blush? Not a good idea.

OK, that sounded really dumb, but that’s OK. We’re just gonna roll with it. 🙂

That glimmer, tho!!

For me with Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in 370 Élégance, it was love at first brush. The second this peachy golden bronzed brown glimmered on my cheek, I was like, what?! Come here, baby. You and me — we’re gonna ride or die together.

And it wasn’t just because of the color and how it goes with all 20 of the pink and peach lipsticks and glosses that occupy my purse at any given time, or because of the level of pigment (one or two layers and I’m good), how long it lasts, or how easily it blends. It was also the dainty, demure glimmer…

You guys, the glimmer. THE GLIMMER. The glow is a small step up from a satin — similar to the awesomesauce Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, and you know I’m a fan of those.

Consider this: wonderful wear time

Élégance is available now for $45, which I know… I. Know. But consider this: This blush lasts an incredibly long time. I put it on right after breakfast the other day (Oatmeal with a handful of chocolate chips… OMG, try it sometime! It’s life changing.), and after a full day and dinner, I still saw it on my cheeks. It was at least nine hours later!

Similar Chanel shades?

For the gals who’ve been hoarding/collecting Joues Contraste blushes for years, Élégance is like 58 Fresque’s and 84 Accent’s sister shade. It’s darker than Fresque and more shimmery and peachier than Accent, but they’re all in the same fam and look related.

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