My outfit for a beach wedding I’m going to tomorrow – springy and romantic.
Cartier LOVE necklace (similar here)
DVF Elisabetta Dress (bought here)
Chanel 2.55 Classic Flap
Christian Louboutin Very Prive Black
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’Eclatante
Chanel Le Vernis Frenzy
Dior Miss Dior Cherie
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I’ve been really liking this lip look lately – application is relatively more complex than just smearing a layer of lip color on, but the end result is simply effortless sexy with a touch of innocence. If you think the look of perfectly defined lips is too serious and grown-up, then this tutorial might help you to achieve a baby-like sexy pout which has been dominating in the Japanese and Korean beauty magazines.
The main product featured in this post is the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante from the Spring 2013 Collection. I actually have purchased quite a lot of products from this collection and loving them all! Since there have already been tons of reviews available on the internet, I thought I’ll share my takes on how I wear them in my tutorial/fotd posts. The color of this lipstick is absolutely to-die for – you know you are wearing a beautiful lip color when there are girls on the street stopping you and asking for the shade number! It can look quite bright if applied directly from the tubes, and I normally like to apply it with either my fingers or a lip brush to tone down the color, and finish with some lip balm/gloss otherwise it can make my lips look flakey and dry.
Tutorial with Chanel Allure Velvet L’eclatante
1. Prep the lips with exfoliation first as it helps to remove the dead skin, moisturize, and improve blood circulation to make the lips appear more plumped.
2. Conceal the lip lines using a concealer – the key is to completely blur out the lip lines.
3. Use a very pale pink lip pencil (or a lipstick), go over the lip lines that was concealed in the previous step, all the way towards the middle of the lips.
4. Use a bright pink lipstick (about 3-4 shades brighter than the lip pencil), apply the color from the centre of lips outward but do not go over the lip lines. The key is to use your finger or a lip brush to blend out the harsh edge for a gradient effect.
5. Apply a sheer pink lip gloss over the lips with more at the center.
Finished look with the beautiful Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante
Before and After
Products Used:
1. Sarah Happ Lip Scrub in Blood Orange Flavour - my HG lip exfoliator
2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage with Becca Concealer Brush
3. Sportsgirl Lip Pencil
4. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 42 L’eclatante (LE) from the 2013 Spring Collection
5. Lancome Juicy Tubes in Marshmallow with Becca Lip Brush
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This is the look I have been wearing for the past week. It is refreshing to switch from my usual preferred color palette of pink and cool neutrals to a warmer look, and what could be a better palette to use than my new Chanel Pearl River Eye Shadow Palette from the Hong Kong Collection (reviewed here). The overall look is peach for a natural day look, which is inspired by some of the makeup looks I have seen in Korean beauty magazines lately. I always find that a natural looking makeup requires more skill and effort to master. But once you get it right it just looks so beautiful and fresh on any woman, and best of all it helps to take away a few years of age!
In this FOTD, I have spent a lot of time and products creating the base – I wanted to achieve a fresh, dewy and almost barely-there base so that my own skin texture shows through. On the other hand subtle contouring was applied to mimic the natural shadow so my face won’t look too flat. Once this was achieved, everything else was straight forward – just applied light layers of colors to enhance the features.
Face Products Used:
Brush 1: Giorgio Armani blender brush
Brush 2: Becca concealer brush
Brush 3: Suqqu face brush
Step 1: By Terry Teint De Rose as Primer, then MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation (reviewed here) applied with brush 1
Step 2: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage followed by YSL Touche Eclat #1 applied with brush 2 for under-eyes concealing.
Step 3: Becca Finishing Powder applied with brush 3 over the t-zone.
Eye Products:
Brush 1: MAC 227
Brush 2: Stila Precision Brush
Brush 3: CHIKUHODO Z-10 (reviewed here)
Brush 4: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush F
Brush 5: Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush L (reviewed here)
Brush 6: Nars #12
Step 1: With the Chanel Pearl River Palette, applied the gold shade with brush 5, then added the peach color along upper lash line with brush 4. Use brush 6 to apply the chocolate brown on the outer v. The champagne color is applied under the brow bone with brush 1.
Step 2: Applied the peach shade along the lower lash using brush 3, then added the brown to the outer corner. Brush 2 is used to add the pearly white color on the inner corner.
Step 3: Applied Majolica Automatic Eyeliner, and finished with Cover Girl Clump Free Mascara.
Step 4: Filled the brows using Shu Uemura Hard Formula H9.
Cheeks and Lips:
Brush 1: CHIKUHODO GS2 Contour and Highlight Brush
Brush 2: Suqqu Cheek Brush (reviewed here)
Step 1. Applied Nars Multiple Tint in Turks & Caicos with Coffret D’OR Blush on the cheeks using brush 2.
Step 2: Maquillage Face Creater 3D in #55 is used for highlight and contour with brush 1.
Step 3: Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Salmon finished with Lunasol Clear Lip Gloss.
One more pic!
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I’m wearing Chanel Le Vernis Eastern Light from the Hong Kong Collection today. As you can see from the picture, it’s pretty much an opaque pure white color in cream finish with no shimmer. I wouldn’t say this color knocks my socks off, or a must-have for AUD$40 a pop. But as I am going through a pale nail color phase this season, I do find Eastern Light appeals to me for the following reasons:
- I like the contrast of the white color against my skin color. It makes the nails pop and gives a very clean manicured look.
- If you’ve grown weary of wearing vampy colors like me, it’s refreshing to wear a color that is completely on the other end of color spectrum!
Wearing 2 coats of Eastern Light. The quality is standard Chanel – 2 to 3 coats give an even and glossy finish.
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The Chanel Hong Kong Collection has quietly made its way to Australia. The capsule collection contains the Eyeshadow Palette Ombres Matelassees Pearl River which will be my review for today, and two Le Vernis Western Light and Eastern Light with reviews coming soon.
Pearl River is a beautiful palette of five eye shadows in mostly neutral shades. I always have a soft spot for Chanel eyeshadow palettes as they always manage to release a set of shades that are highly complementary to each other, classy yet with an edge, and with some degrees of variation to what they have done in the past. As much as I appreciate some makeup brands releasing color palettes with creativity and fun elements into it, at the end of the day wearability is my top priority when I shop for makeup, and Pearl River reaffirmed my choice. The quality of this palette is top notch and worth the high price tag, and it is different to their quads. If you aren’t convinced by Chanel’s regular quads, then you should definitely give this palette a try. These eye shadows feel noticeably softer, creamier with a velvety touch to it compared to the US/European quads. They are all nicely pigmented and swatching them was a breeze.
More close up pictures:
Shade description from left to right:
closeup shot
with flash
Swatches:
I will be posting a FOTD wearing Pearl River this weekend and will provide an updated review if it’s different to my initial thought. For reviews of the nail polishes, check out The Beauty Look Book and The Makeup Blogette.
I bought the entire Hong Kong Beauty Collection at Chanel Makeup Studio in Sydney, and they are selling out fast! The Pearl River Palette retails for AUD$100. You can also purchase this on Chanel US.
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I found this amazing skirt by CAMEO at this shop. What can I say, other than it’s just so perfect! The cut is very reminiscent of Proenza Schouler’s signature’s skirts, but at a much affordable price and the quality is superb.
Sweater – Witchery
Skirt – Cameo (bought here)
Booties – ShuBar (similar here)
Bag – Chanel 2.55 Reissue
Necklace – House of Harlow
PS. If you are heading to Westfield for XMAS Shopping this weekend, they will be holding some great deals across all stores in all Westfields this Super Saturday. Check out more details here.
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Whilst everyone’s attention is on the drool-worthy Eclats du Soir de Chanel Collection (reviewed here), Chanel has quietly released two new Joues Contraste Blushes in #74 Ultra Rose and Rouge as part of their permanent collection. I picked up #74 Ultra Rose recently, and the Rouge is a re-promotion from the Byzance de Chanel collection which has been reviewed here.
I first heard about the release on Jen’s blog here, and I literally stomped out to the shop straight away. In my opinion, Ultra Rose should be renamed to Ultra Neon Bubble Gum Pink. I have a fair share of cool pink blushes in my makeup stash but this one completely outshines the others in terms of color and opacity. It’s the brightest, most pigmented bubble gum pink blush I have ever owned!
As far as I know, Ultra Rose only comes in the euro baked version. In general JC in baked version can be slightly less pigmented than the US version, but rest assured the pigmentation of this one is insanely pigmented (on par with Rouge if you know I mean…). There is no visible shimmer in this blush, but it gives a beautiful glow to the skin and that’s exactly what I love about the baked version. The formulation somewhat manages to add a touch of translucent lit-within glow to the finish. As you can see from the comparison swatch below, the JC Ultra Rose has the most beautiful sheen compared to blushes of other formulations.
Some comparison swatches:
clockwise: Chanel Tweed Fuchsia, Chanel JC Ultra Rose, Dior Rosy Glow, Nars Desire
Compared to Chanel JC Pink Explosion and Malice
I have been wearing this blush a lot lately and I will show you a FOTD with it shortly. When it is applied sparingly, Ultra rose gives a beautiful cool pink flush that really brightens the complexion and yet is still very wearable on fair skin.
Chanel Joues Contraste Blush retails for $73 in Australia.
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Chanel Le Vernis Malice (available here) is definitely one of my favorite Chanel nail polishes so far. Two coats gives a perfect application. Malice is a beautiful vampy shade of burgundy color with a hint of deep red undertone, but the mix of ruby and magenta shimmer makes the color so interesting and stand out from the norm.
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