Dior Vernis 908 Tuxedo

I was excited when I saw this polish at Nordstrom, thinking that was probably a slightly lighter shade of navy than Chanel's Blue Satin, and it was!  Unlike Blue Satin, which looks black on the nail unless you look at it in direct sun, Tuxedo looks blue under any light, but a deep, shimmery, elegant blue.

Dior polishes now have flat brush that covers a wide area of the nail plate with one swipe, but the formula is so thick that it dries quickly on the brush, making the polish thick and gloppy while applying. 

That annoyance aside, I like the color so much that I will wear it anyway.  I used a Chanel base coat, two coats of Tuxedo, and Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, so I didn't have to wait long for the thick formula to dry.  Tuxedo lasted a week with minimum wear on the tips, and no chips.  If the polish become too thick in the bottle, I will try mixing it with some Seche Vite thinner.
As usual, there are other polishes similar in color.  Cafe Makeup has some comparison here and here.

Regard Signe de Chanel, Topkapi

Topkapi is a beautiful quad.  I was unimpressed when I first opened it because the colors looked like others I've seen, i.e. brown and gold.  And the names of the colors are simple, Gold, Taupe, Copper, and Bronze.  But upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the color described as taupe is actually closer to pewter, and goes on as such.  It is unlike any color I've seen.  All the shadows are perfectly pigmented, and more finely milled than most other shadows I have. 

I've swatched them below with a sponge applicator and without a primer.  There is more shimmer than found in most quads, but not too much. 

Taken indoors

Taken outdoors

I applied the shadows on my eye with a small YSL eyeshadow brush that came in a GWP, which picked up almost as much color as the sponge applicator.  That's unusual.  I've learned that this may be attributable to the brush, rather than the shadow, but given that the same happened with the sponge applicator, I'm giving credit to the product.  It did not seem as though the brush had picked up much when I swiped it across the shadows, particularly the pewter and the gold, but when I brushed them on my eyelid, a rich wash of color appeared.  Wow.  This may call for a back up.

Taupe is applied on the lid below the crease.
Gold applied lightly over the the taupe in the inner half of the lid.
Bronze, the lighter brown, applied the in the crease and winged out.
Copper, the darker brown, used as eyeliner.
Edward Bess' Afterglow All Over Seduction used as a highlighter under the brow.
YSL Noir Radical Mascara.

Chanel suggests other applications on their site.  You can toggle between the Byzance look, and the Empress Theodora look.  I'm eager to try out the double-winged liner on Theodora!

My only criticism is that it fades after a few hours.  I hope my new favorite eyeshadow primer by Nars will take care of that.

Topkapi is part of the limited edition Collection Byzance de Chanel, which can be purchased on Chanel's site, and at Chanel boutiques and salons across the US.  I bought mine from the Nordstrom Chanel Salon in Seattle, 206-628-1054.  Ask for Phillis.  I have no affiliation with Nordstrom or Phillis, she was just very helpful and followed up when shipping my package.  Be warned, Topkapi is going fast.

Chanel Peridot 531

I'm still not sure I like it.   

Occasionally, it looks bronze. 

Peridot matches the Habu Spring Shawl.   It's growing on me.

I love British Vogue.  It has interesting style coverage.  It features the latest fashions, of course, but frequently features women who are stylish in their own right, whether or not they are wearing the latest or are famous. It has printed photo stories showing what real professional women wear to work, including shots of those women in their offices; interesting interviews of people in the fashion industry, and not just designers - they recently interviewed one of Alexander McQueen's design teachers. BV covers accessories extensively, and feature pages of cosmetics, though I have to admit that these days I've usually seen most products on someone's blog before it shows up in the print magazines.

The July issue is devoted to Ageless Style.  The best piece, in my opinion was "Civvy Street," in which Stella Tennant models new fall garments, which include "cozy knits" and corduroy.  I'm accustomed to seeing Tennant as a light-haired waif in more feminine clothing, so her darker hair, and androgynous style was a distraction from the clothes themselves.  Interestingly, BV has not air brushed the lines from Tennant's face. I don't think she has ever look better. I love the tousled raven hair, the life etched on her face. It's a great look for Stella - I wonder if she'll keep it.

I wasn't totally distracted actually.  I love the Maison Martin Margiela chunky double-layer knit below left, and the Michael Kors cardi on the right.

And the Burberry merino sweater left, and the corduroy suit right.

I love the general styling below, though I'm at a loss at what to call it.  Fur is faux.

The entire shoot reminds of me the 60s,  possibly the hairdo at right?

All photos from British Vogue, July 2011.

Chanel Les Ombres Quad Eye Shadow - Prelude

I went to Nordstrom to  pick up the three new nail polishes, and two of the new Illusion D'Ombre long wear eyeshadows - I hadn't given much thought to the new quad.  I tested the darkest color just because it looked purple, and to my surprise, it pulled a warm purple on my skin.  They often don't.  So this was an easy sell. 

It's subtle, and cool, different from the warmer shadows that dominate my collection. I thought it might be too similar to my standby, Kaska Beige, but it's much cooler. See the comparisons below.

I thought Prelude might be similar to Enigma too, but it's not.

The colors in Enigma are also warmer and have more shimmer. Prelude has just enough shimmer to keep it from looking flat.  All the colors except the lightest one have interesting turquoise sparkles in the pan that barely show up on the skin.  The lightest one has faint gold shimmer and appears yellowish in some lights, and pinkish in others.  Either way, it's beautiful.

photo taken in daylight

I applied the lighter color on the inner lid, and under the brow; the second lightest over the expanse of the lid; the medium color in the crease, and used the darkest color as a liner.

I'll be using this frequently.