Chanel Mystere Quadra Eye Shadow and Khaki Precieux Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eye Liner

I wish Mystere, the quad in Chanel's fall collection wasn't limited edition as it fills an niche n my eyeshadow collection.  It's a brilliant neutral on my medium skin tone that pulls a subtle khaki  and clearly and subtly creates a different color tone than the grays and browns in my collection.

Rather than use all of the colors together for one look, I created two - one cooler and conservative, the other warmer and more sparkly.  I used the two bottom colors for the conservative look, applying the lighter, silver-infused satin taupe to the entire lid, and the darker matte khaki on the bottom right in the outer corners.

The two top colors are infused with a beautiful golden shimmer. The darker color is greener than the bottom color and the lighter color is a pale yellow.  Unlike the palest colors in other quads, this one has enough pigment so that it's actually yellow on medium-toned eyelids - I think the golden shimmer helps too.  It was hard to pick up the shimmer in the swatch photo below.

There was significant fall out when applied with a brush.  There was none when I used the sponge applicators that come with the quad.  I especially liked the narrow one that allows me to get into the narrow space in the outer corners of my eyes.

The Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eye Liner in Khaki Precieux is swatched on the far right.  It has a more obviously khaki hue than the quad and intensifies the quad's look.  I find that it glides more easily than Rose Or and Rose Plantine.  I love it.

Though these are fall releases, this beautiful quad and liner harmonize well with summer coral and orange lip colors I've been wearing (and my new yellow sweater set!).

I bought these at Nordstrom Pentagon City.

March Favorites

1.  Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer SPF40 and 100% Pure Argan Oil:  My skin is lot less oily since I've been using these daily and nightly.  It wasn't a surprise to the makeover artists and sales assistants to whom I've mentioned this.  Why hasn't anyone told us?  The daily moisturizer claims to defend against premature aging and reverse sun damage.  Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide provide full spectrum sun protection again UVA and UVB rays.  They blend into the skin quickly and do not look ashy after application. The moisturizer also contains argan oil and other ingredients that you can review here.  I use the 100% Pure Argan Oil on my face and neck at night.  Neither contain
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

I bought my traved-sized products at Sephora.

2.  Dolce and Gabbana Femme Fatale Eye Shadow Quad:  I've used this versatile quad almost everyday since I bought it.  It goes with everything in my wardrobe and I can change my look with different blush and lipstick or gloss.  See my full review here.

3.  Dior Nail Polishes  Dune 715 and Gris Trianon 306:  I'm a little late to the "greige" scene.  The these gray polishes look less stark with the inclusion of brown and cream undertones.  And they "went" with everything in this month's wardrobe.   The wear is fantastic:  minimum tip wear after seven days.  I used Dior's fast-drying topcoat.

4.  Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick:  I love this one for the day-long meetings and conferences I attend.  Quite a lot of product comes out when you remove the wand and tends to collect on the edges of the lip, so I apply to the center first then work out.  It dries down to a matte finish and feels a little tacky if you press your lips together.  It lasted through the morning and most was still on after lunch.  The colors shown on the Sephora and SpaceNK aren't as bright as they actually are, so I encourage you go see them for yourself.  The pink and orange are quite bright and will be perfect for spring and summer.  The color here is Icon.

5.  Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Longlasting Eyeliner Or Rose:  I almost returned this one.  I found that it drags when I try to apply it as a traditional eyeliner.  But I love the way its golden rose color brightens my eyes when applied on the lower inner lid and on the waterline. 

6.  T. LeClerc Eyeliner Pen:  Until I bought another brand of felt tip pen, I didn't appreciate how the length of the tip - about 3/4" - makes application so much easier especially along the upper waterline and when using the point to apply between the lashes.  It's waterproof so it stays put, only showing signs of wear by the end of my working day. 

What were your faves this month?

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Eye Shadows: Apparition and Destination

I couldn't resist buying the two new Illusion D'Ombre eye shadows, Apparition and Destination, from the Blue Illusion de Chanel Limited Edition Color Collection.  I love the gel-like texture of the Illusion D'Ombre eye shadows, the smooth application, and their staying power. 

 

Apparition has pulled away from the side of the jar a bit, but this has not affected the shadow's performance.

 

 

Enough gray was added to both shades to keep them from becoming that bright electric blue of the '70s.  Nothing wrong with electric blue, it's just that some of us aren't comfortable wearing eyeshadow that bright anymore!  These have less shimmer than the previous editions, and not only silver, but a bit of purple and pink as well.  These changes help maintain the integrity of the color,I think. 

I used the lighter shade, Destination, as a base, applying all over the lid, and most sparingly under the brow.  Then I applied the darker Apparition from the lash line half way up the lid, blending well so that there was no sharp line of demarcation.  These lovelies each came with one of those wonderful little brushes that are perfect for eye lining, but I found my fingers were best for application and blending.  I bought the Crayon Khol eyeliner in "Marine" to match.

I love the look, but I won't be wearing it to work even though Chanel toned down the sheen.  Chanel.com has sold out of the shadows.  I bought mine from Tressa at the Downtown Seattle Nordstrom, 206-628-2111.

 

Sunday Riley Fools Gold Eye Shadow and Giorgio Armani Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils

I threw on Sunday Riley's Fools Gold yesterday without swatching first.  Well, I swatched months ago when I bought it, but hadn't touched it since.  I was stunned that this antique dark gold/taupe eye shadow went on so darkly and found myself wondering what highlighter and lipstick to wear with it.  Especially since I've gone into "spring brights" mode.  What can I say?  It was 8am! So I decided to use Giorgio Armani's #4 Antique waterproof eyeliner pencil, which I hadn't swatched either, in the upper and lower inner corners, and applied YLS Touche Eclat #3 highlighter under the brow.   Fortunately, it all worked, and I have a new favorite eye shadow.

Fools Gold is a black/gold powder shadow with a hint of moss green in some lighting.  One would think the gold would go on with a sheen, but it sparkles sparsely instead.  It's stunning, unlike any other color in my stash or that I've ever seen.  There's a little fall out, but very little due to its the creamy texture.  It's easily dealt with by applying eye makeup before foundation.  It lasted all day without creasing.  I love the packaging - I can see the color easily when searching in my stash.

The Armani eyeliner melted on my oily lids after a few hours; I made note to try it on powdered lids next time.  I decided to try the #4 Copper color with Fools Gold the today, and like this combination even better.  Though it's metallic, it's subtler for day and opens the eyes nicely without looking too shiny.  It's a nice eye brightener and shadow for any complexion, and unlike many others, doesn't looking chalky.  I think a subtle metallic finish may be the secret to the perfect eye brightener.  I powdered my eyelids first today, and it hasn't creased at all.

Fools Gold with Armani #4 Antique Waterproof Pencil

Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara

Tom Ford "Taupe" Brow Sculptor

YSL Touche Eclat #3 used under the eye brow

 

Fools Gold with Armani #5 Copper Waterproof Pencil
Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara

Tom Ford "Taupe" Brow Sculptor

YSL Touche Eclat #3 used under the eye brow

 

Sunday Riley's Fools Gold is sold at Barneys;  the Giorgio Armani Limited Edition Waterproof Eye Pencils are available at Barneys, GiorgioArmaniBeauty-USA.com, and Nordstrom.

Nordstrom National Makeup Artist Event: Chanel Prelude Makeover

I skipped yet another annual Nordstrom Trend Show this morning.  Eight o'clock is just way too early for a Saturday morning.  I scheduled my Chanel makeover for noon instead.  (And even so, I woke up at 11am - eep!) 

The promise of the trying out the new Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation made me haul a__ to get dressed and out the door.  Though many companies make foundations in colors for women of color these days, it can still be hard to find the right one, depending upon your skin's undertones.  To be fair, I already have a couple that work well for me - by Jouer and Le Metier de Beaute - but since high school, when there was virtually nothing for "us,"  I've been driven to look at new products designed for women of color.

The beauty lines at Nordstrom bring in a number of makeup artists (MAs) including national makeup artists for this annual event.   Each customer was assigned to a makeup artist, while one of Chanel's star national artists, John Fussell, oversaw each application, made recommendations, and gave useful new tips.  I asked that they use Perfection Lumiere as the foundation, but gave them free reign over everything else.  I'll save the foundation review for later after I've had a chance to see if it lives up to its long-wear promise.

In addition to applying Perfection Lumiere to my face, Mr. Fussell directed the MA use it also as an eye shadow base, and to apply it to my lips, which allows the true shades of the lip color to show and evens out any color variances that may exist around the edges of the lip.  She used Fandango on my cheeks, an excellent color for me and one one I already have.  Next, she applied colors from the "Prelude" quad on my eyes, which I also already own, so I was intrigued to see what she might do differently. 

Wash of color #1 over the entire lid below the crease.
A dot of color #2 in the center of the lid, just above the lash line.
Color #3 in the crease, and lining under the eye from corner to corner.
Color #4 under the brow.

Though using liner on the waterline is common, it's new for me.  The MA encircled the entire waterline, top and bottom, with Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof eyeliner in black.  It gave me an entire new look. 

My brows were filled in with the Crayon Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Naturel.  What an improvement over the old one!  It's much softer and applies far more easily.  And it's waterproof, a real bennie in this humid Washington environment.

Mr. Fussell finished my brows by lightly dipping a very thin, flat eyeliner brush into color #4 of the Prelude quad, then followed the line of the underside of my brows, giving the eye a much more finished look. I added a little more for the photo when I got home - you will blend better than I did, of course! I am really pleased with this intense smokey eye look.  Just as if he knew I had some doubts about the cool tones of Prelude on my warm complexion, Mr. Fussell said that using cool-toned eye shadow colors brings out the hazel colors in brown eyes such as mine.  I didn't see any green in my eyes, but they did appear to be a richer brown.  Finally, the MA lined my lips with Aqua Crayon "Chocolate," and filled in with Rouge Coco Shine "Deauville," a neutral pink, then topped it with "Meteore" Glossimer.  The fall looks feature both a strong eye and lip this season, but I may keep these anyway. 

My makeover was completed with a complimentary nail polish application.  It was a nice service, but I was surprised that the nail technician didn't have base or top coat to apply.  Fortunately, the color I chose, Graphite, dried quickly and shows no nicks.

While I was pleased with my makeover, I was disappointed that Nordstrom didn't coordinate the timing of the Trend Show and National Artist Event with the release of the Holiday Collections.  The Chanel Holiday collection is due out next month.  It would have been nice to have gotten a makeover and nail application with the new products.  It was a great event nevertheless.  I always enjoy learning new things from the pros.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

Chanel describes the Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eye Shadows as shimmering long-wear shadows with a soft and cushiony, gel texture that can also be worn as eyeliner. I bought three:  Epatant, a grayish green; Illusoire, light maroon; and Mirifique, black.

I would describe the texture as  very, very, dense foam - a little bit goes a very long way, justifying the $36 price tag for .14 ounces.  They come with a small, expandable brush that applies the shadow well enough.  I used the brush to pick up the product from the jar, but found that it blends best with my finger.  The brush is best for eye lining.

I looked forward to buying Epatant because I had seen many sneak peeks on blogs, and by the promise that it was the closest color to the famous Lancome Erica F.  I was a little disappointed that Epatant doesn't look as green on my eyelid as it does in the swatches below, and is almost overpowered by silvery shimmer, especially in bright daylight.  So I used the dark green in the Regard Perle Chanel quad as a liner to bring out the green in Epatant.   They are good match.  I couldn't take good pictures of it applied on my eye, but I'll try again.

I was pleased with the grayish purple Illusoire, which looks maroon on my eyelid.  It's wearable during the day though it has a significant amount of shimmer.  One could wear it to a casual office. 

The black Mirifique was the big surprise.  I don't usually wear black eye shadow, but it is a stunning eye liner.  It goes on effortlessly with the little expandable brush.  I've never applied eyeliner as easily.  It has a curve on the lower end that makes it slide with ease, particularly as you approach the outer end of the end of the eye and lift off.   I'm going to try it with other liners.  Chanel should seriously consider developing an eyeliner of the same texture without the shimmer.  You can see the shimmer in the closeup picture below, but it's not so obvious if you're standing at normal conversational distance.   They should also consider adding a larger eyeliner brush with the curved brush shape to their brush collection.  These shadows lasted the entire day without primer, with just a touch of fading.

Illusoire on the entire lid.
Mirifique lining the eye.
Edward Bess' Afterglow All Over Seduction used as a highlighter under the brow.
YSL Noir Radical Mascara.

What has your experience been with these shadows?