My Eyes Have the Blues: Chanel Les Quatres Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Fascination

Happy weekend, everyone! Today's post features one of the lovely goodies I picked up at my recent Chanel makeover, which I talked about in my last post, here! 

One spring trend that has been raved about left and right is blue eye makeup. From robin egg to navy, this is a trend that has simultaneously piqued my interest and skepticism. Back in high school I was quick to adopt a blue eye makeup look (see here and here if you want photographic evidence), which is why the look evokes both nostalgia and a bit of, well, cringing. Eek. But when I saw that Chanel was touting the blue eye makeup trend this season, my skepticism melted into temptation. If you're going to jump on a bandwagon, might as well be one as chic as Chanel's! ;)

So my foray back into blue eye makeup has been ushered in with the incredibly fun, sleek, and elegant Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Fascination. As with all Chanel products, it came packaged in a chic black and gold box:

The palette itself is sleek and slightly reflective, with a label on the back and the iconic interlocking "C"s on the front: 

And a peek inside! The compact features a decently-sized mirror, two sponge applicators, and a logo-embossed cover to keep the eye shadows fresh:

Here's a shot of the eye shadows themselves. As you can see, Fascination features dome-shaped eye shadows in four distinct shades: a cool-toned pale grey, a cheery sky blue with gold shimmer and lavender undertones, a mid-tone charcoal, and a nearly-black deep navy:

Chanel Fascination Eye Shadow Quad

And swatches! Starting with the shade in the top right of the palette and working counter-clockwise:

Swatches for the Chanel Fascination Eye Shadow Quad, against my NC15 skin tone

As you can see, the silver shade is quite pale and semi-sheer, the blue and charcoal shades are slightly more pigmented, and the navy-black is fully opaque. Each have different levels of sheen to them, with the deepest shade being closest to matte and the bright blue shade the most shimmery of the lot. These swatches were all applied with a dry sponge applicator, but apparently you can wet the brush/sponge to make the colours more intense. I've yet to try this, but looking forward to giving it a go!

The palette even comes with a little booklet that describes the function of the palette, as well as 5 different ways you can utilize the shades to create varying looks. It's not a necessary addition to the palette, but it would definitely be a handy resource for someone new to makeup and seeking some tips. And of course the descriptions are incredibly appealing- who wouldn't want to play with a palette that offers "a perfect harmony of luminous, contrasting shades for a makeup look that can go from ultra-natural to extremely sophisticated "?

Overall, I'm pretty happy that I've warmed to the blue eye shadow craze and am looking forward to incorporating this palette into my makeup routine. Look out for a Look of the Day featuring the Fascination quad soon!

Is this a palette you would buy? Any other spring trend that are capturing your interest at the moment?

Cheers! xo

Chanel Makeover at The Bay!

Hey, everyone! Today's post documents a fun and luxurious Chanel makeover I attended at the the Bay, Queen St. here in Toronto a couple weeks ago. The event was celebrating the launch of their newest product, Les Beiges de Chanel Healthy Glow Sheer Powder as well as a lineup of vibrant shades for spring and summer, the Jeux de Regards collection.

Here's a snap of me (taken by the lovely makeup artist) post-makeover:

Because I was in the mood to play with colour and step a tad outside my comfort zone, I gave the makeup artist the green light to play with some of the cheery blue shades from the Jeux de Regards collection. Blue eye makeup is quite scarce in my collection, so I wanted to see if I could pull off the colour palette. Blues when done wrong can be sooo wrong, but I was curious to determine whether I could get them to look right (or more than right) on me!

Here are a couple shots of all the products that were used, including some uber-luxe skin care treats:

Product lineup from my Spring 2013 Chanel Makeover 

And here's a photo of the Jeux de Regards collection, including the summery blue shades I alluded to, as well as a lovely new mascara, Le Volume de Chanel:

Jeux de Regards Collection, Spring 2013, at the Bay

And here's a breakdown of what the makeup artist used for my look. Luckily I remembered almost everything! Chanel products do tend to leave a lasting impression :)

Face:
Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup in #10 (sheered out with Le Blanc de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base)
Correcteur Perfection Long-Lasting Concealer in #10 Beige Clair
Les Beiges de Chanel Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in #20
Les Beiges de Chanel Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in #50 (as a bronzer)
Joues Contraste Powder Blush in In Love

Eyes:
Le Sourcils de Chanel Perfect Brow Powder in Brun
Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Fascination
Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Bleu Exquis
Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Black (top lashes) and Blue (bottom lashes)

Lips:
Wish I remembered the exact shades! It was a Rouge Coco lipstick topped with a Levers Scintillantes Glossimer. She was aiming for a fresh corally-nude effect.


Overall, I had an amazing time at the event. It's not every day that you get to be pampered with luxurious skin care and painted with Chanel makeup! The makeup artist was kind, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable and did a great job at making the blue shades work with my colouring. I was convinced!

Here are some shots of the finished look:

Close-up of the liner and mascara. Black on the top, bright blue on the bottom!

Another mandatory shot in front of the promo poster:

And a couple shots in (super bright!) natural light. The sun was setting, which made for a good glimpse at the shimmer and texture of the products used. But not so great for keeping my eyes open! *Squint*

At the end of the event, I did walk away with a couple of goodies, which I will be reviewing soon! I felt pretty swanky with my sleek black and white Chanel bag afterwards. I was going to attempt a super chic shot of the bag by its lonesome, but of course Sadie had other plans ;)

So what are your thoughts!? Think I can pull off these blue tones? Will any of you be embracing the blue eye makeup trend this spring and summer? Any other Chanel Spring 2013 products that have stolen your heart?

Thanks for reading! xo

Lipsticks For... Your Softer Side (Or When you want Something a bit Different)

Hey, everyone! Today's post can definitely be filed in the 'better late than never' category. Back in January and February I began organizing, photographing, and swatching my lipstick collection by colour family. In the process, I brought to you my vampy, coral, fuchsia (pictured in my header), nude, red, and rosy shades of lipstick all arranged neatly among their peers (can lipsticks have peers?).

And now for the final installment! Since this is the last bunch I'm featuring, the shades in this group are a bit of a mish-mash. Half are those shade for your "softer side": gentle pinks and peaches that aren't quite nude, rosy, or coral. Those that create a more subdued lip without leaving things too naked. The other half are those that are a bit 'differerent', that didn't fit into any previous category. They mostly consist of bronzy browns and complex purples. For when you want something a bit outside the box!

Without further ado, here they are:

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

And some closeups:

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar

(L-R): MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

And swatches!

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

Closeups of the swatches:

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar

(L-R): MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

And a description of each shade, including links to past posts where I've featured them!

Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo is a warm peachy coral with a semi-sheer, shimmery finish. The formula of the Addict lipsticks is wonderfully moisturizing and comfortable on the lips. This particular shade is the perfect compromise between a bare nude and a bright coral. So lovely for spring and summer! You can see me wearing it, here.
Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait is quite similar to Dior Bobo, but slightly more pink, sheer, and shimmery. Lovely for a bit of colour and shine on the lips, while still being quite soft and wearable. You can see it featured, here!
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure is my only Chanel Coco Shine and I really like it. The formula is quite sheer and moisturizing, lightweight, but creamy. So nice! The shade is a soft, warm pink with just a tiny bit of punch. Another ideal shade for spring. You can see me wearing it, here!
Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar is a warm bronzy coral with a moisturizing formula and semi-sheer finish. Unfortunately this line of lipsticks has been retired by Chanel, but I'll definitely be reaching for this one often during the summertime!  You can see photos and a review of it, here.
MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI is a unique plummy brown shade with a slightly shiny finish and an opacity half-way between sheer and opaque. It is photographing quite brown in my pictures here, but there definitely are some interesting plummy-purple undertones in this one. I don't reach for it often, but it really is a wonderful shade for fall! See a review and more photos of it, here.
Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise is an incredibly unique pinky-plummy-brown shade with subtle peach and gold undertones. Definitely complex! The finish is near opaque and the formula is rich and moisturizing. So lovely! You can see me wearing it, plus a full review here.
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp is probably the most "different" shade I have in my collection. This rich purple-violet shade seems to have both warm and cool undertones. The formula is incredibly pigmented with a slight sheen. I thought that it wouldn't suit me at all, but it's surprisingly wearable! See my feature of it, here.
Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop nearly made it into my post on fuchsia lipsticks, but its slight blueish-purple undertones landed it here. As with all of the lip butters, the formula is rich and moisturizing and the finish is shiny and semi -heer. You can see it on my lips, here!


And a few more super-sized photos for good measure:

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

(L-R): Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure, Chanel Aqualumiere in Zanzibar, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Viva Glam VI, Boots Moisture Drench Lipstick in Paradise, MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up the Amp, Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

And that's it! Feels really good to have finally swatched the majority of my collection. Makes me really appreciate the stash that I have and will hopefully remind me that I really don't need that 9th hot pink lipstick! :)

Do you own any of the shades I've featured today? Any of them catch your eye? What are some of your favourite "soft" or "different" lipsticks?

As always, thanks for reading! xo

Drool-Worthy Displays at The Bay, Queen Street

Hi, everyone! Just thought I would share a bit of eye candy (dare I say, makeup porn?) on this Monday afternoon while I'm working feverishly at editing and preparing some future posts.

These are some photos of last month's window displays at the Bay on Queen St. here in Toronto. They were promoting the wide selection of makeup and beauty items that they carry and trying to pique consumers' interest in some pretty spring makeup. It worked on me!

Here are some lipsticks in wine glasses, next to some branded wine bottles... I'd love to get drunk on some NARS! ;)

The overall theme of the displays was "Find your Match". This window touted a selection of over 1300 lipsticks!

Another view of the lipstick array:

And an extremely colourful eye shadow display, designed like a chic array of eyeglasses:

And some lovely skin care options, bakery style:

And a cafe serving up foundation! If only my base products were caffeinated ;)

And finally, a fruit market full of fragrances!

Although I'm definitely a huge sucker for a super chic or wickedly cheeky display, I rarely stop to take photos. Something about this one made me linger! I guess for makeup addicts like me, displays of this nature are akin to bakery windows brimming with cakes and other sweets. But at least these goodies are calorie-free! (Though definitely worse on the wallet ;)

Is this the type of display that would make you do a double-take?

Thanks for reading! More exciting posts coming up soon :)

Look of the Day: Delusional BFF

Happy Saturday, everyone! So whenever I do a Look of the Day featuring products from Meow Cosmetics the titles get a bit dramatic. The last one I did, which featured gold, brown, and teal on the eyes, was deemed Apocalyptic Mermaid (which you can check out, here) and today's hints at a Delusional BFF. But you can hardly blame me, since Meow Cosmetics' shade names are truly creative, weird, cheeky, and equally dramatic!

As I've mentioned in previous posts (here and here) Meow Cosmetics is a brand that offers high-quality mineral makeup that is vegan, cruelty-free, and seriously fun. You can check out their website, here!

For today's look, I chose to paint my eyes in purple. A look I really love, as purple tends to complement my colouring and brown eyes quite well, but don't wear nearly often enough. Just like my last Look of the Day, Soft Smokey, this look was a deviation from the norm for me, yet I found it to be totally wearable for daytime.

The stars of this look were the gorgeous BFF eye shadow (a shimmery pinky purple violet shade from their colourful Wild Child collection), Prophecy eye shadow (a multi-faceted ivory shimmer from their dramatic End of Days collection) and the soft and pretty Delusions blush (a dainty pinky-peach), which I layered over top of the equally lovely Laura Mercier Cheek Creme in Oleander. Here's a close-up of the eye look:

For the lips, I originally opted for Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart (a cheery, warm pink) but I found it to be a bit matchy-matchy with the eye colour, so I made things a bit more interesting by mixing in a bit of Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous (a warm orange-coral shade). I really liked the contrast of the purple eyes and coral lips!

Here's another peek at the entire look, followed by a breakdown of what I used:

The Breakdown:

Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Whipped Cream Makeup in Buff
Concealer: NYX Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer #3
Powder: Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss Mineral Makeup in Frisky Chartreux
Bronzer: Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula
Blush: Laura Mercier Cheek Creme in Oleander topped with Meow Cosmetics Blush in Delusions
Highlighter: Meow Cosmetics Prophecy eye shadow

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde
Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Eye Shadows: Meow Cosmetics End of Days Eye Shadows in Prophecy (all over the lid and as a highlight on brow bone and inner corners) and Nostradamus (precisely in the crease) and Wild Child Eye Shadow in BFF (on crease (blended into Nostradamus) and outer corner)
Eyeliner: Tarte emphasEyes Clay Liner in Brown
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling in Black

Lips: Mix of Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart and Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous


And a few more shots of the look:

Overall, I was really happy to try something a bit different and have it work out! I don't wear non-neutrals on my eyes very often, generally because of work and wanting to look professional when working with clients. As a result of wearing more subdued makeup so regularly to work and school, a penchant towards neutrals tends to spill over to non-work days and weekends too. For no good reason! While I lean towards bright colours for my lips on a fairly regular basis, my eyes are usually left rather nude. So I'm making it a resolution to play with eye shadow colours more often now. And spring is the perfect time to do it!

What are your thoughts about this look? Is it something you'd wear? How do you like to incorporate colour into your makeup routine?

And one quick question- for those who follow me via Blogger/Google- have you been able to see my recent posts on your Blogger Reading List feed? I follow myself via Blogger, so my posts always show up on my Reading list; however my last three (my Adele tutorial, my Soft Smokey Look of the Day, and my review of Hot Tahiti) have not shown up on my Blogger feed. Are you able to see them? As long as my readers can access them, I won't be concerned with my personal feed :)

Thanks for reading! :)

Another Back 2 MAC Success: Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

Hi, everyone! It was last month when I realized I'd accrued one of the most covetable collections a makeup maven could ask for: 6 MAC empties! Of course I'm referring to the exciting and incredible Back 2 MAC program, in which you return 6 empty MAC containers and exchange them for a brand new lipstick or eye shadow of choice. The most glamorous form of recycling out there!

I tend to do about one Back 2 MAC exchange per year (a true outcome measure of my MAC consumption) and have always been quite smitten with the free lipstick I've selected. Last summer I chose the lovely Vegas Volt lipstick, which you can see swatched here. It really is the perfect vibrant coral lip for the warmer months; I received compliments within minutes of applying it. Truly! Two years ago, my Back 2 MAC trade led me to the girly and daring Impassioned, which I featured here. It  has been a staple in my lipstick rotation since.

This year, I wanted to select a shade not quite as vivid as the two I just mentioned; instead, I was craving something that would give a pop of colour to the lips, while still being subtle and versatile enough to wear daily. After loads of painstaking research (yes, even makeup research can be painstaking!), I chose a much un-hyped about shade, Hot Tahiti. And when I say un-hyped I really mean under-hyped. This shade should definitely get more attention!

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahihi

Hot Tahiti is a slightly warm rosy red with a sheer but buildable finish and a soft sheen. MAC describes the shade as a "soft reddish-coral". While I see the warmth in the shade, I can't detect any coral undertones. Just a pretty, wearable rosy red! I'd categorize it as a "my lips but better, plus" shade, slightly punchier than a natural lip colour, but subtle enough not to fall into red, berry, fuchsia, or vampy category.

The packaging is that of a standard MAC lipstick, a sleek black bullet:

And here are some swatches of Hot Tahiti under slightly different lighting. In each, the left swatch is a sheer application and the right is swatched more heavily:

MAC Hot Tahiti swatched (L) lightly and (R) heavily on my NC15 skin tone

As you can see from the swatches, the Glaze formula makes for a slightly shiny, sheer but buildable finish. I love it! Its buildable texture really makes it quite a versatile lipstick.

One swipe of the lipstick creates a sheer, 'just bitten' finish like this:

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

And a few more layers creates a richer, more pigmented finish like this:

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

And here are a couple pictures of me wearing it, in the context of an entire look. It was difficult to get a good shot that day (mainly because of my dorky facial expressions, rather than the lighting), but hopefully you still get a good idea of what it looks like on!

Overall, I am super pleased with this shade. As I've mentioned, its sheer, but buildable formula makes it incredibly wearable and versatile. Though it is warm-toned, it's not overly so, making it suitable for both warm- and cool-toned skin. I find that it really brightens up my face and just makes my lips look great overall.

There have been several MAC lipsticks receiving tons of love in the blogosphere lately (for instance, Rebel (which I have and love), Brick O La, and Plumful). I really think Hot Tahiti should be among them! I definitely deserves some love :)

Have you tried this shade? Is it something you'd wear? Any other favourite "my lips but better plus" shades that you love?

And one final photo for you- kitty photo bomb! She really is soo nosy.