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Chanel

Chanel РParticuli̬re

Tuesday, 25 January, 2011

I had waited for this color, but one of my BFFs from college totally pulled through for me last year and purchased this in Paris for me…and through a series of foiled plans to get together, I finally got my grubby little paws on this bottle back in December.

The weather hadn’t been playing nice, but one day it did…and here is what I have for you.

Formula was fantastic – quick drying. I love cremes and this is no exception. No boo boo shimmer to mess this color up.

This color does not fail on delivery. I was truly surprised at how gorgeous this really was. I wore it for a few days and just marveled at the beauty. Marveled at how fabulous it looked on me. *weeps* If you can, run out and get this color because this is one of those Chanels that you will love to have in your collection ten years from now. That and Paradoxal. 😉 I love Paradoxal…must get another bottle of it. I gave my back-up away, but no regrets because it went to a wonderful person!

Chanel – Brown Sugar

Thursday, 6 January, 2011
Chanel Brown Sugar

Is a polish from 1994-1995 considered old school? In my head it is, but it may not be so for others. Anyway, enough with the debate over semantics. Let’s look at my treasure.

I know I’ve gone on and on about Chanel’s Brown Sugar. I did a search for Brown Sugar in my blog and I found three instances of where it’s mentioned. I know I’d have mentioned it a lot more but editing saved you from having to read about it everyday. Now friends of mine, on the other hand. I’ve more than bent their ears on it. Frankly, I think I think I abused them. LOL.

I’ll dig up Violette and let you look at them to see. I will eventually do a side by side comparison, but for now here is my one true nail polish love.

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Chanel – Black Pearl and Pearl Drop

Thursday, 23 December, 2010

Part of Chanel’s 2011 Spring Collection, Collection Les Perles De Chanel, Black Pearl and Pearl Drop, are the 2 colors that made me go, “Hmm…it will either fail or sink.”

To be honest, after the epic gorgeousness that was Fall’s Paradoxal, I was severely let down by Riva. It felt so common. I had honestly seen it before – both with and without shimmer. I could wax bitterly lyrical about how disappointed I was by Riva, by not only by the color but the application as well. Rather than rehash, check out the post.

I’m in the middle of road for Black Pearl and Pearl drop. While both had fairly good application with the formula being a bit on the thin side, I once again felt that this was something I had already seen.

What Chanel tried to do was make a cute little tips and toes set – I was told that Pearl Drop was meant for your fingers and Black Pearl was meant for your toes. Wear it at a resort, blah blah blah. You get the idea. Anyway, picture spam below!

Last note: I wanted to compare the nail polish against the real thing – a black pearl. Obligatory shot included.

What Chanel did here was capture the iridescence you would find in a black pearl. It’s a hard sheen to capture because it has so many colors – green, grey, gold and a multitude of other colors depending on the lustre of the pearl and the type/kind. Don’t worry, there won’t be much jewelry or gemstone chatter from me in this post…I think.

When I saw this in sunlight, it really reminded me of my mother’s Tahitian Black Pearls that she has. She busts out with them once every NEVER because she can’t be bothered with getting them out of the bank. I saw them ONCE when I graduated from college, but that was it. I remember I was struck by the sheer size of the pearls as well as the lustre and the color. When I say size, you have to understand that the average pearls you see in the store are small – roughly 7 to 7.7 mm. Her Tahitian Black Pearls are a crazy 13-15mm in size. Practically double the average size of a pearl. Ok, I’m done. Sort of. I swear I’m done with jewelry chatter.

I didn’t lie – I had to provide picture of Chanel’s Black Pearl nail polish vs the color of a real black pearl. 😀

There is a faint gold shimmer that only comes out in person. It barely registers here. What Chanel tried to do was mimic the peachy golden glow of white pearls. They did a pretty good job. While this color wasn’t bad, not sure if I’d wear it faithfully.

You can see the shimmer better here.

Overall not a bad collection, but just not enough to wow me. Sorry, Chanel. If I had to give this a grade, I’d say this is a C for colors and an A for the formula.


Chanel – Riva

Wednesday, 1 December, 2010

I was surprised with this color. Hubby got it for me and who am I to say no to a bottle of nail polish? 😀

I was happy to get a color like this. I had been in two minds and I couldn’t make it up – do I want it or don’t I want it? Then I got a confirmation email saying it was on the way…decision taken out of my hands.

However, had I known then what I do now, I’d have said, “Let me find a dupe and pass.” I’d have used the money towards purchasing some other polish.

First off, what a craptastic formula. Streaky and a total pain to work with. Not opaque after 3 coats. Took forever and a *beeep* day to dry. I wasn’t even going to try and do 4 coats because even after the first coat, I had BUBBLES. BUBBLES IN A FIRST COAT THAT WASN’T EVEN THICK. I’m beyond disappointed.

And Chanel had a gorgeous shimmer that was prevalent in the bottle…and barely noticeable in sunlight.

Skip this. Get something like OPI’s What’s With The Cattitude or Finger Paints’ Blissfully Blue and then slap some CND Nail Effect Sparkle on it.

Ok, I think you get how disappointed I am by this polish. On to the pictures. As always, keep clicking the image until you can click it no more and it is huge. Remember, these are just thumbnails. The overall details will be seen in the original size of the picture (ghetto hangnails and all!) – you will see the shimmer in the sunlight shot and the bubbles.

comparison

Chanel vs Essie vs Rescue Beauty Lounge – Khaki Vert vs Sew Psyched vs Diddy Mow

Monday, 18 October, 2010

I had to do these three compared because next to each other (or as my friend Kristen from Rhode Island taught me, “Side by each!”) they were so blindingly close that I felt a little ripped off. In my excitement I didn’t take a picture of the bottle side by each, but I will soon and update this post.

These three were definitely in the same color family, but I love the subtle differences…and I love that they’re cremes. Hope you fall for these military greens the way I did.

 

In sunlight you can see the obvious difference between KV, SP and DM. KV has more green while SP and DM have more grey in it. Mr. CarinaeLetoile was so cute when he looked at Khaki Vert on me and commented, “It’s really like a military green. I think Army when I look at it.”

At first glance, SP and DM seem like dupes. But only in the picture. Both have an extremely faint shimmer in it. Both have a good amount of grey in it, but that is it. The difference in person is extremely subtle, but because I’m such a nail fanatic I know the difference – or so I tell myself. LOL I wore SP during the weekend, but kept KV and DM on my swatching hand. It was so subtle that no one could see the difference in the restaurants and dim places we went to this weekend. If you can grab SW, go for it. It’s a cheaper alternative to RBL’s DM. However, if you have DM no need to get SP. If you don’t have KV and want to get it…go for it. While I felt Les Khakis was a bit pricey, I felt it was well worth it.

Chanel – Les Khakis

Wednesday, 13 October, 2010

I was trying to play around with these colors. I am apologizing for my mega n00b attempt at nail art. I can add these to my epic fail manicures. 😀

This is why I just paint my nails and not attempt anything else.

I was surprised – this formula was like butta. It took a smidge longer to to dry but I suspect it was my ‘nail art’ that really made it take forever and a day to dry. After all the lemmings for Khaki Vert, I found I preferred Khaki Brun with my skin tone. In the end it was Khaki Brun that really looked green on me. I’m not slamming Khaki Vert because I did like how it looked on me as well, but for me it was Khaki Brun that was the star of the show. Khaki Rose was a bit…meh. It didn’t really look all that wonderful on me.

These were a hefty price to pay – $25 each. I am sure there are dupes/polishes that are similar out there to keep your wallet from screaming in pain.

 

Please pardon the lack of clean up and the dry cuticles. I wasn’t expecting to take a picture of my right hand but decided to at the last minute.

revlon

Revlon – Rock and Chanel – Paradoxal

Thursday, 19 August, 2010

In my head, I honestly thought Paradoxal and Rock were alike. No, they’re not.

Revlon’s color, Rock, is part of their fall collection…I couldn’t get the glitter companion for it because it was sold out. I still love this purple, though. I’m sure the glitter would’ve rocked it.

Here is Rock on me and then a comparison with Paradoxal on my thumb.

Formula: Wonderful and fast drying. Opaque on the second coat. Pity their brush was all jacked up.