Chanel Mimosa

Les Fleurs d'été

Yesterday I finally managed to pick up Mimosa, Chanel's trophy polish for this summer. I haven't been watching the newest nail polish collections closely the last couple of months, however I did have my eye on this yellow show stopper.

Mimosa is part of Chanel's summer collection called 'Les Fleurs d'été' and is limited edition. Mimosa, named after the champagne drink, is a very bright, bold yellow that really does manage to remind me of sun, flowers and summer. There's no way around it, yellow is hot this season.

As we're used to by now, Mimosa has that secret shimmer you'll only notice in bright lighting or sunny weather. It doesn't really bother me, but it's something to keep in mind if you happen to be fond of this finish.

Application

Chanel polishes are truly hit or miss when it comes to application. Yellow polishes are infamous for this as it is, and Mimosa is no exception to this rule. After three sheer, streaky coats it finally looked somewhat even. I'm not sure what's causing these very different formulations; Paradoxal and the Khaki's applied like a dream, but Nouvelle Vague, Riva and Mimosa were a little disappointing. Especially considering their price!

I can't say much about the wear, since I haven't been wearing it long enough.

Chanel Mimosa costs 22 EUR or 25 USD and is available online at Chanel.com

Chanel - Côte d'Azur Collection - Le Vernis Riva - Swatches & Review

Back from my break!

Hello everyone! Long time no see! As you might have noticed I took some time off from blogging, but I'm back. And with a long awaited review on Chanel newest nail polish: Riva.

There is already quite a buzz going around concerning this baby blue polish. I've heard it will cost $39 a bottle and apparently it is already sold out before even hitting the stores. Well, this is not true! With all these rumors going around, I'm almost expecting it to get at least half as famous as its big sister Jade.

Chanel's latest nail polish releases really knew how to grab me, I absolutely loved the Khakis and Paradoxal made it to one of my favorite polishes of the moment. But, will Riva have the same impact as these OR Jade? Let's see.

Secret Shimmer

After the promo photos had been posted, quite a few people were hoping Riva would be a light blue version of Jade. The promo shots showed us a marvelous shimmer, the same kind of shimmer that made Jade beyond famous. Unfortunately, this shimmer doesn't translate really well onto the nail. You'll need to get out your magnifying glass to make sure it's there. Other than that, I really love the color. Le Vernis Riva is part of the Côte d'Azur Collection and it does give me that relaxing, but joyful vibe. I have to admit though, without the shimmer this polish is nowhere unique. Chanel is a brand that usually sets the trends, but I don't think that's the case here..

Chanel Riva catching some sunbeams, almost no shimmer..

Formula

The first Chanel polish I ever bought was Nouvelle Vague. I loved everything about it, except the formula. After that I managed to get my hands on Particuliere, Les Khakis and Paradoxal. They proved me that Chanel is capable of making fantastic polishes when it comes to application. But, I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed in Riva. Riva's texture is a bit thick and streaky, which can lead to some bubbling. I have to say though, I was expecting Riva to be very sheer, but luckily it builds up to an opaque finish in three coats. I can't comment on the wear yet, since I only just got it..

Comparison

A lot of people were expecting Riva to look rather similar to Nouvelle Vague. As you can see, Riva is much blueer than Nouvelle Vague. And a whole lot lighter as well. I went through my stash to see if I had something similar, and while I don't own a lot of baby blue, I thought China Glaze's Moody Blue is quite close! A little bit more saturated than Riva, but still. Unfortuanely, you won't find Moody Blue that easily anymore, since it's pretty old..

Overall

Riva is absolutely beautiful, there's no denying that. Awfully unique? No, I personally don't think so. The formula doesn't really make up for that either, but it's nothing a drop of thinner can't fix. I am quite fond of this color, but I can understand if people don't want to pay $27 for something rather dupeable... So, what do you think of Riva?

Exclusively available in CHANEL Fashion Boutiques starting December 1st 2010. The price will be 25 EUR or 27 USD for 13 ml. I'm expecting these will be sold online as well starting the 15th of November. If you're in the US and you want to pre order, you might want to check out this link.

The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for review. For more information please read my disclaimer

Exclusive: Chanel - Côte d'Azur Collection - Le Vernis Riva

LUXURY INDULGES IN NONCHALANCE UNDER THE SAINT TROPEZ SUN.

The CHANEL Cruise Collection 2010 – 2011 opts for a carefree style and an outdoor fashion show under the magical light of Saint Tropez. Dropped off at the old port by a flotilla of Riva boats, the barefooted models strut down the catwalk as if taking a stroll after an afternoon at the beach, walking along the terrace of the legendary Sénéquier café. The free spirit and casual elegance of the Bardot years embrace check prints, delicate pink tweeds and loose hair.

A SUMMER OF SAND AND AZURE

The tender and savage sensuality of eternal Saint Tropez inspires Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, to create a playful Collection that flirts with the sun. A sprinkle of sand clinging to golden skin. A little pout under a straw hat, ready to break into a childish laugh. Summer on the Riviera returns to the innocent charm of the 70s with new interplays of light and ultra-contemporary beauty steps. This season, lips are adorned with ROUGE COCO in 4 soft, summery shades: Perlé, Chintz, Taffetas Rose and Sari Doré. In just one stroke, the smile dresses up in radiance. This playful spirit is accentuated down to the fingertips with LE VERNIS Riva, a pastel blue lacquer that hints at legendary check prints.

Côte d'Azur Collection

Hi guys! Chanel granted me with an exclusive preview of their Côte d'Azur Collection - well in The Netherlands, but it looks way cool! ;-) While Chanel Paradoxal is hands down the it color of the moment, there's already news about Chanel's beautiful upcoming collection: Côte d'Azur. On the runway there has been popping up a new baby blue pastel. It's really light, delicate and has that pure feel to it, from what I can tell.

LE VERNIS Riva - Effortless & Natural

Today I can finally tell you more about this new mysterious, delicate shade. First revealed on the runway in St. Tropez, this soft oceanic blue now has a name: Riva. Here is what Peter Philips says about this collection: “Effortless, natural beauty, relaxed girls who are enjoying their holidays. That was the main idea behind the look for this show.”

I have to admit, when the first runway photos made their appearance, I wasn't really impressed by the idea of a pale blue pastel, but looking at the new released promo pictures, I'm definitely starting to feel more enthusiastic, especially the greenish hue and the shimmer look so pretty!

Le Vernis Riva, is going to cost €25 a bottle and will be going on sale December the 1st. This will be Limited Edition, so if you must have this polish, be sure to pick it up in time! Chanel Le Vernis Riva will be available exclusively at the CHANEL Fashion Boutiques. (Sometimes when they say this, they do pop up at www.chanel.com, so fingers crossed!) Expect swatches soon!

This information was exclusively provided to me by Chanel. If you would like to use this content for your site, please be so kind to provide a link back to this post.

Chanel Riva

Chanel Paradoxal Dupes?

Chanel Paradoxal

A while ago I bought Chanel's Paradoxal, from the moment I saw pictures, I just knew I had to have it. And I still don't regret splurging the $$$, because I have a thing for this purple taupe with its secret shimmer. The wear has been great on me and I actually wear this every now and then.

Dupe?

What exactly is considered a dupe anyway? According to the dictionary a dupe is a version identically copied from an original. So when you compare these colors, they have to be fairly identical before you can label them as dupes. This is why I don't consider Models Own's Purple Grey and MNY's #549 exact dupes of Paradoxal. Their base colors are definitely similar, but they're lacking any type of shimmer. MNY tests on animals anyway, therefore it's not even an option for me.

the fun without the $$$

While I love Chanel, I have to admit: it is kinda pricey. Thankfully I've come across some cheaper alternatives: Barry M's Dusky Mauve and number 509 by Hollywood Nails (they even share the same number!). If you look at this comparison you'll notice how close Barry M and Chanel are! They have the same base color and pretty much the same amount of shimmer. The camera shows more blue in Barry M's shimmer, but I looked very hard and didn't notice this myself. #509 by Hollywood Nails is pretty close too, but the shimmer is different: the particles are smaller and more evenly distributed throughout the polish.

Application

The application of Dusky Mauve and Paradoxal is also quite similar, they both need 2 layers and they go on very nicely. #509 by Hollywood Nails is almost a once coater, win!

Chanel Paradoxal costs $23.00 for 13ml, Hollywood Nails #509 costs $4,25 for 15ml and Barry M's Dusky Mauve costs $4,75 for 10ml.

So, if you fell in love with this color too, but you don't want to hurt your wallet, I'd definitely recommend Dusky Mauve by Barry M, I actually consider this a dupe and it's not expensive at all! Yes, the one by Hollywood Nails is relatively cheaper and has better coverage, but I still don't know where you can buy it as it's mostly a salon brand.

Where to buy

You can buy Barry M products directly from their website or from Alice and Jo's Havesentials.

Beauty Salon Dimensions 2010 & A dupe for Chanel Paradoxal?

Beauty Salon Dimensions Event

Hi guys! Today Daphne and me went to an event called Beauty Salon Dimensions. This fair is visited by cosmeticians and nail techs mostly, but everyone is welcome there. A lot of awesome brands were present, showcasing their beautiful products. Nailwise, you could visit stands with brands like China Glaze, OPI, CND, Herome, Trind, Nfu Oh, and the list goes on.
The Netherlands is a bit behind when it comes to new collections, so unfortunately I won't be able to present hot scoops to you, but I do have some eyecandy for you to see. Read More after the jump!

Trind Cosmetics

Dutch brand Trind Cosmetics gives us a sneak peak of their newest collection for this winter. Pretty huh? The representative told me Trind adds four new colors to their selection every winter and summer, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for those!

Nfu Oh

Nfu Oh Nederland was there as well. I've never seen so many Nfu Oh's Together. Heaven! I've added a lot of these to my ever-growing wish list.

OPI

OPI had such a beautiful and impressive stand. Their entire range of products were beautifully showcased. The products were selling so fast they had to keep restocking non stop. I was really hoping to catch a glimpse of the Burlesques, but as I mentioned before, Holland is a tad slow.

OPI's current Designer Series Collection. The two new shades Magic and Radiance were also there. DS Magic looked insanely close to my manicure of the day: ORLY's Lunar Eclipse! Dupe alert?

OPI Swiss Collection swatches, how convenient!

I also took this picture of the Go Goth! collection. They sold these mini packs as well, too bad I couldn't purchase anything since I'm just a consumer.

Hollywood Nails

I LOVE discovering (new to) me brands. Hollywood Nails is a German brand, but their products are available in 12 European countries. I picked up four polishes here, 3 of them cost 2.99 EUR and one of them cost only 0.99 EUR! I hope I will be able to swatch these soon, they're absolute stunners. Further down in this post you will see #509 compared to a high end nail polish..

Aren't these pretty?! From this collection I bought #04 and #509.

ProNailFoil

ProNailFoil is a company that specializes in foils for nails. Appliques seem to be hotter than ever! They gave a nice demo and they looked really cool. I didn't really like the designs that much, but they did have a huuuge selection to choose from.

Chanel versus Hollywood Nails

Woah look at that! The colors in this picture aren't true to life AT ALL, but it shows the similarities very well. The base color and even the shimmer is practically the same! The shimmer in Paradoxal is a little bit bigger, but damn, it's close. I'd say this is closer to being a dupe than Models Own's Purple Grey! And it only cost me 3 euros.

Overall

I had a great time today! I absolutely loved oogling all the pretty polishes and makeup. I've bought some awesome polishes by Hollywood Nails and the new fall colors by CND. Score! Me and Daphne had a really nice talk with one of CND's representatives from BeautyXL and she told us CND will be releasing a gorgeous deep navy blue polish this winter. Can't wait!

I hope you enjoyed this little report of our day, thanks so much for stopping by!
- With love, Michèle

Models Own vs. Chanel

Models Own Car Key Collection

After Chanel's Paradoxal, Models Own figured out how to gain success by duping another brand. They already had Purple Grey which is a close dupe to Paradoxal (minus the shimmer) but it only started selling like crazy after Chanel's release.

Obviously they're not stupid because in October Models Own will be releasing the Car Key (get it? haha!) collection. It's quite clear they're duping the Les Khakis de Chanel collection over here. Haha, I love this. These shades go by the names: Grace Green, Becca's Brown and Purple Ash. I'm not sure whether they're exact dupes (judging from this pic I don't think so) but who knows!

Release date: 6 October at Boots and on the site as well. Models Own polishes cost £5 each.

Edit:

BritishBeautyBlogger already did a comparison of these polishes versus the real deal. Just like I expected, they're not THAT dupey, too bad!

source & image credit: britishbeautyblogger.com

Chanel Les Khakis Collection Swatches!

Hi everyone! Today my camera arrived and I literally tore the package to shreds to get it out and to start swatching immediately. I was so excited about having the new Chanel collection, I really wanted to have them swatched and up today! I'm not really sure if I like the pictures that my new camera produces yet, but I guess I still have to get to know the settings and everything. Right now the pictures look a little bit washed out - i think they're a smidge darker, please forgive me for that. Anyway! Onto the good stuff!

LES KHAKIS DE CHANEL

For VOGUE’S “ FASHION’S NIGHT OUT ”, the fashion event not to be missed, Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, is celebrating the occasion with the new collection “ Les khakis de Chanel ”.

A new colour harmony of three nail polish shades that can be worn alone or combined : Khaki Vert, Khaki Rose and Khaki Brun. A bold way of wearing nail polish. An ultra sophisticated, urban chic “ camouflage effect ”, for nails that will be getting all the attention.

A little bit about Khaki

To these days, khaki as color brings to mind a brown, even beige, hue. When khaki was adopted for the military, the shade chosen had a clearly darker and more greenish hue. This color was adopted by all the British Empire Armies and the US expeditionary force of World War I, under the name Olive Drab. During the second half of the WWII, American olive drab became distinctly greener, a major departure from the original idea of khaki.

From the first moment I had heard about this collection I knew I would fall for these. Just recently I discovered my love for neutrals, so imagine my excitement about this collection. Neutrals can look so classic and timeless, effortless chic to the max. Well, let's see how I like these brand new Chanels!

Chanel LE VERNIS 267 Khaki Brun

Now this is a special one, Khaki Brun is a murky brown creme with a lot of green to it. I guess this is what they would call "Olive Drab". This color doesn't work that well with my skintone, but I can imagine someone who's a little less pink would rock the Casbah with this color. Application of this one was awesome, 2 coats is all you need. The layers dry very quickly, leaving you with a fantastic smooth and glossy finish. So you could even skip top coat if you'd want.

Chanel LE VERNIS 257 Khaki Rose

Khaki Rose is a really soft and delicate reddish shade of taupe/medium brown. I don't have anything exactly like it and I think I own over 15 taupes.. I absolutely love this shade, since it's so soft and chic looking. Application of Khaki Rose was just as good as Khaki Brun, 2 coats, quickly drying and glossy.

Chanel LE VERNIS 247 Khaki Vert

I think Khaki Vert may be my personal favorite of this collection, it's a bit more cool toned than the other two and cool colors usually look better against my skin. It's a very pretty greyish shade of green, probably one of the few dusty colors I actually like! Just like the other two colors, it almost applied itself.

Conclusion

I love them all. Even if some colors are a bit too warm for my skintone, I still love them. And I'm usually not that big on cremes. I don't know of any exact dupes yet, but time will tell.
My first experience with Chanel nail polish wasn't that great (Nouvelle Vague), but the superb application of Paradoxal showed me Chanel does make awesome nail polish. The texture of these three new polishes reminded me a lot of Paradoxal, they're quite similar if you look at their application, thickness, drying time and gloss. All three are extremely opaque, being nearly one coaters. No cuticle drag, no streaks, just smooth as glass. I can't tell much about the wear yet, since I just got them, but I'll gladly report back. Will you be getting any of these?

Exclusively available in CHANEL Fashion Boutiques starting September 8th 2010, I think the price will be 25 EUR for 13 ml.

The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for review. For more information please read my disclaimer

Les Contrastes de Chanel: Paradoxal

Crush Maybe you remember my review on Chanel's previous hit: Nouvelle Vague? I was a bit disappointed to be honest... and then this beauty strolled along. Trust me, I was reluctant. But then the swatches started to haunt me and I knew I just needed to have it. I think I now know what it's like to have a nail polish crush. It won't be out here for a while, but a big sweetheart CP'ed it for me, thank you so much Brittni!!

Secret shimmer

And you know what? I'm happy to have it! This polish belongs to the Les Contrastes de Chanel fall 2010 collection. Paradoxal is a deep purple-y taupe, I really love this color. In brighter or sun light there's this pretty pink/blue-ish shimmer, it's stunning. The shimmer is barely noticeable in normal lighting though, but sometimes the purple sheen will catch your eye. I'm pretty sure I will be wearing this color a lot this fall!

Application

I normally don't use the phrase "it applies like butter", I save it for very very special occasions, and this is one of them. I've used two coats and they just glided on. A lot of people experienced major chip city within a few days, but for me it stayed on for five days with only one chip at my thumb (and that was on the 5th day AFTER I cleaned the house). I used Orly Bonder and Nubar Diamont and it held up really well!

Dupes?

If you're looking for a less expensive alternative you can look into Purple Grey by Models Own, it doesn't have shimmer but the base color is really close!

You can get Chanel Paradoxal online at www.chanel.com for $23.00 or at your local Chanel counter. It probably won't be for sale in The Netherlands until appr. October.

Eyeko - Vintage Polish & A Mint Green Comparison

Eyeko Vintage Polish

Hi everyone! For today I have another pretty Eyeko nail polish to show you. This is Eyeko's Vintage Polish, for jade green nails. Like all Eyeko polishes the packaging is really cute. But the formula didn't hold up really well next to the previously reviewed ones.

I applied 3 coats, and found the formula to be thick and droopy. It also was a bit streaky, but a good top coat will take care of that. This one belongs to an older collection (The Limited Edition collection) though, and their polishes have improved a lot since then.
I really like the color though, since it's a bit muted I think it would look good against a lot of different skin tones!

Mint Green

I always thought mint green was.. well, mint green. But good old Wikipedia is showing me all kinds of variations:

celadon	moss green	magic mint	mint green	mint

Mint Green Comparison

I also did a quick comparison with the light green colors I own. I've read that Eyeko's Vintage Polish and Chanel Nouvelle Vague are dupish, but I don't think they are, Nouvelle Vague is definitely more blue, but they do share some characteristics like the level of brightness and saturation.

Eyeko polishes cost £3.50 (€4.- or $5.40) for 8.5ml. Eyeko products can be bought online at www.eyeko.com. Their shipping is extremely cheap: either free (if you're in the UK or Europe) or $5.40 for all international orders.

This polish was sent to me for review by Eyeko

Chanel - Nouvelle Vague

There are occasions where you think you've deserved something nice to indulge in. Normally I don't buy real expensive polish, but a few weeks ago we were on a bad ass nail polish crusade in Germany and we ran into a store that had Chanel's Nouvelle Vague and I just had to have it. Paying around €21,50 must mean it's good right? Well, let's see about that.

Nouvelle Vague belongs to the Les Pop Up de Chanel collecion, a limited collection for this summer that came out little over a month ago. After the success of last year’s hit polish, Jade, all eyes were on this pretty pale turquoise color. Even Pantone unveiled turquoise as the Color of the Year for 2010. So is this polish a hit?

I'm not sure. When I think of Chanel, I think of luxury, quality, durability.

The color is gorgeous! This is a pale, muted shade of turquoise, it's a bit bold but not in your face. I love that. It's not totally unique though, but that's almost impossible in this crazy nail polish industry. How much I love the color, I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to the quality of this nail polish. The application was truly disappointing, simply a drag. Unfortunately, this polish is thick and streaky. I had to apply 3 layers to make it look okay, so no utopian *omg like butter 1 coat wonder" hallelujah praises here. It also bubbled a bit, but my cheap ass top coat (David) made it look pretty again. I probably wouldn't be so disappointed if this concerned a low budget brand but from Chanel I'd expect more.

The wear is mighty impressive though, I'll give 'em that! I wore this for over five days, without any chipping or tipwear!

So is this worth the cash? I'm not sure. There are alternatives out there for a better price, think Orly Gumdrop and China Glaze For Audrey. These don't have the shimmer you see in Nouvelle Vague, but the color is pretty close. Besides, this shimmer is hardly noticable, you'll still need the sun or a construction light for it to show.

So dear readers, what are your thoughts on this? Worth the bucks or would you rather pick up something dupish for less?