Color Me Loud

Dior's Summer Mix 2013 started to appear on the counters in some of the countries such as US, UK and Canada. They are still not here in Germany but with a bit of determination, it was possible to get my hands on them. Three of the four shades are on their way from Italy to me, the fourth shade entered Color Me Loud Headquarters yesterday night, Dior Vernis #678 in Créoles...

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

This one was definitely the right one to come first and make me get excited for the other three even more. I guess it is going to be my favorite of the bunch by just considering the promo photos, since this is the one with the most blue in it! I am a sucker for blue based hot pink shades, one of my all time favorite nail colors being African Violet from Tom Ford must say it all. Dior #678 Créoles is not violet but borderline to fuchsia. It just stops at the point a pink stops being pink anymore, if this makes sense. On the photos it look less blue based. In reality it is also a tad brighter and slightly darker.

Outdoor swatch with direct sun light: Dior Vernis #678 Creoles from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Formula wise Créoles is nail polish junkie's dream. Opaque with almost one coat, Créoles is self leveling and has a good consistency, not too thick or thin. Shade wise some of you may be thinking it is very dupable. I brought it together with similar Dior and Chanel shades. I went through my stash and found the most similar colors. Some other colors which are not included in this review are not very similar, such as Chanel #339 Cassis (more blue based and darker), Chanel #441 Cherry (redder), Chanel Riviera #537 (less blue based pink, lighter), Guerlain #165 Champs-Elysée (less blue based, redder) and Chanel #561 Suspicious (more red and darker).

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles and similar shades

The most similar Dior shade to Créoles is Dior #579 Plaza, which is more pink, less blue based and lighter once applied. Chanel #547 Pulsion is pretty close in shade but matte in finish, not glossy like Créole. Chanel #217 Splendour is significantly darker and recently released Chanel #571 Fracas is almost a coral once compared to Créole (more yellow based).

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles and comparison to similar shades

The closest of the two Chanel shades color and texture wise are #519 Rose Exuberant, which is a tic more red and darker and an older discontinued shade #111 Boa, which is a tic lighter and appears more pink. I haven't found a direct dupe to Créoles in my stash but I believe if one searches in drugstore, there should be a few shades which are close enough. Nevertheless I enjoy the superb quality and "just right" color of this true hot pink while writing these lines with Créoles on my nails.

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles and comparison to similar shades

One more picture to enjoy... Getting inpatient for the rest of the colors...

Another outdoor swatch with direct sun light: Dior Vernis #678 Creoles

Final thoughts: Vernis #678 Créoles is one of the four new nail polishes from Dior, released together with their four new creme blushes for this summer. Perfect in quality and finish, it is also in one of the colors I can't resist. I think this shade can be used throughout the year since it is not very vibrant nor very dark or light and also exactly between pink and fuchsia or pink and violet, Créoles is just right. Love!

Have you checked Summer Mix of Dior? What about the creme blushes?

Remember the packet I was waiting for from Italy? It arrived today! This would be the good news, so I started playing with four new Dior Vernis from Summer Mix Collection. Before I start comparing them with similar colors, here comes first swatches. Hope you enjoy it.

Dior Vernis Summer Mix 2013

Bad news? These won't be released in Germany (probably they will be exclusive to Kadewe Berlin). If you are in Germany and decide to purchase them, check out Sephora France. Currently they also have 20% off, so this may compensate 13,50 EUR shipping cost.

Dior Vernis Summer Mix 2013

I would like to start with my favorite #678 Creoles, which I swatches and compared already yesterday for you. Perfect formula and very glossy finish. It is a true creme like all the other Summer Mix shades. Below swatches are done with two coats. I made one indoors and one outdoors swatch to give you a better idea of the shade.

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles, outdoor

Dior Vernis #678 Creoles, indoor

Next one is what disappointed me slightly, after finding out that it is the same color with #658 Pasteque, thus the same number. Pasteque was released at the end of last year together with lovely and unique shades such as Lime and Mango. Dior Vernis #658 Capeline is a water melon shade as the name Pasteque suggests (means water melon in french). This one is a lovely reddish pink, also close to Dior Lucky from last year. Comparison post is coming up. Great formula again, perfectly opaque in two coats, self leveling and glossy in finish.

Dior Vernis #658 Capeline, outdoor

Dior Vernis #658 Capeline, indoor

Next comes a beautiful orange shade, #448 Sunnies. It is a great wearable orange which is not neon (e.g. Illamasqua Gamma) nor too pale (e.g. Chanel June). This one is a bit brighter than last year's summer shade Bikini, which was was leaning more nude. Sunnies has great formula, again self leveling and opaque in two layers. Comparison swatches coming up soon. Below it is swatched indoor and outdoor to give a better feeling of its color.

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies, outdoor

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies, indoor

Last shade is #858 Tie&Dye. I can't understand the name, but the color is a superb poppy red leaning very slightly orange. This is almost identical to the base color of Diablotine, which I fell in love with. I also found another close color from Tom Ford, which I will be talking about shortly once I finish working on the comparison swatch photos. Until now enjoy the indoor and outdoor swatches. Again creme, glossy, opaque in two coats and self leveling. Last word: love!

Dior Vernis #858 Tie&Dye, outdoor

Dior Vernis #858 Tie&Dye, indoor

As the comparison post is being prepared, enjoy a sneak peek...

Sneak Peek of comparisons of Dior Summer Mix comparison

Edit: You can see the comparison posts here:

Final thoughts: Four new Vernis summer shades from Dior have consistent formula throughout the collection. It is a breeze to work with, opaque in two coats (almost in one coat), not too thick or thin and self-leveling. The nail polishes are all cremes and they dry to a glossy finish. All in all I am sure it will please Dior nail polish fans. Just one thing to note is that Capeline is the same color as previously released Pasteque, both having the number 658. Summer Mix nail polishes are released together with four creme blushes to match the nails. Bad news for Germany, this release is very exclusive and won't be coming to all the counters. If you want to get them, check out other countries in Europe. Sephora France already has these.

Checked out Dior's summer mix yet? What are your picks?

After the quick swatches of recently released Dior Summer Mix nail polishes, I would like to go on with a proper comparison post for each of the lovely vibrant summer shades.

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies is a mid-toned orange coral, which is very wearable and lovely for the summer. It is perfectly opaque with two coats. The consistency is not too thick or thin and provides an easy self leveling application. Lovely formula.

Swatch with two coats: Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

I compared sunnies to similar shades from my stash. Dior Bikini is darker and leans more nude/beige. Dior Delice has a similar base color but has glitter particles, Chanel Lilis leans more red/coral and darker. Dior Riviera is similar but leans slightly more red. Lancome Peach Melody is similar, slightly darker. Chanel Distraction leans more pink. One can think of Sunnies as the orange twin sister of Riviera, they are very close but not the same.

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies and comparison to similar colors

One more swatch before I quit. All in all I like Sunnies because orange is one of my favorite colors, (of course after purple ;-)) but it is not easy to find an orange nail polish which is not very coral, not neon and wearable, therefore Sunnies is a hit for me.

Dior Vernis #448 Sunnies under direct sun light.

Do you like orange on your tips and toes for summer? What is your favorite orange nail polish?

Before closing all the paranthesis I previously opened, such as reviews of Dior Summer Mix and Tom Ford Quads, I would like to introduce another product I recently tested, eye shadow palette from Illamaqua's Paranormal Collection for this summer.

Being an avid collector and admirer of Illamasqua nail polishes, I had to have all the three nail polishes released with summer collection. How cool is that that they glow under UV black light! I was waiting for the right moment to order them and heard about a one hour midnight sale of Illamasqua. It was 50% off everything! Although the servers were very slow and it took me almost an hour to get the things I would like in the basket, I was lucky enough to be able to order the three polishes and the eye shadow palette from the same collection. I was not planning to get the palette but after seeing everything would cost less than what it normally does for just three nail polishes, I was sold.

Paranormal Palette from Illamasqua Summer Collection 2013

Eye shadow palette has the same name as the collection, Paranormal. It consists of four creme eye shadows, which are defined to be "water-resistent" by Illamasqua. They are also announced to be very long lasting, so I couldn't wait to try them out. When I received the palette, I was a bit disappointed to see that purple eye shadow was out of the metal housing and was stuck on the pink one. The green one was also loose together with its housing. I pressed the purple one back into the pan and stuck the green one with a double sided tape. I didn't complain about the issue and I was so taken by the colors once I applied them on my arm for the following swatches. The shades in the palette are: A pinkish red, a mid-toned orange, a yellow based green and a mid-toned violet. They have a gorgeous glow under the sun. I would define this as a pearly sheen, which slightly changes color once moved. I couldn't wait to apply it on my eyes.

Swatch with full sun: Paranormal Palette from Illamasqua Summer Collection 2013

This kind of colors are not easy to use everyday but on a gorgeous sunny sunday, I took my Illamasqua Paranormal Palette out and applied each color with my fingers. I used the orange on the inner corner, green on the center lid and along the lower lashes, violet to the outer half of the lid. The colors were a bit more sheer than I would expect them to be, so I applied these by layers, building up the intensity. I was happy with the result, especially under the sun the sheen was very pretty.

In Action: Paranormal Palette from Illamasqua Summer Collection 2013, fresh after applied

I was very excited to write this review until... I looked in the miror two hours later. Starting from my crease there was almost nothing left! All these layers I applied were all gone! I took the following photo four hours later just because I was at home by then. One more thing I have to mention is that, this is the first eye shadow which ever creased on me! I don't have oily lids and I never thought I would be mentioning creasing/fading issue on my blog.

In Action: Paranormal Palette from Illamasqua Summer Collection 2013, four hours after applied

Final thoughts: I love Illamasqua, I am crazy about their motto, their creative products and collections. I am also an avid collector of their nail polishes and I love each and every one of them. I was not expecting to get so disappointed with one of their products. You can say that I was caught off-guard with that one! Despite the beautiful sheen, Illamasqua Paranormal palette doesn't meet the premises, it is neither water-resistent, nor long-wearing. It is not even normal-wearing. A definite miss for me, even if it was 50% off!

Have you checked out Illamasqua's Paranormal Collection? What are your picks? Have you tried any other Illamasqua creme eye shadow, how did it perform?

Going on with introducing the items I picked from Dior Summer Mix Collection, today it is a juicy water melon on your tips, Dior Vernis #658 Capeline. It is a red leaning pink, not quiet coral since it is more between red and pink, not between pink and orange if this makes sense.

Dior Vernis #658 Capeline from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Once on the nails, it reminds me of water melon, which I like very much and I loved it. Until I was like, wait a minute, there was a water melon color at Dior's Cruise Collection (check out Pat's blog for swatches), #658 Pasteque. The same number!

Indoor swatch: Dior Vernis #658 Capeline from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Then it was clear that I had at least one dupe in my stash of the new (!) color I purchased. I found four more colors, each being very close. Fracas is much closer to Capeline than it is to Creoles (previously reviewed here). Lucky is slightly darker and redder than Capeline, but very close. Lancome Rose Macaron from their recent spring collection is an affordable alternative which is also very close in color, leaning just so slightly more pink.

Dior Vernis #658 Capeline and comparison to closer colors

All in all a nice summer shade but very dupable, if you have any of these shades in your stash you can easily skip it. I must admit as juicy as Capeline is, I still like Creoles and Sunnies more. In terms of formula, as I already pointed out Capeline is au pair with other shades of this collection, great consistency and coverage, self leveling, in other words a breeze to work with.

Outdoor swatch: Dior Vernis #658 Capeline from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Final thoughts: Dior Vernis #658 Capeline is a nice summer shade, great formula, true creme, opaque with two coats. It is the same color which was recently released by Dior for Cruise Collection, with the same number (#658) but different name (Pasteque). Other than this, it is also very close to other recent releases such as Chanel Fracas and Dior Lucky. If you don't have such a shade in your stash, be sure to check it out.

Do you like water melon? What about water melon on your fingers?

Today's post is about two gorgeous Tom Ford palettes as an addition to my ongoing effort in reviewing all Tom Ford Palettes. Check out here to learn more about this blog series and what is already reviewed.

Tom Ford Quads #02 Cognac Sable (right), #06 Burnished Amber (left)

If you are searching for naturals, go ahead and check Golden Mink and Cocoa Mirage but if you want something different, like a statement eye without being too colorful, Cognac Sable or Burnished Amber might be your palette. Burnished Amber was my first Tom Ford Quad ever and it is the one responsible of me purchasing all the others, which may give you an idea about how much I like it. It is one quad to which I reach for very often. Cognac Sambe is a cooler alternative to Burnished Amber, meaning the shades are very similar but rather on the cooler side of the spectrum once compared to Burnished Amber.

Burnished Amber has four satin shades and no glitter shade, it is composed of:

Warm golden beige with satin finish (top left)
Deep vivid pink leaning reddish brown (top right)
A warm burgundy leaning plum, satin finish (bottom left)
Golden bronze brown with complex shimmer, satin shimmery finish (bottom right)

Cognac Sable has three satin and one glitter eye shadows, shades are as follows:

Warm golden beige with satin finish (top left)
Pigmented copper glitter shade (top right)
A cool mid-toned brown with satin finish (bottom left)
A deep cool black brown leaning plum with satin finish (bottom right)

Close up: Tom Ford Quads #02 Cognac Sable (right), #06 Burnished Amber (left)

Top left shades are almost the same in both quads. Also the bronze shade (bottom right) of Burnished Amber comes close to the mid-brown shade of Cognac Sable (bottom left). The main difference is the darkest shades and the availability of the glitter shade in Cognac Sable. In my opinion, Cognac Sable is one of the palettes the woman with blue eyes should own. I can see the copper shade making blue eye pop. I find Burnished Amber working on my eye color pretty good, if the purpose of the application would be to make the eyes pop.

Swatches under sun: Tom Ford Quads #02 Cognac Sable vs. #06 Burnished Amber

Burnished Amber can be used from very light to very intense eye looks. I usually find the pink shade very hard to use on my coloring so I got used to applying the pink shade (top right) along the lower lash line and the beige (top left) to the inner corner, bronze (bottom right) to the lid and the darkest color (bottom left) to the crease and outer corner for definition.

In-action: Tom Ford Quad #06 Burnished Amber intense application

If I want to go for a more natural, less intense application (something like a summer look, such as this one), then i use the beige (top right) shade all over the lid and define it with bronze shade (bottom right). I then use the darkest (bottom left) shade as an eye liner and lightly along the lower lashes.

In-action: Tom Ford Quad #06 Burnished Amber softer application

I apply the lightest beige shade to the inner corner of the eyes (top left) and mid-toned brown (bottom left) to the upper lid for the below look with Cognac Sable. I define the crease with the darkest shade (bottom right). I pick up some glitter shade with my finger and gently pad it on the lid for an extra drama.

In-action: Tom Ford Quad in #02 Cognac Sable

Final thoughts: Tom Ford Quads #02 Cognac Sable and #06 Burnished Amber are for natural lovers who would like more some drama and a change. Cognac Sable has aone glitter shade as opposed to Burnished Amber having only satins. Both can be applied lighter for softer eye look. Burnished Amber is one of my favorite Tom Ford Quads, I encourage you all to check these two out.

Have you checked thos two out? What are your impressions?

On Friday I got some of the packages my friend Mari sent me from US. I was waiting for them impatiently for the last weeks. Sometimes I think the worst thing about having the blog is not to be able to touch things before making thousands of picture. So I spent yesterday taking photos and trying some of them. One of the products I was most curious about was Le Métier de Beauté's Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope

At the beginning of this months, Summer Night's Dream was released exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman. The colors appeared a bit cool for my complexion but I decided to take the risk. After all there is always a warmer color to tweak the over all look by using Couches de Couleur (layering of colors) technique.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope

The shades are given as follows by Le Métier de Beauté:

Midsummer: Silk ivory with opaque pink finish (Tier #1)
Fairyland: Chrome metal with silver flecked (Tier #2)
Athenians: Red-bronzed copper (Tier #3)
Love-in-idleness: Dark stormy blue (Tier #4)

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope, all tiers

After I swatched all the shades in person, these are my own descriptions:

Tier #1: Ivory with pink subtle shimmer, satin finish, very pigmented, complex and buttery

Tier #2: Silvery mauve leaning taupe with large silver glitters, metallic finish with glitters, gorgeous complex color, very pigmented, buttery

Tier #3: Mid-toned bronze brown, I don't find it very red and not very metallic to call copper, satin finish, pigmented and buttery but not that complex in shimmer compared to the first two shades.

Tier #4: Deep blue leaning slightly purple, more matte than satin, a bit dry and not that much pigmented, for the below swatch I had to swipe it several times.

Swatch under sun light: Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope

If you are wondering how it compares to recently released Kaleidoscopes, I took some photos comparing close shades to those of Summer Night's dream. The first shade, midsummer is almost the same as Oyster (tier #1) from Femme Fatale (previously reviewed here). Midsummer has slightly more pink hue, but once swatched they are almost identical.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Tier #1 vs. Femme Fatale Tier #1

The second shade, Fairyland, is my favorite shade. I would never think that I would love a silver leaning shade, since most silvers doesn't work on my complexion but this one is leaning slightly mauve. The base color is very complex and once combined with silver flecks, it is gorgeous. The closest color I found from recent Kaleidoscopes is tier #2 of Bauhaus, which leans slightly more silver and doesn't have the silver flecks.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Tier #2 vs. Bauhaus Tier #2

The third tier of Summer Night's Dream, called Atheniens, is a mid-toned bronze shade. Once compared to first tier of Bauhaus from Holiday 2012 collection, Athenians is lighter and leans slightly more pink as opposed to Bauhaus tier#2 leaning more orange.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Tier #3 vs. Bauhaus Tier #1

The last tier of Summer Night's dream has a gorgeous name, Love-in-idleness. This is the color I am least enthusiastic about. It is a bit drier in texture compared to the other shades. Since it is the darkest color, I would love to apply it on the crease for definition but for that I really needed long time and many brush strokes before it even showed up. I think next time I have to try using this one wet and maybe starting with the crease first. On the other hand, this is the most unique color, different than the ones in Femme Fatale or Bauhaus. The closest is the matte shade at the last tier of Femme Fatale, which is significantly more purple.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Tier #4 vs. Femme Fatale Tier #4

I swatched all the colors to give a better idea of how close they are, in case you already have Bauhaus and Femme Fatale and would like to recreate Summer Night's Dream look, you can use Femme Fatale Tier #1 & #4 and Bauhaus Tier #1 & #2.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream vs. Bauhaus vs. Femme Fatale Kaleidoscopes

And lastly here is how they look like on my eyes once layered. I started with SND1 on the inner corner, used SND2 (my favorite shade) on whole lid, warming it up slightly with SND3 on the outer corner. I then defined the crease and outer most corner with SND4. I used SND2 &SND3 along the lower lash line. I completed the look with Chanel Stylo eye pencils in Black Shimmer along the upper lash line, Taupe along the lower lash line and Silver Light on the corner of the eye. I added Le Volume de Chanel mascara on upper and lower lashes.

Le Métier de Beauté Summer Night's Dream Kaleidoscope in action

Final thoughts: Bergdorf Goodman exclusive Kaleidoscope of Le Métier de Beauté offers a nice smokey eye look for this summer, which is rather on the cooler side. My favorite is the second tier shade, Fairyland. It has some mauve undertone which helps medium complexions pull off this look and offers a gorgeous complex color which I can see myself using alone for a easy mono chrome dust of color. If you prefer warm colors, the third bronze shade might come in handy for layering. All in all I love summer Kaleidoscope, only i wished the darkest matte color would be a bit more pigmented. If you have Bauhaus and Femme Fatale, you may want to recreate Summer Night's Dream using similar colors. Summer Night's dream is 95$ and available only in Bergdorf Goodman, you have to call them since it is not available online.

Does these shades tempt you? Will you be checking Summer Night's Dream out?

It has been a busy week and the products to be reviewed started to pile up on my desk. I know I am not finished with Dior Summermix nor Tom Ford series, but I already would like to start with Fall collections. It was a rainy week so I found myself wearing and testing the three new nail polishes from Chanel Superstition Collection for Fall 2013.

Chanel #591 Alchimie, #589 Elixir, #601 Mysterious from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

This one is going to be a quick post to show you all the colors. During the next days I am going to post extensive comparisons of the shades so that you know if you have anything similar in your stash. I would like to start with introducing #601 Mysterious. It is a creme soft black which leans slightly olive. By itself you may find it looking black but once compared to black, it is actually not. This one reminded me of my favorite nail polish from last year's Les Essentiels fall collection, Vertigo. I was not very thrilled with it after the purchase but I found myself wearing it many times during the season, Mysterious is a similar nail polish color, which is a nice alternative to black for those who like vampy varnishes.

Chanel #601 Mysterious from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

The formula is as perfect as it gets. Almost a one coater but with two coats it is more dense and even. I used two coats for the swatches. Consistency is not too thick or thin and it is self leveling and easy to apply.

Chanel #601 Mysterious from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

Next one reminded me of Suspicious from last fall, which I was so enthusiastic about but ended up not liking it on, so I don't know what time will show us about #589 Elixir. It is a milky pinkish red. I am planning for another monster post with this one, remember 50 Shades of Red. I haven't compared them side by side yet but it also reminds me of Cinema on the nails because it is another easily wearable low-key creme red. It has a very slight orange hue, which makes it very appropriate for fall season, reminds me of beautiful leave colors.

Chanel #589 Elixir from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

Formula is great, again almost opaque with one coat but I used two coats to make sure it is even. I found this one slightly thicker than Mysterious. It also dries so fast that it needs a quick application, which I love because I don't like waiting. Anyway I am definitely going to make some photos of Elixir during fall against colorful leaves, for now please enjoy the green background.

Chanel #589 Elixir from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

Chanel #591 Alchimie is the only limited edition nail polish shade of Superstition collection. It is also the one I found to be the most unique between the three. Alchimie is golden green nail polish with metallic finish. Once the light hits its surface, these parts light up as golden while the others show a wearable khaki green shade. I am definitely going for a back-up from this one.

Chanel #591 Alchimie from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

It is a metallic shade but I don't see many brush strokes on that one. It applies smoothly, two coats are needed for full opacity.

Chanel #591 Alchimie from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

EDIT: Check out the following posts for comparisons

#589 Elixir
#591 Alchimie
#601 Mysterious

Final thoughts: Chanel released three new nail polishes for this fall. I am most impressed by the uniqueness of #591 Alchimie. #589 Elixir is a very wearable fall appropriate shade but I know as a vampy polish lover, I will be reaching for #601 Mysterious more often. It might be early to think about fall but make sure you grab #591 Alchemie if you are thinking about it because this one is limited edition. You can wait for the others a little longer. These are available in US right now. The collection will be launched internationally in August. I will be posting comparison swatches during the next days.

Are you eyeing any of these polishes? Which one is your favorite?

The mystery about Chanel Le Vernis #601 Mysterious is to find out which shade it is. Were you expecting a dark olive? Does it appear much more black? Todays post is all about finding the answer to these questions. For swatches of all three nail polishes from Chanel Superstition Fall 2013 collection, check here.

Chanel Le Vernis #601 Mysterious

Chanel #601 Mysterious definitely has an olive hue, but it is not your ordinary dark olive nail polish. If you check out the color in the bottle against Dior #605 Amazonia from last year's fall collection, they seem to appear very close. Chanel Khaki Vert is much lighter, Chanel #68 Vert Sacrilege leans more blue, is lighter and has a metallic finish. Chanel Western Light seems to be darker and definitely redder. Chanel Vertigo leans more plum.

Chanel Le Vernis #601 Mysterious against similar colors from my stash

Once swatched, Dior Amazonia is much lighter and greener, which shows Chanel #601 Mysterious is not that green after all. I added Chanel #219 Black Satin to see how Mysterious compares to a true black. Mysterious is lighter and although it is as cool as a black, it looks more like a dark gray than black. Dior Ebony is more brown, Chanel #327 Or de Russie is more gold. From the nail wheel swatches the closest color is Chanel #563 Vertigo, my favorite color from Chanel Fall 2012 collection, which tells me I will be enjoying Mysterious this year. It is just too early for this shade so I just need to wait a couple of months.

Nail wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #601 Mysterious and similar colors

Are you also a vampy polish lover? Do you like Mysterious?

Chanel released three new nail polishes (previously swatched here) with their Fall collection, which started to arrive on the shelves in US. One of them is a golden olive shade with a metallic finish called Alchimie.

Chanel Le Vernis #591 Alchimie from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

Two of the shades are announced to join the permanent line while #591 Alchimie is going to be limited. Too bad they are not keeping Alchimie because I found this one to be the most unique of the three. To show you how unique it is, I pulled out some similar colors from my stash. The first one which comes to mind is #531 Peridot which is a golden green duo chrome. Alchemie is not duo chrome and the green shade leans more khaki so these two are not even similar. Shades such as Chanel #525 Quartz, #37 Morocco (discontinued) or Dior #611 Exquis (discontinued) are much more brown. Chanel #479 Kaleidoscope seems to be similar in the bottle but once swatched it is more silver and lighter. Chanel Diwali is more golden, Chanel #367 Trapeze (discontinued) is much lighter.

Chanel Le Vernis #591 Alchimie vs. other similar colors from my stash

The closest shade to Chanel's #591 Achimie is YSL's Bronze Pyrite from their Spring 2013 Collection. Bronze Pyrite is definitely daker and leans more olive than Chanel #479 Kaleidoscope but still no dupe to Alchimie. I think that they are different enough to own them both.

Nail wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #591 Alchimie and other similar shades

The formula of Alchimie is great, it is opaque with two coats. It is very slightly streaky which I think that is normal with metallic shades. I would like to stress this once more that Alchimie is limited edition, so if you have your eyes on it, you better act quick. For me it is a nice to have shade for my collection but since I am no olive or khaki fan, I could as well live without it.

Do you like olive shades on your nails? Are you planing to get any of Chanel Fall nail polishes?

These days I feel like running around and grabbing things from my desk in any order and just writing about one. I am not finished with Dior Summer mix, nor Chanel fall polishes yet, but today I would like to present the new Chanel Quad in #43 Mystère from Superstition Collection for this Fall.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère

Mystere is right now released in US so it is in US formula, not a baked Europe formula. As many detest the baked formula, I am undecided. I have seen it working with some recent quads such as Seduction and Fascination. Baked formula also comes to life when used wet and I love wet application, so I sometimes prefer it. Chanel Mystere was sent to me from US, again thanks to Mari. I was dying to try out the new quad and couldn't wait one more month. I also wanted to give US formula a try.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère, close-up

The theme of Superstition collection is khaki, green and taupe. Once I have seen the palette, I was wondering how this would compare to Dior's Khaki design palette and after trying out the shades side by side I can tell you that Mystere is not a green palette! Top left shade leaning slightly green because of the golden shimmer particles doesn't necesarily make the whole finish giving a green look. The shades are as follows:

Dark cool brown with golden rather large sparkles (top left)
Shimmery ivory with satin finish (top right)
Grey cool taupe with satin finish (bottom left)
Mid-toned cool taupe with satin finish (bottom right)

You see the pattern here? They are all rather cool shades so this is not your quad if you search for something warm. The coolness of this quad makes it borderline for my NC20-25 skin with neutral undertones. I can see it working wonderfully with cooler and lighter skin tones but yet again it is rather dark so a light application in this case is a must.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère, swatch

I tried to apply the quad two times since it arrived. I think I may have to play around with it a bit more because I am not very much satisfied with the results. The first time I tried to use the ivory shade (top right) in the corner and taupe shade (bottom left) on the whole lid, defining it with the darker shades on the outer corner and crease. I applied the ivory and taupe shade mixed along the lower lash line. You see the results of this effort in the pictures below. Today I tried to apply the ivory shade all over, hoping that the colors won't get muddy or too dark once this is used as a base but I failed again (thus no photos) and the over all look was too similar to the one below to justify posting another photo. I also had major fall out during application which was a turn-off factor for me.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère, in action

I am not totally unhappy with the end result but I can't say I look at the mirror and say "wow". I think those colors are just not that flattering on my skin/eye combo. I also found out that this quad is reasonably close to Armani's #11 Mystery (This name? I know right!).

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère vs, Armani ETK Quad #11 Mystery

You see the comparison swatches under full sun below. The main difference of Chanel Mystere is the golden sparkles in the darkest shade which pulls it a bit olive. Other than that they are very close, the ivory and the taupe shade being almost identical in terms of color. It should also be very close to Chanel Prelude (which I don't own) since Armani ETK #11 and Chanel Prelude are very close (see their comparison here)

Chanel Les 4 Ombres #43 Mystère vs, Armani ETK Quad #11 Mystery, swatches

Be sure to also check out the wonderful reviews from Rads (Weekend Ramblings) and Sabrina (The Beauty Look Book) as well as Amy (Cafe Make-up) and Jenny (Belletristic Beauty).

Final thoughts: I am not very impressed by the formula and the colors are a bit too muddy on my skin tone. This quad is also close to color to Armani's #11 Mystery. I prefer Armani #11 because its lighter colors make it easier to build up the contrasts and I like its shimmering quality better. That being said Chanel's quad delivers a nice fall smokey eye if you like cool tones and darker eye looks, be sure to check it out.

Have you checked Mystere? What are your thoughts about it?

Opening too many parenthesis in a beauty blog is a bad thing. Without finishing the reviews of summer shades, moving on to Fall shades is unexceptable *tisk tisk*. With all the posts piled up, today I would like to show you the last nail polish from Dior's Summer Mix Collection, #858 Tie & Dye.

Dior Vernis #858 Tie & Dye from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

Dior #858 Tie & Dye is a perfect summer red. It is sort of vibrant, pulls just slightly orange which makes it look fresh but it is not too bright either. I would call this to be a gorgeous poppy red. As I already mentioned before, the application is a breeze throughout the collection, perfectly opaque with two coats, not too thick or thin and self leveling. Also the finish is glossy but I still prefer to use top coat to improve longevity.

Dior Vernis #858 Tie & Dye from 2013 Summer Mix Collection

The base color of Dior #648 Diablotine is almost the same as #858 Tie&Dye but Diablotine has glitter. Tom Ford Coral Blame is pretty close but just a tad darker and more red. Guerlain #143 Nahema is also a close shade but lighter and more orange. Chanel Coromandel was the closest Chanel shade I found for this comparison, which was significantly darker and more red once applied.

Dior Vernis #858 Tie & Dye vs. similar colors from my stash

You can see better how the colors compare in the close-up following photo. The closest shade is Tom Ford's Coral Blame, which I think has a misleading name because it is more of a red than coral. Sorry for the typo in the photos. You can see that I didn't get enough sleep last night. Yes it is

Tie & Dye

Tie & Die

Tye & Die

???

This name doesn't make any sense anyway. After YSL's Tie & Dye collection maybe Tie & Die would be a more proper name for this nail polish!

Dior Vernis #858 Tie & Die and nail wheel comparison of similar colors

Before I finish, one more eye candy if you still haven't decided. I think Tie & Dye is one of the unique colors of the collection. I love the formula, I love the shade. I only have problem with the name.

Dior Vernis #858 Tie & Dye

Are you getting Tie & Dye? Do you know of any similar shades by other nail polish brands?

I started with a blog series a month ago to review all the quads from my Tom Ford Cosmetics collection. I have reviewed eight of these quads until now and today I would like to present you two more, #05 Silvered Topaz and #10 Titanium Smoke.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quads, #05 Silvered Topaz (left) and #10 Titanium Smoke (right)

Since grey eye shadows rarely work on me, I was very cautious with Silvered Topaz. When you are buying things sight unseen, without being able to play with them, just the name may turn you off. The word "silvered" was an indication for me that this should be left out of my collection. Then by chance, I have seen someone selling her lightly used quad for a reasonable price, so i decided to take this opportunity to try it out. I received it shortly before Christmas holidays and decided to take it with me to our travel to give it a try. I was without words after the first application, I felt like head over heels in love with this. So much that I ended up wearing it to the family lunch on second day of Christmas and each time I went to the bathroom to refresh my lipstick, I was staring at it in the window, admiring the look.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quads, #05 Silvered Topaz (left) and #10 Titanium Smoke (right)

#05 Silvered Topaz has the following shades:

Champagne glitter with transparent base (top left)
Mid-toned taupe gray with satin finish, looks almost metallic hence the name "silver" (top right)
Mauve taupe with satin finish (bottom left)
Plum brown with matte finish (bottom right)

I purchased Titanium Smoke after I started to come to the conclusion that I was collecting the quads and I needed to own each and every one of them. I was not very enthusiastic about the shades, since it was even more gray and therefore cooler than Silvered Topaz. It turned out to have a few really very pigmented shades with amazing formula though. Who has last seen such a deep dark black matte without any fallout? What about a true black packed with silver glitter which lasts and lasts?

Here are the shades of #10 Titanium Smoke listed properly for reference:

Ivory glitter with transparent base. (top left)
Mid-toned cool gray with satin finish (top right)
A deep true black with matte finish (bottom left)
A black base with silver glitter, finish is borderline between metallic and glittery, meaning these glitters are a little smaller. (bottom right)

Swatched, photos taken under sun: Tom Ford Eye Color Quads, #05 Silvered Topaz vs. #10 Titanium Smoke

Althought #05 Silvered Topaz is said to be rather cool, it leans warm on my complexion. I prefer to use the taupe gray (top right) shade all over the lid as well as along the lower lashline, intensifying it starting from halfway to the outer lid with mauve taupe shade (bottom left). I then define the crease and the upper lashline with the matte brown (bottom right). I then pad champagne glitter all over the lid with my fingers and add a bit more glitter to the inner corner. This is one of my favorite quads of all time to which I find myself reaching over and over again!

In action: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #05 Silvered Topaz

For the following look with #10 Titanium Smoke, I used the gray (top right) shade all over the lid and along the lower lashes, defined the crease and outer corner with matte black (bottom left). At this point it looks like classical smokey eye. To give it the oomph effect, I padded some ivory glitter (top left) to the inner corner as well as the silver glitter with black base (bottom right) on the lid, mixing both glitters for more drama. I then lined my eyes with black eye pencil and smudged it for a softer line. While smudging I used the black shade to also set the eye liner for longevity.

I was in Douglas and SA in MAC counter was very much impressed by how funky the glitter was shining under the shop light and asked me which eye shadow I used. But the funny event was yet to come. After I wanted to pay for the lipstick I picked up from MAC Counter, the lady at the cashier asked me if she should also charge me for the night makeup! I didn't know if I should take it as a compliment (after all I have done it myself) or as a criticism (since it was day time!). Anyway, we can safely say that Titanium Smoke gives you the glittery smokey eye make up full of drama, which most of us would prefer for a night out or a special occasion.

In action: Tom Ford Eye Color Quad #10 Titanium Smoke

Final thoughts: Looking for a dramatic glittery smokey eye palette? Check out Tom Ford #10 Titanium Smoke. Looking for the palette of your life? Buy Silvered Topaz now! Throughout the reviews some of you asked me which one is my favorite and I tell you know, it is surely Silvered Topaz. That being said I have read some reviews of Silvered Topaz turning too cool on some complexions, so once more for reference, I am NC20-25 (Chanel B20) with natural undertones and it is definitely pulling warm on me.

Which one is your favorite eye look? And what about your favorite TF Quad?

I know I am late for the party but I had to post about one of my recent favorites, Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette in Batik Sun.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette in Batik Sun

I was not very happy with the last palette I purchased from Estée Lauder. It was Pretty Naughty eye shadow palette and although I loved the color combination there, I was not pleased with the texture and the results on my complexion. Maybe I haven't played enough with it who knows. Pastels may be hard for some to pull off. This is why when I have seen Batik Sun palette I didn't want to buy it before touching and feeling it at a counter.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette in Batik Sun

I was almost about to forget that this one was in my wish list until I have seen it during my trip to Barcelona. There in El Corte Inglés, it was calling me. After the first playing round, I decided to take it with me. Right after I return, this one was just being released in Germany. We are talking about the mid of June ladies, this is how late we usually are for the party. Anyway while writing this post, I am not feeling bad about introducing a palette which is already sold out, because it is now, yes exactly now available.

Let's look at the shades shall we?

Orange with golden sheen, satin finish (top)
Peachy light gold with satin finish (right)
Champagne with satin finish (left)
Teal green with very subtle golden sheen, satin finish (bottom)
Bronze brown with golden sheen, satin finish (center)

Swatches of Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette in Batik Sun

I am not going for an extensive post on this quad since there is enough of those in beauty blogosphere. I just love wearing it and I would like to show you one of the looks I created with this one. I start by applying the champagne (left) shade all over the lid as a base. Then intensify it with gold (right) from mid of the lid outwards. I then define the crease with the orange shade (top) quiet high and I define a little lower on the crease and outer corner of the lid by a touch of green (bottom). I then add the brown shade (center) only on the outer corner for further definition. I mix golden and bronze shade for lower lash line and line my eyes up and down with a soft brown shade which I set with the brown shade from the palette. I smoke out the pencil and the color on the lower lid since I don't like harsh lines. I add mascara for the final step.

In Action: Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette in Batik Sun

I really find this look fun and at the same time wearable, one more close up for you to see the colors and the result better.

Close up on eyes, Estée Lauder Pure Color Palette Batik Sun

Final thoughts: I think Batik Sun is one of the solid palettes of this summer, very versatile yet different and wearable. If you are still searching for one, go and check it out. It is like a lighter and softer version of MAC's Bare My Soul palette which I also adore at the moment. A similar effect can also be created with Dolce & Gabbana's Medditerraneo Palette (check the review and two different applications here).

Finally I came to compare this gorgeous addition to Chanel's permanent line, Le Vernis #589 Elixir. This one is one of the three nail polishes (check this post for swatches) to be released for Fall 2013 with Superstition Collection. It is a milky pinkish red, an understated shade which is easy on eyes and flattering across different skin tones.

Chanel Le Vernis #589 Elixir from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

I went through my stash to see if I have something similar. It turns out that I don't but I spotted some close shades which I would like to present you today. Elixir happens to be close to #533 April in the bottle but once on the nails, April pulls more berry and is also darker. #129 Image Rose (discontinued) is more red, #519 Rose Exuberant is definitely more pink. One of last year's Fashion Night Out release Infidele is similar in intensity but more plum. #491 Rose Confidentiel is more nude once compared to Elixir.

Chanel Le Vernis #589 Elixir and similar shades from my stash

Last year's Fall shade #561 Suspicious is a harsher version of Elixir. I wore Suspicious two times and found it to be not very flattering on my skin tone, but I was loving April. Elixir is somewhat between April and Suspicious but definitely an easier shade to pull off. #581 Cinema (see comparisons here) is more of a red but Elixir and Cinema definitely share this classically chic feeling. For me Elixir is like a pink version of Cinema. I also included #477 Dazzling (discontinued) in the swatches below, which is more red/orange compared to Elixir.

Nail wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #589 Elixir and similar shades from my stash

One more eye candy before I stop bragging about Elixir. All in all I like it, it is so Chanel, maybe not an unusual shade but a good one. It will be added to the permanent line, so you don't need to rush.

Chanel Le Vernis #589 Elixir from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection

Final thoughts: I love low-key classically chic colors and Chanel can do these like no one else. Perfect formula too. It is definitely a fall shade for me though, for summer I prefer brights and blues, but maybe it is just me.

Are you getting Elixir? Let me know your thoughts about this shade.

Today I would like to talk about the last piece I picked up from Dior's Summer Mix 2013 Collection, Dior Blush Cheek Creme in #651 Panama. The idea behind this collection is to match your nails with your cheeks, so there are four colors of creme blushes are released together with four nail polishes (for nail polish swatches, check the previous post here). Four creme blush shades are as follows:

#651 Panama, a bright coral, matching nail polish #448 Sunnies
#851 Capri, a pale blue toned pink, matching nail polish #658 Capeline
#871 Bikini, a warm intense pink, matching nail polish #858 Tie & Die
#971 Pareo, a bright fuchsia pink, matching nail polish #678 Creoles

Dior Blush Cheek Creme #651 Panama from Summer Mix 2013

As I already mentioned, Germany haven't received this collection other than presumably the exclusive counter in Berlin KaDeWe so I didn't have a chance to play around with them to decide. I had to order it sight unseen from Italy. I included four of the nail polishes since those were safe bets. As for the creme blush, I decided to get only one to test it. I chose the coral one, #651 Panama matching some of my lipsticks for summer.

Dior Blush Cheek Creme #651 Panama from Summer Mix 2013

Dior creme blush comes in a glass container and houses 7 g/2.4 OZ of product, which is a good amount once compared to other creme blushes on the market. Here are some examples for reference, Laura Mercier has 2.34g/0.08 OZ, YSL has 5.5 g/0.19 OZ product. I compared some of my other creme blushes to give an idea of the color. Laura Mercier has a closer color called Sunrise which I don't own, so I included Canyon, one of my all time favorite creme blushes. YSL Cream Blush #6 seems to be close in shade but also tad more red. Giorgio Armani is not a creme formula, it is liquid/gel and more transparent because of that. Blushing fabric is my all time favorite blush formula. The transparency gives a natural look which lasts all day so I included this one too for reference.

Dior Blush Cheek Creme #651 Panama and similar colors with creme/gel formula

Dior Blush Cheek Creme is pigmented and applies smoothly. It is important for me that a creme blush is pigmented because I wear it under the finishing powder, so some of the color is washed out afterwards to give a glow within kind of look. My only problem with Dior Panama was the lasting power. It started fading in 4-5 hours which I find to be rather short once compared to other formulas. The closes in texture and color is Laura Mercier Canyon, which is more neutral and a tad more brown.

Swatches of Dior Blush Cheek Creme #651 Panama and similar colors

Final thoughts: Dior Blush Cheek Creme #651 Panama retails around 30 EUR which is a good price for 7g / 2.4 OZ of product. It is pigmented, glides on smoothly, easy to blend. It would be heaven if it would stay on my cheeks a bit longer.

Have you tried these? Did it stay on you? Which creme blush formula is your favorite?

Apart from Superstition Collection, Chanel is going to launch Moiré Le Rouge Collection (check promo photos here) this upcoming September. Moiré Le Rouge focuses on lips and nails. There are four nail polishes, two of them are new and two are re-promoted (#73 Violette and #179 Gold Shimmer). Today I would like to introduce you to the new nail polishes of the collection, #593 Rose Moiré and #595 Rouge Moiré. French word moiré is used in fabrics context to define textures such as silk with watered appearance, hence all the polishes have pearly finish.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré & #595 Rouge Moiré

I would like to start with #593 Rose Moiré. It is defined as light pearly rose. I would define it as light pearly champagne rose. Because of its metallic pearly finish, it has some minimal brush strokes and needs careful application, but nothing too serious. It is a very office appropriate, easy to maintain color for those of you who wouldn't like to see each small chip on nails.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré

It has a nice sheen to it and color switches between being more rose or more champagne depending on the light. I applied two colors and it was perfectly opaque. With a thick top coat you can also minimize the brush strokes.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré

This one is surely a universal shade but I suspect it is dupable, so I started going through my stash to find something similar.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré

After the nail wheel swatches, I was a little surprised to see that there were no exact dupes. I was even more surprised by the fact that the closest shade in my stash was the re-promo shade from this collection, #73 Violette. These two are reasonably close and unless you are a collector, I wouldn't invest in both.

Comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré with similar colors from my stash

Other similar colors are as follows:

Chanel #187 Antilope (discontinued): Similar finish, leans definitely more beige
Chanel #367 Trapeze (discontinued): Similar finish, leans more bronze
Chanel #153 Surprise (discontinued): Similar finish, leans more ivory
Butter London Champers from Summer 2013 Collection: Foil finish, a tad more bronze
Chanel #597 Island: Similar finish, more beige/peach in shade
Chanel #73 Violette (re-promo from Moiré Le Rouge Collection): Very close just slightly more peach and warm.

Nail wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moiré with similar colors from my stash

The second shade is defined as pearly red. I think it is pearly pinkish red since the sheen is pink over a red base, it leans slightly rosa overall. I used two coats but it was opaque almost in one coat. Consistency is very good, not thick or thin.

Chanel Le Vernis #595 Rouge Moiré

Under the sun, it has a very pretty sheen to it. In my opinion it shows more of that moiré quality than Rose Moiré does. Do I love that one more? I guess so! Maybe it is just me, but I have something against these "very office friendly and easy to maintain" shades, since I used to wear them for years non stop. Can you tell that I got bored? Rose Moiré looks like one of the only three nail polishes I owned long before I became a nail junky. Rouge Moiré is different though, it is classic and flattering.

Chanel Le Vernis #595 Rouge Moiré

Such a classical shade like Rouge Moiré, do you think it has dupes out there? Certainly, but let me check my stash first and see what comes closer.

Chanel Le Vernis #595 Rouge Moiré

When I first compared the bottle I was like Eureka! Ruby Slippers is a dupe! I even posted that on twitter. But after I started swatching, I have seen that it really is different, it is more vivid and certainly pulls more red. The closest shades I found was Illamasqua's Creator, which is slightly darker and Chanel #60 Vertigo (not the one which was released last Fall, but the older one) which pulls a bit more plum.

Comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #595 Rouge Moiré to similar colors in my stash

Here are the comparison results:

Chanel #587 Rouge Carat (discontinued): similar finish but definitely more bright and red.
Chanel #90 Matador (discontinued): also more bright and red.
Chanel #481 Fantastic (discontinued): more plum, sheen is less apparent.
Chanel #183 Shanghai Red (discontinued): sheen is muted, color is slightly more red.
Chanel Ruby Slippers (discontinued): brighter and more red.
Chanel #60 Vertigo (discontinued): The closest shade of the bunch, a tad more plum.
Illamasqua Charisma: Also very close, just slightly more plum/pink.
Chanel #637 Malice: close finish but definitely more darker.

Nail wheel comparison of Chanel Le Vernis #595 Rouge Moiré to similar colors in my stash

Final thoughts: Two new nail polished from Moiré Le Rouge Collection are both classical shades and flattering across skin tones. Some may find them a bit boring, but if you are after good quality formula and a classical shade, check those out. Moiré Le Rouge Collection will be released in September.

Do you like these shades? Are you going to check them out?

Thanks to Katred from Spectra.net, I came to notice that I was not careful enough while going through my stash. Apparently I missed a very close call while searching for shades to compare to Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moire, (check out the previous post for comparison and swatches). Today it is all about three sisters, Chanel #593 Rose Moire, #73 Violette and Guerlain #463 La Petite Robe Noire.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moire and #73 Violette vs. Guerlain La Laque Couleur #463 La Petite Robe Noire

I have already expressed my surprise in the fact that Violette being repromoted in the same collection as Rose Moire. To my eye, they are very close. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire is also close to both of the shades, I would say a bit closer to Violette because of its beige hue. But all those shade differences are on "nano" scale, if it makes sense.

Chanel Le Vernis #593 Rose Moire and #73 Violette vs. Guerlain La Laque Couleur #463 La Petite Robe Noire

The main difference between the three shades is their consistency. Violette and La Petite Robe Noire are both rather sheer when compared to Rose Moire, which is opaque almost by first coat. Also the pearl effect of Rose Moire is more apparent, which is partly lacked by Violette. La Petite Robe Noire (should have been called appropriately La petite Robe Rose) has also pearl effect but in another way, it has sheen particles of many different colors whereas Rose Moire has mono colored sheen.

Comparison on nails: Chanel #593 Rose Moire, #73 Violette and Guerlain #463 La Petite Robe Noire

For all the swatches I used 2 coats of Chanel Rose Moire and Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire and three coats of Violette. From semi transparent to opaque, they can be ordered as Violette (most sheer), La Petite Robe Noire, Rose Moire (most opaque).

Do you need them all? Unless you collect each and every shade, I don't think you do. Which one to choose if you want to buy just one? I like Rose Moire most because it is less beige and therefore IMO a little more modern. I also don't like semi transparent finishes, so Rose Moire is my favorite out of the bunch. But it really depends on what you like. Some may find the multi colored sparkle of Guerlain more pretty or some like the semi transparent look of Violette attractive. But at the end of the day, if I would wear one on each finger (like the photo above) I don't think anyone would ever notice. So everything here is rather detail.

A quick sneak peek for Armani's Pre-fall collection, or some call it Fall 2013 Pre-release. First I got to see it here. Being an avid fan of their Eyes To Kill eye shadows and their Face&Eyes Palettes, I was very excited. Look at the promo picture below and see what I mean?

Sneak Peek: Giorgio Armani Fall 2013 Make-up Collection Promo Photo (source)

The collection is composed of two new Face&Eye Palettes, six new Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows and six new lipsticks, here is the list:

Face & Eye Palette

#01 Blue-Violet Tones: Mystic Blue

#02 Brown-Green Tones: Venomous Green

Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow

30 Rose Popillia

31 June Beetle

32 Gold Hercule

33 Scarab Violetta

34 Blue Beetle

35 Silver Chafer

Rouge d’Armani Sheers

#300

#409

#410

#610

#611

#612

I was expecting the release in the beginning of August so yesterday when I have seen it on the Armani Counter, I literally went out of my mind. Jumped in, made pictures, I was even too excited to properly swatch the products. I started playing around with them but also being in a hurry didn't help. So I purchased some(!) stuff quickly which is going to be the subject for the next post...

Giorgio Armani Fall 2013 Kaleidoscope Collection at Breuninger Giorgio Armani Counter, Stuttgart

... But as for the time being, here are the swatches of six new lipstick colors in formula Rouge D'Armani Sheers, #300, #409, #410, #610, #611, #612.

Six new Rouge D'Armani Sheers Shades swatched

#300: This one is for orange lovers.

#409: Close to 300 but more coral/red

#410: Red leaning pink.

#610: A warm plum

#611: A plummy brown

#612: A warm reddish brown

I haven't purchased any of the lipsticks but I am definitely going there again. Somehow I am not that adventurous with lipsticks so I don't buy before I try them on. I will let you know how they look on the lips after the tests so stay tuned.

EDIT:

Check out swatches of both of Face & Eye Palettes and see them in action, here.
See the swatches and comparisons of five new Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows here.

Is the collection also released in your country? Are you also so excited like me?

I briefly talked about yesterday's haul but I haven't said how bad it was... I am holding it for the time being and would like to start with introducing the two new Face & Eye palettes. On the package it is written that these are "Scarabeo" edition. Scarabeo, as you may guess, means "scarab" in English, which explains the iridescent green blue purple tones and all the beetle names of the six new Eyes To Kill shadows, but I am going to come to that one later on.

Giorgio Armani Scarabeo Kaleidoscope Face&Eye Palettes #1 Mystic Blue & #2 Venomous Green

After the first two releases of Face & Eye Palettes, I was not very excited about them. Mainly it was the steep price point that pushed me away. As you know these palettes have two tiers, the top tier hosts a face product, like blush/highlighter or bronzer. The second tier has the eye shadows.

I was wishing they could sell the eye and face products separately to make it more affordable for those who are interested in just one but not both. After getting both of the spring palettes during a clearance and playing with them, I started liking it. The summer palette was almost like a dream, the peach and bronze tones, that golden bronzer and the pattern was to die for (previously reviewed here). So when I have seen the new ones with rather interesting beetle colors, I wanted to run home and try it right away.

Giorgio Armani Face&Eye Palettes #1 Mystic Blue & #2 Venomous Green

After taking a few photos, I started swatching the colors and look here is what happened, the middle colors changed when the overspray was removed! So don't get deceived by the sprayed colors, the purple on Palette #1 Mystic Blue is more of a turquoise, the green in the second palette (middle shade) is not a golden green but rather a deep forest green.

Armani Face&Eye Palettes #1 Mystic Blue & #2 Venomous Green after the spray is removed from middle shades

The following swatches are taken under full sun, after the overspray is removed.

Armani Face & Eye Palette #1, Mystic Blues

Tier 1: This is a gorgeous coral blush with subtle sheen on it. Especially after the spray is removed, it is just lightly brightening and it doesn't emphasize my pores. The color showed up on my MAC NC 20-25 skin nicely.

Tier 2: Three eye shadows are as follows:

Left: A matte deep black plum which is slightly dry but applies very well.
Middle: A iridescent turquoise
Right: A mid-toned blue/purple shade with satin finish

Armani Face & Eye Palette #2, Venomous Green

Tier 1: This is a gorgeous light pink blush leaning slightly coral, again with subtle sheen and very close to the one from Mystic Blue, but lighter. For it to show up on my complexion, I had to swipe it a few times.

Tier 2: Three eye shadows are as follows:

Left: A dark bronze brown with golden sheen, which makes it lean khaki.
Middle: A iridescent forest green with golden sheen and satin finish
Right: A light ice blue which is not very cold because of ivory sheen to it, this one is border between satin and matte, having the least sheen compared to the other two shades.

Armani Face&Eye Palettes #1 Mystic Blue & #2 Venomous Green swatches

The shades are a little "interesting' so I didn't know they they would look like in action. I was dying to find out, so today I redid my make-up several times and played around with those. I didn't test the mileage, but I think this should be au pair with other Armani eye and face products.

The first look I tried out was with #1 Mystic Blues. Since the middle and the right shadows are close in color, I wanted to use them interchangeably on the lids. I applied the blue (right) on the inner and outer corner, padding in between the turquoise (middle) shade. Then I defined the outer corner and the crease with the darker matte plum (left). I also used a mix of turquoise (middle) and blue (right) along the lower lash line. Finished the look by applying matching eye liner along the lower water line and using plenty of mascara on top and lower lashes.

In Action: Eye look with Armani Face&Eye Palette #1 Mystic Blue

I also applied the blush with a duo fiber brush on my cheeks. You can see the result below. This look turned out to be a rather heavy on eye evening look. Of course if you use the matte shade (left) on the lid and just define the corners lightly, it will be less vibrant and more wearable. I really liked the look and didn't want to take it off for the next application. I will definitely wear this one during upcoming holidays.

In Action: Armani Face&Eye Palette #1 Mystic Blue on the eyes and cheeks

The second look I created was with the second palette, Venomous Green. The shades of this one are definitely more muted, meaning not as vibrant and also not that iridescent as Mystic Blue. I wanted to layer those to see the effect and started with the light blue shade (right) all over the lid. Then I padded the green (middle) on top, starting halfway of the lid towards the outer corner. Then I blended them all with a fluffy brush and added some definition with the darker shade (left) to the crease and outer corner. I used the middle green shade along the lower lash line. I used a slate gray pencil to along the lower and upper lashes as well as lower water line, finished the look with generous amount of mascara (Le Volume de Chanel).

In Action: Eye look with Armani Face&Eye Palette #2 Venomous Green

I applied the blush to the cheeks, which gave a very natural flush which was hard for the camera to pick up. The blush on that one is definitely lighter compared to the one from Mystic Blues. . The green color is not very vibrant, so this look turned out to be rather wearable. I was not feeling "wow" like I felt after Mystic Blues but yet again I know I will reach for this palette more often. I suspect this might give the same effect as the new Dior Palette from Fall 2013, called Bonne Etoile.

In Action: Armani Face&Eye Palette #2 Venomous Green on the eyes and cheeks

Final thoughts: After I found out that the middle shades have overspray, I was a bit disappointed. But after playing with both of the palettes, I am very excited for the quality and the shades. #01 Mystic Blues is more of an evening palette with more iridescent vibrant colors. #02 Venomous Green is more natural and day appropriate. Those are released in Germany and I am sure will reach the counters around the world in the next weeks. Both of the palettes are limited editions. If you like the colors, be sure to check them out.

Do you like beetle colors on eyes? Which one is your favorite look? Which one would you like to wear?

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