Color Me Loud

New make-up collection of Giorgio Armani Beauty has six new Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, five of which I would like to introduce to you today. Kaleidoscope Collection also features six lipstick (swatched here) and two Face&Eyes Palettes (reviewed here).

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

From six new Eyes To Kill releases, I purchased the first five. The sixth shade #35 is called Silver Chafer. It is a light silver shade. I left it behind since silver tones are usually hard for me to pull off and I would like to convince myself that I don't need to get everything, especially when I am almost sure that it wouldn't be used. After swatching those eye shadows though, I can't guarantee that I won't crave for it. Maybe I go there tonight and check it once more ;-)

Face & Eye Palettes as well as new ETK Eye Shadows all have "Scarabeo Edition" denoted on their packages. Scarabeo (scarab in English) as far as I am concerned is the holy beetle of Egypt, which also explains the beetle names of ETK eye shadows. According to Wikipedia Scarab Beetles are a family consisting of 30 000 species, providing enough inspiration for Linda Cantello, the international make-up artist of GA who designed this collection.

All the colors have iridescent duo-chromic almost holographic quality which makes photography and shade definition a challenge but I am willing to try my best for these beauties. I took photos under sun and in shadow to give you a better idea.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

I am lacking a degree in Entomology but here is my humble attempt in describing the shades:

#30 Rose Popillia: A light pink duo chrome appearing mauve at some angles. On my lids it also leaned warm and gold. This one looks exactly like the right wing of this Japanese Popilla Beetle.

#31 June Beetle: It is a gorgeous baby blue leaning turquoise depending on light. This one is less complex than Rose Popillia and appears much bluer than a green june beetle, nevertheless a gorgeous color.

#32 Gold Hercule: Although the name suggests gold, it is more of a golden green, very much like the wings of hercule beetle. Again it has duo chrome property and appears more gray or more gold depending on the light and angle. It reminded me slightly of Chanel's Peridot nail polish.

#33 Scarab Violetta: This one is a light iridescent lavender. It has a gorgeous shine under the sun but in shadow it appears as a cool lilac. The inspration might have been taken from a beetle, such as this one.

#34 Blue Beetle: This is one of the stronger duo-chrome shades, changing between turquoise and violet, even in shadow. Again very iridescent, lovely, no words to describe, maybe this beetle can tell it better.

Swatches with direct sun light, Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

Swatches with indirect light, Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

Phew! It was not easy. *cleans sweat from forehead*. I felt like I was writing a post on new Ozotic nail polish range but it is exciting that these are eye products instead! On to the comparisons we go...

Comparison of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #30 to #9, #28 and #27

I compared #30 to the closest shades in Armani ETK range. This one might be close to #8 too, which I (not yet) own but I suspect #8 would be much more pink than #30 which is more natural, almost like skin color shade. As you see below, #9 is more peachy and more of a frost compared to #30. The shades in Scarebeo range are iridescent but they are not frosts which can be seen clearly in the following swatches. #28 leans also more peach and is darker. #27 is more violette and darker.

Comparison swatches with direct sun light of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #30 to #9, #28 and #27

Comparison swatches with indirect light of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #30 to #9, #28 and #27

I then pulled out the purple leaning shades from Armani ETK range, #3 and #4 to compare with #33.

Comparison of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #33 to #3 and #4

#33 is cooler and lighter once compared to #3 and #4. ETK #3 is purple with golden sparkle, it is darker and warmer. #4 is more of a gray purple, whereas #33 can be described as a true lavender. Check the below swatches to see how #33 appears green towards the bottom because of the curve of my arm and light hiting at another angel. Isn't it exciting?

Comparison swatches with direct sun light of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #33 to #3 and #4

Comparison swatches indirect light of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #33 to #3 and #4

Next comes the comparison of two bluish shades from Scarabeo Edition, #31 and #34. Do you remember the Bronze Collection for 2012 Summer? There were 4 blue/green/gray shades in that collection, so I was more hopeful that I could find dupes.

Comparison of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #31 and #34 to #1, #10, #12, #21 and #22

Once those are swatched side by side, as you see there are no dupes but certainly close shades:

#1 is darker and more blue, without too much gray or green.

# 10 and #12 appear almost white and they are way more frost compared to the others.

#31 and #22 are close, #22 has less green in it and also more white. #22 doesn#t have the duo chrome effect #31 has.

Between #21 and #34, #21 is more gray, #34 leans more turquoise with duochrome property which gives it a purple glow at some angles.

Comparison swatches with direct sun light of Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadow #31 and #34 to #1, #10, #12, #21 and #22

Comparison swatches with indirect light of Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadow #31 and #34 to #1, #10, #12, #21 and #22

Last comparison is between the lighter golden shades of Armani ETK range and #32 from Scrabeo Edition. After the swatches I have seen that I should have added the famous #23 (Madra Perle) from Bronze Collection to the blue shades comparison above, so I threw #31 in here too to compare those two.

Comparison of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #31 and #32 to #18, #19 and #23

The golds I know of ETK range which are not strongly yellow are #18 and #19, from Holiday 2011 collection. These are close shades in terms of lightness but lack the green duo chrome property of #32. #23 and #31 are also close, #31 showing more blue. Isn't that interesting that #32 shows more yellow in shadow and more green under sun?

Comparison swatches with direct sun light of Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadow #31 and #32 to #18, #19 and #23

Comparison swatches with indirect light of Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadow #31 and #32 to #18, #19 and #23

All in all no real dupes. I think #23 Madra Perle, which was one of the most popular/unusual shades of Bronze Collection is the closest shade in terms of iridescent color-changing property to the ones from Scarabeo Kaleidoscope Collection.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

Today I am wearing an eye look which I created using all five shades at once. I am very excited about these, the colors are so unusual. Some may find those interesting shades hard to wear. I believe that #30 is going to be the most popular one. I am going to post today's look soon. This post became way too picture heavy so I am sharing the comparisons and the swatches for the time being. As for the quality, the shades can be intensified by wet application and they wear like stone over a primer all day long. They don't fade and budge. Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadows are one of my most favorite eye shadow formulas of all times, if not the "top" one.

Final thoughts: Very usual shades and texture. Duo-chrome, holographic, whatever you would call it. The quality is au pair with Armani ETK range, blending easily, lasting all day long. Nothing but love!

How do you find these usual shades? Do you think you would find yourself wearing these often? Which shade is your favorite?

Giorgio Armani Beauty released the first part of their Fall Collection, Kaleidoscope, which includes eye and lip products (yay!). In case you missed the previous posts, check out swatches of six new lippies here, swatches/application of two new Face & Eye Palettes here and comparison/swatches of five of the six new Eyes to Kill eye shadows here. Previous post about ETK eye shadows was very photo intensive so I decided to post a seperate eye look post to tease you just a little more with these unusual shades. Before I start, please keep in mind that I tried something which is rather colorful and crazy but you can use just one or two shadows and go for a more wearable look.

Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 (from left to right) Scarabeo Edition

For my sugar beetle eyes look (!) below, I applied #30 all over the lid. I was already smitten but it was way to simple to post here ;-D so I decided to add some #33 to the outer half of the lid. I defined my crease and along the upper lash line with the darkest of the colors, that is #34. I then added #32 to the inner corner of the eye as a highlighter and #31 along the lower lash line.

In action: Giorgio Armani ETK Eyeshadows, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34 Scarabeo Edition

Here is a closer shot to show you how these shades appear all together. Please excuse the messy brows! Those really need to be tamed right here and right now. I am considering Dior's brow gel recently launched with their Fall 2013 Collection, has anyone tried that out? Please let me know!

Eye Close-up of the look with Armani Scarabeo ETKs

Today I am wearing these again, this time I applied the gold shade #32 in the middle of the lid. It combines beautifully with blue and violette shades. I know #30 is going to be the most "popular shade" but if I was to select just 3 out of 6, I would go for one blue (probably #34 because of its duochrome property being more intense), the green/yellow (#32) and the violette (#33) to give dimension. I found both blues (#31 and #34) to be rather close once applied.

Notes in terms of application: I love using those wet, which seems to emphasize the beautiful sheen. I love these looks for summer and I can imagine wearing them during late sommer but I don't know about Fall. I also really don't understand how these colors combine with the vampy plummy or orangy lipsticks of the collection. I am going to try to layer those together with the colors from Palettes too. If I find a nice combination, I will let you know.

What do you think? Love it or leave it?

I was interrupted by Armani Fall madness but now I am back on track. Going on with my review of Chanel Fall 2013 collection Superstition, today I would like to introduce you to Presage. It is one of the six shades of Chanel's new creme blush line, four of which are announced to be permanent. Presage is listed as limited edition together with an interesting burgundy shade called Fantastic. The packaging resembles Chanel's eye shadows and blushes but it is square and almost as sleek as their single eye shadows.

Chanel #62 Presage, Le Blush Creme de Chanel from Superstition Collection for Fall 2013

Presage appears as an intense apricot coral in the pan. Once applied and sheered out, it transforms to a pretty wearable coral on the cheeks which should be flattering for a wide range of skin tones. It is possible to build the intensity up until you look like a clown (which is a positive thing!).

Some blogs report that it dries like a powder, I would say it is not tacky after applied but on me it is not powdery either. I tried different ways to apply it:

With fingers by lightly padding,
With duo fibre blush (like MAC's new limited edition blush from Tropical Taboo collection, No. 159)
With Tom Ford creme foundation brush.

I love applying cosmetics with fingers, I got to feel the texture and the product is not wasted. For Le Blush Creme de Chanel though, I had similar experience with Sabrina from Beauty Look Book, once applied with fingers, it almost didn't last for the next three hours. With Duo Fibre brush it was slightly better but lasting power still needed improvement. I do my make-up in the morning before going to work and rarely take makeup with me for touch ups. Since I have normal skin, products usually last on me long, that is from 9am to 6 pm. I was first a little disappointed with Chanel creme blush, until I applied it with a dense brush, Tom Ford creme foundation brush in my case, using circular motions and working it into the skin, it lasted around 8 hours on me. On a side note, I am spoiled by Armani Brush Fabrics, which is a gel formula and last up to 12 hours on me so let's say I am very demanding ;-)

Close-up: Chanel #62 Presage, Le Blush Creme de Chanel

For comparison, I pulled out two similar shades and textures from my stash.YSL Creme Blush #6 and recently released creme blush from Dior in shade Panama (previously reviewed here). Once I run my fingers on them they have similar cremy consistency, but when I swatched, it showed some difference formula wise...

Comparison of Chanel #62 Presage, Le Blush Creme de Chanel to similar blushes

I think the following swatch shows the difference in textures quiet well. For all of the three I used my fingers and one swipe on my arm after picking up some product. You can see that the shades are pretty close but Chanel Presage is definitely more pigmented, is more matte, it slides like butter and covers the area homogenously. I think this photo speaks for itself too.

Comparison swatches of creme blushes, Chanel #62 Presage, YSL #6, Dior #651 Panama

I was blown away after the swatch, but would this smooth pigments transfer the same way onto my cheek during application? Since the shades of Dior Panama and Chanel Presage are very close, I decided to carry on an experiment. I applied Dior on my right cheek, Chanel on the left.

Day #1, Test Dior vs. Chanel, application with fingers

I padded both Chanel Presage and Dior Panama with my fingers. I have to admit I liked how easy was to blend Dior, probably since it was a little less pigmented it was easy to make it look more natural. Dior lasted a few hours more than Chanel, beating it on the first round.

Day #2, Test Dior vs. Chanel, application with a dense brush

I applied them again one on each cheek, this time using Tom Ford creme foundation blush for both at about 9am. At noon Dior was mostly faded and Chanel was like as if freshly applied. Afternoon Dior faded to almost nothing, leaving a very slight hint of color. Chanel was significantly there. Chanel won the second round.

A few more things to compare, Dior has 7 g of product, Chanel is only 2,5 g (0.09 OZ) and the price point is close, Chanel being slightly less expensive so you get more for your money from Dior but Dior creme blushes are all limited editions and almost sold out everywhere here, which makes it an argument against it. If you ask how I feel about it, I am going with Chanel because it does last me longer, although some of the "anyway tiny amount" of product goes to waste between the fluffy hairs of my lovely Tom Ford creme foundation brush.

Before I conclude, here is how I use Chanel creme blush

I apply my base (below it is Guerlain BB Creme in shade Light 01).
I apply the creme blush heavily on the apples of the cheeks (a little heavier than I would feel comfortable wearing it).
I go with my Chanel Les Beiges powder in B20 on top to fix the base and the creme blush. Since I applied the blush heavily, it fades a little under the powder, giving me a natural look.

Chanel Presage in action, right side without, left side with

Final thoughts: I like the smooth matte texture of new creme blushes, Le Blush Creme de Chanel. I found out that for my skin, it is crucial to apply it with a dense brush (like Tom Ford creme foundation brush) for it to last all day, which is very important for me. If you like applying creme blushes with your fingers, I recommend you check out Dior creme blushes from their recent Summer Mix collection which gave better performance with fingers.

Do you use creme blushes? Which formula is your favorite? How do you like to apply them?

Today I have one of the most interesting releases of this Fall, Yves Saint Laurent's City Drive Palette in Arty, in their Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry Eye Shadow formula. I am very enthusiastic about this formula and I usually love the shades and the different concepts. My recent favorites being their Boreal Palette from Holiday 2012 Collection, which I chose as my Christmas Eve make-up this year winning against many other strong candidates. I was also smitten by their Spring Release, loving that taupe shade, wearing it over and over again. Unfortunately their Pure Chromatics release from Summer, #13 (see the review here), was kind of a reshuffled palette, which disappointed me. This is why when I have seen the promo photos of upcoming Fall Collection, I was very excited to see some crazy color combination.

YSL Palette City Drive Arty Wet & Dry Eyeshadows

There are two Wet & Dry Eyeshadow Quad released with Fall 2013 collection, Arty and Classy. These both have a special edition packaging. I love the design of those and the colors they chose, Arty have a fuchsia back ground, Classy is over black, so fitting to how they are named. Just a side note, I wore Classy today and will be reviewing it soon, so stay tuned.

YSL Palette City Drive Arty (left) and Classy (right) Wet & Dry Eyeshadows

YSL Quad Arty has an interesting color combination that I have personally never seen before. It reads very cool on the right hand side with sparkly silver and silvery black. The left hand side of the palette has vibrant colors of blue and acid green, which is, without doubt the most surprising shade of this upcoming season in any collection.

Close up: YSL Palette City Drive Arty Wet & Dry Eyeshadows

Below I swatched the shades wet, using a spray filled with water and my Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush to apply them. This is a synthetic brush with hard bristle, makes it easier to pick up cream products. Since YSL Wet & Dry Eyeshadows dissolve in water, after the brush is wet, upon contact, it acts rather like a creme product on the surface. Therefore I opt for this brush which helps me to pick up more product for a dense application. The shades in this palette are as follows:

Vibrant blue with chunky silver glitters (upper left)
Dense silver with metallic finish (upper right)
Acid green with satin finish (bottom left)
Deep anthracite packed with large silver glitters. (bottom right)

Swatch under full sun: YSL Palette City Drive Arty Wet & Dry Eyeshadows

For the eye make-up below, I applied the silver shade (upper right) on entire lid and defined my crease an the outer half of the lash line with anthracite shade (bottom right) in a C-shape. At that point I had a nice metallic smokey eye base. Now it was time to add some color. I started padding the blue shade (upper left) at the outer half of the lid, then the acid green (bottom left) to the middle. I used the silver and blue shades along the lower lash line too, silver from the inner corner to half way and blue from half way to the outer corner. I used a silver eye pencil to my lower water line (Chanel Silver Light) and to finish the look, I applied plenty of mascara.

In Action: YSL Palette City Drive Arty Wet & Dry Eyeshadows

Now let me tell you this, although I was content with the end result, the application was nothing but a breeze. All the shades in this palette have chunky glitters, which make them hard to apply. Especially once used wet, they just don't slide easly like I was used to from other shades of Pure Chromatics range. So I would say the formula here was unfortunately not perfect. But if you like the colors and the interesting combination, with a little bit of more effort you may get interesting results. Once applied over a primer (I used Nars Pro-Prime) it stayed put all day, without smudging and fading.

I really don't know any similar quad, which has an acid green in it, but if you only like the smokey part of the palette without the colors, which is the right part of it, you may want to check YSL Pure Chromatics #12, which is the ultimate evening look Pure Chromatics quad in my opinion.

Some shades from YSL City Drive Arty Palette vs. YSL Pure Chromatics #12

As the below swatches show, the silver metallic shade in both quads are very close. The anthracite shade in Pure Chromatics #12 has less glitter particles, which makes me wish City Drive Palette Arty would also be like. Since there is the silver shade anyway, it would be possible to combine them anyway for a similar effect.

Comparison swatches of some shades from YSL City Drive Arty Palette vs. YSL Pure Chromatics #12

Final thoughts: YSL Palette City Drive Arty Wet & Dry Eyeshadows from Fall/Winter 2013 Collection is one of the most interesting products of the season, which combines metallic silver, silvery blue and acid green. The formula with so many glitter particles in each shade is rather hard to apply and needs some patience. I really like the end result though, and how it stays put all day long without smudging and fading over a primer on a hot summer day. I wished the anthracite and blue shades would be less glittery, making glitter optional by using the silver shade as needed.

Can you wear the acid green? Do you like this color combination?

The second palette from City Drive Editions of Yves Saint Laurent's Wet & Dry Eyeshadow formula is a natural one called "Classy" as opposed to the other one in this collection being crazy, vibrant and sparkly (check out the review here).

YSL Palette City Drive Classy Wet & Dry Eyeshadows from Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

YSL offers something for all. If you are after some special occasions makeup product then Palette "Arty" can be for you. If you are a natural lover or would like a day-time look product, YSL offers "Classy"for you. I usually like trying unusual combinations. You can say that I am rather brave when it comes to applying color on the eyes so I was expecting that my favorite of this collection would be "Arty" palette.

YSL Palette City Drive Classy (right) Arty (left) Wet & Dry Eyeshadows from Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

After applying both of the palettes though, the unexpected happened. I fell in love with "Classy" Palette, so much that I tweeted a few day ago these lines " I am officially in love with YSL City Drive Classy Quad. I think it is THE natural palette of Fall 2013". Now let's see why I was so blown away...

Close-up: YSL Palette City Drive Classy Wet & Dry Eyeshadow

YSL Classy Palette reads quiet warm with three shades out of four, which are all satin without many shimmer. They are even less shimmery than other similar colored YSL Pure Chromatics palettes from their permanent line. Then comes a rather metallic silver as the fourth shade, which makes you think what to do with this one, right? Before we come to the magic of the silver shade, let's check out these one by one:

A deep plummy brown with satin finish (upper left)
A light peachy champagne shade with satin finish (upper right)
A mid-toned warm bronze brown with satin finish (bottom left)
A cool silver with metallic finish (bottom right)

Swatch under sun: YSL Palette City Drive Classy

STEP#1

I started applying the peachy champagne (upper right) all over the lid, which makes a fabulous base color in my opinion. Its sheen is just right for the eye shadow not to be flat but it doesn't make it over the top.

STEP#2

I defined my crease and the outer corner near the lash line in a C shape using the darkest color of the palette (upper left) using a fluffy blending brush like MAC 217. This shade is satin but with very subtle sheen, so does a perfect job in definition.

STEP#3

I added some more color from half of the lid towards the outer corner using the bronze shade (bottom left). I also applied this shade along the lower lash line.

At this point I had a nice warm brown smokey eye. I could just stop here but I think the unusual twist of the palette, the silver metallic shade, is what makes it special, so on to the next step...

STEP#4

I started padding the metallic silver shade (bottom right) onto the lid, concentrated on the inner corner, blending towards the outer corner. This gives some oomph and the little touch of coolness. You can adjust the coolness by padding more and less, making it appropriate for your skin tone or to the occasion (night vs. day).

I also applied one coat of mascara for the following eye look. I think the photos don't give silver shade the justice. I was really checking it out all day, loving how it looked. It also stayed put all day long without smudging and fading even on a hot summer day.

In action: YSL Palette City Drive Classy

The closest Pure Chromatics eye shadow in my stash was #9, so here they are side by side, in case you already own it and would like to decide if new YSL Palette "Classy" is still worth the splurge.

Comparison of YSL Palette City Drive Classy vs. Pure Chromatics #9

As you can see from the swatches below, the shades are indeed close. YSL Pure Chromatics #9 leans all in all more rosa and less warm but again it doesn't have the silver shade of Classy Palette to cool things down as needed. I still find YSL City Drive Palette in Classy a good buy, even if you have #9 and find it to be different enough to own both.

Comparison swatches of YSL Palette City Drive Classy vs. Pure Chromatics #9

Final thoughts: I was expecting a lot from "Arty" Palette which was a bit too sparkly all over for my taste, lacking different textures and the formula didn't impress me as much as I wished. In return I was not expecting to love "Classy" Palette but I am blown away with the quality, the shades and the clever silver twist to the natural theme. Nothing but love! It is limited edition though, so be sure not to miss that one out.

Do you know another palette with warm naturals and silver metallic shade combined? Do you also find this combo irresistible or would you rather not go for it?

Guerlain's Fall 2013 Collection Violette de Madame started appearing on the counters around the world. Ever since the promo pictures were released, it is one of the most excited/talked about collections of upcoming season in Beauty Blogosphere. I would certainly start my review by introducing the gorgeously designed blush compact, the star of the collection, Blush 4 Couleurs in Madame Rougit. Unfortunately after trying out the blush yesterday and an unsuccessful attempt to swatch it (we will come to that soon), as a statement, I decided to start with another piece of the collection, one of the new permanent eye shadow duos in #06 Two Parisian.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #06 Two Parisian

This fall, there are a few duo and trio releases, one of them being Guerlain's new permanent line, Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs. Be it Ecrin 6 Couleurs or much-loved Ecrin 4 Couleurs as well as their singles, Guerlain's eye shadows are famous for their buttery texture, great color pay off and longevity. That is to say, they are usually very consistent in their quality. This is why the expectations from Ecrin 2 Couleurs is very high.

Let's start with the compact. The packaging is very luxurious and well designed. It has a slim metal compact with gold coating and comes in a velvet porch. It is similar to their Ecrin 4 Couleurs compacts but looks like as if cut in half, if this makes sense.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo Packaging

Intuitively I tried to open it from the longer edge, but its design has a twist here. The shorter edge is the opening edge, which, in my opinion, gives a modern touch to the design. Two shadows are places on the right hand side. Next to it there is a long sponged-tipped applicator with one normal and one slimmer end. The lid hosts a mirror, which I find to be easier to use given that it is longer rather than wider.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #06 Two Parisian (nail polish: YSL Rose Baby Doll)

From the promo pictures, #06 Two Parisian appeared to me like the ultimate smokey eye duo, with a soft pink and a deep black which could be used as a liner and as a definition on the crease and outer edge. What promo photos and such kind of close-ups don't tell you is the texture of the eye shadows...

Close-up: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #06 Two Parisian

After I swatched it, I was surprised to see that the light delicate pink has glitter finish. Don't get me wrong, I was not disappointed, if you follow my Tom Ford Eye Shadow Series you know how much I like glitters, it was just unexpected to have glitter in a eye shadow duo. Think about it, you only have two shadows and one is glitter on an almost transparent base. I didn't know right away if this would work. What would be the base color then? Luckily the black color has very good quality. It is not that buttery, but I find it helpful in terms of longevity if matte shades are a tad drier. This one has great color pay-off, has no fall out (yes a black without fall out!) and can be controlled to sheer or dense application.

Indoor and outdoor swatches of Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #06 Two Parisian

I didn't know how to start with the application. I usually apply the base color on entire lid, but base color? Which base color? Anyway I applied a tiny bit more primer to make sure that the glitters stick and don't fall out. I tried two techniques, one on each eye. It turns out that they give exactly the same results.

Approach #1:

I assumed the glitter shade would be my base color, so I started applying it all over the lid, stopping right under the crease, then started defining the crease and outer corner of the lid with the black shade. I then padded some more glitter shade with my fingers on the lid.

Approach #2:

I started by defining the crease and the outer corner with the black shade, going sheer at first, building up the intensity slowly. I then padded the glitter shade with my fingers on the lid. I went back to define the crease a little more as a finishing touch.

I then lined and smudged a black eye pencil along upper and lower lash line, finished the look with mascara on top and bottom lashed.

Result: I was impressed! This one wore like a rock on 40ºC all day long, the glitter didn't wander all around my face and the black shade didn't fade.

In Action: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #06 Two Parisian

Final thoughts: New eye shadow duo line from Guerlain is very inviting with its luxurious compact and interesting shade choice. I was more than skeptical having a duo with one glitter and one very deep shade to start with but I am impressed with the result. Glitter stays put and doesn't wander on the face. Black shade had no fall out and great color pay-off. Result is exactly at the right point of being not over the top but giving you this shiny magical eye. I can imagine with a creme shadow base of the color of your choice, this duo offers endless possibilities.

Do you like the idea of eye shadow duos? Are you lusting over some of the new eye shadow duos from Guerlain?

Without doubt, star product of Guerlain's Fall 2013 Make-up Collection Violette de Madame Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit. It is a four-colored blush with lace design embossed on the surface, matching to the black lace theme of the collection.

Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

The dots on the surface are oversprayed with white sparkling color and goes away after sweeping a few times with a brush. Logo of Guerlain is embossed in the middle of the blush between the dots in an elegant way.

Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

The compact has two decks, lower one hosts a nice and soft mini-brush, which is also pink and fits the rest of the design. Brush is perfect for touch-ups on the go.

Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

The size of the brush is great for picking up all the colors at once but since it is flat, it can also be used to pick up more of a certain color to contour or use one color more intensely than the others. Company name written in pink letters on the brush, which makes everything matchingly feminine and so pretty.

Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit and included brush

Up to here, I am smitten by the design and how Guerlain thought of every little detail about this product. Then I want to swatch it. I take a deep breath and hope that the design won't get damaged by doing so. I sweep a finger across the right most tan shade, result is buttery and fine milled. The powder almost melts on my finger. I gasp. Then I bring my second finger to the coral shade, the largest one of the pan. This one is even more smooth, I sigh happily! Then I want to swatch the pale pink shade between the coral and fuchsia. Hmmm... This one is a little harder. But the stripe is so tiny, I come to the conclusion that I can't feel it. I decide to run my finger, this time on the left most fuchsia color. Suddenly I am alarmed. This one feels like plastic! Instead of the buttery texture of the right two shades, this one is hard as a rock and after several sweeps, I look at my finger to see almost no color. I then get a hard creme eye shadow brush and almost scratch the surface (which is not easy to scratch because of the hardness!) to get the following swatches.

Swatch under direct sun light: Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

I take two photos, indoors and outdoors for you to get more idea of the colors. Shades are as follows (on the swatches from left to right):

Fuchsia (left most corner): Very hard texture almost no color pay off
Light pink (second from left): Hard to tell since it is hard to pick up alone but it is hard, maybe a little softer than fuchsia shade.
Soft coral (second from right, the main shade): Buttery texture, very finely milled, almost melts on the skin, good color pay-off for a soft shade.
Tan apricot (right most): Texture is as smooth and buttery as the coral part, very soft color but it is true to pan.

On the right most part of the swatches, you can see all the colors applied together with the brush that comes with the compact. As you see the resulting shade is rather coral than pink because the coral and apricot shades have good color pay-off while the other two don't.

Swatch with indirect light: Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

The combination in Madame Rougit reminded me of Chanel's 2012 Spring Limited Edition Blush Horizon, which I found out later on that was already being discussed in many forums. I took a picture of them side by side for those of you who already own Chanel Horizon.

Chanel Blush Eclat Douceur Horizon vs. Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

Once a brush used all over the blush, Chanel Horizon ends up much more pink toned than Guerlain which ends up mostly coral. I think the reason for it is the poor color pay-off of the pink tones in Guerlain Madame Rougit. Chanel Horizon is also more shimmery. Once the overspray is gone, Guerlain Madame Rougit is almost matte.

Chanel Blush Eclat Douceur Horizon vs. Guerlain Blush 4 Couleurs Madame Rougit

Final thoughts: Apply Madame Rougit on your cheeks, you are going to like the resulting soft and defining effect. Unless you want to swatch all the colors one by one, you might never notice this, but I find it very heart breaking that more than one third of the blush has poor quality. By poor quality I mean plastic finish and no color pay-off! I also can't come over the fact that quality is inconsistent throughout the product! At this price range (around 55€) everything should be perfect. I strongly recommend testing this product out yourself before ordering it, unless returns are accepted.

I am dying to know your experiences on this or previous Guerlain products. Please let me know.

YSL released two limited edition nail polishes with their Fall 2013 City Drive Collection. Being very enthusiastic about the formula and packaging of my recent YSL nail polishes purchases, I have taken them in my wish list from the moment I have seen the promo pictures. Now that they are already released in US and about to hit the shelves world wide very soon, I would like to introduce you to YSL La Laque Couture #38 Gris Underground and #39 Beige Gallery.

YSL La Laque Couture #38 Gris Underground, #39 Beige Gallery from Fall 2013 City Drive Collection

After taking them out of their package, I had a desire to check out Gris Underground first, because it didn't appear that gray in the bottle. I was wondering how it would transfer on my nails. After applying I found out it appeared even more "periwinkle" than I thought. I can safely say that YSL #38 Gris Underground is a gorgeous muted periwinkle with creme finish. To me it really is no gray. Check it out yourself...

Outdoors swatch, YSL La Laque Couture #38 Gris Underground

Oh how crazy I am about periwinkle polishes. It reminded me of Butter London Sprog, which almost gave me a heart attack after PA in Breuninger said that it was sold out forever (which turned out to be a wrong information). Anyway, this one is even more gorgeous than BL Sprog, and I think it can be worn four seasons on all occasions. It is work appropriate, yet not boring. It doesn't scream that it is there but takes over the scene silently if you know what I mean. Perfect formula, almost one coater, not thick, not thin, brush is perfect and I can't stop admiring the wide opening of the bottle, which makes application even easier. I definitely need a back-up of this color since I may never be able to find such a balance of everything combined. For me it definitely is perfection in a bottle. Can you resist it?

Outdoors swatch, YSL La Laque Couture #38 Gris Underground

Now comes the second nail polish from City Drive Collection, #39 Beige Gallery. After being so enthusiastic about one shade, it is always hard to talk about the second. Although I would classify Beige Gallery as a light gray taupe leaning slightly mauve, you can come up with your own definition. It is this kind of color which is between all colors and therefore can't be defined easily. I wouldn't call it a beige though, to me it has way too little brown for this category. It reminded me of Laura Mercier's Bare Haze from their Summer Nudes Collection which I recently reviewed and was so excited about (check the review here).

Outdoors swatch: YSL La Laque Couture #39 Beige Gallery

I definitely love Beige Gallery, I do. But still my heart belongs to Gris Underground, which to me is a bit edgier and modern than this one. Beige Gallery had similar formula to Gris Underground. With its perfect consistency, it was a breeze to apply. This one is another color which can be worn four seasons, a rather unusual and interesting nude.

Outdoors swatch: YSL La Laque Couture #39 Beige Gallery

Now comes the interesting part. Going through my stash (which currently takes me over half an hour. I definitely need some improvement on this point), I pulled out some similar shades.

YSL La Laque Couture #38 Gris Underground and #39 Beige Gallery

I got Frenzy in the mix, which is a mushroomy nude and thought it would be like one or the other, but found out it is very different, lighter and more beige (which proves Beige Gallery being not that beige). Rescue Beauty Lounge's Be Humble could resemble Gris Underground but turned out to be too lavender for that, Rescue Beauty Lounge's Forgiveness is more lila and it is also darker. Dior's Trench and Butter London's All Hail the Queen are both more brown than Beige Gallery. Dior's Gris Trianon is a mauve gray which is close to Beige Gallery but more of a cooler gray with less of blue/periwinkle tones.

Comparison with similar colors vs. YSL #38 Gris Underground and #39 Beige Gallery

As I already suspected, YSL Beige Gallery and Laura Mercier Bare Haze are very similar. LM Bare Haze has just a little bit of Khaki touch to it and Beige Gallery appears slightly cooler but if you have one, I don't think you need the other. Butter London Sprog and YSL Gris Underground are also similar but they are not dupes. BL Sprog is a few tones darker and more blue than YSL Gris Underground.

Nail wheel comparison with similar colors vs. YSL #38 Gris Underground and #39 Beige Gallery

Also check out the following review & comparison post:
Sabrina from The Beauty Look Book and Jenny from Belletristic Beauty

Final thoughts: Both of the nail polish releases of YSL for Fall 2013 City Drive Collection are muted and beautiful nudes. YSL #38 Gris Underground is very unique and slightly edgier than Beige Gallery, which is my favorite. Beige Gallery is more dupable (and very similar to Laura Mercier Bare Haze) but still a modern chic shade for all year around. Formula wise, perfection, as expected from YSL polishes. Be sure to check them out, both are limited editions.

Which is your favorite? Are you getting any of these?

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest fuchsia of all? I can hear Guerlain's new limited edition nail polish standing in front of a mirror and asking this question. How would the mirror answer?

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole from Fall 2013 Violette de Madame Collection

La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole is Guerlain's nail polish release from Violette de Madame Fall 2013 Collection. I recently reviewed one of the eye shadow duos (here) and four shade blush (here) from the same collection. Eye shadow duos and eye liners are joining the permanent line whereas blush, three lipsticks and this nail polish are all limited editions. #860 Madame Batifole is the first limited edition nail polish of Guerlain's new nail polish line, which is released just a few months ago and currently consists of 10 nail polish shades (check reviews of #143 Nahema and #165 Champs-Elysées), one base and one gel top coat.

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole, outdoors, indirect light

New nail polish line of Guerlain consists of shades of reds/pinks and nudes. La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole is no exception. Guerlain rather goes for matching nail and lip looks, so this nail polish is being released with a limited edition Rouge G shade, as well as a Gloss D'Enfer, both with same number and name. Personally, I am not that much of a matching freak. I also like mixing my accessories, like necklace and earrings or rings. The same holds for my make-up. I like clashing colors in a rather what I consider to be the modern way. Therefore I am still waiting for the day Guerlain is going to release some more fun or unique colors independent of their lip products. I like almost gel like consistency of their nail polishes with a rather good coverage in comparison to other gel finishes and because of the flexibility of the texture, I found their these to last a few days more on me than other brands do.

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole, indoors

Guerlain's La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole is a fuchsia red with a touch of blue which makes it appear berry. This appears different in different lighting conditions so I made pictures outdoors with indirect and direct sunlight as well as indoors to give you a better idea. The consistency and formula is on par with other creme/gel nail polishes of this range. It is opaque in two coats and it is not too thick or thin, easy to apply and has a glossy finish.

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole, outdoors, direct sunlight

Guerlain #860 Madame Batifole reminded me of Fall 2012 shade of Chanel, #561 Suspicious, which I honestly don't reach for often. I found Suspicious always a bit harsh and hard to wear on my skin tone. Luckily Madame Batifole has more blue inside, which works a bit better for me. I still tend to go for a tad more muted easy-on-eye shades, such as Chanel #533 April and #589 Elixir. Madame Batifole is more vibrant than Chanel April but close in shade. Chanel #08 Pirate has a close finish but is more red. Chanel #339 Cassis is more violet, Guerlain #168 L'Heure Blue is close but a few shades darker. Once compared to this year fall's Chanel nail polish shade #589 Elixir, it leans less red and more blue.

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole and comparison to similar colors

The closest shade to Madame Batifole is one of my all time favorite berry reds from Chanel, #533 April. I have to admit I prefer Chanel April though, because it is a tad more muted and easy to wear since it is more milky. Nevertheless Madame Batifole makes an excellent transition shade from summer to fall.

Comparison wheel with Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole and similar colors

Final thoughts: I can't resist berry shades, so it is a nice addition to my stash. The formula is perfect, somewhere between gel and creme with good consistency, coverage and lasting power. It is rather close to Guerlain #168 L'Heure Bleue, one of their ten permanent nail polishes, which is a few shades darker. The only thing I keep asking myself is, will the nail polishes in Guerlain's line break free of the lip products and will eventually also have unique interesting shades or is this against company policy?

Guerlain La Laque Couleur #860 Madame Batifole is limited edition, has 10 ml / 0.33 oz of product and retails for 23€ / $23.

Do you like matching lip and nail colors or do you find it rather boring and go for more unique nail color shades?

Is Guerlain's new Duo Eye Shadow in #06 Two Parisian (reviewed here) not vivid enough for you? Or you don't like glitter on the eyes and would like to try another duo of their new range? Today I got another Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo to show you, #04 in Two Gossip.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #04 Two Gossip

Just like #06 Two Parisian, #04 Two Gossip also has a sleek metal case. The upper lid is fixed on the shorter edge which gives the classic design of Guerlain's eye shadows a chic and modern touch. I also found this approach more practical for those of you who would like to use the mirror inside the cover for touch-ups.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duos in #04 Two Gossip (front) and #06 Two Parisian (back)

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo #04 in Two Gossip has two textures, a satin almost metallic yellow gold and a deep vivid matte purple. Since I like matte colors giving more of a depth on the crease and smokiness along the lash line along with the fact that I can't resist purple eye shadows, this duo was my second choice among eight new Duos of Guerlain's new permanent line.

Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #04 Two Gossip

I have taken photos with direct sun and indirect light for you to have a better feeling of the colors. Gold shade appears very much yellow, also once applied to the lids, which makes this combination rather a royal and oriental one, maybe something for a festival, for Christmas or for an exotic summer evening.

Swatches of Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #04 Two Gossip indoors and outdoors

It reminds me of something like this...

Gold-on-Purple seamless Indian pattern with dots (source)

Considering I had almost 10 minutes in the morning for the following make-up, we can say that the shades both applied well without any issues. I haven't experienced fall out with darker shade (purple one) but it was a bit drier in texture compared to the gold one. Matte shades generally tend to be more drier to touch so I usually don't worry about it too much as long as it applies beautifully like this one.

Application notes:

I used the gold shade all over as base and defined the crease and the lower&upper lash line with purple. I also used a vivid purple eye liner by Urban Decay to line my lower waterline and finished the eyes with plenty of mascara. To achieve the following look was quick and easy.

In action: Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in #04 Two Gossip

Final thoughts: Guerlain's Fall collection still haven't arrive to Germany so I couldn't dip my fingers in those eye shadows to give you a full review. Considering only two of Guerlain Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duos I tried, I liked the new line. I unexpectedly fell in love with the resulting look using #06 Two Parisian. One I showed you today, #04 Two Gossip, is also an interesting alternative for purple lovers. Since both of the shades are very vivid, gold being rather yellow and purple being really vibrant, I can see myself wearing this one to rather special occasions. Shade combination looks also very X-massy to me.

Do you like this color combination? Where would you wear it?

Going on with Fall 2013 Collection reviews, I am officially starting with the pieces I picked up from Dior's Mystic Metallics Collection. Promo pictures took my breath away already in June. Since then I was eagerly waiting for the collection to be released. After its release in US, two eye shadow quints and the nail polishes were among the most spoken, most raved products for the upcoming season. I couldn't resist both of the quads, because green one seemed so unique and as you may already guess just because the other one was purple, I had to have it!

Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile from Mystic Metallics Collection for Fall 2013

My dear blogger friend Jenny helped me get my hands on both of the quads and put a spell on them using her mighty blogger powers so that I could received them in only four days right before my birthday! I played with them for some days now and today I would like to introduce you to Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile, a quint of green hues. Although it has "color", it can be classified to be "natural" considering the soft tones of green and combination of those with brown and taupe. The finish of the eye shadows vary from satin to metallic. The star design embossed on the eye shadows as well as the signature initials of Christian Dior is just another reason to fall in love with it.

Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile from Mystic Metallics Collection for Fall 2013

I really like the fact that Dior is offering colorful alternatives each season but I was more than disappointed with at least one of their last Quint launches, which were pretty in pan but turned into shades of white once applied, even on my light medium skin tone. This time around they come with two very pretty palettes. I am hoping that they both make their ways to Europe. Last year one of the two Fall 2012 palettes were not released here and instead exchanged on the display with another quint from permanent line. Yet again Europe received both of the palettes since then, including Holiday 2012 (golds day&night long), Spring 2013 (pinks anyone?) and Summer 2013 (peacocks and birds), so I am almost certain that we are getting both of these beauties.

Close-up: Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile from Mystic Metallics Collection for Fall 2013

Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile consists of the following shades:

Deep khaki green with satin finish (upper left)
A gorgeous champagne taupe with metallic finish (upper right)
Pistachio green with silver sheen, satin finish (lower right)
Deep teal with strong blue tone and silver sheen, metallic finish (lower left)
Warm red brown with golden sheen, satin finish (center)

To me the star of the palette is the metallic taupe shade on the upper right corner, which makes it unique. Fitting to the name of the collection, Mystic Metallics, it gives the brown/green combinations a interesting metallic twist. Taupe shade also layers nicely with other shades to give them a cooler metallic finish. Below swatches are taken with full morning (cool light) and afternoon (warm light) sun, to give you a better idea of the colors on different occasions.

Afternoon Swatches, direct sun light: Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile

Morning Swatches, direct sun light: Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile

There are numerous possibilities using Bonne Etoile and I am sure I will have fun upcoming season by playing around with it. Below is one of the results for demonstrating how it transfer on the lids. For this one I followed these steps:

Used Nars Pro-prime all over the lid.
Applied pistachio green (lower right) all over the lid as base color.
Using khaki shade (upper left) defined my crease.
Intensified the definition by adding the brown shade (center) to the crease and along outer corner of the lash line.
Added more definition by padding teal green (lower left) on the upper lid from center to the outer corner, blending with the crease colors.
Highlighted the inner corner with taupe shade (upper right), padding it lightly over the base color to give it a cooler more metallic look&feel.
Mixed the taupe and brown and applied along the lower lash line.
Finished the look with plenty of mascara on upper and lower lashes.

It also seems I lined my lower water line with a brownish plumish shade which I don't remember the name of, but probably Chanel Stylo Waterproof in Santal *grins*

In-action: Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile

A few weeks ago when I introduced you the gorgeous Face&Eye Palettes of Armani (you can see my review here) from their Fall collection, I already told you that I was suspecting that the green Face & Eye Palette, Venomous Green, could be close to Dior's Bonne Etoile in concept. Well, here is the comparison if you would like to decide in between those two.

Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile (right) vs. Armani Face&Eye Palette in Venomous Green (left)

As you can see from the swatches they are not dupes but darker green combined with a cooler metallic shade plus brown "concept" is similar. However the green shades are different, Venomous Green has a forest green whereas Bonne Etoile has more yellowy and blue green tones. Armani's brown is cooler and more intense and the light shade is also cooler and more blue. If I had to pick just one, it would be a hard decision over sleepless nights but I guess in the end I would pick Armani's Venomous Green because I like intenser definition on the crease, the colors are more pigmented and because the green tone of it plays better with my eye color. But as I said there are more combinations and looks one can create with Bonne Etoile so the versatility and the gorgeous taupe shade are define winners in my opinion. I am happy that two of the gorgeous green palettes of upcoming season are not dupes and that I am fortunate enough to get them both.

Comparion swatch of Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile vs. Armani Face&Eye Palette in Venomous Green

Now an important side note to be made. If you are drooling over Dior's Bonne Etoile but not yet got your hands on one, here is your chance to win it. Dr. Ebru from Chic Science is hosting a give-away, so make sure to sign in (you can do by visiting here). Also check out her blog, which I love reading. She reviews products and new releases. My favorites among others include her "beauty questions" in which she talks about ingredients in cosmetics, why are they added and if they are harmful by giving reference to articles in a scientific way. Well, she is a scientist so what can be more appealing than that?

For other reviews of Dior Bonne Etoile, also check out Sabrina from The Beauty Look Book, Gaia from The Non-Blonde, very nice comparisons with other palettes from Martha from Planet Martha, and Dr.Ebru's eye look in Chic Science.

Final thoughts: Definitely a solid fun-to-play-with palette for the upcoming season, although I would welcome a deeper shade in there, I still love it to the bits. Definitely check that out.

Do you like the combination of the colors and those tones of green on you? Will you be checking out this one?

After reviewing the lucky star of Dior's Mystic Metallics Collection, Dior 5 Couleurs #384 Bonne Etoile, today I would like to show you how the stars are arranged for this fall. Will your horoscope let you fall in love or will it let you down? Let's take out the new purple quint of Dior #864 Constellation and try to see... The future...

Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation from Mystic Metallics Collection

Just like Bonne Etoile, Constellation has pretty stars with holes embossed on the eye shadows which are ready to give you a little push if you can't decide you want to buy it or not. The finish of the eye shadows are rather frost/metallic which has been criticized for some years about Dior palettes but with these colors, the concept seem to work much better.

Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation from Mystic Metallics Collection

The eye shadows with many stars on them (upper right and lower left) are more metallic in finish while other two (upper left and lower right) are rather satin natural shades. In the center there is frost highlighter shade. Another close look on the design, right before I dipped my fingers in it!

Close-up: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation

Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation consists of following shades:

Light mauve with satin finish (upper left)
Silvery gold with metallic finish (upper right)
Mid-toned to deep mauve with satin finish (lower right)
Metallic plum with silver sparkle (lower left) -> here I had the urge to sing sparkle sparkle little star ;-)
Very light frosty pink (center)

I took pictures at different times of the day to give you a better idea of the colors.

Morning swatches under sun: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation

Afternoon swatches under sun: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation

For this look, I followed these steps:

Primed my lids with Nars Pro-Prime.
I applied the light mauve shade (upper left) all over the lid as base.
Intensified the color on the lids by applying darker mauve shade (lower right) starting from mid to the outer corner and also along the lower lash line.
I defined the crease and outer corner of the lid by metallic plum (lower left).
I picked up some of the silvery gold shade (upper right) on my finger and padded it on the lid to intensify the metallic effect. I used it first to the inner half, blending it towards the outer half.
I added some highlight on the inner corner with light pink shade (center).

To finish this look, I applied a plum eye pencil along the upper lash line and lower water line, smoking it out with a smokey liner brush (Laura Mercier). I also added one coat of mascara, Le Volume de Chanel, to top and bottom lashes.

In-action: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation

I tried to find similar quads to Constellation in my stash but I failed. None had a "metallic plum" shade, which is rather unique. I first wanted to compare the permanent plum quint of Dior with Constellation, for those of you who may already own this one.

Comparison: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation vs. #970 Stylish Move

As you see, they are very different. #970 Stylish Move is more of a red based purple quint with no metallic finished or silver/gold shades. #864 Constellation is more blue based.

Comparison swatch: Comparison: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation vs. #970 Stylish Move

Then I thought I would compare it to one of the recently released quads with silver and plum combination, Chanel Ombres Fleuries in Delicatesse.

Comparison: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation vs. Chanel Ombres Fleuries Delicatesse

Delicatesse has an even more metallic shade but it is cooler and silver. Also the plum shade is not metallic and more red based once compared to Constellation. Delicatesse has a peach tone which is also another difference between the two. I reviewed Delicatesse previously here if you would like to check out. I believe it is still available at Chanel's web page. I think both of the quads are different enough to justify owning both.

Comparison swatch: Dior 5 Couleurs #864 Constellation vs. Chanel Ombres Fleuries Delicatesse

Also check out Caise's lovely eye look and comparison to Chanel's Variation Quad, here.

Final thoughts: Although I own many purple eye shadows, I was not able to find a close call to Dior's Constellation. I like it once applied but again I like less frost, more satin to matte quality. I like the pigmentation and design a well as staying power of this quad. If you like metallics/frost don't walk but run to your counter to grab one. If you are not sure about the finish, be sure to check that out in person first.

What kind of finish do you like for your eye shadows? Does metallic purple call your name?
What does your horoscope tell you? Are the stars aligned for you to get this or are you leaving it?

I have introduced you already to the awesome surprise Fall collection of Armani which appeared on Breuninger Armani Counter in Stuttgart sooner than expected and made me splurge all the money I saved for Fall Collections. I first picked up 5 of the ETKs and two palettes and said, alright, I was already a bad girl so no counter for me for the rest of the month. But after a few days, I found myself there again, trying out all the lippies. Two of them particularly caught my attention. One of them is #300 Coral, which is a very wearable orange, especially flattering on me once used as a stain. I am going to come to that soon but the second one which winked at me and awoke my "Vamp-self" was certainly #610, Plum.

Rouge D'Armani Lasting Satin Lip Color #610 Plum

I love everything about Rouge D'Armani. The elegant and modern black packaging, how the logo stands out once the cap is removed, how the cap finds its way thanks to the magnet between the cap and the body and the logo carved on the lipstick, which stays there for a long time as I use the product. I am also an avid fan of this formula. It is creamy, pigmented, long lasting and hydrating. What else does a girl would like?

Rouge D'Armani Lasting Satin Lip Color #610 Plum

On me, this is not really that "vamp" once applied but I love the shade so I am not complaining. To my experience lip swatches depend a lot on the natural color of the lips and the skin tone, so the following close-up of Rouge D'Armani #610 Plum is just to give you just an idea how it looks on me. It is a blue based fuchsia/plum. If I apply it as stain, it pulls too pink so I like this one applied heavily. Below picture shows it in two coats.

In-action: Rouge D'Armani Lasting Satin Lip Color #610 Plum

Since I believe above swatch is not really representative for everyone, I tried to swatch it on my arms together with similar lipsticks from my stash. I don't own as many lipsticks as I own eye shadows or nail polishes, which explains why I don't review them very often. I just think I don't have enough comparison material. But since I love plums, fuchsia and vampy lipsticks, I was able to find quiet a few to compare it to.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #3 Violet Incognito is a close shade, tiny bit more blue but it is another formula and finish: sheerer and more hydrating therefore has less wear time.
Chanel Rouge Allure #116 Envoutante is more red.
Tom Ford #18 Black Orchid, one of my fav vamp lippie is more pigmented and opaque. It is also more red/less blue once compared to GA #610 Plum.
Chanel Rouge Allure #109 Rouge Noir is more of a brown red once swatched side by side with GA #610 Plum.
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #307 L'Impatiente from Holiday 2012 is less vibrant, and more red. It is also matte and less hydrating.
One of my all time fav lippie from Dior, #786 Mauve Mystic, it is more vibrant and to me is a "Fuchsia" rather than a plum.

Comparison of Rouge D'Armani Lasting Satin Lip Color #610 Plum to similar shades

Right before I hit "publish" I have seen that I am tagged by lovely Claire from Aucuparia Brumalis for "Lipstick Week". Aren't I lucky to have one post ready? So here I go and tag this one with #lipstickweek Day 1.

Final thoughts: Love packaging, love the formula, love love love the shade of Rouge D'Armani #610 Plum. If you would pick up just one color from Armani Kaleidoscope Fall 2013, that would be #610 for me. Lipsticks which come with the collection are all limited and they are available all around the globe at the moment.

Do you like plum lipsticks? Which is your favorite one?

Surely Giorgio Armani's Fall Collection, Kaleidoscope, was a hit for me. I am sure you have already guessed that right since I just can't stop writing about it. Shortly after I left one of the new ETK shades behind and bringing five of them home, I craved for it and returned back. Of course it was expected, but I just wanted to find out if I have changed a bit but luckily it shows I haven't *winks*.

Giorgio Armani ETK #35 Silver Chafer and Face & Eye Palette in Venomous Green

Anyway, let's go on with the review, shall we? Armani Eyes To Kill #35 Silver Chafer is a soft gray, leaning slightly blue. I compared it below to my beloved gray of the line, #4 Pulp Fiction. I love it not just because of the name but also because of the shade, a rare gray which does work on me. I also pulled out #10 which I rarely use alone. ETK #10 is for me rather a inner corner highlight color.

Giorgio Armani ETK #35 Silver Chafer vs. ETK #10 and #4

Once swatched side by side, you can see that #10 is more white and #4 is more gray/taupe. #35 looks like a very very pale blue. If you like shimmery light lids, you can use it alone but I would like to show you the magic it does to other eye shadows, once used as a base. Armani ETKs dissolve in water and I have seen many Armani Make-up artists using it as a base to ETK quads. This time around I wanted to try it with the new Face&Eye Palette from the same collection, Venomous Green, to bring some light and "vibrancy" to it with a touch of metallics. If you remember the first look I posted with this palette (you can check it out here), it was a blended green one with a satin/matte finish.

Swatch of Giorgio Armani ETK #35 Silver Chafer vs. ETK #10 and #4

For the look below, I followed these steps:

I sprayed my brush with water and picked up ETK#35 from the pan, applying it all over the lid and pass the crease as a base. I also applied this along the lower lash line.
I then applied the lightest shade of eye shadow (right one, Tier 2) from F&E Palette starting from inner corner, half way along the lid. Base made this shade appear more lively and also a bit more "blue".
To the outer half of the lid, I applied the forest green (middle shade, Tier 2) from the palette. This one also pulled more blue compared to the previous look, thus everything ended up looking more teal. I also applied it to the lower lash line from half way on towards the outer corner.
I defined the crease with the darkest brown shade (left shade, Tier 2), blending it into the dark green.
I lined upper and lower lash line with a brown liner (I believe it was a water proof one from last summer) and smudged it with a smokey liner brush (Laura Mercier) to get rid of any harsh lines, making it look more natural.
Last step was mascara on top and bottom lashes.
I went back and padded a bit more forest green on mid of the upper lid (middle shade, Tier 2) to make this color pop.

In Action: Giorgio Armani ETK #35 Silver Chafer as base to Face&Eye Palette Venomous Green

There was also some discussion about if Tier 1 of Armani Palette would show up on light to medium complexions, so I add FOTD to this post for you to decide yourself. In reality the effect is a little more obvious but it really makes a very nude blush. For the look below, I applied it very heavily with Tom Ford blush brush. If you apply it sheerly, you may also use it as a face powder. You can see how much I liked the look by checking out the nails. Yes, right, this is Chanel Jade! I found it worthy enough to use one Jade mani on that one, so yay!

FOTD with Armani ETK #35 Silver Chafer and Face&Eye Palette Venomous Green

Final thoughts: Metallic and green are both in for upcoming season (such as the green palette from Dior, Bonne Etoile). Here is a way to get "metallic green" eyes without having a metallic green palette by using a metallic base. I tried it by using silver ETK #30 as a base to matte/satin green Face&Eye Palette. If you liked the look, you may also like to try out combining ETK #10 or #35 or a similar water based eye shadow (or even a creme one) with your favorite green eye shadow.

Do you use light metallic base to give your eye look a twist? Any other "base" tricks you would like to share with us?

On my last visit to various counters across Stuttgart, right before I flew to holiday and as usual on the last 10 minute, I happened to see the Dior Fall 2013 collection in Douglas on Koenig Strasse, Stuttgart. It was unexpected since there was no indication of it coming to Germany before mid/end of August. I even purchased some pieces from US to make sure I get my hands on them before they sell out, such as the two quads (see reviews here and here) and nail polishes (reviews coming up soon). Several minutes later, I walked out with these beauties in my bag, rushing home, too impatient to swatch&compare. I surely was excited.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #81 Aventure, #281 Cosmos, #381 Millenium, #661 Meteore and #881 Hypnotique

Diorshow Fusion Mono is a mono eye shadow in mousse/creme consistency similar to Chanel's Illusion d'Ombres. The packaging is very similar to the creme blushes released earlier this summer, such as this one I reviewed here, the lid and the glass container are exactly the same. The feel of Fusion Monos are more like a mousse, therefore the density is lower compared to the blushes. One container has 6.5g/ 0.22 Oz of product, which is a larger than usual 4g offers.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #81 Aventure, #281 Cosmos, #381 Millenium, #661 Meteore and #881 Hypnotique

In US there are 8 colors but in Germany we got only 6 of them, of which I chose five and it was an easy choice since the sixth one is #001 Lune which is a white glitter shade and reminded me of Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #81 in Fantasme, which I own and didn't even use once. So I purchased these:

#81 Aventure: Deep gray / anthracite base packed with silvery glitter.
#281 Cosmos: Deep blue / deep teal base packed with light blue/silver glitter.
#381 Millenium: Khaki olive / taupe base with gold and silver glitter.
#661 Meteore: Mid gold shade leaning slightly rose gold packed with gold/silver/multi-colored glitter.
#881 Hypnotique: A gorgeous taupe purple packed with pink and silver glitter.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #81 Aventure, #281 Cosmos, #381 Millenium, #661 Meteore and #881 Hypnotique

I have to admit, once I have seen those in counter, I first kept a distance, not knowing what to get. I have read many "not so pleasant" reviews about Diorshow Fusion Mono, mostly stating these are very sheer and too glittery. After I swatched one at the back of my hand, I was surprised by the mid coverage I have seen. Was it because I was expecting the worse? I was expecting something close to a few Chanel Illusion d'Ombre shades, such as Fantasme or Vision with almost a clear base and chunky glitter but Diorshow Fusion Monos were different. These had glitter but they were not chunky and the base color was indeed showing up. I am not saying that you can get a full coverage with it but it does give color once applied with fingers on the eye lid. Its sheersness is similar to Chanel's Illusion d'Ombres and I found some of the shades even less sheer than their Chanel counterparts. I took swatch pictures with direct and indirect light to give you better idea of the glitter and base colors.

Indirect light swatch: Dior Fusion #81 Aventure, #281 Cosmos, #381 Millenium, #661 Meteore, #881 Hypnotique

Sunlight swatch: Dior Fusion #81 Aventure, #281 Cosmos, #381 Millenium, #661 Meteore, #881 Hypnotique

I have recognized that most of the Diorshow Mono shades have close relatives from Chanel Illusion d'Ombre line. As I already pointed out, my missing shade of Diorshow Fusion #001 Lune is very close to Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #81 Fantasme. Let's see how the others compare...

Diorshow Fusion Mono & Chanel Illusion d'Ombre similar shades side by side

As for the first comparison, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre contains 4g/0.14 Oz of product and costs 29.90EUR/$36. Diorshow Fusion Mono has 6.5g/0.22 Oz of product and costs 29.90 EUR/$30. Below you can see that my Chanel Illusion d'Ombres dried slighty in a year or two and got detached from the container. I believe this is also what is going to happen to Diorshow Fusion Mono, but we have to wait a year to see the effect. I would say their consistency and coverage are very similar. The first shades which were released two years ago with Fall 2011 Collection of Chanel were also all very metallic. Some of the shades which were released later on, such as Apparition have less glitter. So first enjoy pan vs. pan shots.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #881 Hypnotique vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #83 Illusoire

Diorshow Fusion Mono #381 Millenium vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #84 Epatant

Diorshow Fusion Mono #281 Cosmos vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #91 Apparition

Diorshow Fusion Mono #661 Meteore vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #86 Ebloui

Diorshow Fusion Mono #081 Aventure vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #85 Mirifique

I swatched Diorshow Fusion Monos side by side to similar Chanel Illusion d'Ombres:

Diorshow Fusion Mono #881 Hypnotique vs. Chanel #83 Illusoire:

I have to say that #83 Illusoire is my favorite of Illusion d'Ombres, so this one was a tough call. I found Dior Hypnotique darker, therefore providing slightly more coverage but at the same time had a bit more glitter inside. I do like it because I was finding Illusoire slightly too light.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #381Millenium vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #84 Epatant:

The difference is apperant in the pictures, Millenium is more gold/khaki and darker, Epatant is lighter and more of a metallic light taupe. Millenium gives you more color, if this is what you would like.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #281 Cosmos vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #91 Apparition:

This is one of the most distinctive pairs. Apparition is rather matte and warmer, leaning slightly purple. Cosmos on the other hand is more of a teal blue with blue glitters. I love cosmos, I think it is a unique shade and so fitting to its name.

Diorshow Fusion Mono vs. similar Chanel Illusion d'Ombre swatch set 1

Diorshow Fusion Mono #661 Meteore vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #86 Ebloui:

These two were also very different. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre line has many golds, which were too yellow or silver once compared to Meteore. Ebloui, although the closest, leans more red/brown and has also less glitter. Meteore is more of a rose gold/copper gold shade, which Chanel line doesn't have yet, so is also rather unique at the moment.

Diorshow Fusion Mono #081 Aventure vs. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre #83 Mirifique:

Were you classifying Mirifique as a black? It certainly shows dark in the pan but once swatched side by side with Dior's Aventure, you can see that Aventure is darker/deeper than Mirifique. They both have similar silver glitter but Aventure has definitely more color.

Diorshow Fusion Mono vs. similar Chanel Illusion d'Ombre swatch set 2

Final thoughts: If you like Chanel Illusion d'Ombres, most probably you will like Diorshow Fusion Monos too. Note that Dior offers 50% more product for same/cheaper price. Currently they offer up to 8 shades, depending on the country (6 shades for Europe) and I am overall pleased with five of the shades I have purchased. These can be used as a base color or alone as a wash of color on the lid for quick looks. Sheernes is similar with Chanel Illusion d'Ombres, so if you like intense eye looks, you may have to pad some eye shadow on top of that. If you don't like glitter, then be aware though. They have gorgeous multi dimensional glitter some might fall in love with but for some these may not be worn daily. I personally find those day time appropriate but maybe this is just me, since I also like the glitter eye shadows of Tom Ford on day-time looks.

Can you wear glitter on day time? Will you be checking Diorshow Fusion Monos?

Some months ago Le Métier De Beauté released a new type of product, called Palette for Face and Eye. Four blushes and four eye shadows were placed together in one rechargeable palette. The first release was called Zeitgeist, offered rather cooler and lighter tones for eyes. Just the name alone was calling me and thinking about the superb quality the brand usually offers, made me ponder for quiet a long time. Then Castaway was released, hosting deep green and brown/earthy tones. I wished I would have gotten Zeitgeist because the latter was too warm for me. Just in two weeks, I have seen Galore and I knew it was the right Face and Eye Palette for me, just enough of warmth, some lila shade and a deep black for contouring, it was denser and yet had right amount of warmth to it.

Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette

Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette has the same blushes which Zeitgeist and Castaway have on the top raw. These are particularly hard to take a photo of. I thinks the picture above (rather than the one below) shows the differences much better in the pan. I have taken those pictures right before I was leaving for holidays and left this palette behind, not to ruin or loose it on the way, but I think swatches later on in this post give a good feeling of the colors.

Close-up: Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette

The bottom raw of the palette consist of four gorgeous full size eye shadows, which are inspired by precious stones. They are buttery and very pigmented as one would expect from LMdB. Shades are as follows from left to right:

Topaz: Mid-toned bronze brown with satin finish (defined as warm shimmering copper by LMdB)

Quartz Light cool lavender with matte finish (defined as soft lavender by LMdB)

Tanzanite True blue with golden shimmer and metallic finish (defined as deep indigo with flecks of gold by LMdB)

Diamond Noir: Cool deep black with sparse silver sparkles and satin finish (defined as glinting onyx by LMdB)

Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette, eye shadow swatches (bottom raw)

For the below eye look I used the following steps:

#1: Primed my lids with Nars Pro-Prime.
#2: Used Quartz (matte lavender) all over the lid as well as along lower lashes as base color.
#3: Applied Tanzanite (metallic blue) on the outer half of upper and lower lid.
#4: Defined the outer V with Diamond Noir (black shade)
#5: Padded Topaz (bronze brown) on the mid of the upper lid to give an accent and some warmth.
#6: Defined the eyes further with a few dots of black eye liner (smudged later on) and mascara on top and lower lashes.

Eye look with Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette eye shadows (bottom raw)

The upper blush raw of Galore Palette consists of the following shades:

Dusk: A sugary pink leaning peach with satin finish (defined as classic pinky-peach by LMdB)
The Factory: Cool mid-toned pink with matte base and sparse silver flecks (defined as bright pink by LMdB)
Coral Reef: Reddish understated coral with satin finish (defined as golden shimmered warm coral by LMdB)
Punta Cana: Mid-toned golden bronze with satin finish (defined as satin blond-bronze by LMdB)

Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette, blush swatches (top raw)

The blush colors look a bit odd in the pan and also swatched since they are very pigmented. The idea is to use these also on the eyes to add a bit of something to the look, which I will definitely try next time. After I applied them to my cheeks, I was surprised by how natural they look. For the look below, I used Dusk on the cheeks and layered on top with Punta Cana for some warmth. I applied them with TF blusher brush and it wore over 14 hours. Needless to say, I was so impressed by the staying power!

FOTD: Le Métier De Beauté Galore Palette on eyes and cheeks

Also check out Lola's Secret Beauty Blog for more swatches.

Final thought: Nothing gives you a smokey eye like a good LMdB Palette or Kaleidoscope, it is easy to apply yet complex in the way it looks. Although I probably own many of those colors one by one in one way or another, I love Galore. I found matte lavender to be the most unique of four and still find this one to be a good deal ($125 for 4 eyeshadows + 4 blushes). I think alone the blushes which wore like iron over 14 hours are worth the price. Galore is currently in stock in Saks Fifth Avenue website, shipping internationally.

Are you eyeing any of LMdB Face and Eye Palettes? Do you like the concept or would you rather pay a little less and get a Kaleidoscope?

Oh pretty Fall 2013 Collection of Dior and its stunning quads and nail polishes. I have already talked about how much I love both of the quads, Bonne Etoile (reviewed here) and Constellation (reviewed here). Today your horoscope tells you that your stars are aligned to make you fall in love with two metallic nail polishes, Dior Vernis #382 Destin and #992 Galaxy.

Dior Vernis #382 Destin, #992 Galaxy from Mystic Metallics Collection for Fall 2013

I usually don't post promo photos (I prefer taking my own) but I just made an exception giving how cute they look together, the stars and the bottles. Before I start introducing them to you, let me tell you upfront that these two are by far my favorite nail polishes of upcoming season, sharing top three with YSL #38 Gris Underground (reviewed here). Let me show you why...

Outdoor, direct light swatch: Dior Vernis #382 Destin

Destin is a metallic nude with beige, mauve and taupe undertones. It is darker than most of the others in this category, which you will see at comparison swatches. This one looks different under each light, so I made three pictures to give you a better idea. Especially outdoor shadow picture shows the cooler, mauve side of this shade while the other two gives a warmer impression. While wearing it, I found myself looking at my nails and wondering how I would describe this shade.

Indoor swatch: Dior Vernis #382 Destin

Dior Vernis #382 Destin was opaque in two coats and had very light brush strokes. Those were almost invisible once compared to other metallic finish nail polishes. Formula is perfection, pleasure to work with, not too thick or thin.

Outdoor shadow swatch: Dior Vernis #382 Destin

I pulled out some shades from my stash for comparison. Destin was not close to anything. I swatched it against #593 Rose Moire (previously reviewed here) from Chanel, which was lighter and more pink/peach. I also added Chanel #73 Violette and Guerlain #463 La Petite Robe Noire which are close to Rose Moire (I pointed this out before in this post) and those two are also lighter and more peach/pink compared to Dior #382 Destin.

Dior Vernis #382 Destin and its comparison to similar colors

I was thinking Chanel #525 Quartz would be similar, but it turned out to be warmer and more beige/gold. Chanel #96 Metal Argent (discontinued) is lighter and also more gray. Chanel #367 Trapeze (discontinued) is more gold and lighter. I found Dior #382 Destin to be a unique metallic nude, which looks stunning on the nails without being over the top but also providing enough uniqueness not to be boring.

Dior Vernis #382 Destin and its comparison to similar colors on nail wheel

The second shade #992 Galaxy is a beautiful warm plum with metallic finish, both name and finish fitting to the motto of the collection. The shade was changing between having more or less red hues depending on the light. It is a deep shade but not blackened so that the plum tone definitely shows up.

Outdoor, direct sun light swatch: Dior Vernis #992 Galaxy

Formula was great for this one too. I could almost get away with one coat but I used two to intensify the color a little. There were no visible brush strokes and the consistency was just right.

Indoor swatch: Dior Vernis #992 Galaxy

Reddish plums (or plums in general) are my weak point so I was smitten by Galaxy, but at the same time I was almost sure I would find something similar, because I do own many purple polishes, some of them having metallic finish.

Outdoor, indirect light swatch: Dior Vernis #992 Galaxy

I searched my stash for similar colors. There was some discussion regarding Chanel's new nail polish, Rouge Moire (reviewed here) being close to Galaxy, so I swatched them side by side just to see that they are very different. Rouge Moire is a pearly deep red, therefore much more red once compared to Dior Galaxy. Illamasqua Charisma is a tad more plum but yet very red. Chanel Strong (discontinued) has similar undertones but more blackened, therefore darker than Galaxy. Chanel #499 Gondola (discontinued) is also more red/pink. Recently released beauty Chanel #583 Taboo is more blue based and the red flecks give a different finish, which is not metallic like Galaxy.

Dior Vernis #992 Galaxy and its comparison to similar colors

The closest shades to Dior Galaxy were Tom Ford #21 Minx from Fall 2012 collection, Chanel #54 Spirale (discontinued) and Chanel #42 Troublant. Chanel Troublant is a duo chrome, so it is only similar at a certain angle, which leaves us with the other two. I found Chanel Spirale and Tom Ford Minx to be only marginally different so if you own any of these two, you may want to give it a second thought. These little differences are: Minx is slightly more coppery, Spirale is slightly darker.

Dior Vernis #992 Galaxy and its comparison to similar colors on nail wheel

Also check out Jenny's and Sabrina's review for more swatches and comparison.

Final thoughts: I love both of these shades, actually I like almost everything from Dior Fall 2013. I found Dior Vernis #382 Destin to be more unique but both of the shades are stunning and perfect for fall. I should also mention how easy to work with the formula is. Those are limited edition and available around the globe at Dior Counters right now, in Germany available for online purchase since yesterday.

Which one is your favorite?

On holiday, yay! It has been a week but still trying to catch up on blog whenever I have time. I might have left a few comments unanswered, please excuse me for that. I am trying hard not to miss sun and sea while publishing a post each second day. Right now it is working just fine and I didn't even have to take pictures. It seems making thousand of photos of everything I receive started to pay off *grins*. Anyway I am counting on my hubby who is back home, currently acting as the hero who saves my packages. He will bring a few of them with him while he is coming so that I can keep on posting. Isn't that sweet?

As my effort of trying my best to cover all the items from Fall 2013 collections goes on, today I have a pretty eye liner to share with you: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux from Superstition Fall 2013 Collection.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux

Doesn't matter what the others say, I have a weakness towards Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners. I like using them especially on my lower lash line as they tend to last long on me. I also like their "in-between" colors and often reach for darker ones also as liners along upper lashes. My favorite ones are #100 Santal, #85 Grenat, #83 Cassis, #70 Black Shimmer for upper lash line and #89 Or Rose, #87 Silver Light, #102 Beryl along lower water/lash line. You can see me using these frequently on my eye looks I post here. When I have seen a khaki eye pencil being released as part of Fall 2013 Chanel collection, I knew I had to have it.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux

Just like other Stylo Yeux Waterproof eye liners, Khaki Precieux comes in a twist-open black housing, including a sharper at the back. Most of the Stylo Yeux Eyeliners do have some fine shimmer, which I especially like having on my lower water line as well on on inner corner as it brings some light and brightness to the eye look. Khaki Precieux is no exception. It is a khaki shade with gorgeous golden shimmer to it. Khaki Precieux also has one of rather softer formulas among Stylo Yeux Eyeliners (for example in comparison to #57 True Blue from Summer Collection which was harder) so it will also be appealing to those who rather like using softer eyeliners.

Swatch under direct sun light: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux

I pulled out some similar green/khaki/gold leaning shades from my stash to compare them with Khaki Precieux. Some months ago I had a huge drug store haul, since I was wondering the quality of certain brands, therefore I happened to find a P2 eyeliner which also looked similar. Let's see how they compare...

Comparison to similar shades: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux

P2 Intensive Khol in #023 Precious Australia (such a pretty name!) was unfortunately a bit too light. Lancome's Jazzy Taupe is similar in intensity but misses the green/gold hues of Khaki Precieux. I wanted to show you also how Chanel Precision Eye Definer in #104 Khaki Platine compares and as you see this is more of a light taupe rather than khaki. Also other two shades I included from Chanel, #47 Brun Intense and #100 Santal are both more browns so I can comfortably say that Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in #104 Khaki Precieux is the first real Khaki I own from Chanel.

Comparison swatch under direct sun light: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux

I checked out my Urban Decay Vault and found two shades which looked similar. Mildew, though, turned out to have more blue and was very different once applied. Urban Decay Stash on the other hand was considerably close, therefore I included one more swatch between these two. I found Khaki Precieux to have more golden shimmer and a greener base but the difference is rather subtle and on the eyes they look close.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof #104 Khaki Precieux vs. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Stash

Final thoughts: I love my first real "Khaki" Eyeliner from Chanel. I can see myself wearing it rather along my lower lash line and on my lower water line to add brightness and color to my eye looks. It is a lovely shade for this upcoming season, and will add something to neutrals, taupes or even grays. If you already own Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On in Stash, you may want to consider that before splurging. Chanel Superstition Collection is still not available in Germany but we are expecting it any moment.

Do you like this shade as eye liner? Where would you rather use it? Which colors would you combine it with?

So many pretty products, so little time. Today I would like to talk about an absolutely beautiful highlighter from Laura Mercier's Fall 2013 Collection, called Dark Spell. Here is Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator...

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Already in July you might have heard of the buzz in certain blogs as the collection was released early in US. It is still not on the counters in Germany but here is the thing, my favorite SA from Breuninger Laura Mercier counter confessed that they received everything already in July but they were not supposed to sell them! I tried hard arguing that I will be on holiday after they were supposed to be sold but she could only agree to pre-order so I decided to get the products from US, thanks to Mari *waves*. Please take a moment to admire this one, isn't it pretty?

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

If you are following Color Me Loud for sometime, you already know that I am usually drawn to eye products first, but for Laura Mercier Dark Spell Collection, I made an exception and went for the highlighter and nail polishes, which I will review soon. Check out the promo pictures and you will see why. The model has such a beautiful light catching complexion, which got my attention before her eye makeup or lips.

The surface of the highlighter resembles that of a satin fabric folded irregularly to create a breathtaking play of light and shadow. It looks so modern and chic, don't you agree?

Close-up: Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Once I touch the surface, it feels buttery and finely milled. It goes on smooth and shows the color by one swipe on my arm. I took normal and slightly out of focus photos to show you the gorgeous shimmer. I would define the shade as rose gold in a very general sense, it is more gold and beige than rose though.

Swatches of Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator, in focus (left), slightly out of focus (right)

I wanted to see how it compares to other highlighters from my stash. As we are talking about "rose gold" or a tone of "beige", I pulled out Chanel Mouche de Beaute (#5) and Lumiere d'Artifices (#4). I also wanted to compare it to two of my favorite MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes in Light Year (#2) from last year and Adored (#1) from this year.

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator and its comparison to other similar highlighters

As the swatches indicate, Laura Mercier Spell Bound is a stronger highlighter once compared to MAC Mieralize Skinfinishes or Chanel Lumiere d'Arfifices but not over the top such as Chanel Mouche de Beaute. It is more "rose" than Chanel Mouche de Beaute and more gold than the others in comparison. You can definitely get Spell Bound show up on many different complexions but you can also use a light hand to apply it, it is up to you.

Comparison swatches of Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator and similar highlighters.

Final thoughts: Love the design and the quality alike. I think it must be the prettiest highlighter of this season.

Have you checked out Laura Mercier Fall 2013 Collection? Which products are catching your attention?

I ordered my first Marc Jacobs Beauty Item during pre-sales about a month ago, with help from lovely Jenny from Belletristic Beauty. This beauty line is not available in Europe at the moment but I have heard that they are planning a launch next year.

I wanted to give it a go with an eye product (how typically me) and there were two palettes available for pre-sale. One was the purple palette (#202 The Tease) and the other one was looking more "natural" on the photo. There were no swatches and I thought I could understand the line a little better by trying out the natural palette, so decided for Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet.

Packaging of Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

The package comes in a pouch with a staple on one end and a stripe of cloth attached close to the other end with the name of the brand written on it. Inside the pouch there is a sponge tipped applicator, which is probably unnecessary for me and many of you but can come in handy on the go. The fabric of the pouch is not made of velvet as many other beauty brands choose for their products but this one is a thicker and coarser material (I am not sure what exactly it is). I found the overall look rather modern and chic, love that the pouch can be closed so that the palette doesn't get loose or open inside my monster bags. I also like the material of it, since it looks stable and ensures to keep the palette neat and clean.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

The palette is in a sleek black plastic case and can be opened by pushing a metal knob. Once the upper lid is open, there is a thin plastic which protects the eye shadows with brand name written on it. I really liked the way it looked seamlessly black which reflects on the mirror and made me appreciate the design with a happy sigh.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

I removed the plastic protection to reveal the shades. They were looking like in photo, so there were no bad surprises here. We all know there are some promo photos with various filters which may make a neutral palette look purple or vise versa. The palette fits in my palm nicely although it hosts seven eye shadows it is not heavy or bulky but still looking luxurious.

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

The palette consists of seven shades, mostly naturals. The left side of the palette has two taupes, then comes a brown, followed by two natural shades with a twist, a orangey/peachy shade and a yellow gold. On the right most part of the palette there are two cooler toned eye shadows, a light gray and a deeper anthracite. This is what I observed after checking out the shades and right before swatching. I was so excited and by the time I touched the surfaces of the eye shadows, I was smitten by how buttery and smooth the texture was and how pigmented each shade was going. But...

Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

After swatching them all on my arm, I looked at it once more and I knew this one was far away from my "dream natural palette which would make it to my everyday eye looks". Then it all made sense, the name of the palette being "The Starlet" and the definition of the shades at Sephora website starting all with the same indication "metallic":

"metallic muted lilac, metallic champagne pink, metallic dark copper brown, metallic bright copper, metallic gold, metallic bluish silver, metallic gunmetal gray."

This one must have been the most interesting natural palette I have come across this year and I couldn't decide if it was in a good way.

Swatch with direct sun light: Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

A palette with seven natural metallic shades! Would you come up with this idea? I don't know if it is genius or just dumb but I know this palette is certainly unique!

Swatch with indirect light, Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet

I am not fond of frosts and this is no secret. So for me it was an interesting experience trying to put an eye look together just using metallic shades, even at crease. I used the first shade all over the lid, the third shade on the crease to define (which is the only dark shade of the palette anyway) and padded the fourth peach shade in the middle of the lid to add a little bit of something to the eye look. I used the 6th shade on the inner corner and a mix of first and third shade along the lower lash line. The good news is that they can be layered and blended easily.

In-action: Some shades from Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Palette in #204 The Starlet

Make sure to check out the swatches of all four Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palettes by Rads from Weekendramblings.

Final thoughts: I am so confused. Yay for design in all aspects from me and then all these frosty metallic finishes, I don't know what to think about this. If you like these finishes, you should run and pick up one of these palettes, like, right now! But if you are on the same side as me, who rather prefers mixture of finishes, especially if there are 7 different shades, then you may want to keep your money for something else.

Do you like metallic finishes? Is the idea of a palette with 7 metallic shades appeal to you?

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Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette in #204 The Starlet