Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Deep (Take One)

May 14th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

And now for something completely different (not), if I had a nickel for every time I watched a YouTube makeup video and thought, “Oh, I can handle that. That’s gonna be easy.” And then I tried it and was like, “What the hell just happened?” — I’d be a rich girl.

Yeesh, I’m so out of practice with eyeshadow… It is definitely a perishable skill, at least for me. It’s not like riding a bike, where you can take years off, then hop back on and be like, “Lalala! So easy! This is great!”

As you know, I’ve been wanting to do a little more with my makeup lately — not necessarily to put more makeup on, but to, ya know, do something more ambitious than one or two lid shades and some tightlining, so I’ve been watching a lot of videos, like this one by Sephora for hooded lids, which was actually VERY helpful for explaining proper placement (a.k.a “where to put the lighter and darker colors”).

If you have a hooded lid situation, definitely check it out.

Thing is…it assumes you have rudimentary blending skills down pat, which I thought I had, but I guess they were tucked away somewhere because… Well, it’s not that I’m unhappy with how this eye look turned out, but I can see a few things I could have done better.

I like it from straight on, and from the side, with my eyes open. I think it’s pretty decently blended in the crease, and I like the way the gradient is feathering, but when I look at the pics of myself with my eyes closed…WHOA.

And this could just be me being hyper-critical of myself, because I do that, but I can see that one eye is darker than the other, and they aren’t perfectly symmetrical, and I know that I do these things because I’ve made these same mistakes 1,342,521 times before.

I also know that my eyes aren’t identical. They’re naturally asymmetrical. One is slightly larger than the other, and my smaller eye is set a little deeper the the other. Also, I’m right-handed, and I tend to press harder when I’m applying shadow on my right lid than I do on my left, making that eye’s makeup look darker if I don’t pay close attention.

Basically, these are just lessons I have to re-learn from time to time… While not rocket science, makeup is definitely a perishable skill. If you don’t use it, you freakin’ lose it.

Anywho, today’s makeup gave me a chance to get to know the new Chanel Les Beiges Deep eyeshadow palette, and girl, the browns are beautiful! They are SO pretty.

Like the wide buttery golden pan at the top? No, it isn’t MAC Soba, but it is Chanel’s version. If I just stopped trying new makeup and wore this satiny mid-toned brown daily for the rest of my life, I’d be a happy camper.

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More From the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 Collection: 824 Verderame, 66 L’Indomabile, 794 Poppea, 792 Aphrodite and 50 Nero Metallo

March 2nd, 2018 by Karen 20 Comments

chanel spring summer 2018 k — More from the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 collection

Viva l’Italia! Anybody wanna go to Naples? This afternoon…? We can tell our families that Lucia Pica and Chanel made us do it. I can pack a bag and be ready to go in an hour…

YEAH, RIGHT! Who am I kidding? You know it would take me at least a half a day to pack my makeup.

OK, maybe a full day. ?

Lucia is shaking things up at Chanel with all kinds of color, and her latest collection, Spring-Summer 2018, is a shout-out to her hometown of Naples, Italy.

If Naples looks anything like the blues, greens, reds and yellows in this launch, I could easily fall in love with it. So let’s go, yeah? If you know a good travel agent, call her and get the hookup! Girls trip, April 2018! ?✈️?

chanel l indomabile — Red and green! That’s Rouge Allure Velvet in 66 L’Indomabile on my lips and Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in 824 Verderame on my lids.

OK, back to reality…

Spring-Summer 2018 is a pretty big launch, and so far I know I like the eyeshadow palette and the green liner.

Here are some quick thoughts on the other pieces I’ve tried (some which I like more than others).

chanel spring summer 2018 swatches — 824 Verderame, 66 L’Indomabile, 794 Poppea, 792 Aphrodite, 50 Nero Metallo

Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in 824 Verderame ($36, limited edition)

824 Verderame reminds me of a metallic cream version of MAC Club eyeshadow, but without the brown, and I love it with a matte brown in the crease, and either a charcoal or dark green liner on the water lines. It’s pigmented and GORGEOUS. It also dries in less than 30 seconds, so don’t dilly-dally! — or you’ll end up with harsh edges (a lesson I learned the hard way). Keep the small white brush that comes with the pot, too, because it’s surprisingly great and easy to use. The bristles deposit lots of color.

chanel 824 verderame — Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in 824 Verderame

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From the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 Collection: Mare-Chiaro Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner, or “When Green Is Good”

March 1st, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

chanel mare chiaro — Mare-Chiaro, a gorgeous bright yellowish green from the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 Collection

So, I collect a lot of things. Like, right now I’m collecting broken ballpoint pens, apparently. LOL! I have six of them on my desk, and NONE OF THEM WORK. I just need to throw them away…

I don’t know what my problem is. I think I might be a hoarder in training…

Actually, I know I am, and I have to fight the urge to hoard daily, but that’s another story for another time! AHEM.

I also collect pencils… Chanel eyeliner pencils, that is. And if you don’t know about the Stylo Yeux line, allow me to rock your world. I believe they are, dare I say it, the best high-end liners around.

Stylo Yeux is Chanel’s line of skinny twist-up waterproof pencils, and the basic black shade from the permanent line, 88 Noir Intense, is my go-to black liner and all-time fave.

Seriously, I could write a book of sonnets about it, and some of the LE shades are also epic, like Noir Petrole and Legendary Green.

The Spring-Summer 2018 Collection introduces a gorgeous $33 LE green called Mare-Chiaro, which is a borough in Naples, Italy (thanks, Interwebz!), Chanel Global Creative Makeup and Color Designer Lucia Pica’s hometown.

chanel mare chiaro swatch k — Green kitten wings, meow!

chanel mare chiaro swatch eye 2 — Lovin’ this on lash and water lines

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From the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 Collection: Chanel Les 9 Ombres Multi-Effects Eyeshadow Palette

March 1st, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Have you been to Chanel lately? — like within the last couple years? Because every time I go there, it’s like — and I mean this in a good way — I’m about to see what’s behind door number three in The Price Is Right. I don’t know what’s gonna be there! Will it be a goat? A trip to Italy? Will there be a red Radio Flyer wagon? I JUST DON’T KNOW. And those fun, frequent surprises are making me an even bigger fan of the brand.

Ever since Lucia Pica took the reins, there have been so many creative twists and turns, especially with color. She does a lot of themed collections, and yes, Chanel has always liked themed launches, but Lucia’s themes and visions always seem strong, and I totally get what she’s trying to do.

The collections are often travel related, and the colors and textures will refer to places she’s visited and lived. This one for spring/summer is a homage to her hometown of Naples, Italy. It’s like, bright explosive colors — greens, blues, yellows, reds. Those are the visuals, but you know me, much as I love color, I also love neutrals, and there are many lovely neutrals here, too, especially in the eyeshadow palette, which, by the way, is SUCH a nice surprise.

It’s a nine-pan palette called Les 9 Ombres, and it’s $70, which is expensive, but it’s a relative “bargain” for Chanel, considering that they’ve done other palettes with five eyeshadows for $50.

And everything in it is wearable — yes, including the blue and green in the middle.

(Side note: even if you don’t consider yourself a colorful eyeshadow person, I still totally believe that you can work both of these shades. You could use them as eyeliners — do the thinnest line on the upper lash line if you’re shy! — or mix the green or the blue into one of the neutrals, like the taupe, or the bronze on the lower right-hand side, and then pop that on your lids for a twist of unexpected but totally conservative color.)

You’ll notice that almost all of the shades in this eyeshadow palette are neutrals, which, you know, yay for usability! — but also, the eyeshadows are even higher quality than usual. As if that’s even possible! Chanel stepped it up. Well, more like leaped up! The shadows feel almost incomprehensibly good.

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Fast and Flirty Valentine’s Day Makeup Tutorial: A Romantic Monochromatic Soft Peach Look for All Skill Levels

January 24th, 2018 by Karen 29 Comments

In the interest of fairness, seeing as how we have Valentine’s Day to celebrate lurve, and Galentine’s Day for your gal pals, shouldn’t there also be a holiday to commemorate V-Day for cat lovers and our cats? Like Feline-en-tine’s Day? Or Cat-en-tine’s Day?

Ooh! — I’ve got it. Meow-entine’s Day! ? ? Happy Meow-entine’s Day, fellow cat ladies, LOL!

Valentine’s Day is a few weeks away, a fact that occurred to me at 7:55 p.m. the other night at See’s Candy (5 minutes before closing), where I went on an emergency last-minute chocolate run.

They had their heart-shaped candy boxes on full display, and it was like a sudden cocoa-infused wake-up call that this is a perfect time for romantic, soft makeup looks. I think this monochromatic peach one would be great for a daytime date, or an evening date, or a date that goes from day to night, ooh-la-la!

Why I ? monochromatic makeup

Because it takes the aspect of color coordinating, and figuring out if this purple goes with that bronze, or if this pink goes with that teal, out of the picture and makes it easy to use multiple (but related) colors together (i.e., so you don’t have to think too hard).

But I really ? monochromatic makeup with a twist!

Instead of just being a peach-on-peach-on-peach party on the eyes, cheeks and lips, this look also relies on subtle transitions and different cream and powder textures, matte and satin finishes, and varying levels of coverage and intensity.

On the eyes, matte and satin powder eyeshadows are layered on top of a cream shadow, and the cheeks and lips are both sporting the same peach color and cream finish, except that the cheeks are sheer, and the lips are opaque. And the creaminess of the blush and lipstick also plays off the matte areas of the skin.

Sheer skin for balance

My foundation is purposefully sheer in this look because, with all of the drama happening on my eyes and the opaque lip, I feel like the face, cheeks and lips need to dial it back a bit to keep everything looking balanced.

A 15-minute look from start to finish

The choice to do sheer skin is also a timing thing, because I’m still really into makeup looks that I can finish in 15 minutes or less, and doing sheer skin saves lots of time and lets me spend most of it on my eyes.

What you’ll need

Here are the products I used…

FACE PRODUCTS

Face primer (Urban Decay Urban Defense Complexion Primer)
Sheer face tint, or a CC or BB cream (Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint in Honey)
Makeup setting spray (MAC Fix+)
Powder foundation (Sweat Cosmetics Mineral Foundation in 200)
Concealer for your under eye area, if you want (MAC Matchmaster Concealer in 4)
Cream peach lipstick (MAC Lunar New Year Lipstick in Good Health, an LE shade available now online and at select MAC counters)

EYE MAKEUP

Brow gel, either clear or a color that matches your brows (Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Gel in Warm Brown)
Cream stick shadow similar to your skin tone (MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Sand Bar)
Three powder eyeshadows: a matte peach eyeshadow, a matte taupe and satiny bronzy brown (MAC Lunar New Year Eye Shadow X9 in Luck and Fortune, an LE palette available now at select MAC counters)
Two pencil eyeliners: a black and a bronzy brown (Chanel 88 Noir Intense and MAC Costa Riche)
Mascara (Tarte Lights Camera Lashes)

Let’s get started

First, you’ll be bouncing back and forth between working on your face and working on your eyes, because when every minute/second counts, you gotta multitask. But it won’t be stressful or scary, I promise. 🙂

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