Letters to Coco and Reflections on a Chanel Summer, Part 3: Bronze BFFs Forever! Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, and Tutti Frutti Le Vernis Nail Colour

Letters to Coco

What follows is the final installment of a three-part series of posts titled “Letters to Coco,” a series of letters written in the summer of 2014 from me to my best friend (in my head), Coco Chanel. In this third letter, which features summer collection standouts Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dor and Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, it’s the end of the summer, a few weeks after our trip. 🙂

My dearest Coco,

You know what they say. Tans fade, but friendships last forever. And you, my friend, are my girl for life.

4-LIFE!

I can’t believe the summer is almost over. It’s seems like just yesterday we were boarding the plane to the Maldives.

Ah, the Maldives…

I can’t even think about that trip without smiling!

The beach, the waves… Thank you for being such a good sport and getting up at the crack of dawn to go surfing with me. Oh, and uh, also thank you for not telling anybody that I lost my bikini top when I dropped in on that wave.

Whoops! Half-naked surfing. Everyone’s gotta do it at least once in their life, haha.

Geez, barely two weeks back from vacation, and I feel like I need another one. It’s been super stressful (but what else is new?). Tabs is already gearing up for fall — fall! — and I’ve been working cray-cray long hours, but whenever I’m about to lose my sh*t, I just close my eyes and pretend we’re back on the beach with our towels, digging our toes into the sand.

You’re probably going to laugh this, but I’m still wearing your summer collection. In August! I know!

By this time of year, I’m usually hitting up the Trader Joe’s in matte berry lips and full-on smokey eyes.

But I’m just not ready to say goodbye to summer yet.

NO! I still have a tan from our trip (tears!), so I’ve been wearing your bronze cream eyeshadow, Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage; and your shimmery gold liner, Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, in an attempt to cling to my memories of our best summer ever.

You know, sometimes, Coco, I feel like you just get me. You get my makeup style. Especially with this cream eyeshadow.

My goodness! It’s like the most perfect shimmery bronze I’ve ever worn — or rather, the most perfect buttery bronze, because I think it’s different than a regular orangey bronze, and I love how it works with my caramel coloring.

And the finish? It’s off the hook, girl! Did you make it this way — so soft and satiny and scintillating — because of that time I complained about how frosty eyeshadows settle into my fine lines? Because the way this catches the light is absolutely perfect.

I’ve been wearing Mirage all over my lids with Ambre Dore Eyeliner on my lower lash and water lines. The warm, shimmery golden tones in Ambre Dore play off the bronze in Mirage really well — no clashing of metallics here!

I’d go so far as to call the Mirage + Ambre Dore combo the best metallic summer eye look of 2014. It’s easy, elegant and I swear to gawd, makes me look 10 years younger.

So, of course, this would not be one of my trademark rambling letters without a nail update. Well, I’ve been wearing Tutti Fruitt Le Vernis Nail Colour, also from your summer collection, to go with my shimmery bronze and gold eyes.

I like how it can look like a creamy coral one minute…but then you step outside in the sun, and it’s a golden secret shimmer party!

Anywho, just wanted to say hi and let you know that I miss you terribly. I’ll be in Paris for the fall shows with Tabs in a couple weeks. Hopefully we can connect out there.

Let’s make a date to visit Laduree, ‘K? My muffin top has been craving macarons like CRAZY.

Love ya, always,

Karen