CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonies Lèvres, La Perle de CHANEL Collection

March 2, 2015

Press sample provided for my unbiased consideration

CHANEL’s Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres (Limited Edition, CAN $75.00) released as part of the La Perle de CHANEL Collection, is a grouping of 5 complementary lip shades in one convenient compact. Inspired by the beauty of the ballet, these 5 rose-hued lip shades (2 glosses, 3 lipsticks) can be worn individually or mixed & matched to create plenty of interesting and personalized layering combinations.

Other items from La Perle de CHANEL Collection previously reviewed, include:

CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres, La Perle de CHANEL Collection

Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres, Limited Edition | A selection of five lip shades in one palette, consisting of 2 glosses (the lightest hues) and 3 lipsticks. The compact bears a large mirror on the inner lid (convenient for on-the-go touch ups) and includes 2 dual-ended & slant-headed lip brushes that are surprisingly well made, enabling you to apply each shade with ease. Fragranced with CHANEL’s signature rose scent (relatively undetectable when applied) it’s still worth noting for those with sensitivities.

Both glosses are non-sticky in feel and come in a slightly thicker formula than what you’d typically find in the brand’s tube glosses, bearing CHANEL’s patented extra-fine shimmer that feels ultra-smooth upon the lips. With regards to staying power, the glosses wear typically about 2-3 hours on me and always leave my lips feeling well nourished. The three lipstick shades need a bit of work initially to build up the colour (most noticeable when the palette is new, not an issue with continued use) and are unique in that the colour seems to almost intensify once applied (or so it appears to me), becoming fully pigmented upon the lips and with a finish that is less than a gloss, but more than satin. I’m able to get between 5-6 hours wear out of the lipstick shades, with a light stain left behind on the lips once the majority of colour has worn off and a well hydrated sensation upon the lips throughout the wearing, as well as after the colour has faded.

Arabesque 1 – pale peach-tinted pink gloss with a ultra-fine silver shimmer (non-gritty)
Arabesque 2 – warm rose gloss with fine sparser silver shimmer (non-gritty)
Arabesque 3 – true rose-pink, warm leaning, pigmented, no shimmer, gloss/satin finish
Arabesque 4 – bright pink, cooler-leaning, pigmented, no shimmer, gloss/satin finish
Arabesque 5 – rosewood pink, both cool & warm leaning, ultra-fine shimmer (detectable more in the pan than on the lips), lighter pigmentation, gloss/satin finish

In the past, I’ve tended to pass on lip palettes for a variety of reasons, whether that was because not all shades drew me in, or the fact that they have the potential to become rather messy with use. That being said, there is something so lovely about Arabesque, that resisting its allure becomes pointless. Factor in that every shade is easily wearable by a wide variety of complexions and the excellent texture of each individual colour, and you have a winner. Another advantage to Arabesque, is in its versatility; rather than carrying around a bevy of lip products, these five hues can literally take you from day/work to evening with just a quick change-up. To round things off, there’s the numerous layering possibilities of these shades, where creating a unique customized lip colour is basically in the palm of your had.

CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres, La Perle de CHANEL Collection

CHANEL | Arabesque 1 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 2 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 3 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 4 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 5 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 1 & 5 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque 2 & 4 swatch Harmonie Lèvres

CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres swatches (in sunlight)

CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonie Lèvres swatches (alternate lighting)

I don’t own many lip palettes (apart from 1 from MAC, I actually own 3 from CHANEL that were released about 20 years ago – and they have surprisingly lasted rancid-free to now), and I confess to being skeptical about Arabesque at first – both in terms of usefulness and suitability. I’m so happy to to say that every shade I apply impresses me, both in terms of feel and how it appears against my skin tone. There’s something fresh and modern about these rose hues, and they add a gorgeous brightness to my completed makeup look (at least, the lipstick shades do – the glosses have their own unique brilliant beauty), while the layering possibilities make this one of the most versatile pieces you can own in your beauty arsenal. The only downside, is the steep price, although you might say that it’s offset by getting 5 totally wearable shades in 1 compact. Regardless, I’m absolutely loving these colours (and I never wear pink/rose hues, so that says it all).

Available now for a limited time. Find more information via chanel.com

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche & 59 Nuit Noire

February 27, 2015

Shimmering like sequins upon the nails, La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche and 59 Nuit Noire (CAN $27.00/Limited Edition), part of the Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Désir de Jour Collection for Spring 2015 (Lumière de Jour Palette previously reviewed), draw their inspiration from the duality found within each woman, although the complex nature of each shade seems to blur that line even more. Feminine charm, rebel spirit or a little bit of both?

Note that each bottle has a removable outer cap with the inner cap ridged for ease of use. The brush is well proportioned to pick up the right amount of product, while the bristles have an excellent flexibility and splay, making the whole application process relatively goof-proof. Newly reformulated, all La Laque Couture polishes now include Rose Oil to help strengthen the nails.

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche & 59 Nuit Noire

La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche | A clear base filled with ultra-fine prismatic glitter as well as irregularly shaped mylar flakes. The formula falls on the thick side although still makes for an easy application, enabling the polish to stay exactly where placed without any pooling or migrating into surrounding skin.

Worn alone, there’s decent coverage with 2 coats (especially on shorter nails – there will still be visible nail line apparent on longer nails) giving off an icy, snowflake-like effect with an absolutely gorgeous iridescence. Layering Nuit Blanche – in particular over a dark shade – will bring out its twilight nature, displaying more of a blue/purple flash (as seen in the last swatches). Relatively smooth to the touch with a layer of top coat, be prepared for a bit of glitter dispersal upon removal (easily cleaned up with a second pass of your remover). Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche

La Laque Couture 59 Nuit Noire | A semi-sheer charcoal base that is filled with fine black and silver glitter pieces in a formula that is somewhat thinner than that of Nuit Blanche. There is a good amount of glitter per brushstroke – no ‘fishing’ required, and while dark, you’ll still see a light translucency upon the nails even with two coats, which I actually prefer as it keeps the look fresh & modern this way. Another unique feature of Nuit Noire, is the light moiré pattern that almost appears to be under the glitter but still at the surface level of the polish – elusive, mysterious and hard to capture in pictures, but you can just barely see it here. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

With 1 coat of Nuit Blanche layered over 2 coats of Nuit Noire (as on the last three swatches shown below), you achieve what I call ‘accidental galaxy nails’. This combination looks even more spectacular in person, as you can clearly appreciate every single nuance and prismatic flash. The depth of tone achieved from layering these two, is nothing short of hypnotic to behold – I need to stop here, because I’ve run out of superlatives. No more words for the love (also, this combo is smooth to the touch with a layer of top coat).

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 59 Nuit Noire

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche over 59 Nuit Noire

Black & White – a theme that transcends time and fashion, and yet YSL Beauté manages to reinvent these two standard shades with the addition of glitter and flakes. Nuit Blanche is one of those lacquers that will leave you mesmerized simply holding the bottle in your hand (the snow globe effect), and I guarantee that you’ll want to layer it over EVERYTHING just to see the colour shift it gives. Nuit Noire has a quieter presence, until the light catches on the glitter pieces and just like that, it morphs into something elegant and feral at the same time. Verdict? Both are just spectacular and so well worth picking up.

Available at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté counters across Canada (Holt Renfrew, The Bay)

Press samples provided for my unbiased consideration

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie

February 26, 2015

Channeling the ballet with its airy grace, 248 Tissé Rhapsodie (CAN $64.00, Limited Edition) from CHANEL’s La Perle de CHANEL Collection (Crescendo Blush and Mysterio Illusion d’Ombre previously reviewed) is a quartet of ethereal shades meant to evoke movement in dance. This eyeshadow palette is not without its grittier side as well, with that one unexpected & complex earthy shade lurking in the corner, playing counterpart to the three pastels.

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie

248 Tissé Rhapsodie | Inspired by the threads of CHANEL’s iconic tweed fabric, each hue in Tissé Rhapsodie displays undercurrents of a complex shimmer. The reformulated texture applies buttery-soft with hardly any powdery kickback upon swirling a brush through the four shades, and as these are in the brand’s baked format, they also have the ability to be applied with a dampened brush for stronger depth of tone and intensity. Each CHANEL eyeshadow quad typically includes 2 shades for colour, 1 highlighting hue, and 1 deeper contrast hue. The breakdown:

Upper left – tutu pink shade that leans slightly cool but can be easily worn by warmer skin tones as well, well pigmented for such a pale hue
Upper right – lavender tinged white with pinkish undertones, good pigmentation, can also double as a unique cheek highlighter
Lower left – shadowy purple, somewhat muted when applied dry but which comes to vivid life with a dampened brush
Lower right – intricate bronze/khaki hue with excellent pigmentation, regardless of whether applied dry or damp

What at first may appear as a rather weak range of shades, Tissé Rhapsodie holds several surprises; I was not prepared to see how pigmented the two lighter colours apply, and surprised that the purple didn’t display more depth when worn dry (although applying it damp makes up for that, plus it serves as a beautiful crease shade – almost casting the perfect shadow-like effect). The darkest tone seemed out of place nestled amongst the three pastels, and yet serves to ground them all and gives this palette a much-needed edge to balance the sugary-sweetness of the others.

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie, with flash

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie, swatched dry

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie, swatched damp

The Tissé Rhapsodie eyeshadow quad is a study in contrasts, playing light against dark but in a totally non-traditional way … which just works. Unless you’re going for an editorial look, pink and purple hues can be a little difficult to pull off but the intricacy of the three pale hues of this palette, make them much more user-friendly. That dark shade, however, is unbelievable and CHANEL needs to release it as a single (permanent) part of their range. For me, Tissé Rhapsodie is a winner – and not because I always wanted to be a ballerina, either.

Available now but limited edition. I picked mine up at The Bay (Canada).

Purchased product

CHANEL | Arabesque Harmonies Lèvres, La Perle de CHANEL Collection

YSL Beauté | La Laque Couture 58 Nuit Blanche & 59 Nuit Noire

CHANEL | Les 4 Ombres 248 Tissé Rhapsodie

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