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CHANEL – Le Vernis in Délicatesse, Infidèle & Provocation for Fashion’s Night Out 2012
The Fashion’s Night Out (or FNO) event has become quite the yearly highpoint, and what makes it even more special is how several cosmetic brands release shades made specifically for this event. CHANEL’s contribution is usually in the form of a trio of limited edition nail varnishes (you can see my previous posts on ‘Les Khakis de CHANEL 2010’ here and ‘Les Jeans de CHANEL 2011’ here), but this year CHANEL took things up a notch by creating ‘Les Twinsets de CHANEL’ for FNO – so named, because of the matching lipsticks to these lacquers. I get the feeling that I may come to regret not getting the lipsticks …
The following swatches are all with base and top coats.
CHANEL FNO 2012 shades
Délicatesse – a dusky rose hue with tan leanings, this shade is made unique by not only its deeper neutral tone, but by the excellent pigmentation and ultra creamy formula. Fairly opaque even by the first coat, it applied in a completely self-levelling way and left a super high-gloss finish at the end. Coats applied: 2
CHANEL – Délicatesse
CHANEL – Délicatesse
Infidèle – a medium carnation pink hue with undertones of mauve in its base, the saturation of pigmentation is simply fabulous and the depth of colour prevents this shade from coming off as too much “fluff”. Flowing with a perfect density and completely self-levelling, the gloss at the end was exceptionally shiny as well. I was actually surprised by how much this shade appeals to me – totally unexpected. Coats applied: 2
CHANEL – Infidèle
CHANEL – Infidèle
Provocation – having frequently mentioned my love of brooding, vampy lacquers, allow me to add this beauty to the top of that list. A deep maroon, port-wine shade with raisin undertones in the base, the formula was slightly thinner in density than the other 2 here, but still flowed incredibly well. Once more, this applied in the same self-levelling manner as the other two and ended up with a super brilliant finish – LOVE! Bonus: No staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2
CHANEL – Provocation
CHANEL – Provocation
I’m not sure why, but I really wanted to see ‘Provocation’ in a matte version, and so I applied one coat of CHANEL’s ‘Velvet Mat Top Coat’ (previously reviewed here); while the glossy shine is obviously toned down, it did nothing to detract from the fierce beauty of this shade, but appeared to add an edgy new dimension of depth – totally LOVE this as well.
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CHANEL – Provocation with Velvet Mat Top Coat
CHANEL – Provocation with Velvet Mat Top Coat
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Final thoughts: Originally, it was ‘Provocation’s’ sultry hue that I was aiming for, but then I caved and picked up the entire grouping because A) I hate breaking sets up – especially CHANEL and B) I fell for the other two shades of this collection. The colours are nothing outrageous, new, or all that unique and yet, when I went hunting through my stash, I couldn’t find any that were duplicates, especially amongst my other CHANEL lacquers (which is quite an extensive collection in itself, so that should say it all). My favourites here are ‘Infidèle’ – for its bright pop of colour, able to transition through all seasons and ‘Provocation’ – for its totally decadent tone, although I must say that ‘Délicatesse’ is a nice new take on straight-up neutrals.
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I ordered my set from the CHANEL boutique at Holt Renfrew, Bloor St. (Toronto, Canada). Please note that all 3 shades are limited edition.
OPI – ‘The Bondettes’ Mini Nail Lacquers (Skyfall Collection)
In conjunction with Skyfall, the latest Bond movie which officially premieres today, OPI has also released ‘The Bondettes’ – mini sized versions of 4 of the shades from their 12-piece ‘Skyfall Collection’ (see my earlier reviews here and here). These little beauties might be small in size, but pack major impact – plus, aren’t they the cutest?!
The Bondettes
The Bondettes (back label)
The 4 shades that make up ‘The Bondettes’ quartet, are an absolute perfect homage to Skyfall’s exotic Bond-girl, Severine: mysterious, alluring, seductive, and a little bit dangerous (yes, nail polish CAN be all that!). While the brush is appropriately sized to the amount of lacquer provided, I had no application issues – but that could also be because of the fabulous formula of each shade. The following swatches are from my original posts using the larger versions, and are with base and top coats.
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Goldeneye
The Spy Who Loved Me
The World Is Not Enough
Live And Let Die
The Bondettes along with their full-sized versions
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Final thoughts: One thing that I love about OPI’s mini collections, is that you have the opportunity to indulge in shades from a collection, without committing to the cost of 4 full-sized bottles. Let’s face it; how often do any of us ever finish a bottle of nail polish? These minis may appear to barely hold enough lacquer, (3.75 ml – 1/8 fl.oz vs 15 ml – 0.5 fl. oz) but you would actually be surprised at how many applications each one offers – plus, you could always then invest in a full-sized version of the one that turns out to be your favourite. With Christmas and the holidays around the corner, there’s another reason to give ‘The Bondettes’ a look: these little sets would make the perfect stocking stuffer for any lacquer-lovers on your list … if you could bear to part with them, that is!
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Available now wherever OPI products are sold, ‘The Bondettes’ retails for US $12.50/CAD $14.95
*Disclaimer: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Viper (swatches, comparison & review)
Viper — the very name bears a certain seductively sinister sex appeal, and while I don’t indulge in many Estée Lauder products, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was a shade I had to acquire. Easier said than done, however, as this shade was not only sold out at all US counters I went to this past summer, but upon arriving back home, all sales agents I asked here looked at me like I was speaking gibberish when I inquired. I was even assured by one pseudo-genius that this shade was a US exclusive ONLY and that I would NEVER find it here. Until I walked into Holt’s 2 minutes later … and picked it up. Whatever … the end result is that I did managed to get it, right?
Viper (label)
Viper (CAD $25.00 limited edition) – is sumptuous, luxurious, malevolent, decadent, and totally oozes a brooding sensuality. Yes, a bottle of nail polish can do all that – trust me on this. The first coat applied somewhat sheer(ish), showing a charcoal-esque pine green base, with the second coat bringing forth this beauty’s true colour: a blackened forest/viridian green hue filled with ultra-fine emerald shimmer, although it does tend to look more ebony indoors. The formula is in that jelly/crème hybrid format that I’m really coming to love – the flow of a crème but with the high gloss and elasticity of a jelly, as it applies in a completely self-levelling way and ends with a ridiculously glassy finish. The square-shaped heavy glass bottle might look a little chunky, but actually serves to line up amazingly well for storage purposes, although it’s visually so beautiful that you will definitely want this to be out & admired. Bonus: absolutely no staining upon removal. Coats applied: 3 (thin)
Viper (sunlight)
Viper (sunlight)
Viper (shaded light)
Viper (flash)
Even though I have a few deep green shades in my collection that I could have compared ‘Viper’ to, something about its application and deep green tone completely reminded me of another legendary shade: the unicorn-elusive and limited edition ‘Zulu’ from NARS, which I was very happy to have picked up when it was re-released in the fall of 2010. Here’s how ‘Zulu’ compared to ‘Viper’ (both fabulous names, by the way):
- required 3 coats to reach the same opacity
- a thinner and sheerer formula
- first coat shows a much brighter green tone
- no shimmer
- slight translucency and more jelly-like qualities
- exceptionally glossy (a glass like finish) – makes application of top coat almost redundant
- non-staining as well
Overall, I’d say the two while bearing an almost identical base tone, are also quite different from each other due to ‘Viper’s’ shimmer, and worth owning both.
Viper vs Zulu (sunlight)
Viper vs Zulu (indirect light)
Viper vs Zulu (flash)
Final thoughts: When attempting to track down cosmetic products, perseverance pays off, as well as having some basic knowledge of the item you’re trying to find. Case in point, not always taking a sales agent’s word on something – very happy I didn’t. With the amount of nail varnish choices one faces today, it might be hard to make a case for one shade over another, so it comes down to personal preferences; I love how sophisticated yet totally “dark” and edgy ‘Viper’ is and its deep green tone helps it stand out from other trendy colours. That, and a formula that’s to die for. And the name … makes me feel so dangerous …
CHANEL – Le Vernis #637 Malice, Holiday 2012 (swatches, comparison & review)
Even though I eagerly anticipate every single one of CHANEL’s cosmetic collections from the moment the first promotional images start circulating, there’s something extra special about their holiday releases. New for 2012 is the limited edition nail lacquer in #637 Malice, a shade that literally oozes seductive allure and sophisticated glamour … and the only ornamentation your hands will need this season.
CHANEL #637 Malice
CHANEL #637 Malice
CHANEL #637 Malice
#637 Malice – one word: PERFECTION. This deep burgundy wine hue bears an ultra-fine blood red and magenta hued shimmer at its core that appears as an inner fiery glow along the center of the nails, framed by slightly darkened edges. Superbly flowing and applying in a completely self-levelling manner, the saturation of pigment is so dense that you almost don’t need a second coat, but it does help to add a beautiful richness of colour. The gloss at the finish is quite intense, almost “wet-looking” and really enhances every gorgeous ruby facet. Bonus: completely non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2 (along with base and top coat)
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in sunlight
in sunlight/alternate
macro
shaded light
with flash
Searching through my collection of varnishes for a match to ‘Malice’, yielded only one possible contender: Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Dark Fantasy’ (review forthcoming), a limited edition release from spring 2012, and shown on my index & pinkie fingers in the following swatches. How it compared:
- much sheerer
- base colour several tones lighter
- shimmer seems sparser & slightly larger, making it appear more prevalent next to that of ‘Malice’
- an almost imperceptible duo chrome shift in some lights
- needed 3 coats to achieve the same colour density as ‘Malice’, although 2 coats gives good coverage as well
- excellent gloss, but not as brilliant
- non-staining upon removal as well
in sunlight
shaded light
with flash
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Final thoughts: If you are a CHANEL collector like me, then you really cannot afford to skip ‘Malice’; to say that I am mesmerized by this shade, would be a gross understatment: I LOVE IT! From this incredibly rich jewel-like tone, the stellar formula, and its super-charged shine, this is THE shade of the season, in my humble opinion. Taking red to a whole new level by the blackened undertones and crushed shimmer this shade holds, has given it a unique cast and definitely sets it apart from the pack – and let’s face it, we all want to stand out every now & then, right?
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I’m already planning on a backup .. or two … that should say it all.
Butter London Holiday 2012 Collection (swatches & review)
For Holiday 2012, Butter London is definitely getting into the spirit of the season – infusing the five shades of this collection with all the sparkle and brilliance of traditional Christmas ornaments. Something about the holidays lends itself so well to draping one’s nails with some tinsel-like glamour – not to mention ensuring you (and your hands) get noticed – always a good reminder around gift-giving time!
With glitter, metallics, and some glass flecked particles, the 5 shades of this collection all hold several levels of visual appeal; traditional colours are all given a unique spin and versatility – able to be worn on their own, or layered over other hues to create exciting new combinations. All swatches are with Seche Clear Base Coat and Seche Vite Top Coat.
Fairy Cake – a clear base filled with predominantly silver and prismatic micro glitter. There was a surprisingly decent coverage achieved even by the 1st coat, with even better opacity at 2. Evenly applying, quick-drying and with a semi-matte finish at the end, I would recommend either a thicker or at least 2 coats of top coat for a smooth to the touch finish. Note that while removal will require some effort, it was relatively painless overall. Coats applied: 3
in sunlight
macro
shaded light
with flash
Scuppered – a slightly sheer metallic copper base filled with iridescent pink & bronze ultra fine glitter, along with larger green hexagonal glitter pieces thrown in – so much going on here! Bearing an excellent density to the formula, good opacity is definitely reached with 2 coats, giving this shade an almost verdigris patina, or a slightly oxidized look. While not glossy, there is a decent natural shine at the finish, feeling smooth to the touch with the addition of top coat. Coats applied: 3
in sunlight
macro
shaded light
with flash
Fiddlesticks – a magenta crème base loaded up with fuchsia glass-flecked pieces and micro glitter. The formula was slightly thinner, helping it flow quite easily along the nails and providing fairly good coverage by the 2nd coat. As this end up with a satiny finish, do not skip the top coat – to enhance its vivid beauty, along with ensuring it is smooth to the touch. Removal requires some elbow grease and it may be slightly staining as well; do not skip base coat. Coats applied: 3
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in sunlight
macro
shaded light
with flash
Scallywag – a clear base chock-full of bluebird coloured and sky blue incredibly fine glitter. The formula here was quite unique, in that it can almost be a 1-coater (it’s THAT densely packed), but you do need to mix the contents thoroughly first or the glitter will separate and stay primarily in the bottom of the bottle. With and almost “flocked” appearance (really, really cool effect that!), bear in mind that you’ll neither a thick layer of top coat for a smooth feel. Removal here was the messiest of the group, although it is non-staining. Coats applied: 3
in sunlight
macro
shaded light
with flash
Jack the Lad – a semi-sheer greyed-out pine/teal base absolutely brimming with emerald, gold, and blue ultra-fine glass flecked glitter, with some sparser prismatic shimmer added in. Incredibly complex and thoroughly stunning, 2 coats yields excellent coverage, revealing some slight duo chrome properties in certain lighting. Brilliant finish and quite smooth to the touch, I am 100% smitten with this beauty! Coats applied: 3
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in sunlight
macro
shaded light
with flash
Final thoughts: I may not often reach for glitter lacquers during my downtime, but I won’t deny how attracted I am to their brilliant appeal – brings out my magpie side. One of the things I really like about these in particular, is how unique and different each shade is from so many other glitters available, not to mention the amazing Butter London formula they all come in. My favourites are hands down ‘Jack the Lad’ and ‘Scuppered’ – and like Butter London says: “this season is all about making a glittering statement” – I couldn’t agree more! buy albenza online buynoprescriptiononlinerxx.com/albenza.html no prescription
Available as of October 1st, at The Bay (Canada) and through Butter London’s website.
*Disclaimer: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration
