Chanel Le Vernis in Island (Summer Makeup 2012)

Chanel Le Vernis Island (available here) - $26

Chanel's Summer Makeup Collection 2012 rolled into stores and online this week.  It's a small (relatively) collection, and I haven't gotten around to checking it in store.  I just ordered a few pieces from the Chanel website, and the Le Vernis Island is one of them.  A pale beige with an opalescent finish, it shows up shades of a pale pink at times - something that I found really impossible to capture in the photos.

In the photos it looks like a soft beige or brown, but it's so much more than that.  Depending on the light, the colour looks a pale beige and takes on a pinkish hue at other times.  The finish is subtle and more like a sheen, and I never did get a completely opaque finish with 3 coats.  The one thing I have noticed about Chanel's nail polishes is that they seem to take a little longer to dry than usual, and this one is no exception.

Chanel Nail Polish Island - NOTD

With so many brands coming up with cheery, bright colours this season, I was not too sure how a "beige" would work, but Chanel's Le Vernis Island is one of the prettiest neutrals I have seen in a long time!  Do give this a try if you like a soft, romantic look that still has some spark to it.

SIMILAR POSTS
Chanel Le Vernis - Attraction (545)
Chanel Le Vernis - Frisson (543)
Chanel Le Vernis - June
More Chanel Reviews

My Post on MBB #2

Today's post on MBB!

Read Post HERE

 Guest Post on MBB #1 HERE.

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (available here) - $24
Never Say Never - Line, fill, then top with gloss — or don’t. This lilac rose Velvet Matte Lip Pencil delivers a look you’ll never say no to, however you choose to wear it.

The application of a lipstick combined with the convenience of a pencil in a jumbo crayon design. Lips are instantly saturated with rich pigments and a velvety matte finish. The long lasting, non-drying formula is enriched with emollients for a creamy texture, while a combination of unique silicones ensures long-lasting, seamless color for hours. Use for lining, all-over lip color, or pairing with another lip product.

I have always wondered about how companies come up with product names.  What was on the person's mind when he/she came up with Never Say Never - all I could think of was Justin Bieber :P  When I saw the brightly colored pencil, I knew just why they named the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil from theNARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection so.  This is a color I would "never" have picked some time back, and I would "never" have posted a photo online for the world (or at least a tiny part of it) to see.  So, now I know the theory behind the name!

The NARS Never Say Never is a chubby lip pencil and a bright mauve-pink color with a matte finish.  It features a long-lasting, nondrying formula that somehow combines a matte finish with a creamy texture.  Until recently, I never would use brighter colors, always feeling that this would clash with my darker skin tone.  As they say, Never Say Never!  This somehow manages to warm up my skin tone and actually makes me look more awake and bright.

NARS Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - Swatches/FOTD

Never Say Never lasts 3 to 4 hours on me, and while it's the least drying matte pencil I have tried, my lips start to feel dry with time.  It's not too much of an issue, though, as long as I stay hydrated through the day, but you could always top it with a lip balm.  Also, this chubby pencil would eventually need to be sharpened, and there might be a bit of wastage (I haven't reached that stage yet).  Keeping the pencil in the fridge before sharpening apparently helps reduce wastage.  Overall, this is one buy I would NEVER regret :D

NARS Never Say Never Matte Lip Pencil - Ingredients

More From NARS
NARS Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio (Info)
NARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection 
NARS Holiday 2011 Collection - Swatches
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Lipgloss (Swatches)
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Eyeliners (Swatches)
NARS Laguna-Orgasm-Albatross Trio
NARS Liberte Blush
NARS Moscow Velvet Matte Lipstick
NARS Buenos Aires Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil
NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick
NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil

Snapshot Love! Orange Blossoms

It's not that we don't get oranges in India, but I have never seen an actual tree in all my life.  The place I stay in now, though, has an orange tree nearby, and as fascinated as I am with actually seeing oranges on a tree, I am more fascinated by the flowers.  I noticed them today as I was walking under the tree - these tiny white flowers just perfume the whole air, and it's nothing like the things they bottle and sell!

Have you ever smelled these?

Organize for Less

A simple pencil case from Staples that works perfect to store my gel liners in.  I don't have a huge makeup stash, so this is sufficient for me, and it's just the right size too.

An inexpensive storage idea.  Thanks, Saks :D

So, do you have any such fun ways to store makeup.

NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick

NARS Sheer Lipstick Vendanges (available here) - $24

The French word for “harvest” or “vintage” perfectly describes this sheer grape lipstick, as it conjures images of juicy, just-picked fruit off the vine.  A beautifully sheer formula infused with ingredients to improve the condition of the lips. Sheer, long lasting color pigments have been suspended in this tranlucent formula to provide a sophisticated shine.

This "sheer grape" lipstick looked so dark in the tube, I was a bit worried.  Plus it looked brown.  Dark and brown - not my favorite words when it comes to lip colour.  Good thing I didn't try returning it before swatching :D   NARS Vendanges is described as a sheer grape, but I would describe this as a plum-brown lipstick, and because it is kind of sheer, it doesn't show up too dark on my lips either.

NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick - Swatches

My lips are naturally quite pigmented and very unevenly so.  Plus, they are prone to dryness and rarely if ever at their hydrated best :|  Because of all that, my heart (and lips) lie firmly in the creamy lipstick camp while still wishing some of them would hang around beyond a 2-hour window.  With NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick, I think I just found my new lipstick love.  It provides a surprising amount of coverage for a sheer lipstick while still miraculously staying around for 3 to 4 hours, fading gradually with time.  The texture is smooth, creamy, and quite comfortable.  No problems with flakiness or dryness of the lips with this one.  Here's how it looks on me.

NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick - FOTD

My Verdict on the NARS Vendanges Lipstick

From the classy matte packaging to the sophisticated shine and colour, this lipstick is a definite winner.  It has a slight fragrance to it (I can't really describe it, though I am quite tempted to say grapey :P) but nothing that would bother a sensitive nose.  A definite must-have from the NARS Summer 2012 collection, especially if you are one of those who is on the lookout for a subtle wearable colour, and I am sure this would work with any skin tone.

NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick - Ingredients

More from NARS
NARS Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio
NARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection 
NARS Holiday 2011 Collection - Swatches
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Lipgloss (Swatches)
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Eyeliners (Swatches)
NARS Laguna-Orgasm-Albatross Trio
NARS Liberte Blush
NARS Moscow Velvet Matte Lipstick
NARS Buenos Aires Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil
NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil

Guest Post on Makeup and Beauty Blog!

The fabulous Karen from the Makeup and Beauty Blog (yes, the one who works for Tabs!) is off on a vacation to beautiful Kauai, and I am one of the bloggers she invited to write guest posts on MBB while she is away :D :D :D  My post just went up on MBB, so do check it!

Read the post here!

NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil

NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil (available here) - $24

This versatile, shimmering plum Soft Touch Shadow Pencil is the ideal complement for color on lids. Named for the region south of Naples, at the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula—it can be worn solo, as a base for powder shadows, or as a liner.

Part of the NARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection, Calabria is a shimmering plum, chubby pencil that claims to be a happy marriage of a pencil and a cream shadow - the best of both worlds - packed in a portable pencil form.  "Smooth, creamy, long-wearing formula," says NARS.

It is a chubby pencil, and it is soft and creamy.  Beyond that NARS Calabria seems to have a mind of it's own with no intentions of sticking to any guidelines that NARS might have put forth.  A beautiful plum shade, I fell in love with it the moment I swatched it.  Needless to say, the love affair didn't last very long - more on that in a bit - but here's the swatch.

NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil - Swatch/FOTD

All that shimmer and no staying power, that's what Calabria's main problem is.  I did get a little longer wear over a primer and smothered with an eye shadow, but that wasn't anything great - better than the hardly any time that it lasts when used on its own, though.  The oddest thing about it, for some strange, strange reason, it stays on near my lashline.  Guess the eyelashes provide it some sort of company and an incentive to stay on :P  It fares better on my lower lashline than the upper, probably because it's a lot less oily.   The only good thing about it - it doesn't leave racoony shimmery messes on my face on it's way out.  Not my favorite, especially for the cost.

NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil - Ingredients

MORE FROM NARS
NARS Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio (Info)
NARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection 
NARS Holiday 2011 Collection - Swatches
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Lipgloss (Swatches)
NARS Larger-Than-Life Long Wear Eyeliners (Swatches)
NARS Laguna-Orgasm-Albatross Trio
NARS Liberte Blush
NARS Moscow Velvet Matte Lipstick
NARS Buenos Aires Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil
NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick

Snapshot Love!

Snapshot Love - Archives

Lush Sacred Truth Fresh Face Mask

Lush Sacred Truth Face Mask - In here, we have ginseng and green tea for their antioxidant effects. Fresh wheatgrass for its natural superoxide dismutase (SOD) – which are free radical scavengers.  Rich, softening ingredients like linseed, eggs, evening primrose oil, shea butter, lanolin, coconut oil and honey to be soothing and moisturising.  Clays of kaolin and talc will help clean the skin and papaya will help dissolve dead skin cells.  This is a serious, complex mask to give maximum benefits for those who know that a little extra help and care will keep their skin at the height of its game.

Lush Fresh Face Masks are one of my favorite skincare products.  Made with fresh, organic, natural ingredients - so fresh and preservative-free that they have to be stored in the fridge and used up in about 2 weeks - these are, in my opinion, the easiest way to pamper your skin.  I have oily skin, so I generally stick to Cosmetic Warrior - a garlic and tea tree based mask that cleans up blemishes and oiliness - or Brazened Honey - perfect to brighten up dull skin.  This time, though, I decided to try out the Sacred Truth Fresh Mask that promises a boost of antioxidant power.

How To use Lush Fresh Face Masks:  Apply to clean face, leave on for about 10 minutes or completely dry and wash off to healthy, rested skin :D

Unlike some of the other fresh face masks from Lush, this is quite evenly textured, smooth, and easy to apply.  It has a pleasant smell, but with Lush, I do find minor variations between batches, and sometimes it tends to smell a tad too strong.  For my oily-combination skin, I found this too rich a mask, leaving behind an oily film that did no favors for my already acne-prone skin.  My mom, though, loves this mask - it's her favorite Lush mask - and I really do notice a difference in her skin whenever she uses this.  Overall, I would recommend the Lush Sacred Truth fresh face mask to anyone who really does need antiaging/antioxidant care for their skin and better suited for the normal-dry skin types, at least in my opinion.

Lush Sacred Truth Fresh Face Mask - Ingredients

My Verdict on the Lush Sacred Truth Face Mask

Genie in a black tub, yes, - but use it only if you need it.  I don't quite buy the theory that if you are over a certain age (and a rapidly decreasing number) you need to start using antiaging products.  Sunsceens and good basic skincare, yes, but not every skin needs a dose of everything - especially if it's already oily.   This does work great on drier/mature skins, though, and I suppose that is the market this it is aimed for.  Remember to clean and save the little black tub - collect 5 and exchange at any Lush store for a fresh face mask of your choice.

Other Lush Product Reviews (check here).

Rimmel Match Perfection Blush

Rimmel London Match Perfection Blush - perfectly coordinated blush shades with a hint of blue saphire for a naturally even flush.  Use each shade individually or swirl and mix the two to create your own unique shade.

I am generally quite the clumsy oaf, but I amn't responsible for that tiny chip on the side of that blush!  Now that's clarified, on to the blush itself.  The Rimmel Match Perfection blush is comes packaged in a flat round pan - quite large sized.  The blush has two shades in it, packed with a pretty pattern embossed on the surface.  Mix the two shades or use individually - the size is large enough that you can easily pick up the shades without mixing.

The plastic top had cracked a bit when I got it, but the blush was mostly undamaged, so I am quite happy with the packaging.  Another thing I like is the little lock feature so I can easily carry it around in the bag without worrying about it accidentally opening.

The little dot goes into the groove and keeps the lid locked on.

Rimmel Match Perfection Blush - 001 Light - Review/Swatches

My initial reaction when I saw the colour was that it's never going to be seen on my skin.  The shades included in this blush are a dusty rose and a paler peach rose - both the shades are almost matte but do have the tiniest hint of a shimmer.  The shades are quite pigmented, smooth, and easy to blend.  As for showing up on my skin, I really couldn't get it to show up in the photos as this shade gives me an almost invisible flush.  While not the shade for me, for anyone with a lighter skin tone, this would be a beautiful blush that would give the most natural flush.  I am adding in swatches just to give an idea about the colour (these are very heavily swatched to show up on my skin - actual product goes on quite light and subtle).

Rimmel Match Perfection Blush Swatches (L to R):  Darker colour, paler colour, and the two colours mixed.

Overall, I find this quite a decent blush.  I would probably pick a darker shade than this, but for anyone with a lighter skin tone, this should show up quite well.  It's easy to blend and the light flush that I do get stays on the whole day.  One minor problem, though, this is supposed to have 3 colours in the pan, and I am not sure if I just got an odd piece or the colour is that way, but it looks like two colours to me :P

The only way I could think of 3 colours is mixing the 2 in the pan - if anybody knows any better do let me know :D

I don't know the cost of this right now - it's one of those rare occasions when Google failed me - but soon as I know, I will update it here!

Product provided for review.

The Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat Mascara by Anastasia

Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat by Anastasia Beverly Hills - $21

A colorless topcoat with a silky light weight texture, it instantly waterproofs, refreshes, and protects any mascara all day with a long-lasting hold and a waterproof film without the typical drying or clumping.  Hypoallergenic and formulated with jellified triglycerides, silicone resin, and high-melting point wax for high-definition, longlasting effects.

The Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat will be available in Sephora starting May 2012, and yes, yes, yes, I got a sneak peek and a nearly month-long trial run with :D  A pretty simple idea but not something I have seen before, it's a topcoat for regular mascara - use over your regular/favorite mascara to make it instantly waterproof.

This looks and works just like regular mascara - except that the product is a clear jelly-like substance instead of the black goopy product that I usually have on my mascara wand.  If you have ever used clear mascara, this would be quite similar.   I like the wand - shorty bristles = easier, nonsmudgy application, imo, and even though this goes on clear, I really wouldn't want my lashes all clumped.

My Experience With the Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat

I am a firm believer in the virtues of water-removable mascaras.  They are easier to remove, go on much less clumpy (okay, I agree that might just be my biased opinion), and generally are all I need in a mascara.  I don't go swimming, and I rarely if ever watch crying-buckets kind of movies.  Every once in a while, though, I do wish my mascara was a little bit water-resistant, like when I get caught in the unexpected light drizzle, and that's when a product like the Lash Genius fits in.  I don't have to be stuck with a waterproof mascara that I would hardly ever use, and I don't have to worry about different formulations.  All I need to do is sweep this on over my regular mascara, and I am ready to face the water!  And, oh my, this is WATERPROOF....and budgeproof..and smudgeproof, and here's the proof: (I saw this on THIS blog and had to try it out for myself to believe it!)

I have used swatches of ELF black eyeliner.  The swatch on the right side of the photo has a layer of Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat applied over it.  I waited a couple of minutes for it to dry out (it isn't meant/recommended for waterproofing eyeliners - this is just for a test) before I proceeded to do a water test on the swatches. 

After holding my hand under water for a bit, I used a towel to wipe off the swatches.  If you have ever used the ELF liner, you would know that thing is just looking for an excuse to disappear, so I wasn't really surprised that the swatch on the left vanished without a trace.  I was quite shocked, though, that the swatch on the right with the Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat on it seemed to be still hanging around quite determinedly despite repeated scrubbing with the towel.  I used coconut oil and soap to get it off my hand finally.  And all that scrubbing left my hand quite sore too :|  Again, please don't use this product to waterproof your eyeliners; I just used it for the demonstration.  It's meant to be used for mascara.

It does a fabulous, FABULOUS job of waterproofing - no doubts on that.  Here's a couple of things I would like to add about the Lash Genius Water Proof Top Coat:

• Use it to waterproof your regular mascara.  Goes on clear and clump-free and dries clear and invisible in no time.  I prefer using it before my mascara dries completely, but it works just fine even if you decide to use it after a while.
• The Lash Genius Top Coat also does a fabulous job of keeping mascara from flaking and leaving pesky flakes on the cheeks (not naming names here, but certain people..ahemm..me..tend to hang on to mascaras long beyond the toss-out times and occasionally get the pesky flakes :P :P)
• You absolutely need to have a waterproof makeup remover to remove this.  If you don't have any other proper makeup remover, coconut or olive oil would work just fine.

Anastasia Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat - Ingredients

Overall, it's a useful product to have in the bag, especially if you are someone like me who is obsessed with the nonwaterproof versions of mascara.  I love that it gives me the freedom to get waterproof only when I want to!  Since I didn't really put up any photos of myself, I am adding in this video I found about the product - for all you people who find a talking human much more understandable :D

Product featured in this review was provided to me at no charge.

NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Moscow (Summer 2012 Makeup Collection)

NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Moscow (available here) - $25

Bright, bold, perfectly matte, this super-rich lipstick provides high-impact payoff: an ultra-pigmented, long-wearing formula that glides on effortlessly with comfortable wear.  Contains wild mango butter, known to provide advanced moisturizing properties to repair dryness and scaling and enriched with vitamin E and açai oil for antioxidant benefits.

NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Moscow:  A strawberry red Pure Matte Lipstick is as striking and sophisticated as the Russian capital that lends its name.

NARS Moscow is red with a hint of orange to it.  For some reason, when I read strawberry red, I was imagining a pinkish red - guess I was thinking of strawberry smoothies :P  It's a matte finish and a subdued red which makes it easy to wear on a bright summer day.  I find it easier to apply it lightly and build up the colour as I want it rather than applying a thick, opaque layer right away.  It tends to look more orange when it gets more opaque, so I prefer the sheerer application.

NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Moscow - Swatch/FOTD

With it's sleek black packaging to the classy, wearable red colour, NARS Moscow is my current favorite.  I really won't call this a hydrating lipstick, but it doesn't dry out my lips.  It lasts about 3 to 4 hours on me (after that I get hungry - sorry, I don't love blogging enough to starve-test a lipstick!).  Not really a fault, but the Velvet Matte lipstick is best saved for days when lips are in reasonably good shape - half a minute with a gentle sugar scrub or a toothbrush would would help this lipstick go on much better.  Overall, a red lipstick that would work with just about any skin tone and any amount of confidence :D

So, what's your favorite red lipstick?

MORE FROM NARS SUMMER 2012

• NARS Summer 2012 Makeup Collection Swatches
• NARS Liberte Blush
• NARS Buenos Aires

NARS Summer 2012: Liberté Blush

NARS Liberté Blush (available here) - $28

When it comes to blush, how and where you apply it is more important than what color you use. Cheek color shouldn't be limited to the apples (no one blushes only on their cheeks!). I always blend a bit into the hairline, along the jawbone, and on the tip of the nose to create a more natural-looking, all-over hint of color. 

- Francois Nars

NARS Liberté blush from the summer 2012 makeup collection.

This is the first NARS blush I am trying out, and I really didn't know what to expect - well, sure I have read some rave reviews on most NARS blushes, but Liberté seems to have got a lukewarm reception at best.  I had already ordered by the time I got around to reading reviews, so I was a bit worried by the time I got the product.  As it turned out, I am a happy odd girl out and quite like this blush :D

I love the sleek black packaging, and as someone who takes a ton of photos, I love the fact that the rubber-matte finish doesn't reflect light like crazy or turn into a fingerprint magnet at the slightest excuse.  The blush pan is compact and comes with a useful mirror.  Enough about the packaging - on to the blush itself:  Liberté picks it's name from French for freedom.  Described by NARS as a versatile burnished apricot, I find this a matte reddish-coral blush.  I won't want to call it matte because it doesn't go on dull and lifeless on me, but there really is no shimmer in it that I can detect.

I found this quite an easy colour to use - not insanely pigmented that I needed 3 brushes to get it just right.  I applied this with my MAC 187, and did a bit of a dab-dab blending and finished with the application.  Perhaps because I am darker with some yellow undertones to my skin, I got a controlled application with this blush-brush combination.

NARS Liberté Blush (Summer 2012 Makeup Collection) - Swatches/Looks

Because of the mixed reviews this blush seems to have garnered, I suppose it would be best if you tried this in store before buying, but try you must! It is quite easy to apply and stays on the whole day.  I am not a big fan of shimmer in blushes but matte blushes look blah on me - Liberté, though, is a perfect fit.  Definitely one of my summer staples :D

NARS Liberté Blush (Summer 2012) - Ingredients