NEW! CHANEL LES INTEMPORELS DE CHANEL COLLECTION - NOW AVAILABLE

Gabrielle Chanel created the 2.55 bag, iconic to the House of Chanel, in February 1955. Inspired by the leather-braided chain of the 2.55, the Chanel Makeup Creation Studio debuts a limited-edition collection firmly anchored in the codes of the House. Exclusive Creation L'INTEMPOREL DE CHANEL offers an eye palette of five shades delicately connected by an embossed chain design, while LE VERNIS in Intemporel reinterprets the glimmer of the inimitable metal chain.

L'INTEMPOREL DE CHANEL EYESHADOW PALETTE - $80.00 USD

A striking harmony of five luminous eyeshadows, elegantly embossed to reflect the leather-braided chain of the iconic 2.55 bag. The rich palette features an absolute black to define the eyes, brilliant green and plum shades to enhance, and silver-white and gold tones to highlight.

LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR - $27.00 USD

INTEMPOREL -

A glimmering silver shade, inspired by the reflections cast from the metal chain of the iconic 2.55 bag.

Availability: Chanel

M536 MILK TEA MAKE UP FOR EVER ARTIST SHADOW - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

I recently purchased several more of the Make Up For Ever Artist shadows from Sephora. There is a current discounted pricing structure in place when purchasing more than one but if purchased separately they each retail for $21.00 USD. Over the next few weeks I will try to post swatches and a brief review for each one. Basically though, the formula, pigmentation, texture and over-all performance has been top-notch. The best of the best and I have yet to find a single "dud". The only gripe I have with them is: availability and storage. To be honest it has nothing to do with the quality of the eyeshadow but more about Sephora stores and their website. I'll explain more in depth below...

M536 Milk Tea is a matte medium tan eyeshadow. I plan on using it as an eyeshadow base for my lid or as an inner corner shade.

Availability: The more popular eyeshadows are almost always sold out. Prime example is M928 Eggplant. I went to five different Sephora stores in two different states searching for this eyeshadow and it wasn't in stock. Before you ask, I checked the Sephora website and all five locations "supposedly" had it in stock. Haha! Nope, sold out.

Storage: I hate that I have to purchase three eyeshadows and an empty single, double or triple palette just to receive the discounted pricing. It would be nice if Sephora included the Make Up For Ever XL metal palette that is available only online as one of the storage options. Then again, it would require Sephora to actually have the empty XL metal palette in stock. HAHA!!! It has been out of stock since the beginning of November which is ridiculous!

Sorry for the mini rant! I think I'm having a "Case of the Mondays"!

Availability: Sephora
Price: $21.00 USD

OLYMPIA NARS CONTOUR BLUSH - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

The latest craze is contouring - whether one should use a cream or powder and what is the best placement. In my opinion it really depends on personal preference and there is no right or wrong answer. For myself I prefer a powder and here is why. On a daily basis I apply enough cream-based products: toners, serums, moisturizers, face primers and foundations to my face that I don't want to add even more to what could potentially be a greasy mess. I allow for each of the above mentioned products to dry before applying the next layer but sometimes humidity and oxidation occur. Let's face it - sometimes Mother Nature's sick and twisted humor throws us a curve ball. Humidity is not a term relegated to the weather outside. It can and does occur in the most inconvenient of places especially when you have an important event to attend. And don't get me started on oxidation! It isn't something that just occurs to those with an oily complexion. I should know, I have extremely dry skin and I have had my foundation oxidize on me horribly on more than one occasion. So enough drama already!

The Nars Olympia Contour blush is a natural looking contour powder. It comes in three shades: Olympia, Paloma and Gienah. It currently retails for $42.00 USD, contains .28 oz of product and is available at many high end retailers such as Nordstrom, Nars and Sephora. The Olympia palette houses both a contour and highlight shade with the latter being a great deal smaller. Which is my only gripe with this palette. It should have contained equal amounts of both but other than the size disproportion this is a "Must Buy" recommendation. The Olympia contour blush imparts a soft matte finish with no sparkle or shimmer. The powder formula is lightweight and finely milled which allows for a smooth and flawless application. It doesn't look overly done or caked on which is nice.

Most contouring guides will tell you to start near the top of your forehead along the hairline with your contour powder then work your way down to underneath the cheekbone and finish up along the jawline. Which is fine but it is not what works best for me. I like to start underneath my cheekbone then sweep upwards toward my temple along the edges of my hairline. Then I sweep back down underneath the cheekbone and along the jawline to blend everything out. Next, because I'm so pale and to add a touch of warmth to my face, I will apply a slight dusting of the contour powder along the bridge of my nose, just a smidge on my chin and along my hairline at the top of my forehead. With the highlight shade I apply it to the tops of my cheekbones, above and below my eyebrows and another smidge at the top of my cupids bow. My best advice is to find what works for you and practice. I'm constantly practicing my application and placement techniques to see what works and what doesn't because there is always room for improvement!  

Availability: Nordstrom, Nars and Sephora
Price: $42.00 USD