Nailed it!

My week in nails... (as you can tell by all the bright colours, I've been very excited for Springtime sunshine!)

Nails Inc 'Notting Hill Carnival'

OPI 'Sweet Heart'

OPI 'Miami Beet'; Rings (Top to Bottom) vintage, Saint Laurent

OPI 'Hot & Spicy'; Rings vintage

MAC 'In the Limelight'



No7 'Poolside Blue'; Rings by Freedom at Topshop

Photo credit: Goody Two-Choos

The best of Chanel lipsticks

I haven't been wearing lipstick for very long, often sticking to tinted lipbalms or lipgloss to avoid the matronly look or the feeling of dressing older than I am.

Lipsticks, to me, are fickle friends or, as Carrie Bradshaw might say, Frenemies. Pick the right shade, tone and finish and you will look incredible. Pick the wrong lipstick, however, and you risk losing more than your money's worth.

Being in my twenties, with often shiny skin and very small but full lips, I often prefer to bring the attention to my eyes through make-up, as I believe to truly successfully wear a perfect lipstick you bring more attention to the clarity and quality of your skin.

I recently tried the Chanel Rouge Allure in their new matte finish (called Velvet) and was- quite frankly- blown away. The finish brings a youthful edge to wearing lipstick, and the lasting power means that you truly don't have to reapply for at least 4 hours. In a busy twenty-something girl's lifestyle, that means a lot.

I have, since, tried other lines of Chanel's lipstick offering, including Rouge Coco ("Magnolia - 117" is my favourite shade). Nothing else comes close to the mastery of the Allure Velvet. They glide on with a creamy feel, then dry to a velvet finish that won't budge. Perfection.

The best shades are, to me (and my red-hued skin tone) as follows:

For Day
Rouge Allure Velvet "La Distinguee - 33"

Slightly more subtle, yet obvious you are wearing a lip colour. Perfect for day as it is more of a neutral tone but with a hint of a dusty rose that will compliment pretty much any other colours you are wearing. The best lipliner to go with this shade is the Le Crayon Levres "Natural - 34".

For Evening
Rouge Allure Velvet "L'Exuberante - 37"

A brighter pink for the evening, or to brighten up your day, this has a blueish undertone to counteract the redness of my skin and lift the blonde in my hair. Every time I have worn this shade, I will get a compliment on my make up. The lipliner you need with this shade is Le Crayon Levres "Pretty Pink - 26".

Best Red
Rouge Allure Velvet "La Fascinante - 38"

Again, a blue undertone saves the day, but this darker wine-red is a classic in it's own right and would make even Marilyn Monroe weak at the knees. If you are looking for a matte finish red, this is one to try. The matching liner is Le Crayon Levres "Rouge Profond - 57".

Photo credit: Goody Two-Choos

The Beautylish buzz

A new App has landed on my homescreen, and it's so good I thought I would share it with all you beauty-addicts out there.

Beautylish is a do-it-all-in-one-place tool which offers mini editorial blogs, videos, tutorials and reviews on everything you can imagine, from detox to manicure-101. It does have a shopping tool, but being based in the USA, it isn't exactly geared towards the international users.

I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent on YouTube surfing beauty tutorials, reviews, hauls, inspiration and interviews. Many a sleepless night I while away the night pressing my nose up to the screen to get my fast fix of top tips from those who actually know what they are talking about. And, if you know your friends need to hear about a particular post, you can share each entry with the power of social media and email. Long live technology, and may it continue to help all those in a beauty crisis.

 

The only setback I can really find with the usability of the program is the list-setup of the posts. This means unless you search for something in particular, you have a huge amount of posts to run through, and it always sends you back to the most recent entry instead of placing you back where you were before in the page. This is a minor criticism, however, as it crams a huge amount into such a simple interface.

So, join the Beautylish community and say goodbye to the forums of the past, as you have all the inside know-how in the palm of your hand. 

Photo credit: oneclickroot.com

Review: Chanel le Volume de Chanel

I, like so many others, am very fussy about my eyelashes- and therefore mascara. Too clumpy and they look short and false, too dry and they flake over your cheeks throughout the day, and too wet it feels like your are swimming in a sea of grime. I guess that makes me Goldilocks.

I first tried Chanel le Volume de Chanel five months ago. I'm still using the same tube, and it hasn't yet run out or dried up. I consider this not only impressive, but unheard of. Since then, I haven't felt the need to try another brand, or race out to get any more for fear of being left without any mascara at short notice. It's smooth sailing, and blue horizons.

I therefore thought it had earned its stripes and deserved a review.

via Chanel.com

Price...
At £24 it's not cheap, but it is averagely priced in the premium make up market. Having said that, it has lasted three times longer than any YSL mascara I have tried, and its performance to date has not made me regret the spend. What's more, think about the Boots points...

Colour...
It's not the blackest of the blacks, but I like the range of colours available. Available in Khaki Bronze, Bleu, Noir or Prune, it sure beats the pointless array of the usual 'black', 'jet black, 'midnight', 'coal black', 'true black' etc that so many other brands find an excuse of supplying, all on the same shelf. It's far less confusing, and it perhaps helps to explain how they have managed to focus more on the product quality, and less on the colour selection.

Staying power...
It doesn't budge. Truly. For a non-waterproof mascara it sure is a sticker. It takes a while to dry, but you can control the amount you put on your lashes fairly easily depending on the look you are after, and once it's on, you can guarantee it will still be in place where you last left it (and where you intended it to go) no matter how much you sweat, rub or cry.

Overall satisfaction...
I hugely recommend this mascara, and not just because I am a Chanel make-up user. You get what you pay for, and you don't have to worry about any panda eyes in the gym, on the dancefloor, or on your pillow when you just can't be bothered to remove it. It's OK, we've all done it. I will say that £24 is expensive for mascara, though, and there is no brown colour either. But, if you want a volumising mascara, you've found it.

4.5/5 Stars

Review: Ciate Caviar polish

The Ciate Caviar nail polish is not only a fabulous piece of nail wear, but is iconic in reintroducing the power of nail art to many a finger and toe across the land. I decided to give it a go and see what all the hype was about.

Price...
Considering you get two bottles in one go, always with a beautiful basecoat colour, the £18 price tag isn't too tough to take. It is even possible to get said fingers on a set of eight from ebay for £35, which is very reasonable indeed.

Colour...
The pearlescent effect of the micropearls are not only unusual but in the evening really do sparkle under the ambient lighting of a restaurant or the decadence of a cocktail lounge.

Staying power...
I was not overly impressed by the stamina of the Ciate. It wasn't just the beads chipping away by the end of the weekend, but the base colour was easily peeled off as well. I would want this nail polish brand to perfect the quality of the polish itself, before getting too fancy with decorative accessories. By the end of day two, I was desperate to take it off.

Overall satisfaction...
Very little jewellery is required on one's hands when sporting the caviar finish, therefore saving you the last minute already-running-twenty-minutes-late mad rush when on your way out for the evening. It's amazing how many comments your nails can attract, never before noticed until I wore the polish. I even experimented with half-dipped nails, as well as the all-over caviar look; both of which are striking and unusual. Just make sure you sprinkle your nails over a piece of paper to save the beads from escaping all over the floor, and don't expect the caviar to remain intact for more than 48 hours. That's long enough for a weekend of frivolity and festivity, at least.

3.5/5 stars

Photo credit: iamfabulicious.blogspot

Polished work

I have caught wind of a fantastic piece of kit which I just had to share as it will make all you nail polish addicts out there squeal with delight, and sigh with relief.

Carolyn.K London has introduced their new 'Polish Pod', a half-moon shaped bottle holder which enables you to paint one-handed without fear of the polish which threatens to spilleth over. When, like me, you have reached the last dregs of your favourite colour (and particularly the frequented base and top coats), tipping the bottle whilst picking up just the right amount of polish on the brush and painting, all at once, is a bit too finnicky.

Anything which makes my life easier and my nail painting faster is fine by me and, at only £9.99, I will definitely be adding this nifty little trick to my cosmetics tool kit.

Find out more here.

Photo credit: Carolyn.K London

Review: Chanel Éclat Lumière

I had been holding off buying anymore highlighter/illuminating pens until my YSL Touche Éclat had run out, and I was ready to try something new as I always think that it's good to explore other products and not let your make-up bag, or routine, get too stale and same-y. Seeing as I was at the Chanel counter anyway, I decided to give their Éclat Lumière a try.

Price...
£27.00 which is very disappointing as there is only 1.2ml- approx. half the amount of product than in YSL (2.5ml) and, at £2 more, this is a tough pill to swallow (the woman at the counter couldn't offer any explanation as to the difference in volume).

Colour...
The colour selection is small, but perfect for me. The make up artist at the counter knew straight away which shade would suit me (30 Beige Rose) and, with my red-based skin tone, it was refreshing to see a highlighter that isn't just yellow.

Staying power...
I found that you have to use a fair amount to get the desired effect to last, but once it's on it blends into the skin with no creasing or cracking occurring throughout the day. With my oily/combination skin, I also suffer a lot of make-up slipping, which didn't happen with the Éclat Lumière.

Overall satisfaction...
It's not the best highlighter pen for value, but it's a lovely colour tone and feels light-as-air. Will I repurchase it? Until there is more product to match the price and Chanel's competition in premium beauty, no.

3/5 stars

Photo credit: Polyvore