Changi T3 Sightings

On our way to Kuala Lumpur, my friend and I had a few hours to spare at Changi T3 so we had a leisurely brekkie at McDonald's (hmm Turkey bacon!) and had a sniff & swatch spree at Duty Free!

CHANEL goodies:

ROUGE COCO Shine SGD33.50, ROUGE ALLURE SGD32.70

Le Vernis SGD 25.40

I opened the stock drawer and saw a few bottles of Graphite and Peridot!

LANCOME Travel Exclusive skin care sets and makeup palettes:

DIOR Travel Exclusive sets and palettes

DIOR Rose Collection Palette SGD66.50

DIOR Cannage Couture Collection Palette

I love it when I have time to scour the cosmetics section at Duty Free shops, it gives me more control on what I put on my basket, rather than being in a hurry and grabbing all the stuff I fancy without trying them and thinking twice if I really need them. Hahaha! I also spotted the L'Oreal Infaillibles on discount but they are now sold out and SA said they won't be restocking. :|

Spy anything you like? Makes you want to fly huh?

♡,

G

CHANEL Fall 2011: 525 Quartz, 529 Graphite, 531 Peridot

CHANEL's seasonal nail colour releases are always highly anticipated by nail-a-holics around the globe. Its because of the chic and unique shades they come up with every season and the smooth quality that only CHANEL can deliver. As the cliché goes, its always imitated, but never duplicated. You may find some dupes for popular shades, but you won't get the same quality for sure.

525 Quartz

Quartz looks like a pearly taupe with multi-colored shimmer and its the most sophisticated shade out of the 3. I find it really chic and understated, I'm surprised why a lot of bloggers choose to skip this while getting the other 2 shades. Probably because it's not limited edition and will be added to the permanent line of nail colours. FYI, this already sold out in our local counters. No word (as of writing) on when it is going to be restocked.

529 Graphite

Graphite is a silver-grey polish with silver and gold shimmer which has a greenish undertone in some angles and lighting. It looks really cool on short and square shaped nails. Perfect for those who dress up for the season. Graphite will surely match a lot of your "Fall" outfits. This shade is limited edition.

blurred photo to show the greenish duo chrome effect.

531 Peridot

Peridot is a gold/green (with a hint of blue) duo chrome, this the most popular shade out of the 3. This is limited edition.

I find all three shades flattering against my skin, and I'm happy I got them since they are all very wearable and fashionable for the upcoming fall season.

Do you like CHANEL's fall collection this year? I also purchased Illusion D'Ombre in Emerveille, swatch and review to follow. :)

Happy hump day!

♡,

G

CHANEL Summer 2011: 557 Morning Rose NOTD

A warm pink with gold glitter, Morning Rose is a flattering shade to sport especially if you need a pick me up color which is not over the top (like Mimosa). The golden sparkles add dimension to this lovely, not so bright pink.

Application is a breeze for this one, its not streaky and it goes on smoothly. I applied 3 thin coats to achieve the color on this NOTD. This is a limited edition color for summer and retails for Php1,350 (approx. USD31) at Rustan's. 

Happy Monday lovelies!

♡,

G

CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine 63 Rebelle

Hi dear lovelies! Sorry for my sporadic posts, I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to complete everyday tasks at work. Plus I caught this nasty flu, recovered from it but then its starting again! AAACK! What a ride. The weather is to be blamed. Its hot and sunny then its raining before you know it. *sigh* Anyway, I have pretty one for you today!

Its my fourth Rouge Coco Shine! Rebelle is described as a "bright coral red".

A vibrant pop of color in a juicy shade of orangey-pinkish red, it's a hit for me! :)

Sure looks intimidating judging it from the tube but its really sheer and looks more "approachable" when worn on the lips.

If you are looking for easy to wear reds you might want to try Rebelle, especially if its still summer on your part of the globe. It looks really nice and spot on with nautical inspired fashion. ;) 

If you're already a red lip diva you will find this refreshing because of the orange tone. I personally love wearing this especially when I'm too lazy to be bothered to put on a full face. It brightens up the face instantly and I fancy the melt on your mouth feeling every time I swipe it on. Its like butter on warm toast. <3

I tried my best capturing the vibrant red-orangey hue but I failed. xD

This is not a long wearing lipstick (I get 2-3 hours) but it does leave a cute "I-just-ate-a-cherry-popsicle" tint on my lips after it fades. I quite like it because its easy to wear, its not drying and it makes my lips look shiny and healthy. I don't think I'm done with the Rouge Coco Shines just yet as some enablers bloggers are making me want more! (thinking of getting a peach or coral shade next)

In other news, the über talented Yasumi of Worship at the House of Blues is having a MASSIVE and EGG-ZOITING giveaway! I love her blog, her photos are beautifully taken and her cosmetic reviews are spot on! Yasumi also designs amazing shiny fings at The Worship Blues Emporium. Follow her if you're sassy and smart!

♡,

G

CHANEL Summer 2011: 577 Mimosa NOTD

Sunshine on the nails, thats what it is! 

A bright yellow with very fine shimmer...

having deja vu? looks like OPI's "Need Sunglasses?" right? but I must tell Mimosa leans more towards the cool side.

I needed 3 coats for this NOTD. Application is quite difficult, its a very streaky polish! but I discovered that its easier to apply in a warm environment (turned off AC) rather than in an air-conditioned room. I sweat buckets, but achieved better results. *whew!* :D

Mimosa is a limited edition shade and retails for Php1,350 (approx. USD31) at Rustan's.

Happy Monday!

♡,

G

CHANEL Summer 2011: 547 Bronze Rose

Bronzers are not really my thing, but this one made me change my mind because of its versatility. SA explained it can be used as bronzer, blusher and as eyeshadow! 3-in-1 CHANEL! It's in the bag! xD


 Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Powder in 547 Bronze Rose.

This is a limited edition item from CHANEL's Summer 2011 collection. Packaging-wise, one thing which stands out in this palette is the gold CC logo. As if CHANEL couldn't get any more luxe. :)

When you open the palette, you will be greeted with a four-striped blusher/bronzer, a full compact mirror and that prickly brush. bleh. (im obviously not a fan of their brushes, am too spoiled by the softness of Shu Uemura) 

Although its a bit powdery, the softness of the pink and brown pigments won me over. I have to admit I can be heavy handed when it comes to face color application, thats why I think this is perfect for me. Its hard to overdo it.

swatches:

blended:

as you can see it gives off a warm glow which is not too dark, very nice for fair skinned gals. Jess did a pretty FOTD using this here. 

So is it a must-have? If you are looking for a versatile product and a softly pigmented bronzer, I'd say YES. but if you're just after this being a blush, then NO. It stays on the cheeks for about 3-4 hours, which is not bad, but not that good either especially with the price tag it comes with (Php3,250 approx. USD75). I already used this as a blush and took FOTD pics, unfortunately, the lighting was too poor to make the colors show up on my face. I have to do it again. :)

In other news, I am on a self-imposed cosmetic shopping ban. It started in mid-May and will cease on mid-June. I'm feeling good as I'm managing to stick to it, but I still need your words of encouragement! The weekend is coming = mall trips = shopping! lol x_X

Enjoy your weekend!

♡,

G

CHANEL 307 Orange Fizz and Majolica Majorca OR213: Orangey Twins!

A pop of color is pure eye candy for summer! Orange is one of my favorite colors, its fun and cheery, but it's a tricky color to wear. However, if you find the perfect shade to match your skin tone, you'll be glad with the results!

I have a few orange nail lacquers, but I find these two most flattering. Coincidentally, I found them to be really similar! 

can you tell which is which?

CHANEL 307 Orange Fizz on index and middle finger, Majolica Majorca OR213 on ring finger and pinky.

Orange Fizz is described as a "coral", but as you can see it is creamy orange with just a hint of coral. I like it because its a bright, fun color without being over the top.  Fun yet still sophisticated (typical CHANEL). I needed 3 coats to get an opaque, solid color. This retails for Php1,450 (approx. USD 31)

on the other hand, Majolica Majorca's OR213 is an orange-peach nail polish, it looks creamier than Orange Fizz and applies more streaky as you can see on my ring finger nail. I also put 3 coats on, but I already can do with 2. ;) This retails for Php225 (approx. USD 5)

both are very wearable, they're creamy and easy to apply, but CHANEL has better consistency in my opinion. If you don't like the thought of spending too much for a seasonal and trendy shade, I'd say go for Majolica Majorca's OR213 (if you want to try orange nail color), although the bottle is smaller in size, the price difference is HUGE!

 Do you like bright colored nails? Let me know what you think!

♡,

G

CHANEL Rouge Coco Shine in Biarritz, Boy and Romance

The latest release from Chanel cosmetics, Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks are lightweight, sheer lip colors which melt as soon as swiped over your lips giving it a wet looking, shiny finish.

I tried all the colors which appealed to me the most, wanting to decide on which (1) shade to get. Unfortunately for my wallet, I liked Biarritz, Boy and Romance very, VERY much I couldn't just leave them there. I had to take them home! xD

42 Biarritz

54 Boy

55 Romance

Compared to Rouge Allure and Rouge Coco lipsticks, Rouge Coco Shine is housed in slimmer tubes which contain 3 grams of product. According to their website, these babies can last up to 8 hours of wear, but thats not the case with me as I only get 2-3 hours, then I need to reapply it. That makes me confident about finishing these lipsticks. I'm not sure if thats a good thing. ;)

Swatches:

42 Biarritz (coppery beige), 54 Boy (rosy pink) and 55 Romance (bright pink) - all shades have very light micro shimmer which is undetectable on the lips.

The formula for Rouge Coco Shine is buttery smooth, balm-like and very lightweight, however, even if it feels hydrating, there were times wherein my lips became dehydrated while wearing Romance. So I still recommend applying lip balm or essence underneath the Rouge Coco Shine's. Pigmentation varies from very light beiges to striking reds.

 Local price is a whopping Php1,850 (approx. USD42) and no, I did not get any gifts with purchase. In fact, I've never received any GWP from any local Chanel counter. hmm... :\

The Chanel website says there are 18 shades, but there are 25 shades available in Manila. *confused*

I posted this photo on my Facebook page and a lot of lovelies "liked" it as expected. But one high school friend commented about my successive makeup posts which made me laugh. I dont think HE knows I'm a beauty blogger. ^_~

Happy Thursday!

♡,

G

2010 Highlights: Life and Makeup

2010 was a happy year for me, even if it was the year I got sick a lot... I hope 2011 spares me of frequent sickness. *positive thinking while chugging down vitamins* Its also the year I got to develop real friendships with my fellow bloggers. I'm looking forward to getting closer to more lovely ladies this year! ^_^

Let me share with you some really good moments LAST year:

✦ January,  we got BOWIE, our little boy Chihuahua. One year later, he's turned out to be quite the fashionista. J'adore!

✦ March, my first batch of blog sale items went up for grabs on shopcoffretgorge.blogspot.com

✦ July, Singapore trip with the whole family! gotta lurve family bonding trips! Have you seen the MUMMY PIC? click on the link, if you need some cheering up! XD

✦ November, went on a girl's trip to Hong Kong and queued for the Lanvin x H&M collaboration. Nothing like a crazy hoarding experience to add to my shopping history. ;)

✦ Also in November, Blogger meet-up with Jennifer. It was so fun shopping for cosmetics with her.

and now, my favorite products that helped me look presentable althroughout 2010...

SKINCARE:

Fancl! especially the Washing Powder and foaming ball(first and second from left)

The lather cleans my face thoroughly but doesn't strip off natural moisture, leaving my skin soft and smooth. Fancl products are preservative free.

Korres Hot Spiced Chocolate Shower Gel

This has a love it or leave it scent, obviously I love it! It smells oh so yummy! Hot choco scent with a grown up twist. Shout-out to M for getting these for me in Singapore where he bought all the remaining bottles upon learning it will be discontinued. Aw.

HAIR:

La Sana Hair Essence 

I have tried other hair essences/leave-on treatments this year but nothing compares to this seaweed essence. 

Prettia/Liese Bubble hair dye 

Fun, fast and easy to do! Plus the colors are very pretty, very flattering for asian skin tones.

BASE MAKEUP:

Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Stick

medium to full coverage, ideal for special occasions especially in our humid weather!

Canmake 5-effects Foundation

 easy to blend foundation with a cream to powder finish, saves me a lot of prep time in the morning.

Clé de peau concealer in Ochre

Now I know what the raves are all about. Full review coming soon. :)

POINT MAKEUP:

CHANEL Tweed Fuschia

I love this to bits. ;)

Dollywink Liquid liner in black

Want to achieve that winged liner look? If you're a liquid liner newbie (like me) get this one, its easy to apply plus it doesn't smudge and lasts all day.

LUNASOL Aurorized Eyes palette 05

very versatile palette. I wore it almost everyday since I got it. Definitely my fall favorite!

Jill Stuart Eye Jellies in 09 Midnight shine and 10 Vintage Decor

very rich colors packed with shine. I'm glad I got these to try.

Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara

looks natural and very lightweight. I already have a back-up! :)

Lunasol Full Glamour Lips S 49

Aside from the gorgeous overspray, I love it for the beautiful deep berry tint it gives my lips.

NAILS:

MAC Studded from the Riveting Collection

gorgeous matte polish especially on the toes! So sad I didn't get a backup. :(

RBL No More War

the BEST military green shade evarrr.

CHANEL Pulsion

vibrant and creamy fuschia for Barbie-esque nails.

Deborah Lippmann

Happy Birthday, Bad Romance, Across the Universe - I love glitters, the chunkier the better! Evidently, I got lots of nail polish this year, my collection grew mad like gremlins. XD

That's it! I hope I didn't bore you with the long product post. I hope I can keep up with my reviews this year. *i really wish that!* I already have a lot on queue! XD

Lets all help each other stay sane with all the beautiful spring collections coming up! Shall we? Thank you for reading!

♡,

G