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Chanel Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection Preview

chanel-noir-et-paris-shanghai-collection-1 For the “Metiers D’Art” fashion show in Shanghai, Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, created an exclusive collection, Noir Et Or. The collection is a glamorous fantasy of Shanghai in the 30’s and 40’s as Coco Chanel herself may have imagined it. The black and gold eyes and nails complimented the gilded and jet black accents shown on the runway.

Like the Paris-Moscou Collection, the Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection is a limited edition set of colors taken straight from the runway.  I have to admit I’m a bit surprised to see Chanel coming out with a matte polish at this point in the game.  They’ve always been trendsetters not followers so I’m curious to see how Black Velvet is received.

chanel noir et paris shanghai collection black velvet gold lame illusion dor

NAILS:
Le Vernis Nail Colour in Black VelvetMatte black nail color in a frosted bottle ($25.00)

Le Vernis Nail Colour in Gold LaméSatiny gold nail color ($25.00)

Le Vernis Nail Colour in Illusion d‘orTransparent sparkling gold nail color ($25.00)

EYES:
Ligne et Ombre de Chanel in Jet-Gold - Matte black eyeliner and sparkling gold eyeshadow ($45.00)

The Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection launches in April 2010.  It will be carried exclusively at Chanel.com, Chanel Boutiques and Chanel Makeup Studios.

What do you think Fanatics? Do any of these LE shades have you excited? How do you feel about Chanel releasing a matte polish?

MAC Riveting Matte Nail Lacquers Swatches & Review

By on March 3, 2010
in Black, MAC, Matte, Silver, Spring 2010, Taupe with 18 Comments
mac-riveting-matte-nail-polish-spring-2010 MAC is hitting us with a lot of nail color this spring. Almost all the collections include nail polish and Riveting, MAC’s ode to 80s rocker chic, is no exception. They’re hitching their wagon on the matte polish train with three true, flat mattes. Unlike the Jin Soon polishes that were rumored to be matte (they were cremes) these are matte polishes as we’ve come to know them.

One thing that is a bit different about the Riveting nail polishes is that, unlike other brands that included one finish per matte collection, Riveting has two cremes (think OPI Matte) and one shimmer (a la OPI Suede).  If you still don’t have your fill of the matte look, take a peek at these after the jump!

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Orly Metal Chic Metallic Matte Swatches & Review

By on December 4, 2009
in Black, Bronze, Gold, Matte, Metallic, Orly with 44 Comments
orly metal chic matte metallic nail polish A perfect addition to your special occassion Orly’s newest set of matte colors, Metal Chic, includes three metallic shades that will add a fun twist to your party look.  Iron Butterfly, Glam Rock and Solid Gold are in the same vein as the OPI Suede and Zoya MatteVelvet polishes in that they contain metallic shimmer to add a bit of bling to what could be a very flat, wall paint-ish polish.

Even though I’ve been a proponent of using a matte top coat versus a matte nail polish, there is one HUGE advantage in the matte polish corner… dry time!!  Even though I love painting my nails, I don’t always have time to execute the perfect manicure.  Case in point, last night.  I was heading downtown for a charity event but was running late, per usual.  It was bad enough that my tips were naked during my charity beauty sale but two nights in a row was unacceptable.  So I threw on a quick coat of Iron Butterfly and not only did it give great coverage, it was dry before I got out the door.  Talk about convenient.  Check out these last minute manicure wonders along with some comparisons, after the jump!

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SpaRitual Mind.Body.Spirit Matte Nail Polish Swatches & Review

By on September 29, 2009
in Black, Matte, Purple, SpaRitual with 19 Comments
Just when I thought I was having all my matte needs met, along comes the Mind.Body.Spirit collection from SpaRitual. I have been longing for the purple from this set ever since I first spotted it on the SpaRitual rep at Cosmoprof in Vegas. It’s a big ball of fabulous. The collection includes:

Put your Mind at ease with matte champagne

Give your Body an edgy boost with matte black

Let your Spirit soar to new levels with matte purple

Check them out after the jump!


As we’ve discussed in the past, matte polishes are not long lasting. They’re like the temporary tattoo of nails. Lotion, water, base and top coat will all affect its wear and finish.

In spite of those issues, I think SpaRitual got it right with this collection. The formula is very smooth and easy to work with. Those of you that have feared the unforgiving nature of matte polishes will have better luck with these. The consistency isn’t as thick as other polishes giving you the ability to even it out.

Added Bonus: the dark colors don’t stain when worn sans base coat. Score!

Mind is honestly not my cup of tea. On my hands this shimmery pinkish nude makes my nails look dead. I thought I was looking at a corpse’s hand. The yellow base in my hand’s skin tone just didn’t play well with the hue. However, if you’ve been wanting to try matte but are disappointed by the lack of light colored options, this is definitely a work safe version.
Body surprised me because it isn’t an empty, lifeless black. It dries to a more satin finish that reminds me of BBQ briquettes. Comparing it to Orly Matte Vinyl, I can’t tell them apart except for the formula differences. I feel Body applies better.
Spirit is a total love at first sight situation. I couldn’t wait to wear it this past weekend, it’s just so gorgeous. The finish is somewhat unique in that Spirit falls somewhere between Mind and Body in that it isn’t a shimmer yet it isn’t totally flat. There’s a graininess to it that prevents it from falling flat.

The SpaRitual Mind.Body.Spirit Collection will be available starting October 2009 for $10/each at salons and spas such as Spa Halekulani, Canyon Ranch, and the Mandarin Oriental or online at SkinStore.com and AveYou.com.

Who’s loving the SpaRitual matte polishes? Who prefers to just use a matte top coat? Will a certain color of matte polish cause you to give in? Have you been looking for a light version like Mind? Share with the group!

Rocker Chic at Julie Haus with Stila and Deborah Lippmann

For the Julie Haus Spring 2010 show, Beauty.com assembled quite the rocking glam squad when they brought in Stila, Deborah Lippmann, Oscar Blandi and ARCONA to prep the models. Messy bedhead hair, smudgy eyes and deconstructed nails were combined to create a slightly punky complement to Julie’s edgy yet feminine designs. See how the look came together and check out who I saw backstage, after the jump!


Sarah Lucero from Stila wanted to focus on the eyes for this look. The skin was clean with muted lips and natural brushed-up brows. It’s her philosophy that when there is a sheen on one part of the face, like the eyes, the rest should have a healthy, matte finish. She noted that while the coming season is all about pretty glamour, the techniques should be simple. Your makeup should take you 5 minutes, not 25. Using a double sided brush, Sarah packed on shades of pomegranate and berry that she then applied wet as liner before piling on the mascara.

Recreate the look using Boqueticon (as base) and Pigalle eye shadow pans and the Montmartre quad.

ARCONA was on hand to prep the models’ skin. Bethany Wojtech for ARCONA explained that because the makeup look was so clean, the skin had to be perfect. Since ARCONA has no chemicals, fragrance or dyes, the skin stays calm, fresh and dewy. It was then that she introduced me to my new bedtime BFF, the Triad Padsicon. An all-in-one cleanser/toner/hydrator, makeup artists keeps these pads in their kit to remove any traces of makeup from a model, even waterproof mascara. With claims that bold I had to put them to the test and I can tell you, these babies are no joke. Just one pad removed ALL my makeup without sucking the moisture from my skin. Color me impressed!

Now on to my fave part of being backstage, talking nails with Deborah Lippmann. I’ll never pass up a chance to see Deb so when I heard she was doing the nails for Julie Haus, I grabbed my pal Christine from 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic and ran right over.

To complete the rocker chic look, Deb applied Hit Me With Your Best Shot, the shade she created with Pat Benatar, but she didn’t stop there. Instead of giving the models her typical flawless manicure, she went for a deconstructed smudged look by messing up their nails 20 or 30 minutes later. As Deb so cheekily put it, “so she maybe got back into bed before her nails were dry.” I think we know where she’s going with that.



Christine from 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic, Jamie from The Beauty of Life, Deborah Lippmann and me!

What do you think of the punky, messed up nails? We’ve talked about intentionally chipped manicures in the past, are they making a comeback or should they stay on the runways?

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