Chanel Winter Nights

If you asked me a year ago, I probably would've said that there's no way I would ever become a department store makeup snob. I was just as happy with drugstore makeup as I was with department store makeup. Unfortunately for my bank account, that has changed, and Chanel is one of the culprits. I don't even bother going to the drugstore to check out their new collections anymore; Chanel is my new love and no brand can supplant Chanel's position in my heart. With that said, late last year, I bought a Chanel palette that's been out for quite a while, though I didn't fall in love with this palette until this past May when I took a trip to NYC. I don't know how I've overlooked this palette in the past, but I'm glad that I decided to stop at the Chanel counter at the NYC Bloomingdale's for this fateful encounter with Winter Nights.

There's not much to be said about Chanel packaging. It's been the same for years and years and it's become a classic. It's not exactly the prettiest or cutest packaging ever, but it's classy and it's very Chanel so I don't have any complaints.


As usual, the inside contains a very sturdy plastic separator and two very crappy eyeshadow applicators. Chanel quads would be completely flawless in my heart if they had more decent applicators. Seriously, even some drugstore applicators are better than these.


No complaints about the powder quality. In fact, the powder quality is one of the reasons why I love Chanel so much. You may want to refer to my previous post on Chanel's Mystics Eyes to see why, but suffice it to say that Chanel's eyeshadows are super finely-milled.

The colors in this palette are a medium neutral-warm brown, a light beigey yellow, a pale pink, and a dark blackish olive with gold shimmers. All of the colors are shimmery or at least have a subtle sheen. Another reason why I love Chanel quads is the beauty of the fine shimmers in their shadows. There is nothing garish or loud here, but a sprinkling of shimmer in the colors like stars in the sky. As my swatch really does not do the shadows justice, please check out the palette at Chanel counters to see what I mean.

Overall, Chanel Winter Nights is a sophisticated yet fun palette. The color combination is not boring, but the effect is understated and elegant when the colors are combined on my eyelids. From the promotional pictures of the spring Chanel palette, it seems that Winter Nights is similar to the new palette Regard Perle. However, the brown and dark olive in Winter Nights is replaced by a vanilla and forest green in Regard Perle, respectively. I haven't checked out Regard Perle in person yet, but it seems like a lovely palette as well.

It's been a while since I took the pictures, but all pictures should have been taken under natural light.

In short: A worthy purchase if you like elegant, understated colors, and don't mind the price!

Coffret D'or Lipsticks from Spring 2010

It's official. I am in LOVE with Coffret D'or's lipsticks. Over the past few months (NOTE: I wrote this in June...), I've been branching out more into the lip makeup arena and trying out different brands of lipsticks. Because my lips are dry and very pigmented, there is a very small population of lipsticks that work well on me. Plus, I don't like lipsticks that completely cover up my lipcolor (unless they are nude-colored) because I think the effect looks fake, so my selection is even more limited.

After going through the reviews, I picked out a few brands (Dior, Maquillage, and Coffret D'or) that are really popular with the Asian crowd since I tend to identify more with their makeup style. I first tried out Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick because it was the easiest to get in the US. The Dior lipstick wasn't bad, but it was still a bit dry for me and contained shimmer/glitter bits that were too rough. Then, I tried a Maquillage Spring 2010 lipstick, which was definitely creamier/more moisturizing. Still, the shimmer/glitter bits were too scratchy for my liking. Finally, I tried Coffret D'or (CD), and although it's not extremely different from MQ, it has become my favorite.

The packaging for the Spring 2010 line of CD lipsticks is pretty simple and sleek. I'm sort of on the edge about the design, so I don't particular like it but I don't hate it either. The one thing that's annoying about the packaging is that I can't tell which lipstick is which from the outside unless I read the label. I guess that's a minor problem right now since I only have two of these lipsticks, but it would be a nuisance if I buy more and I have to pick up every one of them to check the label.


Previously, I mentioned that the CD lipsticks are not that different from the MQ lipsticks. The minor difference between the two is that CD lipsticks are slightly more moisturizing and doesn't accentuate lip lines as much. I still have a slight problem with the roughness of the shimmer in certain shades of CD lipsticks, but it's minor enough that I can live with it.

The two colors that I bought from CD's spring 2010 Aqua Rouge line were PK 247 (right swatch in below pictures) and PK 248 (left swatch in below pictures). I was originally looking for a versatile neutral pink, and PK 248 seemed like the most neutral color out of the PK series. However, the color turned out to be a neutral-cool medium pink color that's fairly pigmented. I wasn't completely in love at first with the color since it seemed too bright for me, who is used to muted lipcolors, but after working with it, I'm liking the color more and more. In fact, now I love the color when I don't feel like wearing too much eyeshadow since it really brightens the face.

Swatch picture taken in direct sunlight:

Side note: For those not yet familiar with Asian/Japanese lip product naming, PK stands for pink, OR is orange/peach, BE is beige/nude, and BR is darker nude/brown.

I bought PK247 during the phase when I was still experimenting with PK248. I wanted a more muted pink for makeup looks that focus on the eyes, and PK247 was a perfect choice. It's a nude, almost beigey pink. With my pigmented lips, the color looks pinker on my lips than it does on bare skin, but I very much like the effect.

Swatch picture taken in indirect sunlight:

In short: Coffret D'or lipsticks are a great choice when you're looking for moisturizing lipcolor that's not completely opaque. At $28 a pop, they are a bit pricey, but worth the money IMO.

Inspiration - Chanel Inimitable Promo

During the past year or so, I have slowly developed into a devoted Chanel fan. I used to love Dior and Guerlain and think that Chanel is boring and for old people, but my attitude has changed 180 degrees. Now, I am in love with the texture of Chanel eyeshadows and blushes (haven't bought one of their blushes yet though) and am curious to try Chanel lipsticks (though I don't really want to spend $30+ on a lipstick since I don't use them very often). In any case, I guess my love for Chanel extends to their promo pics because I am totally in love with their promo pic for the recently released Inimitable Mascara. Though honestly, the foundation/powder on the model's face looks too thick to me when you see a larger version of the picture, but her eye, blush, lips, and hair are just gorgeous. I wouldn't be surprised if her eye had some help from false lashes, but I think half the beauty is in the color of her eyes, which has nothing to do with makeup, of course. I guess it helps that Chanel finds pretty models 'cause this makeup look can make a normal person look like a ghost =P (...it sounds like I'm not really giving much credit to the makeup artists at Chanel...)

Fyrinnae - Round 3

More Fyrinnae! This batch I bought last month so I remember more about the different colors. There's actually a few more that I bought in the same shipment, but because the pictures didn't turn out well for those, I'll be reviewing the remaining colors later.


The star of this batch (for me) is Fire Opal. It's a very interesting blend of sooty gray with copper shimmer. I don't know what an actual fire opal looks like, but the color reminds me of embers from a bonfire or campfire. I also really love Platinum, Starfish, and Sake & Sashimi. Platinum is like a whitened pewter half way between silver and a champagne gold. Starfish is not as unique at first glance, but it is a mauve with gold shimmer that looks slightly coppery when applied. Sake & Sashimi is a tree-bark-colored brown with fine green shimmers. I have no idea why they named it Sake & Sashimi, but the color evokes an imagery of ancient forests for me. The other colors are also gorgeous, but I'll stop babbling ^_^

Here are more pictures under direct sunlight (so you can see the sparkles ^^):


Pictures under indirect sunlight:


Note that I couldn't all of the colors to show up true to life in all of the pictures. Tasmanian Devil looks a bit more pink in reall life, and Android Angel is a very cool purple and not as blue as it appears here. Also, Changeling is a very very dark purpley plum color despite the purple-ness not showing up well in the pictures.

All pictures were taken under natural light.

In short: Fyrinnae is a great go-to store for unique eyeshadow colors!

Fyrinnae - Round 2

As is usual these days on this blog, here's yet another long overdue post. In fact, this is so long overdue that I don't remember when I actually made this purchase. Probably safe to say it was within the last year though =P


Since I'm so hopelessly bad at describing colors, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking this time. In case you were wondering though, the one swatch that isn't labeled is a duplicate of Wicked, which definitely caused much confusion when I was trying to label this picture today. I think it's safe to say that the colors in the picture are pretty true to life, though I think the pink/red shimmer in Avenging Salem didn't show up very well. The multicolor-ness of the sparkles in Immortality was also not captured well, and so were the sparkles in Lights of Tokyo. (Perhaps partly because I smeared LoT before I took the picture ~><~ One of my fingers accidentally swiped over Hypercool and LoT, which is why you can kind of see that smear mark on Hypercool.)

Here are more pictures taken at different angles:


My favorites out of this batch were Atomic Afterglow, Valhalla, and Immortality. Atomic Afterglow is just this very awesome silvery, rusty pewter color. It's one part silver, one part gold, and one part light green. I'm probably not doing it justice with my description or the pictures, so you just really have to check it out for yourself. Valhalla is not as interesting per se, but it's a very beautiful shimmery gray-ish mauvey color. Again, please check it out for yourself. Immortality, on the other hand, is just wickedly sparkly. It's probably one of the most sparkly shades Fyrinnae produces, which is saying a lot since they come up with a number of amazingly sparkly colors. Speaking of sparkly, Medieval Haunting is also pretty wickedly sparkly. And Kung Pao is gorgeous, too. So is Blue-Footed Booby...and Sea Otter...and...I'll stop, but you get the point ^_^

All pictures in the post were taken under white light.

In short: More Fyrinnae awesome-ness! How can you resist the mini's at $2 a pop?

Inspiration - Guerlain Fall 2010

As apparent from the three pictures I chose to put on the blog for Fall 2010 makeup collections, I not only like to contradict myself (the part about not liking most promo pics for Western brands), I also tend to like makeup looks that don't look good on me. I think I'd do okay with the heavy black eyeliner, but red lips is definitely not flattering on me. Or maybe I just have my-lips-look-too-big-phobia. In any case, the black eyeliner and red lips combination seems so cliche and overplayed, but I guess I'm just a sucker for retro chic. I think my love for this promo pic also has to do with Natalia Vodianova's expression and pose. Everything just looks so divinely...French. (except for Natalia herself, of course =P)

Inspiration - Chanel Fall 2010

I've become a HUGE fan of Chanel ever since getting the Mystic Eyes quad a few months ago. I'm also usually not drawn to the promotional pictures for Western makeup brands, but Chanel has been putting out some good ones for the past few seasons. The latest promo pic I saw of Chanel's Fall 2010 collection caught my eyes due to its cleanness and simplicity. The palette consists of too many dark colors for it to be practical for me, but I must say that it looks great on the model. It's strange how even with the smoky eyes, the model can still look so girl-next-door and not overly dramatic. Wish I could pull that off...

Inspiration - MJ Fall 2010

Reminder to self: I.WILL.NOT.BUY.THIS.PALETTE. I'm such a sucker for a seafoam/turquoise blue and gold combination, which is one reason why I love the promotional image for Majolica Majorca's fall 2010 collection. I've learned that turquoise really doesn't look that great on me though, so I've also been repeatedly convincing myself not to buy any more eyeshadow palettes with the turquoise + gold combination (I already have a very cheap one from L'Oreal HIP). Also, another reason why I love this promo pic is because the MJ model hasn't looked this good in a really long time. Seriously, I don't know what the creative director of MJ was thinking with the promo pics for most of the past year...

Lavshuca Eye Color Select BR-2: Japanese Drugstore Mini-Haul Part II

As alluded to in the previous post, I purchased another Japanese drugstore item along with MJ GR750, namely Lavshuca Eye Color Select in BR-2. I've already purchased all of the other permanent colors in the Eye Color Select line, and I was originally going to pass on this color, but I ended up getting it anyway since I wanted a cool-toned brown palette. So far, this palette has not disappointed and it truly is one of those versatile workhorse items.


The packaging, applicators, and powder quality for this palette are the same as the qualities of the other Eye Color Select palettes so there's not much to say. Please refer to the link at the end of this post to read a more detailed review of the Eye Color Select palettes.


The colors in BR-2 are a standard ivory highlighting color, a gold sparkle shade, a neutral mid-tone khaki with gold shimmer, and a neutral medium-dark brown. All in all, this palette is not particularly exciting, but I LOVE the khaki color. All of the shades in Eye Color Select palettes are shimmery to some extent (most of them have sort of a metallic finish), but this shade is unique in that it's a shimmery khaki with slightly larger gold shimmers/sparkles that stand out from the base. The slightly larger gold shimmers are not overly loud, which makes the color still office-appropriate, but the difference between the two levels of shimmer are noticeable enough to make the khaki shade a true standout.


The overall effect of BR-2 is less sweet and energetic than BR-1 but more natural and nude-looking. It reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Nude Palette that I have, except it seems more modern and less retro chic than Bobbi Brown due to the lighter liner color. This is another office appropriate palette that I highly recommend.

In short: Another excellent Eye Color Select palette that does not disappoint. Although the price tag is a bit higher than the standard US drugstore eyeshadow palette, it's also worth the money because of its outstanding colors and quality.

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For my original review on the Lavshuca Eye Color Select palettes, please see here.

For the review on Lavshuca Eye Color Select BR-1, please click here.

MJ Trick On Majolook GR750: Japanese Drugstore Mini-Haul Part I

I recently purchased two Japanese drugstore palettes that were released a while back, and I'm happy to say that I love both! There is really no surprise that I would like the MJ Majolook GR750 since I've already tried it at a friend's house, but I'm still happy to finally receive my own palette. I was doubtful of getting it before I've seen it in person due to the mix reviews online. Many beauty bloggers love its unique combination of colors, but an equal number of reviewers mention that it's an easy combination to mess up due to the high probability of the colors looking dirty/murky. However, once that I've found that I don't have a problem with the color combo being dirty on me, it became a must-have.

As with all of the Trick On Majolooks, the packaging is very cute but not overly princessy. The applicators are the best as always, and the powder eyeshadow is soft and pigmented. This is an aside, but I'm really disappointed in the packaging and powder quality of the new line of MJ eyeshadow palettes first released for spring 2009. I hope MJ comes back to the Trick On line soon!


The colors in this palette are a soft nude/buff, a medium olive green, a dark denim/navy black, and a vanilla Trick On color that flashes champagne gold. The "murkiness" that a number of reviewer have mentioned seems to happen if you try to blend the olive green with the navy black. So as long as you use the navy black strictly for lining and don't blend the color upwards to mix with the olive green, there should be no problem. Another option that works well on me is the navy black on the top lid with the two lighter colors and the olive green lining the lower eyelid. Even though the color combination seems rather bold, it is actually very office appropriate if you keep the colors subtle. The end result is a city-sophisticated, fashionable look.


All pictures in this post were taken under natural light.

In short: If you are a fan of the city-cool look and love unique color combinations in your eyeshadow palettes, then this may be the item for you!

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For my review on a couple of the Majolica Majorca Shadow Customize and the Majolook BR751, please read here.

For the review on Majolook BR742, please see here.