Chanel Joues Contraste #80 Jersey

With the release of the new Chanel Vitalumière Loose Powder Foundation came two new limited edition shades of Joues Contraste, #80 Jersey and #170 Rose Glacier.
Though I was tempted to pick up Rose Glacier (pink with golden shimmer), I settled on Jersey (£31) as I was interested in trying the pressed powder version (usually released in the US) instead of the European baked formula (interestingly both versions are made in France).


Actually I was surprised to see the pressed US formula out here, makes you wonder if  the brand is planning to have just one formula, like they have done with the eyeshadow palettes recently.

Compared to the baked, the pressed has a smoother, less dry/powdery texture (though still not creamy) and pigment is quicker to build. One thing I don't like is the very strong scent.

Ingredients below:

Onto the shade and Jersey is a warm, rusty rosey brown with subtle gold shimmer. I find it quite pigmented and if I over apply, it can take on a bit of a orange tone, though I suspect this will likely only happen with those who have very pale skin like me.

It applies quite smoothly and lasts about 6 hours before I notice fading. I've read a few posts on forums that wondered if the shade was similar to the Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Colour Duo. Whilst there in a similar colour family, from the swatches below (Tom Ford on the right) you can see that the Tom Ford is deeper and warmer.

I'm pleased with this blush, its a nice warming shade that seems to work with a variety of looks. I do prefer the texture and application of the pressed versus the baked, so if you are use to the baked formula this might be an interesting one to try out.

I bought this from Boots

Bobbi Brown Fall 2014:Smokey Nudes Eye Palette

Limited edition for the Fall Smokey Nudes Collection, the Smokey Nudes Eye Palette (£48) contains the following shades:
Cream Eye Shadow (matte cream)
Naked Eye Shadow (matte warm clay nude)
Woodrose Eye Shadow (matte grey)
Silver Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow (glitter taupe)

Watercolor Pink Sparkle Eye Shadow (glitter seashell pink)
Nude Beach Metallic Eye Shadow (shimmery golden beige)
Smokey Brown Metallic Eye Shadow (shimmery golden bronzed taupe)
Smoked Eye Shadow (matte deep cool toned brown)

The palette has a good range of finishes and shade depths, the only colour inclusion I question is Naked as its very warm against the other shades and doesn't quite fit.

Though Watercolor Pink is more of a a topper shade, the others all have good pigment and blend well. I do need to use an eye primer with the shades (though I do get fall out from Watercolor Pink even with a primer).

This is easily the best Bobbi  Brown palette I've ever had, not just because of the flattering versatile colours, but predominately because of the performance. For me the shadow formula in BB palettes is extremely hit and miss, some are smooth and are easy to work with but others can be lacking in pigment, dry, chalky and apply really patchy, I was therefore surprised that none of the shades in Smokey Nudes apply poorly. The formula is definitely an improvement on past palettes.


Though I could have done without Naked, I am really liking this palette, it allows me to create a smokey eye of differing intensities, and also a subtle nude look.

I bought this from http://www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Chantecaille Fall 2014: Fairy Moss Hydra Chic Lipstick & Cheek Shade Bliss

This years Fall collection from Chantecaille looked like a sophisticated array of wearable warm neutrals, the colours kept soft and simple.

Fairy Moss (£30) is my first Hydra Chic lipstick. Its very creamy with a slightly heavy feel and has very good coverage.
Though is feels quite moisturising this particular shade highlights lip lines and I can't attest to its claimed "6 hours of wear" as find this no longer lasting than an average lipstick.

The finish is a satin matte, I was expecting a rose/pink nude so was surprised by just how beige this is. It swatches better than it applies on the lips for me, as I just get a flat beige.

Ingredients:

For cheeks we have Bliss (£32), its embossed with the signature Chantecaille rose (in celebration of their 15-year anniversary).

Described as a sheer petal pink, on me its a warm dusty pink. Though seemingly matte it does have a glow about it once applied. It has a smooth, lightweight texture, it applies reasonably well (though not seamlessly) and lasts about 4/5 hours before I get heavy fading. I would say that this has a dryer feel than my other Chantecaille blushers.

Ingredients:

You can probably tell that there is not any love going on here and though I was eyeing up the eyeshadow palette from the collection, I've decided to give it a miss due to how these products have failed to wow me.
I use to be heavily into Chantecaille (I had much more of the range before I started blogging), it was always a nice indulgent luxury, who's quality was worthy of the price, however I have felt that certain formula's have changed over the years and the brands not quite at it's peak as it once was.

I bought these from http://uk.spacenk.com

Tom Ford Fall 2014: Stroked Contouring Cheek Colour Duo

Stroked (£56) is the lighter option of the two limited edition duos released for the Tom Ford Fall collection. It was always going to be a risk for me ordering such a warm looking duo, but I was intrigued by the rusty autumnal tone of the blush and was interested to see how a Tom Ford highlighter would perform.

The duo is meant to create sculptured cheekbones, with the deeper shade adding definition and the lighter shade to highlight.

It contains a rusty orange and a yellow champagne highlighter. The blush has a shimmery/glow finish and the highlighter has a frosted, high shine finish (though it does not emphasize pores).
The texture is really good, as soft and smooth as you would like. The product glides onto the skin but due to the extremely high pigment, if you have pale skin like me, you really only need the faintest of touches.
Swatched below on the left and blended out on the right,


I wanted to love this as I think the texture/application is top notch but as much as I try to get these colours to work for me they are just too warm and the finish makes me feel a bit overdone.

Ingredients:


For those looking for a more dramatic finish with intense pigment then Stroked is definitely a good option if you suit warm tones.

I bought this from http://www.harveynichols.com/