8.06.2010

CHANEL Summer 2010 - MISTRAL




The star varnish of Chanel's Summer 2010 Collection was Nouvelle Vague, a gorgeous turquoise shade. Bright and vivid blues on my fingernails, however, turn my tanned hands into an ashy brown. I don't want my hands to look like that of a corpse, so I only wear turquoise on my toenails. And because I haven't lost all sanity yet, I refuse to pay $25 for a nail varnish that I will only wear on my toes. Hence, I opted out and purchased the collection's make-up instead! And rightly so, because Super and Genial - the limited edition Rouge Allures - sold out before I had time to purchase back-ups >.< But a month ago, I was at a very deserted Chanel counter in Orange County somewhere and I spotted a Pepto-Pink. Yes, that was Mistral! Mistral was sold out at the counter next to my apartment a mere week after Nouvelle Vague so I figured it had been sold out everywhere else. But my luck had changed and I picked up the last Mistral at this particular Nordstrom. The varnish was much prettier in the bottle than I had expected. I had seen the pictures online and figured it would be a generic pink. I hadn't even bothered to glance at it when I picked up the make-up but as I pulled the bottle out of its box, I was struck by how pretty it was! Too bad it didn't look as pretty on my nails.. Mistral, in the sunlight and in the bottle, is a gorgeous medium pink with just the right amount of blue. It has tiny pink, iridescent, and blue shimmers that sparkle as you tilt the bottle forward but NONE of that appears on my fingernails. "Lost in translation," clearly.

The formula is average, maybe less than average, quality for Chanel. It's nowhere near as smooth or opaque as Paradoxal [review coming soon] but it isn't as difficult to apply as some of the lighter shades that I've tried before. The first coat was definitely streaky and I had to use three medium coats to achieve the opacity shown in the photo above. I was most disappointed that the shimmers were nowhere to be seen, even when I angled my nails toward the sun. All I see is flat pink. On a positive note, the color did not make my hands look ashy!

In conclusion: Mistral is a generic pink. I'm still glad to own it, as it is a limited edition, but even if I found another, I would not purchase it.

12 comments:

  1. I recently got Miami Peach, it's also pretty but very sheer and needs three coats to match the colour in the bottle.

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  2. i thought it was generic as well, so didn't buy it!

    if you didn't like Nouvelle Vague on your hands, check out Revlon Jaded, it's a similar shade, but milkier and brighter. I really like it! and a lot cheaper than chanel =)

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  3. I agree with you on the formula being streaky. However, I'm a super novice at nail polish application so I'm sure that doesn't help matters. Either way, I have a soft spot for pinks like these. I can't help but love it anyway.

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  4. Wow! Such a pretty nail color!

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  5. i returned my chanel mistral because of the streakiness. btw, what eyeshadow colors do you recommend from the burberry collection? the colors do not seem to be true to color. i am afraid of ending up with a color that i do not like.

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  6. hi Rae, i am a huge fan. i am aware that you like to keep you life very private which i totally respect but can you do a a video about yourself in a general matter (maybe talking about your future, hobbies, favorite movies, favorite books, favorite foods, etc?).

    thank you for the drugstore products that you have been doing lately.

    have a wonderful day,
    Izzi

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  7. I picked up Paradoxal because of your recommendation! I can't wait to try it. :) Have a great weekend <3

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  8. Izzi- I will film an "About Me" video this November!

    Steph - I have a pretty substantial varnish collection at this point but Paradoxal is my favorite of them all! While it's not the prettiest color in the world, it suits my personality and style! I hope you will adore it as much as I do ^_~

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  9. Hi Rae - I really like your new layout =)

    Do you plan on getting the urban decay naked palette?

    If so, I'd love to see you do a look with the shadows.

    shimmering2light.blogspot.com

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  10. Hi, Rae,

    Thanks for the thorough and thoughtful make-up reviews. After watching your videos, I have gone out to pick up several products based on your recommendations and have had some great success. Thank you for minimizing the typical trial and error process of make-up buying!

    I wonder what base coat and top coat products/brands you would recommend for nail varnishes. Sorry if you have made mention of this in previous videos or blog entries; I am a relatively new viewer. Thanks!

    Keep up the excellent work.

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  11. Thank you Rae.
    Also, do you have any plans on visiting Canada sometime? ;]

    izzi

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  12. Anon - I had been using Orly's Bonder as a base coat and Orly's Sec 'N Dry as my top coat but I switched it up recently with a no-name professional sticky base coat and Seche Vite top coat. I don't think the base matters but Seche Vite is the fastest drying top coat I've used. It doesn't prevent chipping, though!

    Izzi - Probably not! I don't even have a passport yet LOL

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