Lancôme Fall 2010 GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

Thank you for all your lovely entries =)
I really did enjoy reading them and was surprised to discover so many of you had reservations about certain styles of make-up that I don't think twice about!

BabyMe22 - Please leave me a comment within the next 72 hours! I need your mailing address =^.^=
*If you don't contact me within 72 hours, I will have to send out the product to another winner.


P.S. My next giveaway will be held mid-January, for my 1st year anniversary! The prizes [yes, plural] will be AMAZING :)

Change of Heart: Chanel Tentation Cuivree

In my most recent post, I stated that the Chanel Tentation Cuivree Quad [Holiday 2010] is not a good purchase because of the excess glitter fall-out and lack of pigmentation. That statement still holds true, but only when based upon one conditional: when the shadows are used dry.

I have been experimenting with the quad non-stop for a week and I had been consistently using the product dry. Today, I finally threw in the towel and used the shadows wet. Why? The fall-out. Standard powder fall-out is tolerable but the glitter was seriously irritating my eyes!

At first, I was apprehensive because I had never used my shadows wet before. Most of my products perform incredibly well as they are so I never had to! But I was determined to make this work so I said, "To hell with it!" and risked the lifespan of the quad.

Conclusion:
There is NO FALL-OUT when the shadows are used WET!!
I simply sprayed each brush with water before picking up shadow. The color was easy to blend and much more pigmented!

I retract my statements in the previous post. The burgundy brown is absolutely DIVINE and can be used as a shadow or liner. Purchase this! <3


RAEview's Re-Rating: A-

Baked Disappointment: Chanel Tentation Cuivree Quad Review and Photos

Baked products are all the rage still but I don't favor them - never did, never will. They look so pretty, especially so if they're sitting in even prettier Chanel packaging, but they never managed to win me over. Maybe it's because I'm a stout traditionalist.

But some of you notified me that you wanted a review for this Holiday piece because you didn't know whether you should purchase it or not. If you didn't, I'm glad you refrained! The baked Euro formula is complete crap for $56+tax. Jojoba of mymakeupreviews.com is a Chanel fan like me but she rarely purchases, and rarely ever recommends, the Euro quad releases.. I now see why!

Chanel will merge all production to France or France & Italy [it is unclear as of yet] next year so I am praying that they won't discontinue the US shadow formula. I am a die-hard Chanel fiend but I would definitely stop purchasing the quads if that happened. The Euro shadows look enticing in the pan but they are too prone to fall-out and the shimmers are chunky. The pigmentation is sheer to medium. That wouldn't be an issue if they were easy to build up, but alas, they are not. You MUST use a primer with these shadows or they won't last more than a couple hours on the lids. On the other hand, the US shadows I own are gorgeous - velvety smooth with very little to no fall-out. Apparently, it's the mineral oil but I do not care!

Now, for a breakdown of the colors: The ivory-beige shade is lovely as a highlighter. The shimmering pink and copper-brown contain iridescent glitter particles [primary culprit of the fall-out] and the burgundy brown has the best texture of the bunch. The ivory is a touch powdery, while the pink and copper-brown are quite sheer. The burgundy brown, on the other hand, is densely pigmented and can be used wet as a liner. It, however, does not hold a candle to the burgundy brown in my Kaska Beige [US] quad. I will be keeping this, as I have already planned to film a Chanel Holiday tutorial and because the shades are indeed wearable, but I will no longer purchase any Euro/baked quads. If this were a blue-themed quad, it would have gone back already!

For the price, the quality is underwhelming and the color way is not unique enough to merit purchase for most. [Edit: Unless used wet!]

My #1 Chanel Rouge Coco

This post is going to be short and sweet.

I own many pink and coral lipsticks but my favorite of the bunch is Chanel's Rouge Coco in Chintz. This particular Rouge Coco is creamy and slightly moisturizing, a perfect compromise between hydrating and semi-matte/matte lipsticks. Even though I have dry, sensitive and easily chapped lips, I am a semi-matte/matte lipstick fan so Chanel's RC formula does wonders for me! I love Rouge Allure lipsticks, as the formula is so long-wearing, but the Rouge Coco color range is much better suited to my pink and coral preferences.

Chintz was originally a limited edition piece but since the initial press release, it has been deemed a permanent addition to the RC line. I breathed a sigh of relief with the announcement, as I would have had to purchase at least two back-ups! It is the most flattering pink-coral I have ever worn on my lips. I find that it is difficult to find balanced pink-coral lipsticks, as they either run too pink or too coral. Chintz works with my skintone and brightens up my complexion without adding too much my daily make-up look.

The swatch pictured above is indeed true to color. For a more subdued lip look, I only use one swipe across the bottom lip and press my lips together to spread the color evenly. When I want opaque color, however, I use one swipe across the bottom lip and another across the top lip. The dense pigmentation makes this shade very convenient for daily use!

For those who like a slightly more blue-toned pink, try Rose Dentelle, which launched with Chintz and Chayls, a deep orange-coral. Rose Dentelle is also a touch more moisturizing! I love both but Chintz is the one I can't live without.

And because I always get asked where I purchase my products: I shop at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, or Sephora. If I can't find something at the aforementioned three, I visit Macy*s!


RAEview's Rating: A+