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+

I am like a bird. I like all things shiny. This is my ode to Guerlain Holiday 2010.

This quad is my second from Guerlain and I'm hooked! I'm lemming the limited edition purple pearls and the gold shimmer spray that were also launched with this Holiday Collection but funds are short at the moment so I may not be lucky enough to procure them before they're gone. A shame.. but life goes on!

Velours d'Or contains a medium peach-gold, deep raspberry-violet, mauve with grey base, and a solid black, all housed in the most luxurious rounded gold compact with black plastic hinge. The mauve isn't as unique as it looks in the pan. On my eyes, it's a rather neutral color. Overall, this is a convenient smoky eye palette without using your typical whites and silvers. I love gold and purple on the eyes so this quad is perfect for me, even though the shades are dupable, other than the mauve duo-chrome in the bottom left corner.

The gold is sparkly yet sheer, reminiscent of many Asian eyeshadow quads like Jill Stuart's Jewel Eyes! I don't love it but I definitely don't hate it. The other shades are of a satin finish, not matte but not loaded with shimmer, either. But forget the color; I'm going to have to work around the bumble bee embossed in the gold shadow because it's just too cute to wash away with a brush. The raised honeycomb patterns on the other three shadows are also lovely but the bee is the star of the show! The colors are pigmented enough for me, as they are near the quality of Chanel, but the case is admittedly more beautiful to stare at than the standard black squares of Chanel.

Most of you know I splurged for the new Guerlain Ecrin 6 Color Palettes a month or two ago and I was ultimately disappointed. I assure you, though, this palette is worthy of its $59 price tag. These four shadows can be easily built up to your desired intensity and the frosty gold shade provides a nice contrast against the satin finishes of the other three shadows so it's a justifiable purchase!

RAEview's Rating: A-

Prime-Time Holiday Gifting

Yesterday, I shared with you what NOT to buy this holiday season. Today, I will show you what you SHOULD indulge in, if you are willing to get sucked into the gleeful event called Christmas [or self-gifting] shopping :)

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen.. the Dior Holiday Brush Set!


It's lovely and worth every penny. The red patent cannage case with a silver zipper is sewn to perfection and it is separated into two sections: the left has four little pouches with a smart cover overhead to contain and protect the four brushes and the right has a large mirror. The case is lightweight yet durable. It is now one of my staple travel companions!

Now, for the quality. It is rare for a mini brush set's brushes to have quality that is on par with a full size brush. These mini Dior brushes, however, are dense AND soft. The foundation, large eyeshadow, and concealer brushes have identical brush head sizes to the full-size Dior brushes. Only the blush brush is smaller, maybe by 50%, but the condensed size does not reduce the ease with which I apply color! The brush protectors are also a nice touch, as very few sets include those anymore. I like to use them to hold each brush's shape while not in use!

While duo fiber brushes are all the rage these days, I am an old-fashioned gal and prefer traditional foundation brushes and Dior's foundation brush is one of my favorites! [For those interested: Chanel and Bobbi Brown are the other two that round out my top 3.] Dior's cheek brush is a hit or miss with many, as some don't like the squirrel hair and some don't like the rectangular shape. I love BOTH aspects: the squirrel hair remains soft and doesn't shed, and the rectangular shape is hard to come by. It makes it a great multi-tasking tool, as I can apply blush on the apples of my cheeks, highlighter across the tops of my cheekbones, or a contour color in the hollows of my cheeks! The concealer brush can double up as a lip brush if necessary and the eyeshadow brush is perfect for sweeping on a highlighter color and a complementing lid color.

My favorite accent, though, is the design of the handles! The handles have a bit of weight, which makes them feel expensive. They are not so heavy, however, that it is difficult to grasp and use. It's a lovely density, in my opinion. Furthermore, the white Dior Logomania cuff around the handles doesn't fade or chip off. Granted, I take very careful care of my brushes but as long as you don't throw them around and beat them up in messy cosmetic bags, they will last YEARS!

This brush set is, of course, a limited edition product so start saving! It's the best $60 investment that you can gift yourself or another loved one this holiday season.




RAEview's Rating: A+

What NOT to Purchase this Holiday Season

I love this holiday season for so many reasons: the packaging, the color range, the VARIETY!



One product that you definitely should not purchase, however, is Chanel's newest mini brush set. It breaks my heart to say it.. but it's AWFUL, probably one of the worst $120 I've ever shelled out. Thankfully, my Chanel SA loves me and she told me to bring it back when I informed her that it couldn't hold a candle to last year's holiday brush set.

The quality isn't present. Sure, they threw in a beautifully designed pamphlet that specifies the uses for each brush included in the set, and the zippered case with gold accents is undeniably envy-worthy.. but the hair and handle quality? It's pure doggy poo. The bristles feel cheap in my hands and feel rough against my face's skin. The handles are lightweight but they are coated with a patent-black plastic lacquer and "Chanel" is laser-printed, not engraved, into the handles! Last year's brushes were made of plush white goat hair and had silver ferrules with supple wooden black handles and also had "Chanel" engraved in silver. THAT is $120 quality, not this slap-dash concoction of cheapness that Chanel calls their 2010 Les Minis Brush Set.

Instead of dishing out the dough for this wreck, simply because you want the Chanel name, do yourself [and your wallet!] a favor and purchase Dior's Holiday brush set for $60. Dior's set comes with just four brushes but they are your true essentials and the quality is up to par with their full size brushes - review coming tomorrow!

The only redeeming factor here is the case for the brushes. View the pictures and see for yourself :)








RAEview's Rating: D
[The only reason it did not receive an F is because of the beautiful and well-constructed brush case, which is an improvement from last year's!]