No Introduction (Or Words) Needed: Chanel Le Vernis in 657 Azure

Honestly, what else can I say about Chanel’s Azure that others haven’t already?

A gorgeous metallic teal-blue that flashes a deeper cerulean in some lights and even has a touch of violet around it’s edges, Azure is a surprise hit for this gal who isn’t normally into metallic finishes in polish!  It’s *sort of* like the aqua version of Peridot, without the same duochrome intensity (which would have probably blown my head off  in awe if it WERE that shapeshifting).

It’s quite difficult to capture the color shift as others have noted, but just trust us – it’s there.  It’s not super-strong, but it’s just enough to give the polish some serious interest.  Something about this shade feels so elegant and refined even though it’s not your typical ‘classic’ color, and that’s the quality that really makes it a hit for me.

I was really feeling some trepidation about this polish but I took the plunge and I’m so glad I did.  This is gonna get some serious love from me all summer long and likely into the fall as well.  I didn’t really find I had trouble with brush strokes as others had, but I did find that you needed to apply it relatively quickly with minimal strokes or it could pull a bit and get patchy (though it self-leveled quite well).  Final word: AWESOME.

Does Azure float your boat?  Do you like metallic finishes on polishes?

Swatching Is Rough (AKA My Eyeshadow Collection)

I was going to leave my eyeshadow collection ’till last to swatch in my ‘find the gaps’ series of posts, but the superstorm (which…is kind of lackluster – yea, there’s lots of snow, but I want some action, darn it!) seemed like the perfect time to just get ‘er done – so I did!  Oh man…for those of you who have larger collections than mine, I feel sorry for you if you attempt to do this – it is a BIG EFFING ORDEAL.  I started last night and got just over halfway through before both (!) arms had had enough.  I continued today and after needing to re-swatch several shade categories to get them *just right*, my left arm is just burning (as you’ll notice in the photos – red spots galore!).  So: enough.  I’m ready to rock ‘n roll.  Now – let’s get into ‘er!

Note: All shades are permanent within their respective brands except where otherwise noted.

WHITE EYESHADOWAvon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (satin white)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Uzi (shimmer w/glitter) (LE)

 

‘HIGHLIGHT’ EYESHADOWMake Up For Ever Star Powder in #920 (iridescent)

KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (white gold pearl)

MAC Eyeshadow in Vex (frost)

 

NUDE EYESHADOWMAC Eyeshadow in Next to Nothing (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – frost) (LE)

Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte cool beige) (LE)

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench (satin)

 

BEIGE, CHAMPAGNE & PEACH EYESHADOWUrban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (shimmer w/glitter)

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #13 Warm Beige (frost)

Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Emerveille (shimmer)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Snatch (shimmer w/glitter)

Kate Real Create Eyeshadow BR-2 Palette (soft peachy shimmer)

MAC Eyeshadow in Arena (satin)

 

GOLD EYESHADOWMAC Pigment in Melon (frost)

Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Color in Gilded Moonlight (pearl) (LE)

Clinique Touch Tint for Eyes in Gold Glimmer (shimmer) (discontinued)

 

COPPER & ORANGE EYESHADOWMAC Eyeshadow in Amber Lights (frost)

Ardene Eyeshadow in 8B (pearl)

 

BRONZE EYESHADOWMAC Pigment in Cocomotion (frost) (LE)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog (shimmer)

MAC Eyeshadow in Tempting (lustre)

Clinique Color Surge Super Shimmer Eyeshadow in Rum Spice (shimmer)

 

BROWN EYESHADOWMAC Eyeshadow in Dark Edge (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)

KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (deep brown shimmer)

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #17 Espresso (matte)

Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte burgundy brown) (LE)

 

TAUPE-BROWN EYESHADOWS

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Suspect (shimmer)

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (beige-gold taupe) (shimmer) (LE)

KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (taupe shimmer)

 

TAUPE-PURPLE EYESHADOWS

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (silver-taupe shimmer)

Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (mauve shimmer)

MAC Eyeshadow in Shale (satin)

bareMinerals High Shine Eye Color in Meteorite (frost)

Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Corinthian (shimmer)

 

RED & PINK EYESHADOWL’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Mahogany (frost)

Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Abstraction (shimmer)

Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (matte light pink)

 

MAUVE & ROSE EYESHADOW

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Bordello (shimmer w/glitter)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Last Call (metallic)

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (matte dusty rose)

 

PLUM EYESHADOW

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (sparkling plum)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Rockstar (shimmer)

Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (eggplant shimmer)

 

PURPLE EYESHADOW

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Psychedelic Sister (shimmer)

MAC Paint in Infamous (metallic) (discontinued)

 

BLUE EYESHADOW

MAC Paint in Blue Boy (metallic) (discontinued)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Radium (shimmer)

MAC Eyeshadow in Blue Edge (matte w/shimmer) (discontinued)

 

AQUA & TEAL EYESHADOWS

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (blackened teal shimmer) (LE)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Loaded (metallic)

theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Jealous Jordana (shimmer)

Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 8E (matte)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Haight (shimmer)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Money (shimmer w/micro-glitter) (LE)

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (mint frost)

 

GREEN EYESHADOW

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Kush (shimmer w/micro-glitter)

Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Jade (shimmer)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Mildew (shimmer)

MAC Eyeshadow in Sharp (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)

Lise Watier Couleur Folle Eyeshadow in Folie Pomme (iridescent shimmer)

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #57 Chartreuse (satin)

 

YELLOW EYESHADOW

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #24 Yellow (matte)

MAC Eyeshadow in Bright Future (

 

KHAKI EYESHADOW

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Waterproof Eyeshadow in #24 Smokey Copper (shimmer)

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in #6 Khaki Pulse (shimmer)

Clinique Color Surge Soft Shimmer Eyeshadow in Autumn Moss (satin)

 

TAUPE-SILVER EYESHADOWS

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Maui Wowie (metallic w/glitter)

Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter (frost) (LE)

theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Insane Jane (shimmer)

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #2 Steel (shimmer)

 

GREY EYESHADOW

Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (medium grey & dove grey) (shimmer)

 

BLACK EYESHADOWS

MAC Pigment in Dark Soul (frost w/glitter)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Perversion (matte)

 

….PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you make it??

…So.  To be honest, when I started swatching all my makeup, I was originally just trying to find a way to justify new purchases – if it could be considered a shade I didn’t already own, then I would feel free to go for it.  However, now I’ve discovered that being so fully aware of what I own, has made me really excited to play with my current collection, instead of seeking out new products.  I especially noticed this with this eyeshadow post – there are so truly fabulous shades in there!  While there are still of course colors I’d like to pick up to fill the gaps (namely – a lilac and a skintone [MY skintone, to clarify] shade, among a couple others), overall I’m WELL aware I have a ton of shades to rock out and don’t really *need* anything else at the moment.  I did notice I have a lot less color than I imagined, but that’s actually OK because I don’t tend to wear it a ton and try to avoid buying a lot of it only for it to go unused.  I think my stash is fairly representative of the kind of makeup I wear day to day!  So SCORE for being logical in my purchases 🙂

I am kinda worn out from the work necessary to do this post, so I’m done now LOL.  But – I have questions for you!

Do you see any gaps that I could fill?  What shades make up the bulk of your eyeshadow collection?? Also – anyone bother to count how many shades I have?  I’m too tired now to bother LOL

So Many Products, Not Enough Time…Interim Quickie Polish Post

Hello everyone!  I have an insane backlog of products I want to show you desperately, but have just NOT had the time to take photos of anything – such is the way Summer goes, I guess!  We’ve been having just the most spectacular weather you could imagine which means I’m outside as much as possible, which is absolutely lovely 🙂  Tomorrow I plan to get up and do a major photo and swatch session so hopefully in the coming days you’ll have a ton of eye candy to ogle 🙂  In the meantime, I’m going to do a post a la Liz (aka Beauty Reductionista) to fill the void.  Enjoy!

Zoya Arizona

It looks different in different light eh?  I’d say the last photo is the most color-accurate.  This is a sad polish.  The formula was atrocious, gloppy and streaky (this is three coats) and while I liked the color, I didn’t love it so much that the crappy formula was worth dealing with.  I wore two full mani’s with this, but I’m am DONE.   Swap!

China Glaze For Audrey

Another slight color-shifter.  It’s most like the second photo I would say.  Since I broke the seal on aqua polishes with Zoya Wednesday (which was a counterpart AWESOME to Arizona’s TOTAL FAIL), I decided to go all in and pick up this cult shade to wade in the aqua pool a bit further.  I like it!  I don’t think aqua will ever be a ‘go to’ shade for me – I still this it looks much better on fairer skin – but it’s a fun shade to wear in Summer, and I’m glad I found a few to play nice with 🙂  This was an easy-to-use formula, no issues.  Here it is compared to Wednesday:

(No, I did not wear these as a mani/pedi combo LOL!) In the first photo, with flash, they look quite similar, but in the second you can see that Wednesday is dustier and more muted.  I think I’d actually prefer the reverse to this – Wednesday on fingernails and For Audrey on toes.  But they’re both pretty 🙂

China Glaze Ridin’ the Waves

I’ve already shown swatches of Ridin’ the Waves, but I wanted to show it again when I wore it as a full mani, with a coat of white polish underneath to make it really pop!  Although I don’t like the sheerness of this polish – it tends to be a bit streaky, so even over white it was tricky (as you can see in the first & second photos) – I love the shade; it’s vibrant without being too in-your-face, and the jelly texture is a nice switch-up.  It’s not quite as bright as shades like Nails Inc. Baker Street, but it comes close.

Speaking of nail polish, I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know about the contest going on at Nail Polish Canada – they’re giving away a lifetime supply (approx. 25 years worth) of CND Shellac to one winner!  Though I know a few people were a bit offended by the somewhat poorly delivered joke about living too long to surpass the ‘lifetime’ claims, regardless, this is a pretty sweet giveaway for anyone who loves having their nails polished to perfection but doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of upkeep. “CND Shellac is a cross between nail polish and gel. Shellac is applied like regular nail polish and then cured using a UV lamp. Shellac lasts much longer than your regular manicure; up to 14 days without chipping or peeling. Dry time is instant, making the application process fast and ensuring your polish doesn’t smudge.”  This would almost be a sort of hell for me because I love changing my nails so frequently, and so the fabulous technology would be completely lost on someone like myself, but I can think of a number of gals who would LOVE to win something like this and put it to very good use!

The winner will be selected August 7th, and contest is open to residents of Canada and the US (excluding Quebec), so boogie on over to NPC and check out the full details!  Best of luck to all who enter!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend full of tons of sunshine!!  Get ready for a barrage of posts coming next week – it’s gonna get a little crazy 🙂

Thoughts? (about Arizona/For Audrey/Ridin’ the Waves/Nail Polish Canada joke/life in general)???

My First Aqua Polish: Zoya’s Wednesday

Ok, I know that sounds highly unlikely – someone who has over 100 bottles of polish (yes, I’ve passed that mark now!) somehow doesn’t own an aqua shade?!  But seriously guys – I’ve purposely avoided that color for a long time.  I just don’t think it looks that great on me!  The one polish that I have that could probably be classified as a teal/aqua, LA Colors in Atomic, is kind of an fabulously ugly shade that probably doesn’t look good on most people, yet it draws the eye anyway.  I’m not counting it because it’s just not what I envision when I think aqua.  You know, shades like China Glaze For Audrey, Chanel Nouvelle Vague, or more lately, Dior’s St. Tropez (which I desperately wanted to jump on the bandwagon for, but couldn’t bring myself to pay $23 for a polish I might hate on my skintone).  These shades are what come to mind for a fabulous aqua-blue Summer polish.  But until now, I had nothing of the sort.

Zoya’s Wednesday, from the Beach & Surf Summer collection, somehow got under my defenses against aqua polish.  It was a bit more dusty – while still retaining it’s Summery goodness – and not quite as bright and glaring as some of the other offerings; it seemed like if I was finally going to take a chance, this should be the polish I choose to do it with.

Zoya takes AGES to arrive here in Canada, which makes me absolutely crazy as it’s one of my favorite polish brands.  To wait for it to *maybe* arrive in salons here (as not all collections do), it takes probably two months – as it was, it took well over a month for it to arrive on Nail Polish Canada, at which time I instantly ordered it sight unseen.

Indoor lighting

Once it arrived, with a little trepidation I did a full manicure with the shade.  At first, I was unsure how I felt – it still seemed to obvious on my skintone, and it doesn’t fall within the pale/bright/dark category of polishes – tones that I find look best on me.  It’s a mid-range shade that leans slightly green – also not a great color on me – but the slightly muted quality of it tones down any potential harshness.

With flash

I’m just wrapping up day two with this polish on, and I can now confidently say that I love it.  Within the hour of application it grew on me – the creaminess, the pop of color against my skin that can only make me think of the sea and sun…it really can’t be beat!  And the formula itself is quite good – two thin coats to opacity, and it’s self-leveling so any slight lumps and bumps get smoothed out to glossy perfection.

I’m loving this on my hands, but I think I will absolutely adore how this will look as a pedicure – bliss!  I’m just so happy that I’ve found an aqua shade that I feel comfortable and confident sporting – yea for joining the rest of the population! 😛  I know I’m fussy when it comes to finding colors I feel are flattering, but if you’re not feeling good in what your wearing, then that sort of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

What do you think of Wednesday?  Can it join other aqua hall-of-famers?  What’s your favorite aqua shade?

Just a L’il Somethin’ I Picked Up for Vacation: Milani’s Liquif-EYE Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Aqua

Though I’ve been on a bit of a shopping spree lately, surprizingly enough I spent next to nothing in preparation for Jamaica.  I’ve got plenty of shorts, tank tops, Summer dresses, bikini’s, and sandals – and I’ve clearly got more than enough makeup.  However, one thing I did set my sights on was a deep, shimmering teal eye liner.  I had planned on picking up Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Peacock, a pencil liner that goes on as smoothly as a liquid with great staying power.  However, at the time I went to buy it, I was feeling a bit *pinched* shall we say for cash, and I thought I’d do the smart and thrifty thing by picking up the drugstore version, Milani’s Liquif-EYE Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Aqua.  It has a similar formulation, going on smoothly and easily with excellent wear time. 

The first thing I noticed about the Milani version, aside from the fabulous not-your-average-drugstore-product packaging, was that it was lighter than what I was looking for – it was more of an aqua as the name states, than a teal.

Without flash, artificial lightWith flash

…In fact, it looked strikingly familiar; didn’t I already have a shade just like this?  I went through my stash, and this is what I found:Top to bottom: MUFE Aqua Liner #5, Milani Liquif-EYE Liner in Aqua

MUFE’s Aqua Liner #5 – a sparkling turquoise blue.  While it has much more shimmer in it, is more blue, and the formulation (a liquid) is different of course, they certainly bear a resemblance.  They also both have exceptional wear time – the Milani pencil wore throughout the day with only minimal fading, and the MUFE liner refuses to come off until you put in some good elbow grease to do so. While I’m not a fan of having repeats in my collection, I’m not terribly put out by this discovery, as the Milani linerwas only about $5, and it’ll be easier to use on my lower lash liner than the MUFE option would be. And the good news is that there’s still a vacancy in the ‘teal’ liner department in my stash, so that’ll need to be filled pronto 🙂

For a drugstore liner, Milani’s Liquif-EYE pencils are a stellar option at a great price.  Unfortunately, it only comes in five shades: black, brown, aqua, gold, and silver – but if you’re in the market for any of these colors, I urge you to check these pencils out.  The black shade is the next on my list – it creates a perfect, saturated line, without any tugging or worries about smudging throughout the day.  For a mere $5, how can you go wrong?

What drugstore product goldmines have you found lately? 

L.A. Colors: Atomic

Quickie post of my NOTD (Nail of the Day, for those who don’t know).  I bought this polish last year when I was just getting hooked – it was only like, a $1.50 or something silly, and it looked fun.  In actual fact, since buying this polish I’ve kind of steered clear of aqua/teal shades because I thought this looked kind of hideous on me.  It’s a little aggressive, very in-your-face, but I received TONS of compliments on it, the one or two times I actually wore it.  This is the first time I’ve worn it since then, with the same results – people love it!  I still think it looks kind of ugly, but in a fascinating way.  And, now that I’m more knowledgeable about polish, I realize that its a jelly!  Which kind of makes it awesome.  So, I won’t be giving this away any time soon, it seems to be too valuable!

Regardez:I’d say the second picture is the most accurate.  Application was OK, the formula is thicker than I’d like, but it only required two coats and in the end went on just fine.  Base/top coat included in the photos. *Note: This polish does stain!!  Not terribly but it is a drawback, nonetheless.

From my experience, you all are too nice to say that I’m right, that a polish isn’t lookin’ too fine, but feel free to say the truth (lol).

No, really, tell me what you really think!

FYI: You can buy L.A. Colors at Lawtons locations around Canada.

Thanks for reading! 🙂