Pretty in Pink! Chanel Ultra Rose JC

I sometimes wonder what Chanel is thinking with their exclusive products.  This is one of those times.  The Ultra Rose JC is a gorgeous bright pink and only available in Asia or Europe.  

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful friend get it for me.  So, if you love pink, try to get your hands on it!  It is baked, but has good color payoff.  It's similar to the hard to find Turbulent, but isn't as blue-toned or quite as pastel-y.  Of the blushes I have, it is most similar to Kevyn Aucoin Myracle.  Here are some pictures--hope they help!

Thanks for reading--have a great week!

A Beautiful Bunch of Bright Pink Blushes

I don't think it will come as a surprise to most of you, but my very favorite color for blush is bright pink.  It is just irresistible to me and if possible, I think that I would like to collect every single one.  I'm not sure if this is all of my bright pinks, but here is a picture of most of them:

 Aren't they lovely?  Ha!  Some of the blushes I chose are currently available, some are discontinued, some have been reformulated, and some are brand new.  People often ask what my favorite blush is and I'd have to say it's Chanel Turbulent.  I prefer the color of the Euro/baked version, but the texture of the US one.  I've been using it sparingly because it is one of the discontinued ones and very hard to find.  Luckily, Nars Gaiety is really close in color and the texture is very nice for a Nars blush.  It doesn't have any shimmer, but still gives a nice glow.  If I need more, I can use a separate highlighter.  Here are the bright pink swatches:

Some are much more raspberry pink and others become cool and pale instead of the fluorescent pink they look like in the pan.  One of my favorites for texture is Beauty is Life.  The texture of Joy (and the others I have) is soft and creamy powder, really heavenly.  You can see the older versions of a couple Shu blushes on the far right--they're among my favorites in texture as well.
I have to admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to the texture of blush.  I really prefer very fine powder that isn't too compressed or hard.  That is why I'm not crazy about the Chanel baked blushes--it's a bit hard to get color payoff from them.  They're finely milled, but the texture is hard.  There are no blushes here that I hate--the colors are lovely and even though not all the formulations are my favorite, there are much, much worse on the market. 
I'm trying to post more and I'll be doing smaller groupings of colors/brands/etc. in the coming weeks.  Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite things.  <3

Chanel Joues Contraste--Candy

Candy from Chanel is another baked Euro blush in Chanel's Joues Contraste line, it was a Limited Edition from a few years ago and was pretty popular.  Here is a picture of it in the pan

It's a lovely color--on me it is pretty much straight up peach with just a hint of coral.  There is no visible glitter, it just adds a bit of that JC glow thanks to a tiny amount of pink shimmer.  Here is a swatch of it--it's 2nd from the left.

As you can see it is a lovely, bright, smooth powder.  The baked formula glides on easily without being overly powdery or chunky.  It has the signature Chanel rose scent.

Here are the rest of this batch of Chanel blushes:

 

Tomorrow will be the lovely Caprice.  Thanks for your time! <3

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush--Brume d'Or

Chanel's Joues Contraste line of blushes are lovely.  They have a unique glow that is hard to capture with a camera and hard to find in other blushes.  Today's blush, Brume d'Or is one of the baked blushes, usually part of the European, Canadian, and Asia collections.  The baked versions are harder and usually have less color payoff.  The powder on these is very fine and blends well into the skin.  Here is how Brume d'Or looks in the pan.

Brume d'Or is a peachy terracotta brown with very subtle super-fine silver shimmer. Here are the swatches--Brume is on the far left.  It doesn't really capture the glowiness of it.

If you're sensitive to smells, you need to know that all these Chanel blushes have a rather strong rose smell.  I can smell them when they're in the drawer and especially when I open the compact.  Once it's applied to my face, however, I don't notice it at all.  Here's a pic of my first batch of JC's.

You can get Chanel at pretty much any department store, but many of the ones in my collection are the Euro version or discontinued.  Thanks for reading, tomorrow will be the lovely Candy. <3

A Brief Chanel Interlude

It seems like there has been a flurry of Joues Contraste blush releases by Chanel in the last few weeks and since I now have all of them in my hot little hands, I thought I would do some pictures and swatches.  

First up is the Nordstrom Anniversary exclusive, which was an Asia exclusive this spring--Rose Tourbillon.  

I did swatches on different days, so they look a little different.  I compared it to some blushes that seemed like they might be close.  The closest is Pink Explosion, IMO.

The next blush is from Fall 2011 and is Rose Ecrin JC.  When I first saw it, I thought it would be similar to Rose Dust, but it seems more like a mixture of Rose Petale and Orchid Rose.  

Here is a comparison of swatches to other JCs

The last pair of blushes is from Chanel's special Byzance collection.  I bought them from the Chanel website.  These JC's are Or (which means gold in french) and Rouge (red).  The gold makes for a pretty highlight and is similar to Gold Fever from a few years back. 

When applied, Rouge is more berry-ish than it looks in the pan and when sheered out is a nice reddish pink. 

Finally, here is a comparison picture of all the new JCs

Thanks for reading, I hope these were helpful! I'll be back to swatching through my collection in a few days with Burberry blushes.  =)

Week 6, Day 6. Rose Blush--Chanel Tea Rose JC

First off, today's rose blush isn't so rosy.  Day 6 brings us another Chanel Joues Contraste blush--Tea Rose.  This is a Euro version, which means it is baked instead of the soft powder of the US version (except now Chanel is changing all the blushes to the baked style). 

See?  You can tell the blush is baked because of the variation in color along the surface of the blush, usually it's lines in a swirl pattern.  Baked Blushes are harder in texture, less powdery, and it is more difficult to pick up the color.

Chanel's Tea Rose is beautiful sheer rosy-peach, more peach than rose, but not really warm.  It is definitely a great peach for the cool-toned ladies.  It's a beautiful subtle color that looks very natural.  It's the palest of the week and rivals LM Rose Petal as the peachiest.  I don't see any shimmery bits, but it does impart a pretty glow.

Tomorrow we finish up the week of roses with Laura Mercier Rose Bloom.  Let me know what your favorite rose is?  What else would you like to see here?  Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!!

Week 6, Day 1. Rose Blush--Chanel Rose Petale JC

\To kick off the week of Rose blushes, I chose Chanel Rose Petale Joues Contraste.  When someone asks for a rose blush, it's always the first one that comes to my mind, even though looking at even just these roses, it isn't really the rosiest blush I have. 

I find that a lot of things labeled "Rose" turn a little warm on me, usually lipsticks, but blushes do too. Rose Petale is no exception.  This pretty JC looks like a warm rose in the pan and turns a peachy rose color on my skin.  It is a lovely color, but not the pinky-rose I prefer.  I think it is more of that pinky-rose color on warmer skin tones.

as you can see it, is one of the warmer roses of the week.  The texture is very nice.  I have the US version, so it is powdery and smooth.  Like all JCs, there is a very faint rose scent.  This is a very easy to wear color for most people and very little shimmer.  It just gives me a very soft glow.

Tomorrow, is BB Desert Rose--a completely different kind of rose!  What is your favorite Rose Blush?  Let me know what else you'd like to see!  TTYL!

Week 6--Seven Days of Roses

This is going to be my Rose week.  I am in love with makeup that bears the name of Rose or, even better, has a rose imprint or design.  Here is a pic of some of my rose-inspired makeup to get you in the mood.

To get back on the subject of blushes, I found that when describing rose colored blush, the word rose is used to describe many colors including pinks, fuchsias, reds, even going into the brown family.  The color rose usually refers to a shade between pink and red, but really, roses come in all colors.  For this week, I'm going to limit my blushes to ones that bear the name of Rose.  I'm sure that I could do a whole week on Chanel Roses, but I'm limiting myself to just 2 Chanel JCs.  So here are the rose blushes for Week 6:

For blushes that bear the name Rose, I've already done a few,  Chanel's Orchid Rose and Dior's Rose Diamond and Antique Rose.  This is what I'm covering this week:

1--Chanel Rose Petale

2--BB Desert Rose

3--LM Rose Petal

4--Stila Rose

5--Shu M Rose 19

6--Chanel Tea Rose

7--LM Rose Bloom

and the swatches for the week:

I hope you enjoy this week of rose colored blush.  I know I'm looking forward to it!  Cheers!

Week 5, Day 7. Chanel Blush--Tempting Beige JC

Awww, I'm sad that today is my last day of talking about Chanel blushes.  But, look at all the pretty sparkly bits in today's blush--Tempting Beige!!  Yay!  This is one of my favorite blushes to look at in the pan.  It is a creamy milk chocolate brown with specks of shimmer--what's not to like?

This really is a lovely color.  On my skin, it is a very wearable nude--a warm toasted rosy-brown color.  Very pretty, but probably more suited for warmer and darker skinned ladies.  The shimmery bits barely show up on the skin, unless you use a ton of it.  But, please don't use a ton, Tempting Beige is one of the more pigmented JCs that I have.

Besides being VERY pigmented, the texture is so nice and beautiful.  The powder is lightly rose scented, and very soft and silky since it is the US version.  Here's one last look at this weeks Chanel lineup.

I hope you've enjoyed the week of Chanel JC blushes, it was fun for me because they are among my very faves.  I love the special glow they give and the subtle rose scent.  Next week, I'll be moving from the Rose scent of Chanel to Rose blushes.  It'll be Seven Days of Rose Blush. =)

Week 5, Day 6. Chanel Blush--Caprice JC

Chanel Week is starting to wind down and for day 6, I have an older Joues Contraste blush, Caprice.  In the pan, Caprice is a cool rosy pink, but it's one of those blushes that looks different on the skin and can vary from person to person.

Sometimes, I check out reviews and see if the color I see is how others describe it as well. Well, the reviews are all over the board on how to describe this color.  Some described it as cool, pale pink and others as pure peach, and others said it doesn't show up at all.  So, I think this is one of those blushes that looks different on each person and I'll do my best to describe how it looks on me.

In the pan, it is a cool dusty rose color, but on my cool, very pale skin, Caprice looks warm peachy-rose with some brown.  I can see a few sparkles in the pan, but nothing really noticeable that shows up on the cheeks, except for a nice gentle glow.  The Caprice JC is fairly well pigmented and the powder is nice and smooth.  It still has a slight rose scent.  Overall, I like it quite a bit, but it isn't nearly as cool and pink as my favorite blushes are.

What color does Caprice look on you?  Tomorrow, I finish the week of Chanel JCs with Tempting Beige, yay! 

Week 5, Day 5. Chanel Blush--Orchid Rose JC

Orchid Rose is today's beauty--and boy is it beautiful!  This is one of those lovely Chanel JCs that works for a variety of people and most seem to love. 

 

Day 5 of Chanel Blush week brings us to Orchid Rose.  From the name, I would think it would be a bright purply-pink, but it is very different from that.  The color is a complex peachy-brown rose color with a moderate amount of shimmer.  The color varies quite a bit depending on the skin tone of the person wearing it.  It can lean more tawny, peach, or pink.

The shimmer is very fine and gives a lovely glow--it shouldn't be too much for anyone.  Obviously it has the rose scent and the smooth powder consistency of all the US Chanel JCs.

Orchid Rose is a lovely blush and I think everyone should at least give it a try to see how it looks on their own cheeks.  Tomorrow is day 6 and time for a DC'd blush--Caprice. 

Week 5, Day 4. Chanel Blush--Petilant JC

Today's blush is an old JC.  I'm not sure how old, but it is a beauty.  For Day 4 of Chanel Blush week, I present Petilant (which means sparkling in French).  It might be old, but it still has the delicate scent of roses and gives off a good amount of color. 

This version is baked, so the texture is harder than the US versions.  But the powder that comes off is very fine and pigmented.  I see a tiny amount of shimmer in the pan, but on the skin, it has the slight glow that JCs are known for.

The color is a little hard to describe, I would call it a warmish raspberry pink.  It is a lovely color and goes on very smoothly and evenly.  A sweet friend at MUA has been wanting this one forever, but it's so pretty that I can't quite part with it yet.  Maybe this up-close view will make her change her mind and kill the desire for it.  It's #4 in the picture below.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this old JC!  Tomorrow, day 5 of Chanel JCs, is Orchid Rose.  Let me know what your favorite blushes are and what you'd like to see here!  TTYL!

Week 5, Day 3. Chanel Blush--Fantasia JC

Today's blush is Fantasia, which I've had in my collection for a while, but just tried for the first time today.  The color isn't super appealing to me because I always seem to reach for the pinks.  However, I must say that this color is really beautiful.

The color is slightly warmer than Mocha, less plummy, and more of a reddish terracotta color.  It buffs out to a warm rosy-peachy-brown.  Not really like the pinks that I usually lean toward, but still a great color.  I imagine it would look amazing on ladies with a golden tan.

It has the same subtle rose scent of all the Chanel JC blushes. The texture of the now DC'd Fantasia is very soft and powdery and it gives a great glow. There is a teensy bit of shimmer, but it is very subtle and not glittery at all.  The glow that JCs give is something that makes these blushes really special. 

It's very hard to capture the glow in photographs, but it is my favorite quality about Chanel's Joues Contraste line.  Sometimes Chanel adds other shimmer, glitter, iridescence, but there is always the base glowiness.  If you haven't tried one, do yourself a favor and pick one up and see what the fuss is about.  Tomorrow is Petilant, an old Chanel JC, for a sweetie at MUA!

Week 5, Day 2. Chanel Blush--Pink Explosion JC

One of my newer acquisitions is this beautiful new blush from Chanel as part of their Fall 2010 collection.  It is Pink Explosion and is a pretty, medium shimmery pink.  

The newer Chanel blushes are baked and will continue to be from what I've heard.  The color of Pink Explosion is a coolish rosy-pink with tiny little silvery shimmery bits in it.  It's not too glittery when applied, but it is noticeable.  Because it is baked, the powder isn't quite as silky smooth at the older US versions.

In my experience, because they're baked, it is more difficult to get the powder onto the brush, but the powder that comes off is very fine and pigmented.  I just have to rub the brush a little more and harder to get it to apply decently.  The advantage of the baked is that I don't have to worry quite so much about over applying my blush.  I've heard the baked are more shimmery, and if it's true, it's only translates into a slight bit more shimmer on the cheeks.

Tomorrow's blush is Fantasia JC.  It's not one that I normally reach for and I look forward to trying it out.

Week 5, Day 1. Chanel Blush--Mocha JC

It is Day One of Seven Days of Chanel Blush and I present my newest one--Mocha!  I must admit that this Joues Constraste blush looks rather brown and dull in the pan.  Actually, exactly the chocolatey color I would think of as mocha.  However, when applied to the cheeks, it is not dull at all!

Even though it looks a bit blah and brown in the pan, it is a beautiful slightly shimmery plummy brown.  It buffs out to a very soft plum color that is very wearable, even for the ultra pale.  It has a tiny bit of shimmer, but it really just shows up as a gorgeous glow.  This is a US version, so not baked like the Euro ones, and the powder is very fine and silky smooth to apply. 

Each day this week, I'll talk about one of the qualities of JC's that make them special.  Today, I'll start off with something simple, the smell.  There is a subtle distinctive rose smell when I open my JC's.  So in addition to seeing the glowy loveliness inside, I enjoy a subtle day-brightening whiff of rose!  The smell varies in intensity in all my blushes, but always fades when applied to my face.  I can never discern any scent at all except when I first open the compact.

Tomorrow, is one of the Chanel Fall 2010 blushes, Pink Explosion and I'll try to explain the differences between the baked and non-baked versions.  Do you have any ideas for future weeks?  If so, let me know what you'd like to see!  =)