Beauty News and Swatches- Illamasqua Paranormal Collection now online

 Why be normal, when you can be paranormal?

 

 Amen.

Where do I sign up?

Illamasqua, a UK based cosmetics brand, is a powerhouse when it comes to innovative and edgy makeup.  If Tim Burton were a makeup artist, he'd probably be at Illamasqua, reveling in the wondrous color palettes and products.

Their latest launch, Paranormal, dares you to step into another dimension and give in to beauty.  The color story features a series of otherworldly mauve lipsticks, a deep bronze compact and undoubtedly, the star of the collection- the UV Nail Glow Varnishes.  Nailpolishes that shimmer by day and radiate by UV.

Check out the promo pics and products below for more information.  This is a pic heavy post so it may take a bit longer to load, please be patient.  I promise, it's worth it :)

All images are sourced from Illamasqua.com

Promo Pics

Products

UV Glow Nail Varnishes (£15.00)

Worn alone, these are bold colors with shimmer finishes. Under UV light, they emit an ethereal glow that cannot be ignored.

• Seance- Bright Violet

Seance UV Glow Nail Varnish

Seance Swatch

• Ouija- Bright Pink

Ouija UV Glow Nail Varnish

Ouija Swatch

• Omen- Bright Green

Omen

Omen Swatch

• Geist- Clear UV Topcoat

Geist Clear UV Topcoat

Geist swatch

Paranormal Palette (£34.00)

Water-resistant, cream and powder hybrid eye shadow.  Illamasqua describes it as delivering the textured silky appearance of a powder, but with the deep color wash of a cream. 

The palette features 4 colors- Paranormal (vivid cerise), Aura (warm copper), Trance (soft violet) or Possession (cool green).

Paranormal Eyeshadow Palette

Lipsticks (£16.50)

This collection features two matte lipsticks in the purple family.

• ESP- Vivid Violet color with a matte finish

Illamasqua ESP Lipstick

• Posture- Cool mauve with a matte finish 

Illamasqua Posture Lipstick

Gleam in Supernatural (£18.00) 

Fans of Gleam, Rejoice!! I'm so happy this cream compact is back.  It's a gorgeous bronze cream compact that can be used on the face and body to highlight features.

Illamasqua Gleam

Hydra Veil (£27.00)

This is a hydrating, gel-based makeup primer.  Wear it under foundation to minimize pores and help your foundation last longer.

Hydra Veil Makeup Primer

 Precision Gel Liner in Infinity (£18.00)

 Long lasting, waterproof gel eyeliner in a deep, rich black.

Infinity Precision Gel Liner

Fine eyeliner brush (£19.00)

A fine tipped eyeliner brush with a detachable cover for extra protection.

Eye liner brush

The entire collection is available online on Illamasqua

I know I'll be getting a few products from this incredible collection.  Are you considering getting any of these goodies?  If so, which ones are you planning on getting?

Enjoy your week,
B

Nailpolish Review and swatches- Chanel Bel-Argus 667

I'm blue and  loving it...

 

Why, Chanel? Why?

Everytime I promise myself I'm not buying any more nail polishes, you come out with a shade that makes me weak in the knees.  I become a Chanel nail polish zombie and faithfully go online to immediately buy the offending nail polish.

Which brings me back to my original question.  Why, Chanel? Why?

Bel-Argus 667 is a fantastic new shade that's part of the L'Ete Papillon de Chanel Collection I wrote about in an earlier post.  It's a shimmering metallic blue shade that looks like the Caribbean on a warm, sunny day.  It also reminded me of the deep blue in peacock feathers, an overcoat I saw in a Paris flea market that I loved but didn't fit in and a Kashmir sapphire that I deeply lusted after!  Sigh, a girl can dream....

Here's the breakdown/the nitty-gritty/the whatnot that makes Bel-Argus a *must have*, in my humble opinion:

Color: 

A deep metallic blue with a purple-teal duochrome.  Seriously, it's like a butterfly wing on your nail.  The color change is striking depending on the angle of the light- it shifts from deep blue to purple to teal.  It's a shapeshifter! Buy it now! :)

Also, most deep blues in my experience have a black base that makes them a bit unwearable.  However, this color is perfectly balanced and wearable.  2 coats were enough to achieve an even, opaque look.

Texture:

Smooth to the touch.  The polish flowed evenly over my nails without bubbling, streaking or pooling.

Longevity:

I wore 2 coats without a top coat for a week with no visible chipping or tip wear. This is great because I am extremely clumsy and usually chip my nails within a day or two with other nail polishes.  Chanel's polishes are pricey but they also do offer longer wear times so it's a good value, I feel.  

Price:

This is pricey at $27 but if it's a color you'd enjoy wearing and want to treat yourself, I recommend buying it because of the durability of the wear and the gorgeousness of the color! :)

Here are a few pics taken in my patio in daylight so you can admire the sheer power of shimmer in this baby!

Product Images and Swatches:

Deep blue overtone

Purple undertone

Teal undertone

I almost dropped the nail polish here!

Does this nail polish rock your world like it did mine?

until next time,
Batul

Eye makeup tutorial: Butterfly eyes for Summer

An ode to the Morpho butterfly

Shimmering iridescence in waves of blue, green and teal with every flap of their wings, Morpho butterflies are a delight to behold.

Native to South America, Mexico and Central America, Morphos have long been used in the making of ceremonial headdresses and jewelry.

I was lucky enough to spot them at the California Academy of Sciences where they're part of the Rainforests of the World section.  I was blown away by the beautiful exhibits, history and ongoing research going on there.

A HUGE plus is that every thursday night, the Academy hosts special events with music and cocktails for 21+ folks.  Great way to party, learn new things and meet awesome people- check it out here.

Here's a picture of the Morpho butterfly btw:

I was inspired by the beautiful colors of the Morpho butterfly to create the look below for you.  It's shimmery, flirty and totally wearable.

The Finished Look

 

Products used:

 

Lilac eyeshadow base: Make up forever aqua cream #18

Teal eyeshadow base:  L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Endless Sea

Navy blue eyeshadow: Urban Decay Evidence

Blue mascara: MAC Blue Charge (This was a limited edition release and is no longer available.  Here's a great substitute)

How to achieve this look:

1. Use a flat shader brush to apply the lilac eyeshadow base on the inner corners of your upper and lower eyelids.  This is a great way to open up your eyes and make them appear wider.
2. Using a clean soft towel, wipe off the flat shader brush from Step 1.   Use the clean brush to apply the teal eyeshadow base along the remainder of your upper eyelid.  Overlap this color on the lilac base a wee bit to blur out any harsh lines between the two colors.  It makes for a much better gradation in color this way.  Also, try to avoid getting extending the base beyond the crease, we want to limit the colors to the upper eyelid below the crease for this look.
3. Using a fluffy dome brush, sweep the navy blue eyeshadow gently over the teal base. Sweep back and forth gently to blend the color.
4. Gently drag the color from the outer corner of your eyelid towards your brow- wing it slightly to lift the eye.
5. Line the bottom of the lashline with the same navy blue eyeshadow.
6. Curl and apply blue mascara.

The result is a complex, multi-hued symphony of purple, blue and teal that shimmers with every blink : )  And it's pretty easy to pull off.  The trick is to keep the rest of the makeup very neutral so the focus is on the eyes.

My husband, who's not as obsessed with makeup as I am, actually commented on how gorgeous this look was..we even went grocery shopping with my butterfly eyes....It was a bummer having to wash this off my face at the end of the day...oh well, c'est la vie.

Do you like butterflies?  Would you try this look out? What occasions would you wear it for?

I'd love to hear your questions or comments :)

Have fun and enjoy your week,
B

Chanel Summer 2013 Launch- L’Ete Papillon de Chanel

A Summer of butterflies- Info and photos

Chanel is timelessly chic and let’s face it, horrendously expensive :)
 

Just keeping it real…

That being said, their latest collection, L’Ete Papillon de Chanel is worth splurging on.  The color palette is  inspired by butterfly wings...Resistance is futile..

Check out the promo pictures below.  They made my heart sing with joy.

The Limited Edition collection features the following:

Stylo Eyeshadow

 

These eyeshadow pens have a cooling, water infused formula that leave a shimmering veil on your lids.   

They’re $34 each and come in the following colors:

• Platinum: Moon River
• Gold: Cool Gold
• Pink: Pink Lagoon
• Silvery Turquoise: Blue Bay
• Sage green: Jade Shore
• Silvery black: Black Stream 

Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eye liner

·     

      There's only 1 eyeliner in this collection and it retails for $30.

•      Turquoise: True Blue

 

Inimitable Mascara  

 

Waterproof and multi-dimensional mascaras.  The way I see it, you can cry tears of joy once you have them on and NOT have color streaking your face.  These are perfect for summer and I will be doing a few looks with the ones I've ordered.  

They're $30 each and come in the following colors:

• Blue Green: Aqua Blue
• Lemony yellow: Zest
• Bright Green: Lime Light
• Bright Blue: Blue Note
• Black: Noir (This is part of their permanent line)

Les 4 Ombres

A baked eyeshadow quads with matte, satin and shimmer shades in the blue-green-gray family.  For a gentle wash of color, apply dry.  For an intense, dramatic look, apply wet.  

This retails for $59.

• Metamorphose

 

Rouge Coco Shine

These are hydrating, sheer lipsticks that leave a very soft shine on the lips.  They give a hint of color without depth/saturation.   

They’re $34 each.

• Raspberry: Pygmalion (The literary geek in me loves the reference)
• Peach: Idylle

Levres Scintillantes

Chanel is famous for their glossimers. They’re shimmery lip glosses that aren’t sticky or gritty.  Layer them over a lipstick or wear them over bare lips and you’re set!   

They're $29.50 each.

• Coral: Envolee
• Shimmery Beige: Zephyr (this is a perfect neutral for any season)
• Light Raspberry: Eden

Le Vernis 

Nobody does nail polish like Chanel.  Their formulas are amazingly multi-dimensional, opaque, complex and spread evenly without streaking.  This is one little luxury I splurge on…:)

They’re $27 each.

• Deep, Caribbean blue: Bel-argus
• Blue-Green: Azure
• Bright Coral: Lilis

The collection is now available online on Chanel.com, Nordstroms, Saks and Bloomingdales.  It's also available at Chanel counters.

I ordered a few products and will be posting reviews shortly. Stay tuned.

Happy Friday,

B