2011 Everyday Staples & Favourites

Here's all the (mostly) makeup products that I used daily (and could not live without) in 2011.  It was a disaster if I forgot to pack any of these items in my overnight bag.

Chanel Métiers d’Art Paris-Bombay Makeup

image: vogue.fr

I'm a bit of a geek and like to look through backstage photos and videos to see what Peter Philips has in line for the next Chanel collection.  Here's some images I've found from various websites.  Additional information can be found on style.com and lachanelphile.com

New products for June 2012:

• Eyes - Illusion d’Ombre in Nirvana
• Highlight - Route des Indes
• Cheeks - Joues Contraste Blush in Brume d’Or
• Lips - Rouge Coco Shine in Empreinte
• Nails - Le Vernis in Diwali

image: vogue.fr

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

To be honest I have never really understood Benefit's appeal, but my interest was piqued by their new mascara.  They're Real! was launched around August/September in the UK and I finally decided to try it out recently.  Blog reviews were mainly positive but reviews on makeupalley were mixed -  some women rated it very highly while others simply hated it.

Stila Lip Glaze Set

I remember coveting Stila lip glazes circa year 2000.  The colours were enticing and no other brand had the Touche Eclat-like packaging at the time.  I was still living in Sydney at the time and they were stunningly overpriced in Australia.  When I saw this Lip Glaze Set online for a great price, I had to pick them up as gifts for nostalgic reasons.

Glossybox vs Joliebox Boudoir Privé

I gave in this month and ordered both Glossybox and Joliebox/Boudoir Privé again.  Glossybox because it's a red Christmas box with a Deborah Lippmann polish, and Boudoir Privé because it's their first box since being acquired by Joliebox.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Vermeer

Rouge Bunny Rouge is one of those brands that I've wanted to try for a long time but in one way or another have delayed purchasing.  Not being able to actually see, touch and try the products at a counter is one of the.  Cost, on top of the former reason, is another.

So I had to rely on blogs for swatches of the products.  Being a BIG cheek product fan, I decided to try the Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand Cheeks in Bloom in Vermeer.  (Yes, RBR products have wonderful and whimsical names that are a bit long and hard to remember.)

Chanel Joues Contraste in In Love #55

My latest acquisition is Chanel Joues Contraste in In Love #55.  In Love is part of the permanent line-up of Joues Contraste in the UK. 

Nails of the day #8 - Dior Vernis in Merveille #651

Dior Holiday 2011 Collection brings us four nail polishes, but I think Merveille #651 steals the show.

Please excuse my manicure!

Chanel Ombre Essentielle in Beige Lamé #417

I am still not sure whether Beige Lamé was a good buy for me.  It's a beautiful neutral colour, quite fineky milled, with multicoloured sparkles through it.  The problem is not in the sparkles, which actually look quite beautiful.  It's the base colour - when I wear it, I don't really much of anything as it's nearly the same as my skin colour.  I was hoping for it to be a bit darker - instead I just use it on days when I just want a sheer wash for the eyes.

For this reason there's no swatch for this eyeshadow - I'll leave you with a close-up instead.

Lipstick of the day #16 - Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in Empire #707

When I approached the Chanel counter to look at the Holiday Collection, I had my heart on getting the Enivrée Rouge Allure lipstick.  But I was sadly disappointed when I saw the actual colour with the shimmer & glitter.  Then I turned my eye onto the Rouge Allure Lacque in Empire #707.