CHANTECAILLE

The purpose of this review is mainly to help people on the shade. Lip chics are, to me, the very utmost in lipstick. It's all I buy. The texture is so divine, and they are pretty long lasting for a sheer lipstick. This shade is pretty, but not for my coloring (fair/neutral blonde). Though it looks sort of garnet reddish in the tube, it pulls magenta when applied and is too bright on my fair skin. I bought it at the suggestion of Chantecaille's chat person as a replacement for Heirloom, one of my absolutely favorite shades (alas, now discontinued). Violetta is much different from Heirloom. If I barely use any, then it gives me a really beautiful and flattering shade, but if I use such a tiny amount, then I miss the lip-pampering balmy texture that is one of the biggest benefits of lip chics. If you already like vivid lip shades, go for it, and if your skin is darker, this will probably be a winner for you. Fair-skinned ladies, though, who like more muted colors should tread carefully.

I have been craving this blush shade ever since I saw it in a department store in Seoul, but that price tag! We don`t have this brand in Japan, but when I checked the prices in the US, they were at least 30% lower than what I saw on display in Lotte Department in Seoul. So, my thrifty side kept me from making the splash. During Black Friday the net-a-porter site dropped its shipping charges, so I grabbed this along with a few other things I have been eyeing for a while now. It is the most gorgeous shade of pink with a white pearl sheen running through it, which makes it awesome for cold, dreary winter days. I was afraid the color wouldn`t last on me, but I am happy to report that even after 8 hours this was going strong. It is pigmented, but looks so natural on my fair complexion. There are no scents whatsoever. The compact, while incredibly gorgeous, is also rather small, and when you consider the price and the quantity, this is a blush I can see myself using up rather quickly. I would repurchase, though, as the quality is amazing, plus the proceeds go towards saving butterflies, which is great. I can see why this brand is so well regarded and I want to try more of their products.

I grabbed this in the store and put it in my basket without first asking for the price. Would I have bought it if I had known it was $52? Hmmmm. Good question. I have no answer for that. Either way, it’s mine, and I love it. A soft, gorgeous, shimmery, muted lilac with specks of glitter - I used primer and still had a little fallout but I don’t care, because even the fallout is beautiful. For me, it’s a much too sparkly shadow to do the whole lid, but it works over top of eyeliner that I smudge around my eyes first. The color is deeper and more noticeable or brighter depending on the color of the liner. It also works if you do a soft taupe over the whole lid and then use your finger to dab some of this in the center of the lid. Color payoff a little better with a damp brush or fingertip. Staying power is decent. The shimmer and sparkle adds a pretty gleam to the eye area. I think this is a new release of about 6 muted shades, all shimmery/sparkly. The shadow itself is stamped with a tropical looking leaf pattern. Each shadow has a photo of an endangered animal, Dusky Lilac has a pangolin...the other shades have a lion, rhino, cheetah, elephant, and a giraffe. 5% of each sale goes to a foundation to help each particular animal. So there you have it - $2.60 of my purchase of this gorgeous but ridiculously over priced eyeshadow is helping to save animals, and that’s a good thing. Now....will I buy more of the available colors? I have been thinking about it....so, there is a good chance I might. Crazy, I know, but what can I say??