Dior Summer Mix Nail Polish Swatches

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Henna

When I posted my review of the Dior Summer Mix collection, I hadn’t had a chance to do nail polish swatches, but here they are now.

The bright splash of colour we’ve been seeing on nails is going to go sheer and jelly-like, and these Dior polishes are ahead of the game.

You’ve already seen Cosmo:

Here’s Calypso, a candy-apple red.

Acapulco, sheer lemon yellow. This one wasn’t my favourite.

Lagoon is actually the least sheer of all of these, and has the most pigment. The colour was 90% opaque when I applied two coats. It’s a really pretty ocean blue.

These are $34 each at Dior counters.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fame by Lady Gaga

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Henna

In case you missed it last week, @FlareFashion editior @LisaTant tweeted a photo of the highly publicized Lady Gaga perfume, Fame. Thanks, Lisa! Now we all get to see the bottle. First impressions? Leave them in the comments. Will you be picking up this fragrance?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Leave a comment

Dior Summer Mix Collection

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Henna

Matching nails and lips is the idea behind Dior’s Summer Mix collection, and the colours are charming enough to make you reach for them again and again.  The collection introduces 4 new shades of Dior Vernis Nail Gloss ($24) (called “Gloss” because each shade wears like a jelly and is slightly translucent), and 2 new shades of Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss ($31).

Here’s a swatch of Cosmo #178 Nail Polish which is one of my favourite pinks to come out in a long time.

It goes well with Rose Bikini #664 lipgloss – also one of my favourites because it’s the perfect hot pink and so easy to wear.  I like that it leaves a stain on my lips so I look polished even though the gloss has worn off.

The nail shades are Cosmo (above), Calypso (the candy apple red), Acapulco (yellow), and Lagoon (swimming pool blue).

Lipgloss colours are Rouge Croisiere #854 (sheer red), Rose Bikini (hot pink), Orange Pareo (from the Summer 2012 collection), and Gold (which is actually exclusive to the U.S.).

The collection is out already and is exclusive to The Bay.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

MAC Fashion Sets and Snob Swatch

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Henna

A quick look at the facts tells us that MAC’s Fashion Sets are long overdue:

Spice – #1 classic best-selling lip pencil in Canada, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, UK, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Thailand, India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Travel Retail
Myth – #1 selling lipstick in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia and Finland
Russian Red – #1 selling lipstick in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Singapore and Venezuela Snob – #1 selling lipstick in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina and Travel Retail
Chestnut – #1 selling lip pencil in the US

Clearly, when something’s #1, it just begs to have accompaniments added to it, and that’s the thought behind the Fashion Sets. Now you can have Lipglass and nail polish to match your favourite lipsticks.

The one that intrigued me the most was Snob, because the light neutral pink lippie seemed it would translate into a nail colour that was perfect for the summer.

Unfortunately, the polish isn’t as great as the matte lipstick. It’s low on the pigment and wears slightly see-through. Still pretty and wearable, and definitely something I’m going to reach for, it’s just not the pale pink that I was hoping for.

MAC Fashion Sets will be on counters until June 28th.

Here are the colours:

Myth light neutral nude
Snob light neutral pink
Spice Mid-tone neutral nude
Girl About Town bright blue fuchsia
Russian Red Mid-tone neutral red
Rebel Mid-tone cream plum
Chestnut Rich chocolate brown

Lipsticks are $17.50, Lipglasses are $17.50, and nail polishes are $19.00 each.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

OPI’s Minnie Mouse-Inspired Collection

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Henna

This June, OPI is releasing a collection of four nail polishes inspired by Minnie Mouse.  It’s a quirky fun palette of shades that are vibrant and totally Minnie Mouse-like.

The shades are a pink crème lacquer, one frosted red shade, a shimmery fuchsia, and a heart glitter confetti.  They will be called:

Nothin’ Mousie ‘bout It
Don’t squeak it – SHOUT IT! This confetti light pink is tops!

I’m All Ears
Tell me how much you love this magenta shimmer.

If You Moust You Moust
You gotta pink what you gotta pink.

 The Color of Minnie

You had this little mouse at “red.”

Check them out at salons for $9.95 each.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dior Hydra Life Skin Perfect Pore Refining Moisturizer Review

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Henna

This is a truly luxurious product for those of you who want a primer and moisturizer for the summer.  Dior’s Hydra Life Skin Perfect Pore Refining Moisturizer is a silicone-rich yet nonetheless moisturizing product that smells like roses.  It has a texture that feels truly like velvet, and sets to a matte finish on skin. It provides immediate relief to mildly dry skin, and absorbs oil throughout the day.  Makeup glides on top without any effort and stays put.

Instantly, skin looks more poreless and smooth.  I found the effects to last throughout the day.  There is a slight amount of shimmer in the lotion, and I found that nice because it made skin look a little smoother and flaw-free.

If you have oily or combination skin that needs a bit of relief from dryness at the beginning of the day, this would be perfect.  If you have dry skin, you likely won’t find this to be moisturizing enough but it would make a great primer on top of your moisturizer.

Pick it up at Dior counters and at Sephora for about $88.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Summer Nail Polish Obsession: Zoya Shelby Swatch

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Henna

“Do you like my nail polish?” That’s the text I sent out to my friends, because I was wearing the prettiest nail polish shade ever, and I couldn’t stop staring at my nails all day, and I just had to share with my friends.

Zoya Shelby is quite possibly the perfect summer colour, and if not that then definitely the perfect summer pink. Get it now – it’s part of the Zoya Beach collection which is my favourite. I like creams, and this collection has lots of them! More swatches coming soon, friends! Beach is Zoya’s Summer collection.

Oh, and here’s a larger image so that you can see the polish in all its glory.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged | 2 Comments

L’Eau de Chloe Review

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Henna

This year, the flanker to the 2008 Chloe is one that’s gotten tons of buzz and has been eagerly awaited by perfume-lovers.

What had me waiting to reach for it was the fact that the new juice has 22% rosewater in it, which would give a definitely lightness and freshness to the perfume.

Luckily, L’Eau de Chloe does not disappoint. If you liked the original, you’ll be glad to know that this has facets of that – the drydown is definitely all Chloe.

What’s different is the opening notes. They are super fresh and light, and make the fragrance much more spring-like. The opening has whiffs of lemony bergamot, and green leaves. Of course, there’s rose going throughout the entire scent. It’s light and easy to wear, and the drydown of patchouli and musk at the base makes the scent long-lasting.

Pick this up at perfume counters now.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Perfume: Burberry Brit Summer Edition

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Henna

The latest from Burberry is a flanker to their Burberry Brit fragrance.  The scent is lighter and more sparkling than the original, making it just right for layering in the summer.

Notes include: pear, lime, and green tea, with middle notes being sugared almond and white peony.  The base notes are musks, amber, and mahogany wood.

The scent does indeed start off being light and fresh, but settles down slightly sweet thanks to the sugared almond and amber.  The scent is an eau de toilette so it is actually fresh and light.  If you were a fan of the original Burberry Brit, you will like this as well.  I really can’t comment on how it compares to the original since I have not smelled that.

Pick it up at local fragrance counters for about $70.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | 1 Comment

New York City Ballet by OPI – Spring 2012

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Henna

Spring is here with OPI, who has partnered with the New York City Ballet to bring 5 new SoftShades for Spring.  The collection features five sheer shades lightly tinged in hues of beige, pink, white, lilac and gray, as well as a silver sparkly lacquer. With various sized glitter particles, this hue can be worn alone or layered over any of the other colors for added shine and dimension.

The new colours are:

Barre My Soul
This sheer beige is gorgeous, and that’s the “naked” truth.

You Callin’ Me a Lyre?

This ascending pink hits all the right notes.

Don’t Touch My Tutu!
Hands off this wispy white — it’s all mine!

Care to Danse?
This lilac is up-to-the-minuet in fashion.

My Pointe Exactly
See? This gorgeous sheer gray has been right all along!

Pirouette My Whistle
Drink up! This silver sparkle is just what you need.

They will be available April 2012 for $10.95 each.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Spring 2012 | Tagged | Leave a comment