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Spring Nails 2012 Trend Watch: Pop of Color

 Dior, Nail Polish, Rescue Beauty Lounge  9 Responses »
Mar 262012
 

One cannot escape that neon pops of color are a prevailing trend for Spring 2012. Although I’m not likely to be purchasing an orange skinny crop jean just to follow along, I have been drawn to the bright nail colors that can tweak an otherwise neutral look.

I thought it would be fun to pull together some brights in a little sketch-type post. This is just a quick, fun one, just to see a few of the choices out there.

Most were purchased in the past two months, and so most should still be available now. In keeping with our Cafe Makeup aesthetic, few (if any) are neons. Instead, I’ve focused on brights that can still be considered wearable. Really, a bright accent–whether its nails, bracelet or other small accent– is something that anyone from age 10 to 100 can pull off. Fabulous nail colors are out there for under $10–I’ve been really impressed with L’Oreal’s new releases (two are pictured below). Click to enlarge:

Here are some informal thoughts about the shades:

  • L’Oreal Check Me Out–a pleasant bright pink that looks expensive. Seriously worth “checking out”
  • Dior Pink Graffiti–Part of Dior’s Anselm Reyle Collection. Awesome formula.
  • Butter London Disco Biscuit–Although this makes many blogger’s “favorite” lists, I found this needs 3-4 coats to reach a vibrant color, so it falls into the “fussy” category.  Try Zoya Layla if you like this blue-pink idea (not pictured because Liz needed it) but want to use fewer coats. Layla doesn’t have as much sparkle, but its a nice vibrant cool pink.
  • CND Poppy Field–This was part of CND’s line last year, a very pleasant vibrant coral-red
  • OPI Red Lights Ahead–Part of OPI’s Holland collection, this creme is very similar to CND Poppy Field
  • Deborah Lippmann Lara’s Theme–An vibrant deep orange
  • Laura Mercier Sizzle–Part of the Spring 2012 collection, this one is limited edition. A sophisticated coral-red.
  • OPI A Roll in the Hague– Another bright from OPI’s Holland collection
  • L’Oreal L’Orange—another delight from L’Oreal’s new line. Two coats to perfect. Nice vibrant opaque formula that is surprisingly good on wear time.
  • Zoya Paz– Matte orange roughly the color of a hunting jacket (or a street cone).  The closest thing to neon in this bunch.
  • Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin’- I’ve long loved this searing red-coral. Recent twitter traffic suggests that supplies are getting low on this color at the Rescue Beauty Lounge. You’ve been warned.
  • OPI Big Apple Red–This color is a nice true red, I’m only  including it so you can compare the swatches to the coral-reds to see the difference.

Swatches, swatches, swatches:

Who needs an alarm clock when you’re wearing ten of these?  Are you having any fun with brights this season?  How are you wearing them?

Dior Waterlily Nail Polish

 Dior, Nail Polish  8 Responses »
Jan 042012
 

Dior Spring 2012 brings Dior Vernis Garden Party nail polish in Waterily ($23 #504). This is a soft green with microshimmer that reminds me of some of Chanel’s more unique polish shades. As always, the bottle has that wonderful Dior brush that–although it seems to have a mind of its own–certainly knows what it’s doing.

The polish is labeled as “scented.” When the polish is wet the scent is that of….nail polish. However, when it dries down there is a faint, pleasant floral scent that evokes roses and perhaps lilies as well. To me, the scent is not strong and the sillage does not travel far. I catch the scent as I take a sip of water or use the phone, but I cannot when my hands are on my keyboard. Application was smooth and opaque in two coats.

Here, I’ve swatched two (2) coats of Dior Waterlily together with three (3) coats each of Chanel Jade, Chanel Nouvelle Vague and Chanel Riva. No topcoat or base.

Dior’s formula is more pigmented than any of the Chanel.  Although it is close to Chanel Jade in color, Dior Waterlily is deeper in tone and slightly less yellow. Both have very subtle microshimmer.  If you like a high-shine look, you’ll want to add a topcoat–on its own, the polish dries down to a satiny texture. One more.

I don’t know whether Dior Waterlily will sell out as fast as Chanel Jade did, but the Dior will sell out. It’s an unusual, high-fashion color that’s going to look interesting and trendy during Spring. It’s delicate and pretty in two coats, and it unquestionably makes a statement. I love the color, and think it will look beautiful with creams, peaches and pinks as the weather warms.

Dior Garden Pastels 5-Color Eyeshadow

 Dior, Eyeshadow  Comments Off
Jan 032012
 

Dior Spring 2012 includes a limited edition 5-color eyeshadow palette, Garden Pastels ($59/ #441 / Couture Color 5-Coleurs Eyeshadow Palette Garden Collection in Garden Pastels). Like its twin Dior Garden Roses, the texture of this palette is beautifully pearly. All of the shades have a dimensional, shimmery quality that lights up when struck by the light.

Dior Garden Pastels

Like Garden Roses, the palette is embossed with a beautiful rose design:

You can see that the roses are raised:

Dior Garden Pastels

These colors are so far outside my comfort zone that I was very close to canceling my order for this palette. I was afraid that these colors would be very similar to a vintage palette that my friend had shown me, called Yardley Glimmericks, released in 1969:

Fortunately, Dior’s Garden Party is greatly updated and wearable on my warm skintone so long as I keep the look sheer and contained. Unlike the use of Yardley Gimmericks in the ad, I can do a simple wash of one or two colors on the lid area only, with perhaps a light shade in the inner corner. I use a soft matte liner (cool toned, either black or gray) and no shimmer on the brow bone. Otherwise, the cool shimmering tones might be overwhelming. Otherwise, they make beautiful little pearly accents used with other soft-toned mattes.

I can picture that some women are going to look incredible wearing these shades all over the eye area. The green is really unbelievable.

Another set:

This palette is beautiful, and will be a welcome addition for Spring. I have to use these colors with care, because they are so striking. Although these colors won’t work on everyone (what does?), this is a gorgeous and unique palette to pick up. Honestly, I don’t know of anything quite like it.

 

Dior Garden Roses 5-Color Eyeshadow

 Dior, Eyeshadow  4 Responses »
Jan 032012
 

Dior’s Spring 2012 collection includes a Garden Edition Garden Roses 5-Color Eyeshadow palette ($59/.016 oz. / #841 / Couture Color 5-Coleurs Eyeshadow Palette Garden Collection in Garden Roses), a series of roses and grey with an incredibly pearly texture. The format of the packaging is familiar. For these, the palette is embossed with beautiful rose shapes that catch the light.

The colors of Garden Roses is quite outside my comfort zone. These are cool pinks and violets, with a soft gray. The texture is incredibly fine–it virtually melds to the skin without a hint of powder. There is a trace of powder as I dug into the pan, but on the eye the application was smooth and without fallout.

Dior Garden Roses

The texture of these is remarkable–they have a shimmer and sheen that resembles an actual pearl. I’ve applied them sheerly, so that they look like shimmery watercolor shades. I found that I need to “anchor” the shades with either a matte eyeliner or a matte crease color (typically, a soft gray from Bobbi Brown). Otherwise, I use just a touch sheerly.

Another set of swatches:

Dior Garden Roses is indisputably beautiful–the question is whether it will work for you. The colors are a gorgeous combination of roses with a single gray tone. This is well worth a look, unlike some Dior shimmery shades, these colors do not turn frosty.  They are very high-sheen, which can be both dramatic and may require a matte foundation finish to compensate.

Dior Spring 2012: Rose Glow Awakening Blush

 Blush, Dior  2 Responses »
Jan 032012
 

Dior Rosy Glow Blush

Dior Spring 2012 includes Rosy Glow Blush ($44/0.26 oz.), otherwise called “Healthy Glow Awakening Blush No. 1.” In the pan, the blush is remarkably cool–a fuschia that contains a hint of violet. According to Dior, Rosy Glow includes Fresh Color Reveal, a technology that is intended to adjust to your coloring to develop a rosy radiance to match your skin tone. I can say that the technology works on me–the blush applies as a pink with red undertones when applied on my cheeks worn over foundation.

The compact is the heavy silver type that is used for several other Dior special edition face products:

Open:

The split pan and the luxe brush:

 

 Dior Rosy Glow applies very sheerly and light at first.  Please do not judge your application by these first swipes.  The color intensifies and becomes more visible over the next several minutes–as Dior describes, “the halo of color gradually intensifies as if my magic, revealing an ultra-natural and customized rosy glow.” On my, I got a strawberry-pink sheer matte wash. It was very pretty, and reminded me a bit of a red-pink fruit punch color. It was medium deep in tone.

I suspect that most arm-swatches that you see on others will not be helpful at all, and I don’t expect these to be any different. The color looks different on your cheeks –it’s intended to change color and it does in a magic sort of way. Really, to know you’ve got to wear the color on your own.  Nonetheless, I’ve swatched this next to Chanel Turbulent and Chanel Tweed Fucshia. The color on my face is more similar to Guerlain’s Rouge G Blush, although a bit deeper and rosier in tone:

Overall, Dior Rosy Glow Blush is a bit of an experiment–do try it at a counter if you can before you buy. It’s a very flattering color, so the technology works for me personally. It’s a little disconcerting to wait to see how the blush will look for several minutes afterwards. The powder applies without caking–the powder melds to the skin so it looks like a natural part of my skin. Although the texture is matte, the overall impression of the color is a “rosy glow.”

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