Chanel Joues Contraste Frivole Review

 Blush, Chanel  9 Responses »
Dec 262012
 

Chanel Frivole12a

Chanel Spring 2013 introduces a new blush–Chanel Joues Contraste in Frivole ($43), a rich orange coral. Frivole is the marvelous pressed powder that gives a beautiful glow.

Chanel Spring 2013 Frivole11

Chanel Joues Contraste in Frivole is quite warm–some with cool tones may not enjoy them. Those with warm skin tones may not find it the most flattering everyday blush. However, I sometimes wear clothing with strong bright tones–a rich lapis blue, lime, or a strong coral, that seem to work well with orange toned blushes. Here is a comparison with Frivole and MAC Modern Mandarin (former limited edition product, no longer available, Chanel Tweed Corail, Chanel Espiegle and Chanel Reflex (the non-US baked version).

Chanel Frivole Comparisons1

Here are comparison swatches of all of these blushes. MAC Modern Mandarin is more shimmery and more red.  Chanel Tweed Corail is more pink, and less pigmented.  Chanel Espiegle is pinker and less pigmented. Chanel Reflex is far more shimmery and more brown.

Chanel Spring 2013 Frivole17a

Here is Liz with Chanel Frivole, and the Chanel Raffinement eyeshadow quad on her lids (review coming soon), and a light dusting of the Poudre Singee de Chanel:

Chanel Frivole Look1b

Overall, Liz and I found that Chanel Frivole lived up the Joues Contraste name, having an excellent formulation, finely milled consistency, and overall glowing impression. Whether you wish to have a vibrant orange-coral in your blush selection is a judgement call. For its part, Chanel Frivole is an excellent choice if your answer is “yes.”

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Chanel Ultra Rose Joues Contraste Blush Swatches and Comparisons

 Blush, Chanel  11 Responses »
Dec 192012
 

Chanel Ultra Rose4c

Recently, there was a quiet overseas release of Chanel Ultra Rose Blush (#74), which I discovered from reading Reika’s review at Front Row Beauty.  To be honest, I don’t know much about the release beyond Reika’s post–that Ultra Rose appears to be a permanent non-U.S. addition to the line.

Despite Chanel Ultra Rose’s vibrant look in the pan, I found that it applied well with a standard blush brush. It’s a vibrant shimmery cool pink with a fair amount of blue undertone.

Chanel Ultra Rose reminded me of the former Chanel Turbulent, a limited edition U.S. release from several years ago. I pulled out my well-stored backup of Turbulent to compare. along with a few other cool vibrant pinks from my collection. These include Tom Ford Narcissist, and three MAC Pro Shades–Full Fuchsia, Azalea, and Rhubarb. Swatches:

Chanel Ultra Rose6a

As you can see, Chanel Ultra Rose applies more satiny and deeper compared to Chanel Turbulent. The Tom Ford and MAC Pro shades are more deeper and vibrant. Tom Ford Narcissist, MAC Full Fuchsia, MAC Azalea, and MAC Rhubarb must all be applied with a duo-fibre brush on my fair NC15/20 skin tone–these are all very pigmented compared to Chanel Ultra Rose.

Overall, I’m pleased to add Chanel Ultra Rose to my collection. Unfortunately, I do not know if this will be added to the U.S. line. I purchased mine at Izzy’s for $65.

Other reviews:

 

Le Blanc de Chanel- Overview of the Collection

 Blush, Chanel, Eyeshadow, Highlighter, Lipgloss, Lipstick  3 Responses »
Jul 102011
 

Le Blanc de Chanel was released this spring as an exclusive collection available exclusively in Asia.  As originally released, the group included foundations, skincare, and makeup.  Rouge Deluxe has a lovely overview of the entire line as originally released at this link.  This year, the Nordstrom Anniversary sale brings the collection to the U.S.  Nordstrom card holders can buy the collection now, and everyone else will have access on July 15th.

Here is an overview of the items available through the sale:

  • Poudre Lumière Perlée Pearl Glow Powder Highlighting powder $60
  • Rose Envolée Quadra Eye Shadow Palette $57
  • Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Tourbillon Blush $43
  • Rouge Allure Lipstick in Désinvolte and Joyeuse ($32 each)
  • Glossimer Lip Gloss in Blossom and Liason ($28.50 each)

I’ll be posting reviews of the items to help you put your shopping list together.

Chanel Rose Ecrin Blush: Review and Swatches

 Blush, Chanel  7 Responses »
Jul 022011
 

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Ecrin ($42 #68) is a medium rose-pink shade in this beautifully textured formula. Thankfully, this blush is in the soft powder U.S. formula, that has the familiar texture that seems to melt into the skin.

Rose Ecrin is a proper, “tea with the Queen” pink that always looks appropriate.  The blush seems to apply in a slightly deeper tone than it appears in the pan.  Despite the slight glow that you see in the picture above, Rose Ecrin applies as a near-matte on my skin.  It’s a very pretty, subtle blush that you will find yourself reaching for again and again, due to its versatility.

Another swatch:

As you can see, Rose Ecrin swatches neutral to very slightly warm.  For comparison, you can see that it is not as warm as the peachier In Love (reviewed here), nor as cool as Narcisse (limited edition and no longer available/ reviewed here).  Here is a picture of Liz wearing Rose Ecrin directly over foundation (no bronzer):

 

Chanel Fall 2010- Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush

 Blush, Chanel  10 Responses »
Jul 052010
 

Chanel’s Les Contrastes collection includes Pink Explosion #64 Joues Contraste Blush ($42) (Fard a Joues Poudre Powder Blush).  I knew that I would love Pink Explosion before I ever saw it, when I called Bergdorf’s counter in New York City and they had sold out.

Let’s review here.  First, it’s Chanel.  Second, it’s called “Pink Explosion.”  Third, Bergdorf’s sold out in one week.  The evidence was piling up pretty fast.

Yes, I know that this blush is not the same as the U.S.-textured Joues Contrastes of the past.  Yes, I can see that there are tiny glitter bits in the pan.  And Chanel has released two incredible cool pinks already- Narcisse and Turbulent.  Bobbi Brown makes fabulous pinks.  And don’t get me started on Shu Uemura’s Glow-ons.  That’s tough competition.

Chanel Pink Explosion

Pink Explosion is medium deep cool pink.  Pink Explosion is between Narcisse (light, less pigmented) and Turbulent (deeper, more pigmented). And I have been hoping for a blush like Pink Explosion for a long, long time.

I happen to love cool pinks.  My skin tone is light (NC15/Cameo) and warm.  When I wear foundation, a cool pink stands out from my warmer skin tone.  It brings out the blue in my eyes.  When I wear bronzer, it gives some needed coolness to the warmth of the bronzer.  It keeps me from looking too warm.

Your coloring and preferences may vary from mine, but personally, I love Pink Explosion.  I find it gives me a very fresh, glowing look that is noticeable but not overwhelming.  I applied this with a MAC blush brush and was very pleased with the results.  I can see using this one up.

Swatch applied with a blush brush:

Heavy swatch:

If you are considering investing in Pink Explosion, you may already know that not all bloggers are in agreement about Pink Explosion.  For example, Sabrina at The Beauty Look Book, who I respect, gave Pink Explosion a less than satisfactory review.   For me, Narcisse was too light and Turbulent too pigmented (and therefore difficult to work with).  I find Pink Explosion a stunning pink that is very easy to use, looks very polished, but has a little fashionable kick that I really love.

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