Tag: Chantecaille

Chantecaille Limited-Edition Save The Sharks Palette

Time after time, Chantecaille stuns with their palettes benefiting wildlife. They honor their cause while still being beautiful and wearable. This season’s is no different. The Save the Sharks Palette is graphic and fresh that translates into either a neutral or bold look but both very feminine.

I’ve been wearing the palette out and about for a couple weeks. First, I love that the artwork of the palette is not disturbed by use (this isn’t always the case). The dual shades of each pot blend beautifully, and with a smaller brush you can use the individual shades.

Great White – a creamy, iridescent beige inspired by the apex of our oceans’ ecosystems, the Great White shark. I use this on the brow bone and in the corner of my eyes for a highlight.
Gray Reef- a true, shimmering taupe with a touch of grey inspired by the Indian and Pacific Oceans’ Grey Reefs sharks. I swipe this on on my lids, just to the crease. This is perfect for a quick everyday look.
Black Tip – a deep ocean blue in the pan, this shade is closer to navy/black and inspired by the inky fin of Black tip sharks. While I reach for this only occasionally, I like using an eyeliner brush to apply right at the lash line. I think setting a liquid liner with a powder like this improves staying power.
Sea Anemone – a iridescent and sheer pink shade inspired by the underwater gardens of the tropical seas. This makes for a great highlighting blush, but don’t be afraid to use it on your lids too. Pastels on the lids are a thing this spring, ya know.

I love a look good, feel good product. For each purchase of this palette, a portion of all proceeds will be donated to BLOOM Association. BLOOM works towards banning shark fining. Several shark species have been decimated by 95% largely because of Asia’s growing and unregulated shark fin trade. The fins are used in a soup and the practice of harvesting is done in barbaric ways. The decimation of the shark population also hurts our ecosystems.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

Chantecaille Spring 2013 Lips

I’m one of those odd souls who loves winter. I love the cozy holidays, exciting weather and layered fashion. So, I am grudgingly accepting the quickly approaching hot weather. One thing that makes this so much easier is the stunning new lip products from Chantecaille to celebrate Spring. These shades are right up my alley – wearable, fresh neutrals that you can just swipe on. And of course, with it being Valentine’s Day, can’t think of a better topic than our pout. Pucker up!

I’m was already hooked on the Chantecaille Lip Chics – think buttery soft lipsticks that hydrate but are still packed with color. The lightweight texture has plumping effects of a gloss but coverage of a lipstick. I’ve treasured Heirloom but the new spring colors are so cheerful and feminine. Daphne is a nude pink with a sheer finish – perfect easy neutral lip. Rose Délice is a stronger, cooler pink but still relatively sheer. The pigment looks very blue and pigmented in the swatch above, but it is decidedly wearable.

Unlike the Lip Chics, I was totally new to the Luminous Gloss Long-Wear Lip Shine. Wow… are these good. These rich and pigmented lip glosses have great lasting powder and such a smooth finish. There is no settling into lines or stickiness. Extra shiny polymers give a wet, glasslike shine and superior adherence. There is no scent to these formulas. Pink Melon is a cool, relatively opaque pink that settles into a light nude. Framboise is a true raspberry that gives just a wash of color.

I can honestly say these will be my go-to spring shades. There are tremendously easy wear and use on the go. They hydrate and heal my dry lips. The fresh, girly shades are sure to cheer me up as my beloved winter comes to an end.

Best Brushes

I believe that great tools can make any product work better. I have more brushes than I can count, but I seem to reach for the same ones each and every day. I never once have regretted spending the money for a quality brush because, if you take care of them, they will last forever (note: I wash mine with this every week and dry laying flat overnight). Here are my brush MVPs:

Armani Beauty Designer Foundation Brush: While I still reach for this brush, I find the Armani version is more nimble because of its size. The sharper end can get into the contours of your face. And the synthetic brisstles play well with even the thickest of foundations, not leaving one single streak.

Laura Mercier Long Secret Camouflage Brush: When you have a blemish, there is just no better tool to apply concealer. The tapered tip allows for extreme precision and feather like strokes will keep the product from becoming cakey.

Bobbi Brown Powder Brush: I’ve had this brush for years and – to this day – it retains its strands and shape like a champ. It picks up powder and buffs on skin without being cakey or over-delivering product.

Chantecaille Cheek Brush: Made of goat hair, this super super soft brush can do everything on the cheeks. The tapered end deposits pigmented blush like a champ, but can also perfectly contour a bronzer under the cheek bones.

Le Metier de Beaute Eye Shadow Brush #1: This brush made of natural goat hair and perfectly shaped for applying shadow on the lids. I love the look so popular for Spring of a bold color just to the crease. This fluffy, square brush gets just enough pigment in all the right spots.

CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler: I used to be a devotee of the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (I had mine for about eight years). But it wasn’t until I replaced it with the CHANEL version that I got that true lifted curl that lasts. The shape of this curler is much better suited for my lashes. Game changer.

Shop my favorite brushes:

The Best Cream Blushes

While we are in the season of bronzers, I have found the real workhorse can be a rosy blush. They refresh the face with a luminous healthy glow. And I’m having a love affair with the cream variety. They tend to look more natural on me, blending out easily and evenly and having more radiance than their powder counterparts. Here are my picks for cream blush all-stars:

1. Chantecaille Radiant Fresh New Cheek Creme is a more pigmented formula. But because it is so silky, it blends out to a beautiful flush. The formula contains Lily Bulb Extract and Peach Extract which work as antioxidants.

2. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake is not actually a cream but bear with me. The formula actually applies like a cream but but dries to a long staying powder appearance. They make a wide range of shades, and at drugstore prices, you can afford to pick up a couple. I love Lara’s tip for using this product. Check out her post on The Glossarie right here.

3. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Luminious Creme Blush is oil free, but applies creamy. I’ve found it has great staying power with a balanced finish, not too dewy or pigmented. The formula contains Vitamins C and E, Allantoin and Jojoba Esters to hydrate and protect the skin.

4. La Prairie Cellular Radiance Cream Blush is a true luxury product. This is the most nourishing formula. It almost feels like a moisturizer going on. Skin care ingredients actually make the underlying skin healthier. The finish is on the sheer side.

Chantecaille Radiant Fresh New Cheek Creme

I am new to cream blushes and not quite sure why I didn’t get hooked on them sooner. I have dry skin and don’t often use powder. (A cream blush generally works best over liquid or no foundation and doesn’t play too nicely with powder.) My standby, La Prairie Cellular Radiance Cream Blush, is a sheer cheek color with great skin care properties. And always close at hand. But I have another partner in crime now. Chantecaille Radiant Fresh New Cheek Creme is more pigmented and silkier. I truly love them both, equally, for different reasons.

Chantecaille Cheek Cream has a very soft texture that blends beautifully into an even color. It has a velvety, matte finish that dries down very quickly. I can’t detect much of a scent – if anything, there is a hint of rose. The formula contains a unique technology, giving the color more luminosity. White Lily Bulb Extract and Peach Extract act as antioxidants. I love the sleek silver compact which holds a deceptively large amount of product.

Available in three shades:

Coy – Light Peach. (my current favorite, pop of color but not too overwhelming)
Demure – Medium Peach.
Shy – Light Pink.

These are available for $34 at Neiman Marcus. Use code JUNEFS for free shipping.

Chantecaille The Coral Reefs Palette

I’ve always thought the Chantecaille palettes were beautiful. But couldn’t justify the high price tag ($79). I can’t wait to tell you why I think this one is different. First, these shades are utterly wearable. But we will get to the beautiful colors in a bit. Second, the palette is refillable (I never knew this). Third, the mirror is HUGE and great to have on hand. Fourth, five percent of the proceeds benefit the Marine Conservation Institute in an effort to protect 10% of the world’s oceans by 2020. This seems like a small percentage, but it helps with the sticker shock. And last, this is a well-built, inclusive palette that would be so perfect for travelling.

So, now for the actual product. These shadows are blendable, soft and nicely pigmented. The gold shade on the corals is just a thin layer and comes off in the first use. Pity because it is so pretty, but you’ll be so excited about using the palette, it won’t matter.

The Pink Pearl (top left) mades a great eyeshadow base, all the way up to the brow. I also use it for highlighting. The Reef (top right) is a perfect crease color. You can also use Driftwood (bottom left) for a dramatic eye, but I like it for liner, smudged along the lashes. And what makes this palette different is that it includes a cheek color. Coral (bottom right) is a slighly peachy, sheer pink. Overall, these shades would love fab on a variety of skin tones. And when you break it down, the cost is slightly more palatable.