Summer 2008
Rise & Shine With Chanel Robertson Exclusive – L.A. Sunrise
For any beauty fanatic, there’s nothing better than coming home after a long day at work to find a little box (L.B.) of beauty goodness on your doorstep. Whether it be a swap package or a purchase it always feels like my birthday when something new arrives. Well today’s L.B. was a doozie. After stalking the Chanel website like a crack fiend for the past month (I know they said July but you never know), the Robertson Collection FINALLY went on sale last Thursday. In fact, I was running late to see a movie as I scrambled to place my order. But now L.A. Sunrise is mine, ALL MINE!
Holy yellow hotness, Chanel! You have seriously made my day. I’ve been on the search for the perfect lemon nail polish and L.A. Sunrise is it. Not too mustard, too light or too gold. Just pure lemon pudding with a whisper of silver shimmer. Perfection!
I just wish that fabulosity (yes, I’ve watched Kimora’s reality show) translated to the formula. I’ve been pretty pleased with the application of Chanel polishes in the past and I don’t know if it’s just the nature of yellow polish but I can’t get one, NOT ONE, to apply well. Every yellow I own is thicker and more streaky than its collection counterparts and they all require three coats. For $25 a bottle, I expect more.
Unfortunately, I don’t own a yellow with the same softness and opacity but if you find one shout it out in the comments! Until a twin is found, I direct you to the Chanel.com website where L.A. Sunrise is still available along with the rest of the Robertson Collection.
China Glaze Immaterial Gurl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
A material, a material, a material, a material world
Material Girl lyrics by Peter Brown & Robert Rans
Even though Madonna’s song was about materialism and not fabric, it’s hard for me not to look at the imMaterial Gurl collection from China Glaze without hearing those lyrics in my head. I can’t sing to save my life but in the comfort of my polish room, I was belting it out like a champ while testing these shades.
A collection of six textile themed cremes, the imMaterial Gurl nail polishes are a girly change of pace compared to their bolder Spring/Summer offerings, Ink and Ecollection. With a diverse range of hues to flatter most skin tones, rich pigmentation and a high gloss shine, these are not what I’d call “must have” colors but they’re definitely good staple shades to round out your collection.
For the most part the formula was spot on. Two coats for perfect, even coverage. The only notable exceptions are Second-hand Silk and Heirloom Organza. The consistency was a bit thicker and not as flowy so, I had to use three coats. All shades are shown without a top coat, just their natural glossiness.
The imMaterial Colleciton is available now and can be purchased online from 8ty8Beauty.com and Head2ToeBeauty.com. China Glaze is also carried in ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply stores but call for seasonal collection availability.
It’s A Neon, Neon World With Essie & Orly
As my favorite nail color queen, Rihanna, has already shown us, bright, bold, in-your-face shades are what’s hot right now. She’s been spotted wearing orange, teal, purple, etc. and even though she’s driving the bandwagon other young celebs are jumping on board. Take Lindsay Lohan for example. She wore a hot pink to match her prom-tastic dress at her 22nd birthday party and was caught lighting up (don’t do it!) with glowing orange tips.
To feed your need for neon, Essie and Orly have hit us with a one-two punch of bright, four color collections for Summer.
The Essie Neons are quite a departure for the usually subdued brand. They tend to target the conservative, classic nail fanatic. I give Essie two thumbs up for addressing the trend. Unfortunately I have to give a thumbs up/thumbs down to the formula. While half the shades (Mini Shorts & Short Shorts) were OK, the others (Bermuda Shorts & Shorty Pants) were pretty nightmarish. As expected, the neon pigments cause these polishes to dry matte but for some reason they don’t smooth out easily. You have to put in some work to avoid an uneven texture. But the colors, love them! Mini Shorts is definitely my favorite.
Orly High Voltage is a mixture of saucy shimmers and punchy cremes. The gold shimmer in Heat Wave is captivating. As soon as I picked up the bottle, I had to have it on my tips. It’s really a stand out lacquer for me. Charged Up is a nice grape but it’s also the only polish I had application issues with. I needed three coats to get even, full coverage. And if I were picking a hot reddish pink, Hot Shot would be my choice. It’s way more vibrant in person, somewhat shocking.
The polishes pictured are shown with a top coat since the majority dry matte. I chose images for each lacquer that best represented the color so they aren’t all shown in sunlight.
The Essie Neons and Orly High Voltage collections are available now online and in stores including hair and nail salons, Trade Secret, ULTA, Sally Beauty Supply and Regis. Contact your local retailer to check availability.
Chanel Robertson Boulevard Nail Colour Collection
When I was in LA last month, I desperately wanted to stop by the new Chanel boutique on Robertson Boulevard but time wasn’t on my side. The reason for my desperation… the Robertson Boulevard limited edition Nail Colour Collection. Sold exclusively at the Robertson boutique from now until the online launch in July, this collection was created by Peter Philips, the new Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup.
Based on the bold pop art imagery, I wasn’t expecting the slight softness I saw in the shades I tested. It’s this quality that makes them very wearable, even for Chanel’s more conservative clientele. As expected, the lacquers applied flawlessly and with excellent pigmentation, I barely needed two coats to reach bottle color. At $25 a bottle, they better.
Rodeo Drive is a warm grapey purple with subtle silver shimmer. In the sun it reminds me of the cartoon character Grape Ape. Of all the polishes in this collection, Rodeo Drive was the one I most looked forward to seeing so I’m glad it lived up to my expectations.
L.A. Sunset is a creamy melon orange with a high gloss factor. I wouldn’t classify it as a bright per se but it’s definitely bold and summery. A perfect pedicure shade.
With the popularity of yellow polish this season it’s no surprise to see one included in this collection. However, I was surprised at how sweet and sexy L.A. Sunrise looked on Selma Blair’s tips in InStyle‘s June edition. No mustard or neon here, just a gorgeous lemon sorbet. I plan to order it the day of the online release.
Melrose, L.A. Sunrise, L.A. Sunset and Rodeo Drive will be available for purchase exclusively on Chanel.com in July. You can sign up on the CHANEL site to be notified of their release.
MAC Neo Sci-Fi Nail Polishes
Summer 08 hasn’t officially arrived yet MAC has hit us up with a ton of new collections. Neo Sci-Fi, Cool Heat, Tendertones (love!), Future Earth, Solar Field, Naughty Nauticals, Skinsheen and Dazzleglass (stop my beating heart), OH MY! And they certainly haven’t forgotten to give some love to us nail polish fanatics.
The Neo Sci-Fi collection hit the shelves with a bang and its limited edition bright orange packaging makes the collector in me go wild. More in line with the bold look of Lure (turquoise), I’m glad MAC brought back the fun this year after the boring white compacts from last summer’s MoonBathe. Of course that never affects the lacquer as they are always sold with signature black rubberized caps.
For the most part I was over the moon about these shades but the pigmentation and application of a couple is holding me back from giving two thumbs up. I had to apply three coats of each lacquer to achieve bottle color and the slightly stiff fat brush takes a bit of getting used to but for colors like Plasma Blu and Phosphor, I say it’s totally worth it.
Plasma Blu is a glimmering bright blue, leaning towards turquoise. It’s the ocean electrified and gets my vote for best of the collection. With its ribbons of blue and silver shimmer running throughout it gave the best application and color payoff.
Metalist is the problem child; a coppery metallic shimmer, I could just not make this one work. I applied it twice and still couldn’t get the streakiness and brush strokes to subside. It’s a pretty summer color and, perhaps in the hands of a professional, it would make a great pedicure shade.
Neon 8 is described as a bright orange but to me it’s softer and slightly more coral due to its hot pink shimmer. It’s as if OPI Crim-Sun & Coral Reef had a baby, minus the holographic glitter. Like Plasma Blu, this lacquer applied well without issue.
Phosphor is the epitome of the yellow brick road. Can’t you just see this paving the streets of Oz? The golden shimmer is magnificent and even though this isn’t a shade for everyone, it’s so very fun. I don’t know that I’d wear it on my toes though. I think that no matter how dark a faux tan I got, it would make my feet look diseased. But for tips, totally! The only issue I had is with the lacquer dragging near my cuticles. I had to wait a good five minutes between coats to make it work.
Unfortunately Phosphor and Plasma Blu are sold out online but check with your local MAC counters for availability. And just because the colors are sold out doesn’t mean you’re completely SOL. Are you a Feedblitz subscriber? Well, you should be! You just might get lucky.
Also, the MAC Friends & Family Online sale is TODAY and today only so head on over to MACCosmetics.com to pick up some treats for 15% OFF. Use code MACFF8.
Looking for some suggestions from the new collections?
I’ve been in love with the Slimshines since they first appeared last summer. I have either Lovey-Dove, Grenadine or Urgent! on me at all times. They are the perfect combination of lipstick and gloss. Smooth and shiny yet with excellent color payoff and staying power. Swelter from Cool Heat has now entered the rotation. It’s a less intense red than Urgent!, perfect for hot summer nights.
Because I’m a lip balm junkie, the lightly tinted Tendertones are a fav of mine but you have to be a pot balm lover. Since I’m a Smith’s Rosebud Salve devotee, it doesn’t bother me. The funky looking lime green, Tread Gently, gives the perfect amount of shimmer for day with no real color so don’t be scared of it’s odd appearance.
And other than the polishes from Neo Sci-Fi, I’ve been wearing Femme Fi and Expensive Pink eye shadows in combination with Bagatelle and Mulch for a warm summery eye that works well with a faux tan.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
