Virtual Visit: Chanel Autumn/Fall 2012 and new items/brands I spotted recently at Sephora

Ah I haven’t done a walkaround the beauty halls for a long long time. I’ve been so busy that the malls and beauty counters are starting to look quite alien to me. I initially was planning to pick up the Rose Initiale blush from Chanel’s Fall collection but some circumstances have resulted in me forbidding myself from buying it. I know. Its a silly thing to do but there you go! I will not be owning Rose Initiale in the interim.

Chanel Fall/Autumn 2012

However, thanks to friends, I did visit the Chanel counter anyway to help a friend pick up a couple of items from the Fall 2012 collection including Rose Initiale! So I get to buy it after all 😀 I just don’t get to keep it LOL! Here’s what it looks like at the counter. Its just out and there are lip glosses, lipsticks, eyeshadows, a blush and oh so many things! 😛

I’ll just share some quick thoughts I had on the collection (plus a picture of the star product face powder), and also share some pictures of a couple of new items I spotted while at Sephora KL. Its a free and easy sort of day today and you can just tell me what you think or what you’ve been up to 🙂

Here is a picture of the star product in the Chanel Fall 2012 collection – the Lumiere d’Artifices Beiges powder.

There is a sparkly overspray that’s disappeared on the tester. The powder is striped and is I believe, an illuminating powder. I actually recognised the imprint. Chanel did a similarly designed eyeshadow palette a few years ago (I’ve got a picture here), with the sequin imprint. Then, I found it gave me goosebumps. It still does so urgh! I didn’t like the powder 😛

Here are the items I liked most from the Chanel Fall 2012 collection. Rose Initiale Joues Contraste blush (RM140) is a very lovely pink-rose and as many people have noted, the new formula is much softer so it is easier to apply. It is also less shimmery and has a very lovely glow when applied on skin. It was hard to not pick one up for myself while I was at it 😛 You can read a review of this over at The Beauty Sample.

I paid no attention to the Premier Regard eyeshadow quad. Chanel baked shadow quads do not interest me mainly because of previous bad experience.

However, the Ombre Essentialle single shadows drew me in like a moth to a flame. Its not so obvious in the photos (Sorry, phone photos at work) but many of the colours are sparkly or with shimmer. I was particularly drawn to Éclairé which swatches a sheer sparkly gold and Black Star a black with multicoloured shimmer and Infini, a lovely shimmery silver. So pretty! I also was quite interested in Lily, a matte pale pink and Complice a shimmer light peach. Ah, lets just say I loved them all! At RM102 each (I think) I chose not to get any for now…. and my wallet heaved a sigh of relief!

Another item I checked out was the Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in the famed Troublant and Confidence (RM95 each). Troublant is quite a muted rose in the tube with very subtle microshimmer. Xiao has a review here and I really wanted it thanks to her. But on my lips, the colour wasn’t remarkable. It looked a bit dull in fact. I however was very taken in by Confidence – a brighter more pink rose gloss. It brightened my complexion and was very sweet.

In fact, it also tasted too sweet which was why I opted not to get it in the end. The scent and sticky feeling on my lips was a good deterrent. Yay! Money saved! I survived the Chanel counter 😀

A jaunt through Sephora KL

I took a gander through Sephora KL recently too, and here’s some of the new stuff I picked out from the store.

I was previously keen on the Smashbox Shades of Fame Eye palette (RM189) but I’d almost forgotten to check it out. Seeing it again reminded me that yes, I was still interested in it. I think the colours, albeit at a first glance, looking bright and unwearable, are in fact quite neutral. Just discount Sherbert and Pacific and its a pretty palette. I was particularly drawn to Safari. However, I chose to pass on it for now. You can see swatches over at Beauty Reflections. Very pretty!

I also spotted new brand Josie Maran which I recall a friend raving about a few years ago. I think she liked the foundation.

I was however fascinated by the Argan Color Stick which I think is a cream stick blush. The colour looked quite pretty when I swatched it on the back of my hand, and it felt quite nice. But I don’t use stick blushes a lot so it was just a fascination for me.

I did notice that the brand focuses on the use of Argan oil in their cosmetics. I’m not familiar at all with the brand so if you have something good to recommend to try, please share! I did see their Argan Oil hair serum.

I don’t know how good it is, but if anyone is interested in trying an argan oil hair serum, well I guess here’s an option.

I also noticed that the Urban Decay Build Your Own Palette is now available here. Essentially, you buy a case and buy the shadows you want to put in there. The case is RM69 and comes with a shadow (Walk of Shame) and a brush. The concept is nothing different or special if you are familiar with other brands like MAC, Shu Uemura, Bobbi Brown, Inglot etc but trust UD to make a big deal out of it eh? 😛

For Hello Kitty fans, you can have a crystal encrusted mirror in your fave kitty!

Uh yeah 😛

Oh and a bit of a syiok sendiri moment (A local colloquialism that loosely translates into “I’m so thrilled with myself!”). I was standing at the Clinique counter debating if I should pick up another Even Better serum when I noticed this:

Oh hello there! Its moi! 😀 And ‘toing toing‘ is a proper adjective to describe taut, supple, bouncy skin ok 😛 Clinique Moisture Surge gel cream is one of those things I come back to time and again (review here) so yay! 😀

Does anything in Chanel Fall 2012 catch your fancy? Have you tried anything from the new items I spotted at Sephora? Do share if you have 😀

Paris B