Time to Say Goodbye to Chanel Illusion d'Ombres

I'm not a big eyeshadow person, but when I fall for a little pot of pigment, I fall hard. The love I've felt for Chanel's Illusion d'Ombre shadows has been the stuff of romance novels, full of endless praises and poetic waxing. (Shit, look how purple my prose is now.) I've been loyal to these babies for four years, and in the ever-changing world of beauty blogging, that's saying something.

But there are two problems. The first is that I don't wear eyeshadow often, especially sparkly eyeshadow, so these only get worn on the weekend or when I'm going out to a club or a special event. The second is that these dry out quickly; I've replaced my favorite shades, Illusoire and Epatant, three times in the span of four years. If you aren't using even half of something up before it needs to be discarded...well, there's a problem. The return on investment isn't being realized. The love is unrequited.

Illusoire on left, Epatant on right

I was downright thrilled when I rolled "show something more love" for my current round of Beauty Roulette, because I figured it'd be the best excuse to rock my IdOs. And sure enough, I used both shades several times in several months, and my love for them was reignited. Just look at how beautiful they are! One shadow gives you a fantastic, multi-dimensional look in less than a minute! Photos do not do them justice, truly.

But I have to admit it: without Beauty Roulette, these aren't getting used. I really am too lazy to put on eyeshadow for work most mornings, so despite my best intentions, they are still only for weekends or nights on the town. And they deserve better than that.

I figure I'll sell or swap these off to a more loving home. Maybe somebody who has never tried them will finally get their chance. It'll be hard to say goodbye to something so pretty, something that's been like an old friend for years. But for now, at least, I think it's wise to leave these to the eyeshadow lovers and sparkle fanatics of the world.

FOUL TEMPTRESS! Duping (most of) the Stila Convertible Color palette

Truth time: Stila is not a brand I am particularly drawn to. I think most of their products would sell better if they were priced lower and sold in the drugstore as "almost mid-end" stuff, like Hard Candy or Flower Beauty. However, there is one product Stila makes that I am madly in love with: the Convertible Colors, their cream lip-and-cheek product that is eh for lips, great for dry cheeks like mine. Through some mystical magic, I've resisted the urge to buy a ton of those things.

Now they've come out with a limited edition palette of Convertible Colors for their spring collection. My magic is fading. Those suckers are tempting. Imagine: having every color I could want for trips to visit my boyfriend, beach vacations, and rushed work days! With 12 shades for $49, I'm having a hard time not buying the thing.

So I decided to be proactive and steal a page from the bloggers who attempt to dupe eyeshadow palettes: I'm trying to find alternatives to this palette in my current stash. I use cream blushes exclusively these days, and I'm only interested in duping 8 out of the 12 colors (the top left corner has lots of brown tones, which I could give or take on my pale skin). Here are my results!

I lined up my stash and, based on how the product looks in the pot/tube and how it wears on my skin, I made my choices. With two notable exceptions, I think my line-ups are close enough to count. And the two exceptions? Well, I think I kind of prefer them to the shades in the Stila palette.

Let's take a closer look at what I came up with, starting with the peaches and corals on the left.

I swapped Stilla Gladiola for MAC Neon Orange lipstick. Yes, this is a lipstick, but the formula is quite creamy, so I can use it as a blush. Neon Orange is a faux dupe because it has distinct red tones, whereas Gladiola is a true orange. Still, it functions fine on my cheeks. My only quibble: Neon Orange is so dense that I have to mix it with some moisturizer or foundation if I want to wear it as a blush and not look like a clown.

I swapped Stila Peachblossom for Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Tansoleil and Stila Gerbera for Becca Beach Tint in Grapefruit. The swatches make it look like I should've alternated Tansoleil and Grapefruit; on my cheeks, however, Tansoleil pulls slightly darker and more orange, and Grapefruit has the softer, peachier tones. Beach Tints and CMGs are two of my all-time favorite formulas, so I'm glad to see they work as dupes!

The most accurate swap for this portion of the palette is probably Stila Petunia for Kiss Me Touch Me Lip&Cheek in Mango. An afforable Korean cream, Mango is incredibly smooth and super-pigmented. It's a pink coral that borders on neon.

On to the reds and pinks! I swapped Stila Tulip for the Lipstick Queen Rose & Shine pot. The Lipstick Queen product looks more red than the Stila in these photos, but it looks like a true berry shade on my cheeks. Beauteous.

The most obvious faux dupe in this whole set-up is Chanel Fantastic, meant to replace Stila Rose. The Chanel appears lighter and pinker in these photos than it looks on my cheeks; when I actually put it on my face, it has more of a plummy shade to it. Still, it's a far cry from the deep, purpled burgundy of Stila Rose. As much as I wish I could truly dupe that shade, I really do think this Chanel blush would be the more flattering option on my skintone. Furthermore, swatches of Stila Rose are varied: sometimes it looks burgundy, sometimes it looks dark pink. Hmmmm.

Two more very accurate dupes are Stila Hibiscus for Canmake CL01 and Stila Fuchsia for Kevyn Aucoin Isadore. I've owned Fuchsia in the past, and I replaced it with Isadore because I prefer the Kevyn Aucoin formula. I haven't owned Hibiscus, but I've had a similar red shade from Stila: Poppy. I prefer the Canmake because of its jelly texture. As the swatch suggests, this product is hard to overdo because it maintains that gooey, delightful jelly sheen on the skin.

Those are my dupes and faux dupes! Have you found anything to replace the Stila palette? Or have you tried the actual Convertible Color palette? Comment with your thoughts!

Potential Swaps for Chanel Dragon

Chanel's long-discontinued Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon has always prompted some polarizing, powerful responses. On the one hand, it's the most perfect medium red I've ever worn, and the formula is slightly glossy and decently long-wearing. On the other hand, it's one of ye olde liquid lipstick formulas, meaning it feathers easily and sucks every drop of moisture out of your lips.

So why was there such widespread panic when the product was discontinued? Why didn't people just march off to other red lipsticks?

Uh, yeah. It's THAT gorgeous. I've never found a red that looks exactly like that on my lips. And with a little lipliner and some q-tips, I'm able to get through a hot night on the town without excessive feathering or fading. It's just my perfect red.

I've been on a quest to find the best Chanel Dragon dupes for at least 3 years now. Every time I get a new red, I swatch it against Dragon. And while I've yet to find a product that looks just like Dragon on my lips--not only in terms of color, but also with regards to the finish--I've found several potential swap-outs.

The Armani Lip Maestro in shade 400 "The Red" is probably the closest match I've found in terms of color. Upon closer inspection, the Armani is a hair darker and slightly less blue; however, I think the darkness is partially because the product dries matte. Armani The Red is also a liquid lipstick, but its formulation is more creamy than liquidy, and it has a slight powdery feel on the lips. While the product lasts long, it also smears very easily; even with lipliner, the edges of my lips look quite soft after a few hours of wearing this one.

Hourglass Opaque Liquid Rouge in Icon is more blue than any of the other options seen here (to the point where it appears almost raspberry in these swatches), but it behaves the best. An incredibly long-wearing, only slightly drying liquid lipstick, Icon will last me for an entire day without feathering or fading. On my lips, it is about a shade darker than Dragon, and it dries down matte.

If you want the same bright, shiny red and aren't too concerned about longevity, Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate is your best option. This shade lasts for about 4 hours on me with minimal feathering. What it lacks in wear time it makes up for in finish: it is every bit as glossy as Chanel Dragon. It's also the least-drying option here due to the rich, creamy formula.

MAC Ruby Woo seems very off here--if you were going by swatches alone, you'd easily judge this too matte and too pink. And while, yes, it is easily the most matte option here, it also applies much more red on the lips--I think it looks pink here because the matte formulation appears more "chalky" on skin than these liquid and cream products, so it's not catching as much light. It's not particularly comfortable to apply or wear, but the color is gorgeous, and it does. not. budge.

Here are the swatches after one quick swipe with a baby wipe. The Armani and Hourglass lipsticks appear to be the most waterproof; the Hourglass lipstick also stains slightly and takes a bit more elbow grease to get off.

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS: If you want the most similar formulation and a very close color, go for the Armani. If you want something that is spot-on in terms of color and finish, but performs and applies quite differently, go for the Bite. If you're willing to go a bit darker and give up all glossiness in exchange for a long-wearing, non-feathering product, go for the Hourglass. Last, but not least, if you want a similar shade in a more classic lipstick formulation, go for the MAC.

5 Ways to Use Chanel Fantasme

The Chanel Illusion d'Ombres are much-loved, particularly on this blog. But there's an oddball, much-maligned member of the group: Fantasme. The fact that it has a clear base and not-so-fine glitter makes it one of the least loved IdOs out there. However, I find it to be quite multi-purpose; you just have to be open to a little shimmer. Here are 5 ways I use Chanel Fantasme.

1. I tap it on top of my eyeshadow. The clear base means that Fantasme is basically suspended glitter, which is great for adding sparkle to eye looks, especially since I'm not huge on sparkly powder eyeshadows. I get the teeniest amount on my finger, then tap it across my lid. There will be fallout, so save this for night, and consider using some clear tape to pluck extra shimmer particles off of your skin.

2. Use it as an accent liner. I rarely put heavy eye makeup on the lower part of my eyes because it's not attractive to me. But if I want a glimpse of glitter without coating my eyelid in it, I'll use a thin angled brush to apply a line of Fantasme to the outer corner of my lower lash line. Think of it like the shadow of my cat eyeliner flick, just sparkly!

3. Tap it on to your lips, then add a layer of clear gloss. This is a bit much for me, but I know a few drag queens and highly-painted ladies who love the added dimension!

4. If you're REALLY in to an over-the-top look, try it as a highlighter. I rarely want that much noticeable shimmer on my cheeks, but for parties? It's absolutely adorable. This trick is best avoided by those with large pores, but if you don't have that problem, it can make you look like quite the pixie. Used super-sparingly, it's quite lovely in photographs; my friend wore it on his cheeks to his sister's wedding and it photographed like a dream.

5. Swipe it on your ear lobes in place of earrings--my favorite! I rarely wear jewelry (I lose it and it's uncomfortable to sleep in), so when a Chanel Sales Associate dusted some Fantasme on my friend's earlobes, I totally took notice. It may not be for everybody, but I think it's a chic and adorable way to add some shimmer to your face!

Beauty Sightings: Marco Marco Spring/Summer 2014 Collection

A fashion show probably seems like a strange place to go for beauty sightings, as the models' makeup is often very homogenous and there isn't a whole lot of behind-the-scenes footage. But the Marco Marco Spring/Summer 2014 collection gave us a rare treat: a runway dominated by drag queens and transgender models, all of whom appear to have done their own makeup, if this behind-the-scenes treat is to be believed. And with a wide variety of drag queens comes a wide variety of beauty product sightings!

I see some Ru Glue (ie, an Elmer's glue stick, used to flatten brow hairs) and some Tresemee hair spray. Anybody recognize the palette?

Liquid liner; the shot moves too quickly for me to see, but it looks like it COULD be MAC Boot Black.

That looks like a bottle of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in that kit! Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. (I'd say it's Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid, but the cap shown here looks black, not blue. Y/N?)

The NARS Loves Los Angeles palette from 2013. I think this belongs to Willam, but that could just be the editing playing tricks on me.

I do believe that's an NYC liquid eyeliner! Hilariously, I notice that most drag queens seem to use cheaper drugstore liquid liners (Almay, NYC, NYX, MAC, etc). It's probably not cost-effective to buy the super-expensive options, considering how much black liquid liner the average drag queen uses.

I'm 99% sure that this is L'oreal True Match powder based on the lid of the compact and its overall design, but wow, what a yellow-looking shade!

A gratuitous porn shot featuring some MUFE and Smith's Rosebud Salve.

Speaking of beauty, can we all take a moment to appreciate the one and only Mathu Andersen? I dream of having him do my makeup some day. He is pure perfection.

GLORIOUS.

Now for a side note: I'll be away for my sister's destination wedding for a while, plus I'll be entertaining my boyfriend for most of May. With that in mind, BOGL will be on a hiatus for the rest of May. Posts will resume in June.

See in you summer!

FOTD and Some Recent Let-Downs

We all know that I'm forever preoccupied with finding perfect super-pale foundations, namely foundations that work great on dry skin (but can handle my oily nose) and have a neutral or cool yellow undertone. And while I haven't always found formulas that work for me, I like to think I've provided a decent database of products that a wide variety of fair-skinned folks can use.


Now it's time to add Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 001 to the "Just Doesn't Work For Renee" list. Don't get me wrong: it's layerable, it feels nice on my skin, and it doesn't exacerbate dry, flaky patches. And while it isn't the absolute BEST on oily skin (which is to be expected, given that it's a moisturizing foundation), it doesn't completely break down in to a greasy mess. No, this is a pretty nice foundation. It's just too pink for me, and for some reason, it's one of the few foundations out there that oxidizes on my face.

Even in this series documenting the initial application, something seems off about it. It actually starts out pale enough for me, but you can tell that two layers of it is far too pink for me. By the time we hit the 15 minute mark...

...it was definitely too dark and too pink for me. Such a shame; I think I could've liked this one. Obviously, I'll keep the rest of my (very generous) sample for swatching purposes, but I won't continue trying to wear the actual foundation.

Also visible in this FOTD photo are two other products that have led me to admit defeat: the Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Tremble and the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Abstraction. The first Illamasqua powder blush I tried out was the uber-pastel pink, Katie, and it was such a powdery, awful mess that I swore off of the formulation. Then I thought a darker color might work better, so I swapped for Tremble. Nope! It's a powdery, dry mess. If I'm going to use a powder blush, I prefer one that's tightly packed and doesn't make my cheeks look even more parched. As for the IdO: we already knew I'd decided not to repurchase it, but I've come to realization that I'm only forcing myself to use this particular pot, especially now that it's drying up. I'm going to scoop out the product and sanitize the jar for future use.

But there's some light at the end of the tunnel! I've been remembering how much I love two other IdOs--Epatant and Illuisoire--and because I've been re-hired for my adjunct faculty position, I've decided to reward myself with some of my old favorites. More on that when they get here; for now, here are some swatches from my Illusion d'Ombre revew!

Beauty Sightings: Sex and the City, season 6

I'm preparing to wade through Sandy to get to work, but before I do, let's go through the last set of Sex and the City beauty sightings, shall we?

Carrie preparing to pop her Elizabeth Arden Crystal Clear Gloss in to her Chanel bag.

A view of Carrie's bathroom and some of the perfumes on her vanity.

More perfume and products! I keep seeing that one perfume in the square bottle with the round cap. EDIT: Koushi says that this might be Jo Malone--thanks, love! Also, the Creed perfume that keeps popping up in Samantha's apartment is apparently Spring Flowers.

I think this is some kind of lip pot...?

Anybody recognize this little shop the ladies are at? They're testing out perfumes here.

MOAR PRODUCT! The black tube appears to be Bobbi Brown stick foundation.

Another shot of Samantha's sink.

Miranda has a Kiehl's lotion on her bedside table.

I'm actually not sure if this is Kiehl's or Elizabeth Arden, but I'm betting it's the former, because Miranda uses a good amount of Kiehl's skincare.

Carrie's little bag probably has some Chanel makeup. Maybe earrings, but let's go with makeup. ;)

Carrie slides across the floor of Dior--I definitely see an Estee Lauder gloss and lipstick.

Another shot of an Estee Lauder Signature or All Day lipstick (most likely Signature--I think the All Day line wasn't out at this point).

A final shot of Carrie's vanity in France.

Swap Haul

I have no idea why people are willing to swap with me. I always take FOREVER to send out my end. I get sick, work sucks my brains out, or--in the case of these past 2 weeks--HR makes a boo-boo and my direct deposit needs some fixin', leaving me with zippo money to send out packages. I'm JUST now sending out 2 packages. People have the patience of saints, I swear.

Regardless of my eccentricities, here are some lovely items I've received over the past 2 weeks from exceptionally sweet MUAers. There's some lovely new nail stuff: Revlon files, OPI toe separators (guess I have no excuse not to paint my toes now), some polishes, a great pair of lashes, mascara samples from Chanel and Anastasia, Urban Decay face and eye primer cards, and an itty bitty Benefit Pore-Fessional primer sample. I also received a lot of surprisingly nice skincare stuff by Clarisonic, Clarins, Burt's Bees, and Aveeno (this little bottle is going in my purse/work cargos!). The full-sized products include several Urban Decay sale items, which were an extra 20% thanks to Friends & Family: the Brightening Complexion Potion, YDK eyeshadow, and Confession lipstick. I also swapped for 2 pencils--Benefit D'Finer D'liner and a Shiseido corrector pencil in the lightest shade--and MakeupForever Uplight highlighter in #22.

Beauty Sightings: Sex and the City, seasons 2 and 3

I've already expressed my feelings on Sex and the City as a whole right over here, so let's skip my strong opinions and move on to two seasons of fun beauty sightings.

Miranda borrows a NARS Lip Lacquer pot from Carrie.

Carrie's got some grab-and-go products on her table. I think the black compact is a MAC powder, and it's hard for me to see what the white tube is, but Carrie DOES use what appears to be the MAC Clear Gloss very regularly.

Carrie applies some nude lip liner on the go...

...then tops it with MAC Clear Gloss. This isn't the same shot, but it's the same product.

I LOVE Sam's powder compact, although I don't recognize it or her cracker-like powder puff. Anybody?

A shot of Carrie's bathroom. You can see her Clinique and Kiehl's skincare...anybody recognize the other products?

Carrie's medicine cabinet. A pot of Nivea cream sticks out to me,  but I can't place the rest.

Carrie applying mascara.

A shot of some of the products Carrie leaves in Big's apartment, including Clinique makeup remover and moisturizer.

Anybody recognize this? Is it more Clinique?

EDIT: According to a random search I did on Makeup411, this is more likely the Elizabeth Arden Crystal Clear Gloss, not the MAC Gloss. Good to know!

A Chanel Joues Contraste blush. Anybody recognize the silver lipstick tube? And is that red-handled brush Smashbox?

I'm terrible with nail polish, so if anybody recognizes nail stuff, please let me know!

Carrie applying Carmex...

....then some NARS Lip Lacquer. Clearly, Carrie is a fan of both  potted lip products and NARS goodies. ;)

Another shot of Carrie's bathroom table. Is that cream with the black lid Ponds?

What brand is that perfume on Samantha's vanity--is it Estee Lauder?

The ladies visit a Helena Rubenstein salon.

Another shot of Samantha's vanity. I definitely see an Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream product, but I'm not quite sure if it's the face moisturizer or the extra-large size of the original cream (which I remember Samantha using).

A shot of Miranda's products. You can't really recognize anything, but I don't get a lot of Miranda beauty sightings, so I really wanted to post this.

Carrie, the ultimate NARS fan.

Charlotte and Carrie at a nail salon. I think one of the polishes is OPI.

The ladies applying their products in the bathroom. Miranda's silver-tubed mascara is the most obvious item here.

No discernible label on Samantha's gloss, but it's super-pretty and seems to have a brush-tip applicator.

Carrie applying a brush-tip gloss, possibly old-school Stila, and Charlotte using a NARS Lip Lacquer pot.

Miranda using a Kiehl's moisturizer. I think it might be the Creme de Corps formula.

It's almost impossible to catch a screenshot of this gloss, but I'm 95% sure it's MAC.

A nail polish and possibly another product on the top shelf, and some pink-tinted moisturizer on the bottom right-hand portion of the picture. EDIT: Flyushkifly noticed a Diptyque on the left side of this picture. Thanks!

Miranda applying a beautiful MAC lipstick.

Charlotte's vanity. I think the skincare with the white cap is Elizabeth Arden, and there's some Chanel loose powder I couldn't get a shot of, plus what appears to be a Chanel liquid foundation. EDIT: The white tear-drop shaped perfume bottle is Boucheron Parfum Initial--thanks, Fin-de-siecle!