MontyC's Monthly Favourites: September 2014

Welcome to my September Favourites!  This month my favourites are made up of tried and tested products that I use again and again and if I'm under pressure for time as I know they will work for me every single time I use them.  They rock.

Chanel - Some News

Poor old MontyC (less of the old, perhaps!) is ill and I'm filling in for her usual Mondays With MontyC slot;  sorry folks, you're stuck with me today!  I had planned to do this post later on in the week, but because she's such a Chanel nut (it was she who got me addicted to All Things Chanel!) in honour of herself, today is Chanel day.  I have a few things to post about, so I'm going to get started.

Catrice Liquid Gold Topper - review

Oh my giddy aunt I love Catrice, I really do.  Bargains like no other and very impressive quality.  This week I'm raving about the Liquid Gold Topper in Jungle Treasure from Catrice's LE Glamazona line (look here for more information).

Shimmery molten gloriousness.  In a nutshell. 

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle New Bath Ritual - preview

Chanel's latest Coco Mademoiselle products -  bath foam & exfoliant

Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle is (according to Chanel) "a sensual and refined fragrance that combines audacity with elegance".  Unfortunately, for me, it combines headaches and migraines.  But that's me and more fragrances than not, I'm afraid - it's a large bummer as I love the smell of this one for about three minutes before the headache kicks in.  Anyhow, most of my best friends, my mother, my in-laws and my work colleagues wear this and love it.  And so many brides whose makeup I've done for them on their big day use this perfume and love it, that I had to start asking them to use it after I'd left!

So for my friends and for my family, and for all those brides, and for all of you who love Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, you'll be delighted to know that the fresh, oriental composition that has enjoyed such unwavering success (me aside!) since Jacques Polge created the Eau de Parfum in 2001, has got two new products joining the scent family to help you feel just that bit more pampered.

Chanel Christmas 2013 Eye Makeup Palette & Mascara

Chanel's Christmas display in Brown Thomas Dublin

Chanel’s Christmas makeup collection for 2013, Nuit Infinie de Chanel is a beautifully simple and understated Chanel-glamorous collection, and features, unusually enough, entirely LE products.  I’ve already posted about the two LE Illusion d’Ombre shades (look here) - this post is about the mascara and the eye palette.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Initiation & Fatal

L -> R: Initiation, Fatal

Chanel's Christmas/holiday 2013 makeup collection (Nuit Infinie de Chanel) has part-launched since 15th of November.  I say part launched, because the gorgeous eyeshadow palette hasn't hit the stores just yet (apparently it was delayed and will be out on the 21st, if anyone's interested).

Anyhow, I'd probably split the post out in either way, as I'd like to talk about the Illusion d'Ombre shades on their own... there are two released with this collection, both are LE and both are gorgeous.

MAC Divine Night Purchases - Private Party & Raven

MAC Divine Night campaign visual

I had migraine the evening of the MAC Divine Night launch, grrrr, however rest assured I got there a couple of days later :-)  MAC's Holiday 2013 makeup collection is every bit as nutsily extensive (and irritatingly LE) as ever... after a quick gander, I came away with the only two things I'd figured I might want... how's that for discipline!

Catrice Arts Collection - preview

Catrice LE Arts Collection - campaign visual

Catrice's new LE Arts Collection takes its impression from the opulence of the three eras of art nouveau, baroque and art deco:  the spirit of each period is reflected in the corresponding make-up palette.

Chanel's Christmas No5 Bath & Body Range - preview

Marilyn & Chanel N^o5 in 1952

It really doesn't hurt to have your product endorsed, off-the-cuff, by non other than Marilyn Monroe herself.  Ms. Monroe, who will posthumously front the latest Chanel ad campaign (due to air in early December),  famously announced in an interview that she wore nothing else to bed but Chanel N^o5 perfume.  A classy, genuinely elegant fragrance, although not one I can personally get away with, it's got a timeless appeal - Chanel N^o5 first launched on May the 5th - the fifth day of the fifth month in 1921, and it's most certainly a warming Winter scent.

For the holiday season this year, one of Chanel's Christmas ranges features a slew of new N^o5 products to match the existing perfume line.  Ladies and germs, take note - if you want to add a bit of charm and sparkle to a Christmas present, you could do worse than gift someone you know who loves N^o5 with one of these matching products below...

Chanel Collection Rouge Allure Moiré

Chanel Collection Rouge Allure Moiré - campaign visual

Chanel have had far too many yummy collections this year.  In the lipstick stakes alone, there were three planned.  First-off, there was Avant-Première de Chanel (April), which featured new Rouge Coco Shine and new Rouge Coco shades.  And then in June we saw the gorgeous Collection Révélation de Chanel, which introduced some delicious new sparkly and glossy Lèvres Scintellantes.  To complete their planned trio, Chanel have now delivered their third and final lippie collection for 2013: Collection Rouge Allure Moiré, which according to Chanel, is "inspired by the beauty and refinement of overflowing fabrics and ribbons" and features new and LE Rouge Allure, Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss and Crayon Lèvres lipsticks, along with two LE Le Vernis shades.

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow #57 Black Stream - review

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow #57 Black Stream

I'd purchased these in Moon River and Pink Lagoon before I loved them.  So (even though I need another black cream product like I need a hole in my head) I decided I'd try to get the black one, Black Stream, while it was available.

As a reminder, these are Limited Edition, and from Chanel's summer makeup collection, l'Ete Papillon de Chanel.  Likely that there are few of these around, but a handful of concessions I tried last week still had a couple of these in different shades...

Collection Superstition de Chanel - purchases & swatches

Sticking to the plan... mostly :-)

Well, I previewed this collection recently and figured I'd probably want a few items - to look at the new Stylo Yeux eyeliner and to buy the new Volume de Chanel Mascara - both in a khaki-bronze shade.  I had also wanted to look at the nail polish, Le Vernis, in Alchemie (in khaki and gold), to complete the matching triad.  And just to swatch, nothing more, the Ombre Essential shade of Gri-Gri.

I came close enough, with my final purchases, to my original plan :-)

Chanel Autumn 2013 Superstition Collection

Chanel Autumn 2013 Superstition Collection campaign visual

This one is launching on 16th August - that's today, yikes!!!!  I'm a bit late with this post... Oh well, let's soldier on :-)

This collection is another Autumn collection to feature a mix of bronze, taupe and khaki - Chanel takes these colours and mixes in some interesting greys and lifts the whole shebang with intense pinks and burgundies too... I'm still not over my burgundy thing from last year...

Clarins "Graphic Expressions" Autumn collection

Clarins Graphic Expressions Autumn 2013 - Campaign Visual

This Autumn's make-up collection from Clarins is modern and graphic, focusing on length and liner.  The colours are muted and quiet, and feature khakis and taupes (these colours are in most of the makeup collections this fall) - the highlight of the collection for me is a cool-toned eyeshadow quad.

There are a number of new items, some re-promotes and some Limited Edition (LE) offerings...

Catrice - new LE Glamazona collection

Summer collections tend to favour either golds and bronzes, or ice-cream pastel shades (here or here) or strong hot bold definite colours - this collection on the other hand is the latter, a riot of colours, inspired by a mix of Amazonian animal & flower prints and tropical colours of exotic blossoms.  Considering we have actually got a summer in Ireland (it may only last the rest of the week, but by god are we all out there enjoying it!), this collection is a welcome one, pastel shades are great and all, but for strong strong sunlight you can't beat strong strong colours :-)

The key notes from the collection are Bright with Metallics making a appearance and an option of a flash of Golds if required...

essence - me & my icecream collection

With the temperatures up in the 30's today (seriously!)*, essence's me and my icecream mini collection is a welcome breeze; a complete set of products that could easily comprise your entire summer makeup "wardrobe", and for under twenty quid!

* no, seriously!  really!!  honestly!

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow in Moon River

Latest purchase - it's less pinky-minky-taupe in real life...

Having already purchased the Stylo Eyeshadow in Pink Lagoon, I was really sitting on my hands, waiting for payday, trying to distract myself in all manner of ways to avoid purchasing any more of these.

Eventually, I gave in and splurged on Moon River, a divinely beautiful "platinum shot through with metallic taupe" - descriptions really don't come any closer to reality than this one, lifted straight from Chanel's own PR text.

The Nail Files: Collection Révélation de Chanel - reviews & swatches (Taboo, Taboo, Taboo!)

Oooooooh, sparkles!

This may be the fastest promo-purchase-review set of posts ever :-)

On Friday last I blogged about the latest Chanel Collection, Révélation de Chanel - a mini collection comprising lipglosses and the much-awaited Taboo nail varnish.

On Saturday, I purchased.

Today I'm reviewing :-)

Collection Révélation de Chanel

Collection Révélation de Chanel - campaign visual

Also known as "the Chanel collection that features the newest and most waited-for Chanel nail varnish on this side of 2013, Taboo", for all of those who have been asking me, the latest Chanel collection reveals the multiple facets of the Lèvres Scintellantes gloss.  Today, people!

There are three Chanel collections featuring lip products from Chanel this year, the one featured in this post (detailing new and LE Lèvres Scintellantes), the previous one (Collection Avant-Première de Chanel (see here), which introduced new Rouge Coco and Rouge Coco shine options) and one yet to come (Rouge Allure... watch this space!)

 

Chanel L'Ete Papillon Collection - Purchases & Swatches

Chanel L'Ete Papillon purchases: Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Lime Light
& Stylo Eyeshadow in Pink Lagoon

You may remember the gorgeous campaign visuals for Chanel's Summer 2013 makeup collection, L'Ete Papillon (if not, take a look at my post here!)

This was a very bright, vibrant, bold collection and I loved it.  Realism (in the form of a credit card bill) had set in however several days beforehand, so I just purchased two items for my own stash;  the mascara in Lime Light and the new formula Stylo Eyeshadow in Pink Lagoon.