Smokey Purple - Chanel Charivari

I probably should have shown you Chanel Tenderly today. I'm in a purple mood and I know that one is new and all, but the fact that companies are releasing Spring collections earlier and earlier is starting to irk me. I'm one of those traditional people that just isn't in the mood for pastels and brights until the sun is out and the air is warm!

Today, the sun is out, but the air is decidedly not warm, so I was in the mood for something a little smokier, and I chose Chanel Charivari. You would think this dark purple with a hint of grey would be easily dupe-able, but I don't have anything else like it in my collection.

I somehow remember this being lighter, but I'm admittedly loving the richness of it.

I hope all of you affected by the snowstorm in the northeastern US are staying safe and warm!

k2k

Tickling My Fancy - YSL Beige Leger

After trying out YSL Gris Deco and falling in love, it really was only a matter of time (days) before I purchased my next YSL polish. Unfortunately, none of the stores near me sell YSL polishes in the flesh, so I have to rely on online swatches to choose my colours. I was a little dubious about this one - YSL Beige Leger.

Many people have likened this to OPI Tickle My France-y, which I hated on me. I think I called in "vomit-inducing" in this post. It was just too mauve/purple/cool for my skin tone and really did make me feel a little sick to look at. But I loved the IDEA of the colour. (Yes, I see a therapist.) Luckily, I found a comparison of the two in this particular blog post. Beige Leger looked exactly how I had hoped Tickle My France-y would have looked on me! She even compared them, and the OPI was more mauve, while the extra touch of warmth in Beige Leger made it harmonious with the skin.

TL;DR - I bought the polish.

Turns out a hint of added warmth can make a HUGE difference. I don't feel revulsion when I look at my hands! Depending on the lighting, Beige Leger can look more fleshy pink, more cafe au lait nude, more skin-like peach - but in my opinion, it always looks polished (ha!) and a lot more modern than the standard white-based neutral pale colour.

Count this as added to my all-time favourites.

k2k

Chanel Provocation & A Recipe for Chip-Free Chanel!

I very rarely repeat polishes within the same month, but this is an exception. Chanel Provocation is an excellent vampy colour that straddles the boundaries of cool and warm, making it work beautifully with almost any outfit - camel, grey, cranberry, navy, black, etc.

(OK, so maybe I don't wear much colour...but the point remains. It's neutral. And delicious.)

Chanel polishes are notorious for chipping extremely easily. Which is atrocious considering the price-point, and was certainly true for me. Until recently, when I discovered this cocktail of base coat and top coat. Now, my Chanel polishes last a week with zero chipping! A WEEK. I obviously do get tip-wear, but no chipping or peeling. Which is madness.

The base coat in question is Essie All in One. As you can see, it is well-loved by me. I find that it works well with many different polish brands. Surprisingly, the top coat that locks everything in place is Seche Vite. While a classic, it is laden with non-B3F chemicals that typically make it play not-so-nicely with B3F polishes. What can I say though, it works like a charm!

Disclaimer: Yes, I know. Body chemistry is individual, and this might not work for everyone! I just thought I'd share because I know that so many people share the same problem with Chanel polishes, so I thought maybe this might be the solution for at least a few of them.

These little gems are readily available and I'm willing to bet that quite a few of you have them hanging around. If you have a Chanel chipping problem, I say give it a shot! (And report back, I would love to know if this works for anyone else!)

k2k

Lady in Grey: YSL Gris Deco

My first-ever YSL polish! I have contemplated purchasing this for months. Gris Deco is a soft grey colour with the barest hint of shimmer not only appealed to me somewhere deep in my neutral-loving soul, but is also completely unique in my collection.

This stuff is expensive. Chanel expensive.

However, application was a dream. I was concerned the huge brush would be unwieldy and messy, but it turned out to be perfect. If it were any larger it would have been too big for my pinky, which required only one swipe. I used three thin coats, and the effort was minimal because of how few strokes were needed. Lovely.

The colour is outstanding - a delicate grey with near-invisible shimmer that just manages to give the polish a porcelain-like quality on the nail. I adore this. It's an office-appropriate neutral that isn't a boring sheer (and I LOVE boring sheers), or one of my typical taupes. I also happen to think it pops beautifully against gold rings. The combination of the warm gold and the cool grey is reminiscent of the luxe packaging and just makes my heart sing. (My rings are from Henri Bendel. The harness ring looks to be sold out, but they have other versions available. The midi rings are here and on sale at the moment!)

I cannot comment on wear right now, because I just applied this last night. My fingers are crossed that it doesn't go all chippy the way some more expensive polishes have on me in the past. (Speaking of which, I have an exciting post coming up sharing the top/base coat combo that makes my Chanels chip-proof!) If wear time is solid, you can bet I will be purchasing more YSL polishes.

Have you tried YSL polishes? What are your favourite unique colours in the line?

kittytokaren