Spring Scent: CHANEL

Like any girl I love perfume. My favourites would be citrus-florals followed by fruity florals and vanilla. I've noticed that as I've gotten older I'm becoming more into sensual, woody scents. I use to dislike CHANEL No.5 but it's grown on me.

A few months ago I caved in and bought a perfume on my wish list. I've been saving it for spring because this scent definitely evokes spring.

CHANEL CHANCE EAU TENDRE 

I also managed to get Gucci by GUCCI SPORT pour homme. My local Priceline had it on sale for $10!! My boyfriend needed a new fragrance anyways so I picked this one over the BANG by MARC JACOBS. Now I wished I had picked up both. He did say that this Gucci one doesn't last long on his skin compared to his light blue by Dolce and Gabbana (my favourite mens perfume). 

Next on my list is DIOR addict 2 then maybe a more mature CHANEL when I'm older. 

What's on your perfume wish list?

Nail Polish Haul and some Sportsgirl nail polish swatches

Just a minor nail polish haul. This is what I got over the past 5 months. 

L-R: Sportsgirl NAIL IT! in Blossom, Belle Vista and Peachy Keen, CHANEL Gold Shimmer, Oroton mini nail set, ulta3 red glitter and Rimmel Aye, Aye Sailor. 

I'm unsure of the colour names of the Oroton set because I bought it in June at the factory outlets. The pink one is a bubblegum pink with tiny gold shimmers and the silver is a shiny matte shimmer...does that make sense? The clear one is a top coat. 

I've been buying more Sportsgirl nail polishes recently. It's an Australian fashion brand much like the UK's topshop. Personally I think the nail polish quality is great for the price and I usually don't put a top coat because they don't really need it. They apply smoothly and don't chip as quick, unlike some OPI ones I've had. 

Over the years the packaging has changed. They originally had black lids (the pink and sky blue one), but switched to the cylindrical bottles then back to the standard polish bottle but with silver lids. All the cylindrical ones are my sister's. 

This is my collection so far. 

Some swatches of my the most recent purchases. These are still available in store. 

L-R: Blossom, Peachy Keen and Belle Vista. Blossom and Peachy Keen are a bit darker than the swatch pictures in real life but the Belle Vista is true to colour. It has fine glitter and reminds me of clear blue skies. 

Shopping for CHANEL

For several years I've lusted after this bag. I've always wanted it in black with gold hardware. But the prices kept rising like 20% every year! So I took a chance and bought it on eBay. I bought a vintage CHANEL medium/large classic double flap in black lambskin with gold harware. The vintage bags are gold plated.

This bag is so classic and will never go out of style. It's so practical as well, it can be used as a clutch, cross body or shoulder bag. Can be dressed up or down. So I feel this justifies the investment.

Personally I feel that a designer bag can make an outfit. It can make a cheap outfit look more expensive. I usually buy bags that are classic, ones that will not go out of style because you'll get more use out of the bag considering the amount of money spent on each one. Also if I want a bag, I must be thinking about buying it for months, I can't do impulse purchases. My bags are bought with my own money....months and months of savings. I feel that I will appreciate it more because I can see my hard work.

Before this bag I did lots of research. It's extremely important to do research. There are so many fakes out on eBay. Don't let the prices fool you! Some fakes get sold for hundreds of dollars by dishonest sellers and uninformed buyers. Here's what I did before I took the plunge:

• googled how to authenticate CHANEL bags, this was to get a rough idea for what I should look out for
• searched eBay and made sure the seller posted plenty of photos, if you are unconvinced it's authentic ask the seller for more photos, a genuine seller should be more than happy to provide more photos
• ask PLENTY of questions
• read seller feed back, check what else they were selling, check how many years the seller has been on eBay, AVOID low feedback sellers, check refund policy
• get a second opinion, I used the Purse Forum which is a free service and is authenticated by ladies with plenty of years experience, there are other authenticators out there but some do charge a small fee
• set limits: how much to spend, what to expect from bag, quality vs. price
• pay by PayPal, PayPal offers buyer protection of up to $20,000. It is also illegal to sell fakes
• as an added backup I paid by Credit Card, the bank will also offer some sort of buyer protection, do not use a debit card

Feel free to ask me anything, by no means am I an expert. But I'm always obsessing over bags and have a keen eye ^_^

Mini Review: CHANEL Vitalumiere Eclat Comfort Radiance Compact Makeup

I finished my Za compact foundation and I could not get a refill to replace it because I bought it in Hong Kong. So I searched online for a good compact powder foundation and I stumbled upon CHANEL. Not good for the wallet but the packaging is just divine. I got mine in B30. I'm a MAC NC20/Revlon Colorstay 150 Buff.

Comes with a sponge and brush. Brush is kinda useless as powder goes everywhere, and it's wasting the powder!! So I use the sponge to apply.

Such a shame the logo will disappear after a few uses. But I did buy it for a reason and it's not gonna just sit pretty on my vanity. I use this to set my foundation or when I'm lazy, I just use this by itself to even out my complexion. Its got decent coverage.

I'd say it's a teeny bit darker than my normal shade but that's alright since my skin tone has slightly darkened. The powder is so fine and feels like silk against my skin. I've used it several times now and it does not clog my pores or cause me to break out. My old Za foundation did give me the odd spots now and then. 

Pros:

some SPF: SPF10

very fine powder

easy to apply

can be used on its own for light coverage

pretty packaging

good for dry skin

doesn't look cakey

Cons:

brush is useless

expensive (can vary from $55 - $100 depending where you get it)

not much product (13g)

I'd definitely buy this again.....if I had money. This was only one off to try a CHANEL foundation and I don't think it performs like a million times better than other products. If I had plenty of disposable income I'd make a repetitive purchase. I think other product around the $20 mark would be just as comparable to this. 

Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day to my fellow Aussies =]

Today was super duper hot!!! 

It was also my anniversary with my bf. Was only minor but he got me the Chanel sunglasses I had been eyeing for ages =D

I love love bows, so these sunnies are totally me and they actually suit me. Hard to find sunnies that suit my round head. Would probably wear these for the next five years cause I'm a girl who likes to stick to my key items.

Will try to come up with more interesting posts. Sorry nothing beauty related. Come to think of it I have not tried the My Beauty Diary masks that goes around the ears. Will hopefully try them soon and do a review =]

Take Care everyone!