Be Ispired by the Style of Marie Antoinette!

Terribly late, but as they say, better late than never! Here's my second post on my Parisian escapade - this time we go back to the "beauty" and "books" part of the blog title, with a look at some gorgeous Marie Antoinette-inspired finds!

 

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette silhouettes in the ticket office of the Palace of Versailles.

  

 

The central courtyard.

 

 

The Hall of Mirrors, one of the most remarkable features of the Palace (photo Wikipedia).

I have always been intrigued by the figure of Marie Antoinette - on my last visit, to learn more I turned to the brilliantly informative, yet highly readable, "Queen of Fashion", by Caroline Weber (available from Amazon), which takes a comprehensive look at the Queen's sometimes ill-fated style choices.

 

 

This time around, I opted out of non-fiction reading materials, and turned to the fab Marie Antoinette trilogy by Juliet Grey:

 

 

 

Full of historical details that will satisfy even the most die-hard history buffs, these three novels (I'm currently in the middle of n. 2) are a pleasure to read and, although fictionalised, allow the reader to learn quite a lot on the transformation of Marie Antoinette from Austrian archduchess to France's powerful and reckless queen.

 

I was also inspired by some new make-up releases in the Dior collection. Following up on the Chérie Bow collection for Spring 2013, the French fashion house this year came up with the truly drool-worthy Trianon collection, inspired, of course, by Marie Antoinette penchant for pastel colours and is reminiscent of the atmospheres at Versailles!

 

A look below at the products available in the collection:

 

 

Via Coco's Tea Party.

 

 

I got myself two of the nail polishes, as seen above - Porcelaine, which is a pale, slightly shimmery baby blue, and Perlé, which in truth is something truly fabulous and which I hope will form part of the permanet Dior make up collection (it will, I believe). On the Dior website, it is described as a frosted effect nail polish (should be used on top of a pale coloured polish for best effect, in my opinion), inspired by the porcelain of the 18th century. It is a matte pale mauve on application, but I find I like it best with a glossy top coat applied on top - in fact, I can hardly stop admiring my nails when I have it on!

 

So, will you too be inspired by the current trend for all things Marie Antoinette?

If so, be sure to take a look at my collage below and see if you can find something that inspires you!

 

 

1. Estée Lauder Paris Macarons Pure Color Nail Polish Collection for Spring 2013 (limited edition, alas, but some of the shades regularly crop up on eBay);
2. Ladurée Marie Antoinette rose infused tea, 8.40 (loose leaf) or £12 (tea bags);
3. "Marie Antoinette" film by Sofia Coppola (available on Amazon);
4. L'Oreal Paris mini nail polish in 202 Marie Antoinette (approx. £4.99);
5. Ladurée Marie Antoinette macarons (the ganache filling is Marie Antoinette tea-flavoured);
6. "Let Them Eat Cake" Marie Antoinette earrings available on MariannaLondon on Etsy (approx. 18.90);
7. Marie Antoinette Paris Pastel Collage Mood Board, from LauraLaurentSalon on Etsy (approx. £12);
8. Marie Antoinette silk scarf, from EmmaKisstina on Etsy (approx. £97).

Hope I have inspired you to unleash your inner style queen!

Now, I'm a bit hungry after all this writing, so I'm off to nibble on a macaron... :)

 



 







Chanel Superstition Collection for Fall 2013

The new Chanel "Superstition" make up collection for fall 2013, is nearly upon us, with a release date for the US market set for next week, starting 10 June.

Europe and the rest of the world will soon follow, with release dates expected to be, as for previous collections, between mid-July and mid-August.

So, well, we'll just have to be patient for a few more days to have more detailed information and *holds breath expectantly* pictures!
For now, let's just enjoy this sneak peek!

A photo of Chanel Quadra Eyeshadow in Mystère, a limited edition US exclusive featuring Golden Khaki, Golden Ivory, Silver Taupe, Matte Khaki shades was tweeted by Tomoichi:

 

 

The collection will also feature a brand-new product for Chanel, and one I'm really excited about as I'm a big fan of cream blushes, especially for the winter months as I find them kinder to my sensitive skin - Le Blush Crème de Chanel cream blush, in no less than six shades:

 

 

 

Finally, the other products I'm most eagerly anticipating are, of course, the nail polishes!

There will be three new shades:

 

#589 Elixir, which is my favourite one so far and looks like a creamy raspberry pink and reminds me a bit of #533 April

 

 

 

#591 Alchimie, a limited edition Golden khaki, and

 

#601 Mysterious, a gunmetal shimmery cream which, so far, looks gorgeous. Of course I can't wait to see these in person as soon as they hit the beauty counters, but for now, I'll see you early next week after the US release, with more pictures!

 

 

 

Is there a particular product you cannot wait for? Leave a comment below and let me know!

 





Summer Make-Up Collections

Finally, details of the long awaited designer make-up collections are beginning to be available, as products start to be released around the world.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am beyond excited for the new L'été Papillon de Chanel Collection to hit a store near me!

Described on the Chanel website as inspired "by the dazzling colours of butterflies", which allow to create "a joyful look for face and fingertips", with "electric shades and gleaming colours", this truly promises to be one splendid make-up collection.

 

Such brilliant shades are not normally up my beauty street, but with this collection I find myself mesmerised...I cannot wait for these beauties to be released in Italy - so much so that I'm considering ordering the nail polishes on eBay as I can hardly bear the wait! :)

 

The collection comprises 3 new Lèvres Scintillantes lip glosses (L-R in the above picture: #437 Eden, #377 Zéphyr, #427 Envolée, all limited edition), 4 new Inimitable Waterproof mascaras (again, all limited edition, three in various shades of aqua and blue: #37 Lime Light, #47 Aqua Blue, #57 Moon River, and one in a bright sunny yellow, #27 Zest).



L-R: Moon River, Noir, Aqua Blue, Lime Light and Zest

 

Plus, a limited edition Les Quatres Ombres in #44 Métamorphose, 6 new Stylo Eyeshadow pens (all limited edition...oh gosh, I'll end up spending quite a lot of money on this collection!), which you can see below:

 



L-R: #57 Black Stream, #07 Moon River, #27 Pink Lagoon, #47 Blue Bay (which looks particularly covetable to me!), #37 Jade Shore and #17 Cool Gold

 

Along with 2 new limited edition Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks in #467 Pygmalion and #457 Idylle, and a limited edition Stylo Yeux Waterproof in #57 True Blue (which you can all see in the first picture up top), the collection is completed by what are, in my opinion, the real gems, the items I'm most eagerly awaiting...of course, the nail polishes!

 

Specifically, 3 new limited edition (agh!! I need them!) nail polishes: #647 Lilis, #531 Azuré and (prettiest of them all, possibly) #657 Bel Argus.



My Latest Beauty Purchase...

...is a hot new product by cult beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics, Fine-One-One Sheer Brightening Color for Cheeks and Lips.

Spotted at Matthew Williamson and hailed as "a new make-up bag must" by Glamour UK magazine, Fine-One-One, according to the Benefit website, "gives your look instant LIFT, SHAPE and POP".

So, what is it, basically?

It is a compact, light-weight stick which can be swept onto cheeks and lips for a dewy finish.

The metallic rose gold packaging is absolutely gorgeous and, admittedly, what prompted me to give this product a go and buy it on my last trip to Sephora.

Once you lift the lid, you'll find inside a retractable three-colour stick. Left to right in the picture, the shades are Soft Coral, Sheer Watermelon and Pink Champagne.

I have to admit I wasn't utterly impressed with the colours. I'm more used to powder blushes, which of course last way longer than this, and I found the colours in this one are all rather sheer. 

Pink Champagne, the lighter of the three, has a lovely golden shimmer which you can just see in the photo above, but more or less disappears on my skin-tone. 

Soft Coral, on the other hand, is much more vibrant than anything I'm remotely used to wearing. 

This leaves with Sheer Watermelon, which is very pretty, but again, rather too...watermelon-y!

Note my thumb nail painted in the new Chanel Emprise (two coats) + Dior Nail Glow (1 coat)

All in all, a brilliant product for carrying around in your make-up bag during the day, won't lug you down and allows you to minimize the number of products you need to take with you (as this could, theoretically, double up for lips as well, but again the colours are rather transparent, and anyway you'd need a lipgloss on top to make them pop, in my opinion).

On the other hand, you must be sure that the colours work for you, as the downside is that it's really eye-wateringly expensive for what it is (8.0 grams, or 0.28 ounces, of product, really!), retailing at €32/£23.50/$30.

I think I'll stick to my beloved Benefit Benetint for the time being!

Dior Chérie Bow Make Up Collection for Spring 2013

Dior came up with a fantastically elegant make-up collection for Spring 2013, endearingly named Chérie Bow.

The bow, apparently, "was Christian Dior favourite final touch, a timeless and emblematic code of the House of Dior", from which the current make-up collection draws inspiration to come up with a veritably girly treasure trove of delicate pastel pinks and powdery greys, that instantly made me think of a pile of pastel-coloured macarons and queen Marie Antoinette (one of the nail polishes is, in fact, named "Gris Trianon").

Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette in the eponymous 2006 movie, directed by Sofia Coppola. 

The collection is almost unbearably cute, featuring an exciting, brand-new make-up innovation, the "Twin Set", or "the new eye-shadow pen", as it is presented on the Dior website, where it is additionally described as a double-ended pen, with a super soft pencil at one end and a foam blender impregnated with shimmery powder in the same nuance as the pencil at the other end. A bit pricey at £24.50, but I'm definitely saving up for one of these!!

"Twin Set" in (L-R) Fishnet Black, Grey Sigh (pictured both ends), Ballerina Pink and Beige Ribbon. 

Then there are two new 5 Couleurs eye palettes, decorated with a hounds-tooth check motive which was a particular favourite of M. Dior himself.

5 Couleurs Chérie Bow in (L-R) Ballerina Pink and Charming Pink

There are of course heaps of other products (four new shades of Dior Addict lipstick, two blushes, a gorgeous fuchsia lip glow and more...), but as I have a particularly soft spot for nail polishes...well, I'm going to drool over those for a while!

There are three new shades of Dior Vernis and a new shade of Nail Glow in the collection, each more lust-worthy than the other, in my opinion!

Dior Vernis in (L-R) Rosy Bow, Tutu and Trianon Grey and Nail Glow Chérie Bow Edition

#355 Rosy Bow is "a bright, radiant pink with a hint of coral";

#155 Tutu is "a pale pink imbued with softness";

#Trianon Grey is "a tender and delicate grey";

while Nail Glow is "a treatment nail varnish that makes pink pinker, and brightens nail tips for an instant French manicure look" (all quotes from the Dior website).

With Tutu it was love at first sight, and I just had to get it and the Nail Glow.

Currently I'm wearing one of my latest purchases, Chanel Emprise, but this afternoon I'm planning to take it off and paint a new mani in lovely Tutu. Or perhaps just paint a coat of Nail Glow on top of Emprise, just to see what it looks like! Oh, I'm excited already!!

Maybe I should have got two bottles of each, just to be on the safe side...

Let there be peace on Earth...

...and new festive make-up products on my bathroom shelves!!!
Because now that I'm all grown up, nail polishes and lip glosses are my new toys!
This holiday season, I was particularly dazzled by Chanel's Eclats du Soir Holiday 2012 Collection.

And who wouldn't be?

The nail polish, in particular, Malice, is a totally amazing black-burgundy infused with shimmer, perfect for a party manicure! 

I cannot wear it enough these days! 

I'm only sorry I could find just one bottle in the shop, as I'd have happily bought a spare one, just in case!

It was love, love, love at first sight. I just wish I could have got my hands on the matching lipstick as well.

That is, Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in L'Impatient.

Isn't it a darling??