Review: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Rivière from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Like the rest of the Chanel products offered by Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale, Rivière was originally sold exclusively in Asia. It was enthusiastically reviewed on Café Makeup and The Non-Blonde, so I made a beeline to the sale to buy it.

Rivière is a beautiful minty blue-green shade. It's silvery-shimmery with a very pearly finish. I know that women of a certain age are supposed to be careful about pearly finishes and totally avoid glitter, but I think a little bling close to the lashes or a light wash on the lid is appropriate, and the good news is that with this creme/gel formula, the pearliness stays put. It doesn't go all Urban Decay and wander off, only to end up highlighting my crinkles.

The texture is a very fluffy gel//creme, unique to Chanel, which can be applied as a shadow, a liner, or a liner that is blended out for a beautiful smoky eye.

The little pot comes with a small synthetic brush, so you have the option of using the brush or applying the shadow with your fingers.

The bottom of the pot and the little brush

Staying power is good; I use concealer as my eyeshadow base, and the Illusion d'Ombre shadows last all day on me.

Chanel Rivière swatched heavily on my inner arm. Please forgive the terrible lighting! The weather hasn't been cooperative this week, so I had to take the picture indoors on a cloudy day.

My reaction to this color? Definitely mixed. I love the idea of a blue-green color; it's a nice change from my usual beiges, and I find that teal eyeshadow brings out the green in my hazel eyes.

But I find this shade almost magically impossible to apply evenly. Rivière is much more pastel than the Illusions d'Ombres I've tried, and I'm finding it hard to figure out how much to apply. It's hard to apply enough so that it shows, but not so much that it balls up on my eyelid. 

I'm also having difficulty imagining whom this shadow would flatter. I think if you're very fair-skinned and look good in pastel shades of makeup, this shade might be beautiful on you. But I'm fair, and I had difficulty making the shadow show.

I fully intend to keep playing with this shade, and I'll also try it on my daughter, who patiently lets me use her as a guinea pig. But for the moment, I can't recommend this shadow.

Also? Chanel prices are always ridiculous, but the Illusion d'Ombre Riviere eye shadow costs $36. For that price, I say it's not worth the money. Illusion d'Ombre shadows are wonderful, and I definitely recommend them--just not this shade. 

Links for a lazy weekend II

So, the week is over, and both my children have their learner's permits. I will not go into the drama that that particular accomplishment entailed ... suffice to say that I'm having a well-deserved beer and looking forward to some relaxation, grilling, hanging out with friends, and a matinée of a couple of restored Méliès films. If you're trying to have a relaxing weekend, too, try pairing the following posts with your beverage of choice.

If you ever want to work up the nerve to wear anything ... a mohawk, say, or a cute blouse from H&M, or a pair of shorts because even though you're middle-aged, it's pretty effing hot out--and you need a pep talk--read this post by Eve at xoJane.

Just in time for beauty bloggers and others of you heading to New York for BlogHer, Xiao of Messy Wands has written a guide to makeup shopping in Manhattan.

I thought being middle-aged means everything I know is wrong. But can it be true? Matching lips and fingertips are back in style? Somehow I find that comforting.

Elizabeth Arden is one of those brands that I routinely write off as old lady and boring. Leave it to the British Beauty Blogger to convince me to take a second look. I mean, eye shadows that provide anti-aging benefits? Genius.

Katherine of Not Dressed as Lamb shared her thoughts on aging. Here's a teaser:

I won't kid myself that I have Cameron's legs, Thandie's beautiful skin tone or Dita's tiny waist, but I won't even consider comfort without style until Gwyneth does.

Vanessa of NessasaryMakeup gives a fantastic step-by-step tutorial on doing a dramatic smoky eye.  (She also has a nice chart of where to apply eye shadows.)

Want to get into meditation but don't have time? And anyway, meditation would take away from the time you spend looking at pretty things? Check out Chanel makeup director Peter Philip's latest video. Shiny!

I'll work on some more reviews of my Nordstrom anniversary goodies.

Meanwhile, Mesdames et mademoiselles, cultivez vos jardins!

Links for a lazy weekend

A weekly feature where I point out great style and beauty related articles you might have missed.

On Lipstick, Powder, and Paint, Karen Kwan offers some compelling reason to protect your eyes from the sun. And no, it's not about getting crows feet!

Advanced Style will be featured in O magazine this August. If you haven't been reading this amazing blog, which features street style of older women, here's a sample.

Yes, she's wearing glen plaid, a corolla of braids, a snood, and a quilted Chanel backpack. But wait! There's more. Head here to check out her Louise Brooks pearls.

 

Zuzu's Petals has the greatest blog post I've ever seen about tightlining.

If you asked me, I'd tell you it would be impossible to rock a pair of flowered cropped pants. But Bourbon & Pearls manages to do it

in her review of a rainy trip to London. 

I haven't picked up a copy of Glamour since the magazine de-evolved to out Cosmo Cosmo, but when I'm looking outstandingly dishevelled or random or like everything halfway decent is in the hamper, I still refer to myself as a "Glamour Don't." Check out MichelleBeth's first-person narrative of what it was like to work at Glamour ... and be a Glamour Don't.

Because of the balcony, I have a tendency to avoid wearing t-shirts with designs or writing across the front. When I buy a concert T-shirt, I get the XXL and wear it to sleep in. But Any Second Now has an interesting take on the rock t-shirt. What do you think--is there a place in your wardrobe for your vintage concert t-shirts?

Things that make me go "awwwwwwwwww." Check out three generations of stylish women in Arlane's post about her daughter's wedding.

Finally, it wasn't until I expanded this video to full-screen that I realized this man isn't wearing some kind of hipster waistcoat: it's a baby carrier.



Enjoy your weekend!

L'Oreal's Double Extend with Lash Boosting Serum works! And it won't make you blind.

Jan Marini's late, lamented, and very naughty lash growth serum

Like a lot of other idiots, when Jan Marini came out with her original Age Intervention eyelash growing serum, I bought a tube of the stuff. Even though it cost--wait for it--$160. The shame! It burns.

There was some science blather that didn't really interest me about how it worked--I knew it started as glaucoma medication, contained prostaglandin, and worked by arresting the eyelashes' growth/shedding cycle. The main thing was that it worked.

But then my gorgeous friend Liz saw an article saying that using this miracle lash growing potion was a really bad idea. It mentioned scary things like iris color change and blindness and whatnot. And Jan Marini recalled the product. So I stopped using it, and my eyelashes devolved to their original wispy, pathetic state.

Then, the other day, I spotted L'Oreal's Double Extend mascara. I've been using L'Oreal's Double Extend mascaras for years, so I was intrigued. Because this formula included lash boosting serum.

You're familiar with these two-ended mascaras, right? One end is color, and the other is usually primer. To the eyelash-challenged, these formulas are a godsend, and well worth taking a little extra time to apply.

L'Oreal's Double Extend (with lash boosting serum!) works just like the usual two-step mascara. I curl my lashes, apply one coat of primer (with lash boosting serum!) and then top with the color coat. As with other two-step mascaras, I find I have to apply the color coat very lightly to prevent clumping.

The result? Long, dark, thick lashes that don't smear, flake, or give me morning-after raccoon eyes.

And I swear my lashes are looking longer. And I've only been using it once or twice a week. What with summer road trips, the house being full of painters, and Chicago being struck by heavy rains followed by flooding in my basement, I just haven't really been in the mood to slap on a lot of spackle.

At any rate, two enthusiastic thumbs up for L'Oreal's Double Extend (with lash boosting serum!) It works as well as their usual mascaras, and it seems to be doing something to beef up my feeble fringe.

Basic eye makeup for a woman of a certain age: Step 1: Wear neutral shades

If you read as many fashion magazines as I do, you're constantly being inundated with advertisements featuring amazing images of dramatic eye makeup. These images are doing an excellent job--at least as far as I'm concerned--since I actually spend good money on these colors. And then I gloat over them like Gollum with his Precious. Sometimes I hole up in my bathroom and do a full-on Sephora-worthy eye makeup job, featuring five shades of shimmery green shadow complete with shimmer and a heaping helping of glitter. But I don't leave the house looking like that, and neither should you.

Just say no.

I hate to ruin anyone's day, but extreme eyemakeup is for the young.

Holy Crayola, Batman!

(These advertisments should come with a cautionary label, like cigarettes: KIDS! Don't try this at home!)

Eye makeup for the not-so-young

Here's the deal: as we age, we develop crows feet. Our eyelids become crepey. We might start to suffer from puffiness and bags under our eyes. The dark shadows that we always got under our eyes when we didn't get enough sleep become darker and become a permanent condition. On top of that, the shadows start to go all the way around our eyes. Our brows start to collapse and land where the crease of our eye used to be.

Yes, it's depressing.

The good news is that the eyes themselves don't change all that much. The exquisite color of your iris and unique shape of your eyes can still be emphasized. This will wake your whole face up and make you look refreshed and youthful.

I don't go through all these steps every day, but when I want to look really good, I use concealer, eyeshadow primer, three shades of eye shadow, two shades of eye liner, brow color, and mascara. And I do it all with neutral shades of eye makeup: beiges, tans, brown, and black.

And it doesn't look boring. Also, I'm in pretty good company. Marilyn Monroe wore a bold red lip, and she balanced it with neutral eyeshadow.


It's a classic look that never goes out of style. Here's Naomi Campbell modelling the late, lamented Kevyn Aucoin's iconic version of a neutral eye look, from a 1991 Allure magazine:


You'll notice that the lid is very light; the crease is very dark; there is a LOT of eyeliner, and the whole thing is contoured like crazy.

It's way over the top, and it's dated, but Aucoin was exaggerating to make a point. It's a ton of makeup, but it's a symphony in neutral color; beige, dark brown, and black. Campbell looks like a goddess.

Here's a recent version from Temptalia:


These shades are too shimmery for us, but I love the way she blended them and then set them off with that great eyeliner; I love the little upwards flick at the outer edge of her eye.

I hope I've sold you on the importance of developing a neutral eye makeup look. Tomorrow I'm going to talk about how to find the three or four eyeshadows to use as a palette of colors for your everyday neutral, polished, pretty eye look.



This is post belongs to a series I'm posting on natural-looking, flattering eye makeup for women of a certain age. Check back for posts on concealer, eye shadow primer, eyeliner, mascara, and brow color.

My Dior Spring 2010 picks

The past couple weeks I've gone just a wee bit crazy with the on-line shopping. First of all, Nordstrom was having a "secret" beauty event. (I wouldn't call it all that secret, but I didn't see any print advertising. I guess it's secret if you only hear about it on line.)



So I popped for some Dior makeup from the Spring 2010 collection. And you can hardly blame me. First of all, how seductive is this graphic?



And then, most of the makeup in this collection has that lovely lace-y pattern pressed into it.



Anyway, I bought two items from the Dior spring collection, the Dentelles eye shadow quint

Dior 'Dentelle' Iridescent Eyeshadow Palette Pearl Glow 059

and the silver nailpolish

Dior Vernis Nail Enamel, Silver Pearl 604

which is really gorgeous. I thought a fun metallic twist on a gray would be an interesting change from the vampy purples I've been wearing lately.



Verdict? Well, the eye shadow palette was an absolute revelation. I've been reading rave reviews of Dior eyeshadow for years, and finally see what all the noise is about. The shades are gorgeous and the finish is incredibly soft. They blend so beautifully.



That being said, the shades are lighter in person than they looked on the computer screen. Lovely for spring summer, but they probably wouldn't show up as anything more than a pearly shimmer on darker complexions.



I haven't tried the polish, but I will this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to having gorgeous superstar toenails. And I need to have them before sandal season starts, or people will wonder whether I have delusions of glamor.

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 17: Be a brownie

You might be wondering why on earth Pamela Anderson is doing in a blog post aimed at beauty and style for women of a certain age. Well, duh, I'm using her as an example of what not to do. And I'm not going after her super-thin eyebrows and super-obvious implants. I'm going after her eyelashes.

Mascara has become like a Model T Ford--you can have any color you want, as long as it's black. Which is OK, as long as you think everyone looks best in black mascara. Unfortunately, I don't.

Black mascara is lovely at night, but for broad daylight, I find it a bit stark and artificial looking. If you're blonde, redhead, or like me, an aging brunette, you'll probably look better in a softer shade of brown/black or brown. In fact, if you're a redhead, you'll probably look best in auburn--if you can find it anywhere.

Unfortunately, most drugstore mascaras only come in black, super-plus-blackest-black, and black/brown. I checked L'Oreal, CoverGirl, Maybelline, and Revlon, and the story was almost always the same.

There are drugstore brands that offer brown mascara, but you have to dig pretty deep. Almay has at least one mascara available in brown.

For years, Max Factor was the only line with a mascara for redheads; unfortunately they're leaving the States. The mascara is still available at Drugstore.com, though. And Revlon's DoubleTwist line includes a shade called Blackened Ruby that looks auburn.

Fortunately, the latest fad in drugstore mascaras appears to be ones that emphasize the color of your eyes. Physician's Formula sells a brown mascara, and in addition, their intensive i-color mascara and intense i-color mascara with light interplay both claim to intensify eye-color. They're available in four shades. CoverGirl sells a similar line.

Department store lines offer a wider variety of mascara shades: Estee Lauder has several formulas that come in brown and and even navy blue; MAC has some browns, and so does Lancôme. (Lancôme also sells specialty mascaras, like gold and silver. But that's not the point of this post.)

Boutique brands like Jane Iredale, BeneFit, and Sephora offer mascaras in a variety of interesting shades. In fact, if you go to the Sephora website and do a search for "brown mascara," you'll discover that there are plenty of options.

The trick is to not go crazy. Colored mascara can be fun, but it's not something to wear if you want to be taken seriously. For proof, remember Princess Diana and her blue eyeliner and matching eyelashes. I'll confess to having developed a certain degree of fascination with colored mascaras, and I'm trying like crazy not to succumb to Yves St. Laurent Fascinating Violet or the Benefit BadGAL in Plum.

I remember the 80s and I don't think the world has yet recovered from my experiments with Princess Di-style cobalt blue.

Or my Two-Faced glitter lashes in the 90s when seriously? I was old enough to know better.

But while I busy myself locking up my credit cards and backing away from the Sephora website, I urge you to think about whether the black mascara you've been wearing for years and years is actually doing you any favors. Or could you, like the women pictured here, benefit from a softer look around the eyes?

Elsewhere:

The Beauty Blog has a great post on mascaras for redheads here.

Did you know that there is a beauty blog devoted to mascara? There is. It's called Clumps of Mascara. Currently on hiatus, but still packed with useful reviews. Click here.