Chantecaille La Baleine Bleue Eyes

I never thought of myself as a makeup collector, until I started lemming after some really ridiculously priced makeup pieces.  They are almost too beautiful to use, but alas, we must. Today I wanted to show you my Chantecaille La Baleine Bleue Eye Shadow Palette.  
Are you all ready?

Images & description below taken from chantecaille.com

La Baleine Bleue

- Trio of feminine, fashion-influenced shadows - Seasonal blues include sheer pale blue and deep blue-grey accent - Iridescent champagne base complements highlight colors - Specially designed compact with image of the Blue Whale and her calf

They make it look so little on their website, but I tell you, the compact is huge. 

The compact's exterior is a mirror as well, so don't mind the reflection of me in it :p

Just like the description, this is a beautiful iridescent eyeshadow trio with a very lovely image created in the palette.

You lift the trio and you get another compartment with a magnified mirror and 2 eye shadow brushes.  I prefer when companies give us these mini brushes versus the sponge tip applicators, those are such a waste.

Ok, so do I feel this is worth $95? It's very hard to say, yes I believe the quality of the shadows are so wonderful.  Super soft, and just unbelievably luxurious, but $95 is still a steep price. The only saving grace is that 5% of the proceeds of this sale does go to 

http://www.iucn.org/ 

It is quite steep, but if you are an avid makeup collector, then these palettes are for you.
I love this palette, and I'm going to be quite sad when I hit pan.

My Swap Haul For June

My DH is looking at me and giving me this face, because he thinks that the products surrounding me are products that I purchased.  I quickly put him out of his misery and told him that they were all swaps, so he leaves the room.  Why do men not understand our obsession? Well I guess it's in the same manner that I don't understand his electronics or dvd obsession.  I can't begin to tell you how happy I am about swapping again.  It's been way too long, and it really has saved me so much money, and I will continue to swap until I have swapped out everything on my swaplist.  For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm talking about makeupalley right now.  I've also met a lot of nice English girls on there as well, so overall it's been a great experience.  Now onto the haul reveal!

* Mac false eyelashes - These are the older packaging, but since it's not makeup, it doesn't matter.  I love falsies for when I go out, so I can never get enough

* Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 11 -

 Ok, I am a freaking idiot. When I agreed to swap for this, I must have looked at the wrong swatch, because I thought it would be my colour, obviously it is not.  It is for dark skinned girls, so that was clearly a dumb mistake on my part, but I did find a very clever way to use this.  I have placed 2 drops in my face lotion and have created a tinted moisturizer out of it, so this won't go to complete waste.

* Armani Fluid Sheer 13

This is a meant for an all over face colour, but clearly it is too dark, it is like a dark Burgundy tone which I plan to use mixed with some other cheek blush and blended, or even to use as a contour

Both formulas ARE amazing, and it just solidified in my head that I need an Armani foundation (in my shade lol) in my life.

* Bare Minerals - medium beige

This is my favourite mineral foundation, so I jumped on the swap when it was in my colour.  I love how it gives a great luminous day time look without looking cakey or overly done.  Sure you'll need a concealer for any blemishes, but this is quick and effective.  I just hate their infomercials so much though lol

LIPPIES GALORE

* YSL - Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick 1

* Guerlain Matte kiss kiss lipgloss in 03

* Clinique superbalm moisturizing gloss in 10 Grapefruit

* Chanel Glossimer in 117

* Edward Bess lipstick in Night Orchid

* 17 - Shine on lipstick in Flirty

YSL, Guerlain, Clinique, Chanel, 17, Edward Bess

Out of all of these, I am so excited to have the Edward Bess lipstick. I am definitely obsessing hardcore over all his stuff at the moment, 

I'm quite pleased with all of them, but the one that shocked me the most was the 17 lipstick. I did not expect it to be that nice and creamy. Wow! I'm a fan now.

* Rimmel - Lash Maxxx mascara

Something about the brush won me over. I heard this doesn't last long, but I'll be holding onto the brush for sure.

* Barry M - Glitter lashes

A little litter on the lashes - sounded too fun to turn away

It's actually not a mascara, but looks like a lipgloss and you just brush it onto your lashes.

* No 7 Amazing Eye Pencil in 05 Black

I can't say no to black eyeliners, and since I have never tried no 7 eyeliners, this was a great chance for me to try it out 

I will not need bath products for the next month.

I got 3 huge and i mean HUGE products to try

* FCUK Whipped Body Cream - 300 ml

* Sanctuary Body Milk Spray - 250ml

* Sanctuary Bath relaxer oil - 250ml

Let's see what all this Sanctuary hoopla is all about shall we....

Overall, great big items to last me this month :)

* Gosh stippling brush

I haven't used this yet, and quite impressed by the size. I'll have to give it a go and report back to you on how I feel about it.  I love collecting brushes hahaha, so glad to have swapped for this.

* MUA eyeshadow in shade 16 - Matt

So I have gone on and on about MUA eyeshadows only being £1 and being a good bargain, so I wanted to give another colour a chance. So far so good. 

* Chantecaille La Baleine Bleue

Eyeshadow Palette

OK....I never in my wildest dream would think I'd own a chantecaille limited edition item.

First, because they cost way too much.

We're looking at $95 in the states, and £85 in the UK

Who can pay that?!?! OK, I guess lots of people could, but not this person right here haha

So when the chance came to be able to swap for this, I did all I could to make it happen.

This is a gorgeous trio meant for a soft and subtle look, and that's what it delivers.

The shadow feels like SILK!!!! I think Dior just lost to the softest eyeshadows out there.

I'll do a separate post on this for sure, but I also love that 5% of the proceeds do go to the wild life foundation to help the animals that are featured in the palettes.

I love this so much.

* The Dior Travel palette (on the left) 

is gorgeous and you can find my review I did here

I have reached for this so many times this month and I just wish I had another one of this.

and last but definitely not least. 

* CHANTECAILLE BENGALI PALETTE

Coming in at a whopping $117/£110

I was floored to have made this swap happen.

I am in love with the size of this palette and the texture of the eyeshadows and blush.

They are just out of this world.  I know a lot of people probably didn't buy this due to the heavy sticker price, but if you did have the money to buy it, you won't be disappointed.  it is just so smooth, and with zero fall out, and it is honestly the best eyeshadow that I have ever tried.   I will be doing a separate post on this with better more accurate pictures, but just wanted to show you guys what was in the palette.

So that was my June swap.  I'll be doing this monthly to show you all can get some great items during a swap.  Why not right? Give away something that didn't work for you, in exchange for something that would work for you.  One gal's trash is another gal's treasure right?  Do you swap? What do you love or hate about it?






COME AND ENTER MY FIRST GIVEAWAY HERE!!

June's Lemmings

The weather is so gloomy and dark outside that I decided not to bother doing a review on an item when my photos would look dark, so instead I wanted to share my top high end items that I'm lemming for this month.

The internet is full of eye candy, we can't start our browsers without seeing ads and beautiful things popping in front of us at all times.  So what is a beauty addict suppose to do?  Well what I started to do to make sense of this madness is to write down something that I think I want, then I shorten that list by items that I think I'll want in a year from now, and then I look up reviews online and decide which ones people rave about.  By that point, my huge/out-of-control list will be shrunken down to less than 20 or so items, and I wanted to share with you the top items that I would like to get my hands on within this year.  This year? you ask. Well, considering these are high end, the price on these babies are quite hefty, and in my particular situation, I have to be rational (ugh) and budget money, but if you have the means to spend your money on high end items, then I highly recommend these today. Heck, stop reading this blog and just order it lol.

In no particular order :)

I have not been this excited about a collection launch in forever! 

This is the Fall 2011 Chanel collection, from this list, I am absolutely wanting:

1. Nail vernis in Peridot

(ok, so a lot of people either love this or absolutely hate it.  I joke with my friends and talk about how I like weird and ugly colours, well...Peridot is one of those colours.  Its not quite green, it's yellowed out green, mixed with a slight duochrome of blue and other ugly colours that looks just like muddy lake water.  I love it lol)

2.  Nail vernis in Graphite

There is nothing that screams SUE, more than gritty metallics

I love it, It reminds me of concrete at night when the rain just hits it and the street lights illuminate it to make this weird metallic grit colour. Love!

3.  Illusions d'ombres 

Although I have my favourites, I would love to get my hands on any of these for texture purposes.  They remind me of the Giorgio Armani eyes to kill eyeshadows that I have been wanting, but the colours in this collection are a bit more me.

4.  Cle de Peau - Concealer

I can't remember when I first learned about this product. Was it 2007? 2006? Anyhoo, I have been wanting it forever. I must have read over hundreds of reviews on how it's the best product out there, so what am I waiting for? Oh yeah, it cost like $70 lol

I think before I die, I will get my greedy mitts on this one.

I am very obsessed at the moment about making my aging, discoloured skin into a smooth youthful palette. So I will be investing in concealers and other face makeup that claim to do these things.

5. Guerlain - Meteorites Primer

I have my girls from TPF to blame for my Guerlain obsession lol

Another beautiful item that I've read nothing but great reviews on, and after my fail of a primer by Dior, I really want to venture to this product next.

It looks beautiful, doesn't it? Reminds me of Bubble tea :p

6. Hakuhodo Brushes

Where have these been hiding all my life? I am the most eager to try these brushes out of anything on my list, because I know once I invest, these will be with me forever. 

I have to give it up for the Japanese and their precision brush making skills, heck their love and art of brushes in general is just worlds beyond any other.  Hakuhodo brushes are apparently the creme de la creme of all the brushes, so obviously I'm greedy-eyed for these instantly.

7. SUQQU - Brow Pen

This is another japanese product that I had no idea about until I moved here to England.  Apparently it's waterproof and gives out the right amount of product to create a soft or intense eyebrow depending on how you build it up. 

Lisa Eldridge raved about these, and what Lisa says, Sue usually does LOL

So this has made it to my top wish list items. Thanks LIsa for making me broke :)

I'm going to have to head into Selfridges London for this one soon.

8. YSL Touch Eclat 

Is everyone sick of how widely these are marketed? We see these everywhere.  I think they are coming out with more colours as well.  It's suppose to be a highlighter pen that you use under your eyes to give you that lift and youthful glow. Did anyone say youthful glow? I guess my 30's will be the eternal search of how to make myself look like I'm 20 again hahaha.  (Speaking of, I got carded the other day, made me smile inside)

Well anything that claims to give my face that youthful look has already won me over.

9. Edward Bess - Eyeshadows

Ok I'm so happy that Zuneta.com finally decided to sell this product.  What I'm not happy about is the exchange rate and how these are priced over here in the UK. 

I have heard nothing but amazing things about this product. I'm loving the swatches and I need him in my life.  

10.  Chantecaille - Les Macarons Palette

I usually don't like pink, but something about this palette makes me think that these are the colours I need to brighten up my face a bit.  I am loving the colour range, and this would be a perfect Sunday afternoon look for me.  I don't know why, I'm just so drawn to this palette.  The only thing that has stopped me is the price obviously, but if I see this in person, I don't think I can resist tbh.

Ahhhh....now the sun wants to come out.

Ok perhaps there will be a review/reveal post today, but if not, I hope you enjoyed these beautiful items for your viewing pleasure :)

Project 10 Pan & Current Lemings

I am almost done! I think in the next week I should be done using up all my 10 items and I will be free from these shackles !!!! HAHA

So in celebration, I'll tell you ladies my top 10 current lemmings.
Here they are in no particular order....

Armani Eyes to Kill Intense

I would like to try any of these, they look amazing and I have read some good reviews about the silky texture. They look intense and exactly what I need for that night-time look.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

Apparently you get a lot of bang for your buck with this. I will be picking this up first!

Chantecaille Luminous Eyeliner

Glamorous!!!!! I want them all 

Chantecaille Sea Turtle Palette

Who would want this, just look at it?!?!?!!

NARS Yachiyo Brush

Had someone show me this brush and I have been in love eversince!

Guerlain Terracotta Jambes de Gazelle

I am in desperate need of this for the summer. No more Miami sun here in England, so I'll settle for this :)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish in Insouciant

Stupid Stupid me for not ordering this before I left the states!

Chanel's upcoming Fall polish

due to release in July

****swoon****

Now here are the lemmings that I can't afford lol

Bond No.9 perfume in

Madison Square Garden

I use my samples very very sparingly.

At $260 a bottle, well let's just say it might take a few years to acquire this! But I love it

Jo Malone Luxury Candle in Grapefruit

This massive candle is not only elegant, but smells so good. I close my eyes and picture this candle in my future home and at $375, it will be in my home for years!

Yep it's nice to dream sometimes ladies, isn't it?

So these are my top 10 current lemmings, believe me there is more, but I don't have enough hours in the day to write out everything that I want lol

(who does right?)

What are some of your current lemmings?

And if you have any of the above mentioned products, what are your reviews? Love? Hate?

xx