Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion review + photos

          The Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion is an exciting new addition to Chantecaille's skincare lineup this Spring 2013. It's part of Chantecaille's Aromacologie line, which consists of botanically based formulas that calm, heal, and protect. The healing emulsion contains Magnolia Youth Complex to reduce redness, White Lily Bulb to hydrate dry skin while brightening complexion, and Jasmine to condition the skin and stimulate cell renewal. (Sounds amazing, right?)

         I've been delighting in Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion for the past few weeks, thanks to a press sample. The emulsion is a lightweight lotion that can be used alone or layered with your favorite moisturizers. (For heavier moisturization, try Chantecaille Flower Harmonizing Cream!) Not much product is required per use; 1-2 pumps should be sufficient. The Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion smells absolutely divine (Just like its namesake florals!), and calms my sensitive skin.

        The Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, and Lily Healing Emulsion ($120 for 1.7 oz.) is a soothing lotion with a gorgeous floral fragrance that I'm delighted to include in my skincare routine! Chantecaille skincare is available at fine department stores and Chantecaille online. Thanks for reading! Have you tried Chantecaille's Aromacologie skincare line? What other Chantecaille skincare products have you been enjoying or eyeing?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration for review. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The Chantecaille link in this post is not an affiliate link; it is present for your convenience.

Chantecaille Save the Sharks Palette review + swatches (Spring 2013)

          I first saw them on a grade school field trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore - fearsome, majestic creatures with large toothy grins that seemed powerful enough to bite through the thick plexiglass wall that separated us. Seeing real live sharks for the first time is an experience I'll never forget. For all their scary looks and ruthless reputation, these top predators have much more to fear than we do. For every recorded shark attack on humans, humans have killed more than 4 million sharks. In the past 40 years, several shark species have been decimated by 95%. The demand for shark fin soup results in the deaths of 73 million sharks annually (that's over 2 per second!) Equally alarming is the brutality of shark fishing practices; fins are often cut off of a living shark and the body is thrown back into the water to die. Thankfully, there are organizations like the BLOOM association that are passionately committed to saving sharks. Among other accomplishments, BLOOM orchestrated a top-level ban on serving shark fin soup at all Hong Kong luxury hotels. Chantecaille is supporting BLOOM's tireless  efforts by raising awareness and donating 5% of proceeds from the Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette' to the campaign.

          Last year I worked quite a dent into Chantecaille 'The Coral Reefs' palette (reviewed here); you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on the Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks' palette! The palette casing is a light warm grey plastic with a very subtle blue sheen that can be seen in lower light or when observed at an angle. (You might be able to appreciate this 'blue' effect in the leftmost corner of the palette below). I thought this was pretty cool and very fitting considering the shark theme. A dark blue and white shark image and Chantecaille's logo is printed on the top.

         Inside the palette, each pan contains embossed three-dimensional imagery of a shark's fin slicing through the water. The golden or white over-spray on the fins is temporary and should rub off after a couple uses. There are three eye colors and one blush inside the Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette'. Great White is a pale beige all-over or highlight eye color. Grey Reef is a shimmery golden pewter eye color.  Black Tip is a dark navy eye liner shade.   Sea Anemone is a beautiful bright pink. The powder eyeshadows and blush have good pigmentation and smooth application.

          Each of the palette's four colors has a marine animal inspiration. I've included a short blurb on each for your interest! The Great White shark is one of the largest (if not the largest) macropredatory fish; the largest measured great whites have approached (or exceeded) twenty feet in length and five thousand pounds in weight! Grey Reef sharks are often seen in shallow water near the drop-offs of coral reefs; they're small, agile, and aggressive predators less than six feet in length. Black Tip sharks are sharks that roam coastal waters of tropical and subtropical regions. They grow to roughly five feet in length and have a characteristic black streaks on the edge of their fins. Sea Anemone is the only non-shark namesake in the palette. Anemones are predatory animals with venomous tentacles; they also provide shelter to clownfish, who are unaffected by anemones' stings.

          Above, you can see a closeup of the shark icon on the Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette'. Did you know that the dark upper side and light underside coloration of sharks is called countershading? Countershading helps the predator camouflage better with its surroundings. When seen from above, its dark upper side blends in with the deep sea. When viewed from below, the light belly blends in with the light surface of the water!

          I've made a few comparison swatches below, to give you a better idea of the colors in the Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette'. I was particularly interested in the comparison of 'Save the Sharks' to last year's Chantecaille 'The Coral Reefs' palette (reviewed here). You can see that Chantecaille Great White is more beige and shimmery, while Chantecaille Pink Pearl is more matte and pink toned. Chantecaille Grey Reef is more grey than Chantecaille Reef. It's similar to Urban Decay Pistol (reviewed here); Pistol is more shimmery and golden, while Grey Reef is more mushroom toned. Chantecaille Black Tip is a more brilliant ocean blue when compared to the dark navy of NARS Mandchourie (right side, reviewed here). Chantecaille Sea Anemone is more pink and brighter than Chantecaille Coral, which has more orange tones.

          The Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette' ($83) is a stunning deep sea (inspired) treasure! Needless to say, it's going to get a lot of love this season and beyond. Again, 5% of the proceeds will benefit BLOOM's efforts to ban the unregulated shark fin trade. The Chantecaille 'Save the Sharks Palette' and the rest of Chantecaille Spring 2013 can be found here at Chantecaille online and at select department stores. Thanks for reading! Which Chantecaille palettes are your favorites (e.g. elephants, reefs, tigers, turtles)? Have you tried anything from Chantecaille Spring 2013? What do you think of the colors in this palette?'

Love, Dovey.

P.S. Read more articles about the shark fin trade on NYTimes.
P.P.S. Be sure to check out my other Chantecaille Spring 2013 reviews (here and here)!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The Chantecaille link in this post is not an affiliate link; it is present for your convenience.

Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Framboise and Pink Melon review + swatches (Spring 2013)

            Did you know that the model for all of Chantecaille's collections is Olivia Chantecaille, daughter of founder Sylvie Chantecaille? In the above photo, Olivia is modeling the gorgeous colors of Chantecaille Spring 2013. The Chantecaille Spring 2013 collection features a 'Save the Sharks Palette' accompanied by Chantecaille Lip Chics and Luminous Lip Glosses. In my last post, I shared my thoughts on Chantecaille Lip Chics in Framboise and Pink Melon (reviewed here).  Today I'll be reviewing Chantecaille Luminous Glosses in Pink Melon and Framboise.

         Chantecaille Luminous Glosses have delicious fruit inspired names; it's easy to see where Pink Melon and Framboise (French for 'Raspberry') get their inspiration from! The glosses apply smoothly and evenly; they have a flexible doe-foot applicator that is a bit flat and paddle-like. I like the finish of the glosses; they have a pleasantly balanced luster, avoiding the mirror ball shine you see in some glosses. The formula feels slightly tacky, but wears comfortably.

          Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Pink Melon is a demure light pink that leans a little peach. Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Framboise is a juicy raspberry pink gloss. Both have nice pigmentation when worn and don't settle into lip lines. You may have noticed that the Spring 2013 Chantecaille Luminous Gloss colors correspond well with their Lip Chic counterparts (reviewed here); in fact, they wear very nicely when used in tandem with the Lip Chics. I've swatched the Chantecaille Spring 2013 Luminous glosses alone, Lip Chics alone, and the two formulas combined below. While each color looks beautiful solo, the combination of Lip Chic with Luminous gloss produces a more intense color and shine. In the promotional photo above, Olivia Chantecaille is modeling the beautifully bright Chantecaille Rose Délice and Framboise combination. The combination with Chantecaille Daphne and Pink Melon is equally stunning.

          Both Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Pink Melon and Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Framboise ($34 for .26oz.) are gorgeous colors. Whether they're worn alone or in combination with a Lip Chic, you're sure to get a look that's trés chic! Both shades will be makeup bag staples for me this spring! Chantecaille Spring 2013 products are available at Chantecaille online as well select department stores. Thanks for reading! Have tried Chantecaille Luminous Glosses? What pieces are you loving from Chantecaille Spring 2013? Which of the two colors (Pink Melon or Framboise) do you prefer?

Love, Dovey.

P.S Stay tuned, there's more Chantecaille Spring 2013 to come!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The Chantecaille link in this post is not an affiliate link; it is present for your convenience.

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Rose Délice and Daphne review + swatches (Spring 2013)

             For me, Chantecaille's line has always represented the epitome of 'effortless chic'. Chantecaille Spring 2013, featuring their quintessential Lip Chics, Luminous Glosses, and a new 'Save the  Sharks Palette', is certainly no exception. I've been over the moon (or perhaps more appropriately under the sea) playing with these colors all week! Today I'll be sharing my review of Chantecaille Lip Chic in Rose Délice and Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne.

          Chantecaille Lip Chics are among my favorite lipstick formulas; they're comfortable, emollient, and shiny. The hybrid lipstick and gloss formula delivers smooth semi-sheer color with added collagen. Their Lip Chic formula also has good lasting power for a glossy lipstick. Chantecaille Lip Chics are packaged in shiny rounded gunmetal cases with Chantecaille emblazoned on the outside and a 'C' logo within.

            Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne is a light pink that leans slightly peach. Chantecaille Lip Chic in Rose Délice is a bright red pink. (Rose Délice is the color that Olivia Chantecaille is wearing in the Chantecaille Spring 2013 promotional photos). It's also worth noting that each Lip Chic has a corresponding Luminous Gloss color (Framboise and Pink Melon), both of which I'll review soon!

            I've made a few comparison swatches below to give you a better idea of the colors in Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne and Rose Délice. Chantecaille Lip Chic in Sunrise (Spring 2012) is more coral/peach toned than Daphne. NARS Mayflower lipstick is a little darker and more strawberry toned, while Daphne is more pure pink.  You can see how Chantecaille Rose Délice is more of a red-pink when compared to other bright pinks. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Anime (reviewed here) is a hotter pink, while Too Faced Fuschia Shock (reviewed here) is more fuschia toned, as per its namesake!

         Bottom line: I'm enamored with both Chantecaille Lip Chics in Rose Délice and Daphne ($35 for .07oz.). The formula and colors are wonderful, as one would expect from Chantecaille Lip Chics. With one bright pink and one light pink, I'm set for spring! The Chantecaille Spring 2013 collection is available at Chantecaille online as well as select department stores. Thanks for reading! Have tried Chantecaille Lip Chics? What pieces are you loving from Chantecaille Spring 2013? Which of the two colors (Rose Délice or Daphne) do you prefer?

Love, Dovey.

P.S Stay tuned, there's more Chantecaille Spring 2013 to come!
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. The Chantecaille link in this post is not an affiliate link; it is present for your convenience.

My July makeup favourites

          The warmth of July had me feeling warmer colors than usual. I really loved sandy or golden beiges. It was different than June's more naked tones; the colors I favored in July were natural, but had more depth. My favorite palettes were Chantecaille The Coral Reefs Palette (reviewed here) and Illamasqua The Neutrals eyeshadow palette (reviewed here). Both Chantecaille and Illamasqua have been catching my eye lately. I also used MAC Jaunty eyeshadow (swatched here) so often this month. I layered my blushes this month. The products I favored were Illamasqua Naked Rose powder blusher (reviewed here), Laura Mercier Peach Whisper blush, Laura Mercier Sweet Mandarin blush, and my NARS Multiple in Orgasm.

          This month I loved light or nude lips that leaned a little pink. The colors that rotated in and out of my makeup bag included Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Bare Pink (an all-time favorite of mine), MAC Lipstick in Innocence Beware (I loved this so much that it accidentally went through the washing machine), Chantecaille Lip Chic in Sunrise (absolutely wonderful texture), and Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Posy Pink.

        So that's it for July! I can already tell I'll be taking my August makeup looks in a new direction. Thanks for reading! Do you have any of these in your collection? What were some of your favorites last month? What collections are you looking forward to?

Love, Dovey.

My Allure Beauty Blogger Awards makeup

          I'm a more behind the lens kind of girl, so I can't even begin to tell how nervous it made me to submit a photo of myself for the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards competition. I wondered what do my fellow bloggers and readers expect me to look like? What do Allure readers expect a beauty blogger to look like?  I was tempted to wear a standout lip or eye, however in the end I opted for my everyday look. For better or for worse, I ended up looking like the real life me. In this post I'll go over the products I used to get my look.

          I started with Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer. Normally I skip primer, but for a photo I'll use it to really smooth out my skin's surface and help more foundation adhere better. If you're a blog regular, you probably know that NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville is my favorite foundation (review of sheer glow formula here, foundation swatches here). It performs so well for me everyday and in photographs. For my photograph, I applied with fingers first, then blended out with my Make Up For Ever Kabuki brush. I used NARS Concealer in Vanilla to lighten the undereye area. For my cheeks I applied my NARS South Beach Multiple using a brush to get a very well blended effect. For strategic highlighting and extra dimension, I used NARS Copacabana Multiple on my cheekbones, nose bridge, and under eyebrows.

           For my eyes, I used my favorite palette this spring, Chantecaille 'The Coral Reefs' palette from Spring 2012 (reviewed here). I used the pale highlight color diffusely swept over my eye area, the taupe color on my lid, and the chocolate color lightly in the crease. I lined with Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner in Black Ink and did my brows with NARS Coconut Grove single eyeshadow (reviewed here). My lips have been relatively pale lately, so Bobbi Brown lip color in Blondie Pink was a the perfect natural color. You can see swatches of all  colors below.

         So there you have it: my Allure Beauty Blogger Awards look, which can also be known as my normal look! I felt a bit shy about 'coming out' from my private cocoon, however so far it's been a happy and liberating experience. Thank you so much to everyone for all their words of encouragement with the  contest and my profile! Regardless of the contest outcome, I hope it will be an impetus for the continued metamorphosis of Cute and Mundane.

           What are your everyday colors? What kind of look would you have gone for?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. If you haven't done so already, you can read everything there is to know about me on my Allure Beauty Blogger profile page here. To  clarify, voting doesn't start until Monday April 23, but in the meantime, I would love it if you could 'LIKE' my profile or send a tweet tagged with #allurebba (both can be done from the profile page).

Chantecaille The Coral Reefs palette review

         Let me introduce you to my newest treasure: Chantecaille's 'The Coral Reefs palette'! The Coral Reefs palette is the star of Chantecaille's Spring 2012 collection. The palette is complete with three eyeshadows and a blush. The Coral Reefs is one of Chantecaille's environmental awareness palettes. Five percent of the purchase price will benefit the Marine Conservation Institutes and raise awareness for endangered reefs. As an animal and nature lover, I'm a fan of both the design and charitable cause. Previous palettes you may remember include the Tiger in the Wild palette and the Sea Turtle palette, both of which were gorgeous. As you can see, I decided not to miss out this time. I hope you enjoy my review of Chantecaille's The Coral Reefs palette!

        Chantecaille's charity palettes come with beautiful designs depicting their beneficiary cause. Here you can see intricate branches of coral covered with a gold overspray. It's hard to overcome the desire to preserve these patterns. Digging my brush into the pans felt akin to making a foot trail in the carefully raked sand of a zen garden! However the pain of pattern loss is overcome by the beauty of the shadows themselves (see swatches below). They're perfect renditions of classic colors. Pink Pearl is a pale pink highlight that has just enough shimmer to brighten. Reef is a cool biege warmed by a golden sheen. The interplay between cool base and warm light adds a beautiful complexity to the color. Driftwood is a chocolate brown with a hint of red sheen for interest. Coral, the blush color, is a sheer coral with a slight golden sheen. All the powders are finely milled and have great textures. They may be a little sheer, however this works well with the overall aesthetic.

          The casing is a white plastic with the coral design printed on top. I was surprised to see how large the pans were. Each pan should have 3g worth of product. For reference a MAC eyeshadow is 1.5g and a MAC blush is 6g. Therefore, you get a considerable amount of eyeshadow, and a more limited amount of blush.

           At the Nordstrom Spring 2012 Trend show I was lucky to have my makeup done by Chantecaille Nation Artist Eddie Hernandez. I rarely seek out makeovers since I'm often disappointed by the results. However, this makeover was wonderful. I loved everything from the skincare to the makeup application to Eddie's personality. I would highly recommend seeking him out if he's in your area.

          When applying Chantecaille's The Coral Reefs palette, Eddie used the following technique. First, using a fluffy brush apply Pink Pear from the brow down as a highlight. Pat reef on the lid up to the crease and line with Driftwood. When applying coral, start at the cheek bone and apply in downward diagonal strokes, imagining where the sun would hit your skin. Also, take a quick sweep underneath the brow. The effect was gorgeous; Reef adds the perfect amount of natural depth to my eye!

          Finally, I made a loose set of comparison swatches with another favorite palette of mine, the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette (reviewed here), and NARS blush. I figured many beauty lovers would have these in their collections, and it would make an effective comparison. Chantecaille Pink Pearl eyeshadow is more pink, sheerer, and less frosty than Urban Decay Bootycall. Pink Pearl is a very subtle highlight, while Bootycall is more intense. Chantecaille Reef is cooler and less golden than Urban Decay Suspect. Chantecaille Driftwood is more red, less golden, and less shimmery than Urban Decay Snakebite. I imagined that Chantecaille Coral blush would be similar to NARS Orgasm. However, you can see from my comparison swatches that Coral is significantly less pink than both NARS Orgasm and NARS Deep Throat. The colors aren't quite duplicates, however, they might be useful if you'd like to emulate Chantecaille's Spring 2012 look on a budget!

         The bottomline: I'm enamored with this palette. The colors are basic, but beautiful renditions of basic. I had a "Say yes to the dress makeup" moment after my makeover with Eddie. The Coral Reefs palette is now a frontrunner for my big day makeup! I'm so pleased with my first Chantecaille experience.  I look forward to exploring more from the brand.

          Thanks for reading! Have you tried The Coral Reefs palette or Chantecaille recently? Are these sorts of colors what you've been wearing this season? I would love to hear recommendations from any Chante veterans out there!

Love, Dovey.

P.S. If you're left craving more from the world of Chantecaille, you can find my interview with Alex Chantecaille here.
NOTE: 2/2/2013 Some of the original photos underwent minor edits to correct typos and give a more accurate impression of the product.

Interview with Alex Chantecaille

          The highlight of my day at the Nordstrom Trend Show was meeting Alex Chantecaille. (You can imagine how excited I was!) Alex is the Director of Sales at Chantecaille and daughter of Sylvie Chantecaille, the brand's founder. Chantecaille (pronounced shan-teh-kai) is a family business. The brand is known for botanical based skincare, a natural makeup look, and environmental campaigns. If you've passed by Chantecaille counters, you've most likely seen Olivia, Alex's sister and Creative Director, who models for Chantecaille collections. Meeting Alex was just as wonderful as I hoped it would be; she is genuine and personable, and as you can see above, beautiful too! In the midst of an incredibly busy day, she kindly agreed to answer a few impromptu questions about Chantecaille,  her inspirations, and what we can look forward to this year. Enjoy!

Could you describe the quintessential Chantecaille woman?

Modern, natural, and luxurious. Someone who appreciates beauty, but  in an effortless fashion, really embodies what it means to be chic, [and] also gives back.

What would you say makes Chantecaille special?
I think the fact that we're women making products for other women. It's my mother, sister, and I developing these products, communicating what we're all about, and sharing what we've learned. [We want] to empower women to feel better and look better, [to] give confidence as a sister would.

What inspires you?

 Honestly, nature. The simplicity, the intelligence and the beauty of nature and how well thought out it is. [From] something that just shocks you like a giant clam in Indonesia to a little hummingbird, it's all so perfectly created and there's so much to learn from that.

 

Could you share what colors you are wearing today?
I believe what I packed on my trip were the new classic palette we launched last fall, St. Barth's bronzer to get a little bit of warmth to the skin (it's a very lightweight beautifully milled bronzer), and our longest lash mascara.

  

Could you share a part of your daily beauty routine?

It's about feeding your face: from the morning cleaning it and refreshing it with rosewater. Using our vital essence every day, morning and night, gives a very redness calming, rosacea minimizing, healing experience. [I use] a lightweight moisturizer during the day and a richer one at night. [When] using our foundation, the coverage can always be controlled. If you're going out at night you can wear more, but during the day you can use a little bit to even out some red spots or areas of concern. And at night no matter how tired you are you have to wash your face!

For someone who's just starting on Chantecaille products what would you recommend?
We have an amazing value set called the Aromacologie starter kit that's in a really pretty faux croc pale pink travel zip pouch.  It has travel sizes of our foaming cleanser (naturally exfoliating and very softening), as well as the the vital essence full size, flower harmonizing cream (a very soothing basic cream that was originally developed as an eye cream), and a mini rose water (to spray throughout the day or [as a part of your] morning regimen).

What can we expect in summer or fall 2012 from Chantecaille?
In September we did the makeup for Christopher Kane. With the partnership we worked on creating a new cheek color from three of our current different cheeks: Cheer, Emotion, and Laughter. It was all about the focus on cheeks that pop, very natural eyes, pretty pink mouth with our color Comet, and bushy eyebrows (almost as if a girl had run up the hill, a very natural kind of flush). From that partnership we developed a new Poudre de perle called Akoya Pearl.

          I hope you enjoyed my interview with Alex Chantecaille! I'm grateful to have gotten the chance to meet her and catch a few pearls of Chantecaille wisdom. Have you tried any Chantecaille lately? I'd love to hear your recommendations! Do you visit counters when special guests or artists are in town?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. But wait, there's more! (More Chantecaille, that is). Stay tuned ...