CHANEL Limited-Edition Pair — Nuit Magique

O HAPPY DAY.

Not only is it Cyber Monday (I think you had to have lived in the early AOL days to find that name hilarious) but... CHANEL has released a new, limited-edition duo called "Nuit Magique."

First up is the eponymous shade, MAGIQUE. It's a nice, unexpected choice for a holiday party instead of the typical reds. I'm liking the blues we've seen lately! Like denim, they really do go with everything.

But for the real showstopper in the collection, check out COSMIC.

Ladies, ladies, ladies. This is not the same as the Ciel de Nuit of legend, but it's pretty damn close. I can't wait to see how close this is to Ciel de Nuit and, for that matter, the hallowed HTF, Essie Starry Starry Night. I know it won't be an exact dupe, but it will be interesting to see how close this new shade gets.

I highly recommend you get thee to CHANEL.com if you even have a shred of interest in this color. If it arrives and you hate it, there's always eBay. And we know how well CHANEL can perform there! It's a win-win.

I just ordered mine and will swatch as soon as it's here!

xx, Francesca

On the quest for Essie SSN? Here are some previous posts you may enjoy:

Nail Polish Lemmings — An Exposé

Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl (Essie SSN dupe)

"HTF that HTF," or "How to Find That Hard to Find"

I'm Baaaaaa-ack!

Ladies, ladies, ladies. Please forgive me. I’ve disappeared before, but I really did it this time! This was not a planned hiatus.

Since I last wrote in early May, some major Life Events, capital L capital E, have happened. Let me fill you in...

I got a new job!

Although I sometimes wish beauty blogging were my full-time gig, the truth is that I am gainfully employed in a different field. I had been at my previous company for 2.5 years and it was so hard to leave! I count many of my coworkers amongst my closest friends. My requisite two weeks were bittersweet and filled with lots of bon voyage cocktails. And karaoke. And tears. ;_; (Don't those things always kind of go together?)

The new job has me firing on all eight cylinders. I forgot how exhausting being the NKotB can be! In addition to learning to the ropes, there are new faces, new names and new processes to memorize. It can be a little overwhelming to say the least.

I spent 10 glorious days in Italy!

Now THIS was awesome. My friend’s dad had a destination wedding. (!) At the Four Seasons. In Florence. Italy. It was MAGICAL. My 10 days in Italy were some of the best days of my entire life, no kidding.

I had always dreamt of going to Italy, so much so that I took two years of Italian in high school for the sole purpose of being able to order food and ask where the restroom was like a pro when I got to Italy, somehow, someday. You could say it was destiny.

Purrsonal Life Drama!

I will spare you the details — unless you buy me a drink, in which case you’ll get more of an earful than you bargained for. But there’s been lots of action and it's kept me busy. Not so busy that I haven't been painting my nails... just busy enough that I haven't had much time to write.

In Summary:

I miss you. I really have missed Polishment so. much.

I'm finally back in control and ready to focus on entertaining you once again with swatches captured while driving, the occasional tabby cat photobomb, unsolicited 80s music videos — and more. Much more.

My Goals:

I want to start giving more color advice around here. Whenever my family, friends and coworkers have questions about what kind of color they should get for their next mani-pedi OR, what color I’d suggest they wear to a special event (job interview, wedding, court appearance, etc.)... they come to me. And I want to extend my expertise to you.

Anytime you want an “expert” opinion, drop me a line in the Ask & Answer question, or email me at definepolishment@gmail.com. Send me the details of the event & a link to your outfit or a snapshot, and it will be my pleasure to recommend the perfect shade. :)

I will continue to post reviews of new colors & collections I come across, plus the occasional tutorial.

And if there’s ever any nail polish craziness (velvet manis! chalkboard manis! gold leaf! hex glitter!) you want me to try out on your behalf, I am happy to do it.

TL;DR: Love you, miss you, stay tuned for action because I am back. <3

xxo, Chess

Omgggg, so are you guys, like, loving that new JT album or whutttt. Let's go back to where it all began, shall we? My serenade to you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is6gtilerPk

CHANEL Limited-Edition Collection — Hong Kong de Chanel

Bonjour! Word of a new limited-edition collection from les artistes at CHANEL arrived in my inbox today. This time it's très chinoiserie.

Chinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque,” refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences.

It is characterized by the use of fanciful imagery of an imaginary China, by asymmetry in format and whimsical contrasts of scale, and by the attempts to imitate Chinese porcelain and the use of lacquer-like materials and decoration.

This is a toughie. The creamy white, Eastern Light, is pretty basic. Since these bottles are running for $30 each (quelle horror!) I don't think you guys should feel tempted to drop that kind of cash on something so vanilla. Literally.

But Western Lights shows great promise. It's easy to pass over first; the shot of the complete collection did little to pique my interest. But when I went to the product page to get a closer look at the bottle, I read the description and got a better look at the shade's unique shimmer. I'd love to see this live! That said, a bit of an odd choice for springtime, eh? Could have been a great fall / winter release.

To check out swatches and a fantastic post on this new CHANEL duo, head over to fellow nail blogger Ommorphia Beauty Bar's site. She's got some great dupe suggestions and really beautiful shots.

yearofthesssssnake, Francesca

P.S. Click here to read more about 2013, the Year of the Water Snake, aka Junior Dragon. My Chinese Zodiac sign is a Rat. ;_; Wish I'd been a Tiger or a Dragon. Any other Rats up in here?

An opportunist with an eye for a bargain, Rats tend to collect and hoard, but are unwilling to pay too much for anything.

Hahahahaha. Collecting? Hoarding? You don't say.

Essie — Summer Collection 2012

When I say that Essie's new collection for Summer 2012 is drool-worthy, I am being literal. I opened the email, looked at the photo and I swear to you that I salivated like a polish-loving Pavlov pet. This set is a perfect ten. Well, technically a perfect six, but you know what I mean.

Naturally, I must assort this perfect lineup in priority order because I can't — I musn't — buy them all.

1. Bikini So Teeny
2. Fear or Desire
3. Cascade Cool
4. Mojito Madness
5. All Tied Up
6. Off the Shoulder
7. ALL THE COLORS

Share your rankings in the comments!

xxo, Francesca

Polish... or POISON?

Now... full disclosure, I sunbathe. Not that often, and when I do, I wear sunscreen, but hot damn do I love to do it. Organic & natural foods are nice to eat when they're around, but not really on my list of must-haves. I consume too much Splenda. I enjoy filling up my tank because I love the smell of gasoline. I hover in front of the microwave and peer through the glass to watch my food. I practically bathe in acetone once a week.

My approach to life is not always the safest. I know, I know. I'm WILD!

But I know some of you are careful. Or pregnant. Or simply smarter than I am.

And so, dear reader, I came across this article about the toxins in nail polish, and I thought of you. The person who washes (and I mean really washes) fruit before they eat it. Who stays away from high-fructose corn syrup. Who's never smoked a cigarette and loves to go hiking. And then heads off to piloxing. This is for you, my healthy friend. Bless your heart.

Is Your Nail Polish Harmful? courtesy of Yahoo!

Formaldehyde is the F-word of manicures...This colorless and strong-smelling gas is not only used in embalming (eek!), it can also be found in countless common household items, including glue, plywood, adhesives and yes, even as a hardener and preservative in nail polish.

Oh, and last but not least: It's a proven carcinogen. In fact, as of June 10, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated its National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens (RoC) to state that formaldehyde is 'known to be a human carcinogen,' replacing the previous and more ambiguous 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.'

Ahhh! Okay, that excerpt scared even me! I know Zoya and Nubar are proudly 3-free. Do you all have any other favorite "green / natural / less toxic" brands to recommend?

stayshinyandsafe, Francesca