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"

CHANEL Taboo — New from the Révélation Collection

I cover new CHANEL colors for two reasons: 1. These pics are usually the closest I'll come to them because they're just too expensive for me to feel comfortable with. 27 dollars, whaddya think I am, Chanel, madea money? (Shout out to Kevin and Katie for feeding my addiction these past couple of birthdays, <3 you guys...)

2. This is the brand that gives birth to trends. We must maintain constant vigilance.

Here's CHANEL's latest colour: Taboo.

Check out this closeup; looks like we've got some beautiful sapphire & ruby microglitter, all suspended in a navy-copper-purplish base:

Oh, I just love that second shot. It's like a fuchsia-hued galaxy. And may I point you to fellow nail blogger Weekend Ramblings for a set of gorgeous swatches. Check out her post, she was pretty impressed...

If I make it to Nordstrom anytime soon, I'll paint a little Taboo on a crumpled old receipt or something classy like that — then I can judge this polish freely. Until that happens, I can only speculate based on these photos. But Taboo looks lovely. Spellbinding, even.

My one complaint: why is this coming out in Spring/Summer? Just when we're wanting to wear brights and pastels... just seems like an odd choice. But that doesn't mean I'm not drooling for Taboo...

taboohoohoo, Francesca

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.

CHANEL Holiday 2012 Collection — Éclats du Soir de CHANEL

I always love to share the Chanel news that makes its way to my inbox. So what's the haps? Chanel is promoting its Holiday 2012 collection, "Éclats du Soir de Chanel." (Per Google Translate, this seems to mean "Evening Bursts." Mademoiselles, souhaitez-vous s'il vous plaît me traduire?)

So, notice anything... amusing?

The Holiday 2012 polish is called "Malice."

Granted, it is a devilish red but... oh come on, this is hilarious! The big question is if this oh-so-apropos name was happenstance... or a deliberate nod to the dark undercurrent of animosity that accompanies holiday get-togethers (in some families, at least). Teehee!

quellehorreur, Francesca

CHANEL Limited-Edition Collection — Blue Illusion de Chanel

Just got this in my inbox this morning — a limited-edition collection from the temptresses at Chanel.

I'm into this set! I like the rich denim blues; I think they're deep enough to steer clear of 1970s territory. Paired with creamy nudes, this blue looks so alluring. I don't think that this collection would complement my coloring, but I'm hoping one of my tawny blonde friends will try it out.

And as for Sky-Line... Oooh, la la! Slatey-baby-blue. Very unique! I can't tell if it has any shimmer or shine going on, but I can't wait til someone swatches this.

sacrebleu, Francesca