Chanel Riva Nail Lacquer
Chanel Cote d’Azur Collection: Riva
Chanel Riva Nail Lacquer ($27.00 for 0.4 fl. oz.) is a pale sky blue with ultra fine, barely-there iridescent blue shimmer strewn through the creamier, almost jelly-esque base. The swatches included in this post show the effect of three coats (and thicker ones at that)–I would say that you would need a muted white shade underneath, perhaps, or else four coats.
In all honesty, this is just not a shade to be worn opaque (at least not on its own). You’re better off wearing two coats and going for a sheer look than layering it on and ending up with a very thick pile o’ polish. I didn’t experience any streaking when applying the three coats, but it did seem more prone to bubbling (I don’t think I’ve ever really had a polish look like it was going to bubble on me… it was odd!).
I’m actually a big fan of Chanel’s polishes typically, but I can’t say I’m on the Riva bandwagon yet. The color itself is just not there for me; it lacks the dimensionality of other cult status Chanel shades–the shimmer is too fine, too soft, and it’s difficult to detect unless under direct, bright light. I had no idea this was a much anticipated shade until after I purchased it, which I’m glad for, because my expectations may have been even higher had I known.
Even more painful is the $4 price increase on Riva as compared to their other nail lacquers–what? I’m fully willing to pay $23 for a shade that only Chanel can do (or at least, is the first to do), but $27 for a shade with some application/formula issues and doesn’t quite hit the zing color-wise makes it impossible to recommend in good conscience!
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- Product: 24/30
- Value: 5/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you’re a Chanel collector, you may want to snag it rather than see it for $200 in two months–just because a lot of hype has been built up for this shade and it likely will sell out. Otherwise, I think you could safely skip.
AVAILABILITY: Chanel
Clarins Barocco Eyeshadow Palette
Clarins Holiday 2010: Barocco Eyeshadow Palette
Clarins Barocco Eyeshadow Palette
($40.00 for 0.05 oz.) is a new and limited edition palette for the holidays. It contains three eyeshadows and is housed in an elegant gold-lidded case with a black “scroll’ on the left side. The packaging, though, is extremely prone to capturing fingerprints.
The palette contains a matte charcoal black; antique-gold bronze (almost flashes green); and gilded peach-champagne with a metallic sheen. The first two shade really need to be used wet to get smooth, even color that’s true-to-pan. The peachy shade can be used dry and still provides nice color pay off. These feel very much like a mineralize or baked shadow, but more like Chanel’s than MAC’s. The texture doesn’t feel as silky smooth as Chanel eyeshadows, but the results when applied are similar.
I love the packaging, even though it does hold fingerprints, but I think it’s very elegant and luxurious. I think the inclusion of the double-sided sponge-tip applicator brings it down a bit, though. I’m also concerned over the amount of eyeshadow here — 0.05 oz. I double-checked the box and the palette, and it lists “net weight” of 0.05 oz. There is no “3 x 0.05 oz.” written. What? Are you serious?
It’s a lovely palette with three shades that work well together for a gold-themed smoky eye–perfect for the holidays–and it looks beautiful from the packaging to the shadows themselves. I don’t love the eyeshadows, though; they could be a little more intense (even when they are used wet) and smoother. But I’m really not digging the itty bitty amount of product you are getting. Even for high-end, it falls below average.
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- Product: 25/30
- Value: 5/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If quantity isn’t important to you, the product itself is more of a B product. It’s nice–not the greatest palette ever–and worth a look-see if you favor bronzes and golds.
AVAILABILITY: Nordstrom
Milani Royalty Runway Eyeshadow
Milani Runway Eyeshadow: Royalty
Milani Royalty Runway Eyeshadow ($5.99 for 0.07 oz.) is a medium fuchsia purple with a lilac sheen. It’s like a purple version of MAC Stars ‘n Rockets (without the duochrome). It’s semi-sheer when used dry, and it’s still a little sheer when used wet. I like the color, and I think the subtle periwinkle flecks seem to come through a bit, which makes it more nuanced than some of the other shades from Milani’s Runway line.
Check out my original review for my thoughts on the packaging.
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- Product: 23/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 2/5
RECOMMENDATION: Color eyeshadow fiends should probably pass, just because it’s nowhere near as pigmented as many top brands for color–but if you just want to play around and experiment with color, this is an affordable way to do so.
AVAILABILITY: Cherry Culture
Milani Leaf Green Runway Eyeshadow
Milani Runway Eyeshadow: Leaf Green
Milani Leaf Green Runway Eyeshadow ($5.99 for 0.07 oz.) looks like a medium grassy (or leafy, I suppose) green, but in actuality, it swatches as a chartreuse green with stronger yellow undertones. It’s semi-sheer when applied dry, but it really looks beautiful when applied wet (and it still retains much of the same intensity and coloring when it dries down–I’d say 90%). It has such a smooth, more metallic than shimmer look when applied wet–could be a nice substitute for MAC True Chartreuse pigment. I do wish it would apply better when used dry, though, since it’s supposed to be used either way.
Check out my original review for my thoughts on the packaging.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 24/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 2/5
RECOMMENDATION: Color eyeshadow fiends should probably pass, just because it’s nowhere near as pigmented as many top brands for color–but if you just want to play around and experiment with color, this is an affordable way to do so.
AVAILABILITY: Cherry Culture
Milani Bronze Doll Runway Eyeshadow
Milani Runway Eyeshadow: Bronze Doll
Milani Bronze Doll Runway Eyeshadow ($5.99 for 0.07 oz.) is one of twelve shades available in Milani’s Runway Eyeshadow range. I was originally going to review all six shades I tested out at once, but the quality of each is just all over the place that it doesn’t make sense. This is a definite downfall to the product range, because it’s incredibly inconsistent. I’ll be reviewing a shade a day for the next six days.
We’ll kick off the Runway Eyeshadow reviews with Bronze Doll, which is one of the better shades I tried. It’s a coppery brown with noticeable orange undertones. It has decent pigmentation when used dry, but it is more intense and smoother when applied wet. The texture is similar to those of other brands’ baked eyeshadows; very smooth, a little powdery, and there is a tendency for the product to fade a bit if you use it wet (as it dries down). It’s also better to pack the product on and do very careful blending, because it is easy to sheer these out if you spend too much time blending.
The packaging is a bummer; it just feels cheap and flimsy, and the curved dual-ended brush is terrible. I don’t know how the curve of this tiny brush is supposed to make it easier to apply eyeshadow with it. That brush really kills the overall look for me, though–it’s just so bleh, even the sponge tip feels a bit on the scratchy side.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 24/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
RECOMMENDATION: For warmer skin tones, I think this works decently for a copper-bronze kind of shade without breaking the bank. I think it may look too orange on cooler skin tones.
AVAILABILITY: Cherry Culture
NARS Angelique Lip Treatment
When Quantity Matters
NARS Angelique Lip Treament ($25.00 for 0.06 oz.) is an ultra sheer neutral rose that almost leans coral–it just brightens up my natural lip color a bit. It has a glossier finish than your average lipstick, but it feels very lightweight and is moisturizing if you have healthier lips. It’s not overly creamy, bit it glides on lips easily and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing enough, but this also means that it’s just as easy to over-apply the product. (And trust me, with the amount you get, you don’t want to do that.) It doesn’t keep my lips moisturized all day though, and I do find myself needing to reapply every three to four hours. It also carries a rating of SPF 15 (titanium dioxide).
So, this is a situation where I’m really bothered by the product’s price/quantity ratio. I’m willing to give all products a fair shake, and I recognize that there are brands at different price points with some brands trying to be more accessible and others remaining at arm’s length and obviously in the luxury category. I expect pricing to be in line with the brand’s image, similar products, etc., and I expect quantity to be around the average for that brand and/or direct competitors.
I don’t understand why NARS’ Lip Treatments are $25 (which is $1 more than their lipsticks and glosses) and HALF the size. This is not a product that packs a ton of pigment in a single swipe so you can put it up to using less, or it’s full of innovative, never-before-seen ingredients/technology. This is a product I’d easily use 3-4 times a day: two weeks of usage and it’s already over half gone.
And so many thought Fresh was a splurge at $22.50 (but for 0.15 oz.)… Dior (which tends to be pricier than NARS) has their Lip Glow ($28.00 for 0.12 oz.), Fusion Beauty has LipFusion Balm Lip Conditioning Stick ($22.00 for 0.17 oz.), and so on. If you want to go NARS, I’d suggest one of their lipsticks instead, which are quite moisturizing as far as lipsticks go (on average) with some colors on the sheer side, others more semi-opaque, but at least you’ll get twice as much product.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 25/30
- Value: 5/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I would pass, because they’re just way too pricey for what you get. There are plenty of other more moisturizing tinted lip balms (that come in stick-form) with twice as much product for about the same price. If NARS was just a little below the average, it wouldn’t be so bad, but they’re half as much and the size is half as much as their own lipsticks (which are fairly moisturizing!). If you have dry or peeling lips, this won’t be enough.
AVAILABILITY: NARS, Sephora
