Saturday, May 17, 2014

Chanel Summer 2014: Rouge Allure in Conquise no. 144

It's hard to wear summer make-up trends when you're a pale, pale gal with cool undertones. Warm copper shades on the eyes = a crazed rabbit with a violent case of rabies and pink eye. Tanned bronze goddess = Oompa Loompa overdosing on self-tanner. And lastly, orange lips = I stole this lipstick from an unsuspecting friend/relative because it looked so awesome on them. Uhm... just not really on me.
So yeah, oranges are few and far between in my lipstick drawer. But when I swatched the new limited edition Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Conquise no. 144 ($34 for 0.12 oz/ 3.5g), I was well, conquered *snickers childishly*. It packed enough punch to brighten the face, and the tone looked just right - not too aggresively orange, slightly muted for daytime. Having never tried the Rouge Allures, I succumbed to the secret agent feel of the tube with its clicky release mechanism and the impressive pigmentation and luxurious slip of the formula.

My previous experiences with Chanel make-up haven't been so absolutely memorable to justify the price tag, so I found myself rather surprised to be picking up Conquise and one more item from their Summer 2014 collection, which I'll be reviewing very soon. In the end, I sold my first Chanel lipstick (Rouge Coco in Sari Dore) in a blog sale, very rarely reach for my only tube of Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo, and can never get a decent shade match in their foundations. But I don't know, I was in the moment, I felt inspired by the shades compared to what other brands had on offer, and I just went with it. Oh, and I also had the rare coupon that could be applied to beauty purchases.
Chanel Conquise is a muted coral shade with a fair dose of rosy pink and some subtle shimmer that translates into a luminous satin finish on the lips. I'm sorry that my shots are not super color-accurate; I think orange shades are pretty notorious for not coming through properly on camera. As you can hopefully see in the swatches, it's slightly warmer/ less pink than my almost finished tube of Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Soft Coral, which I'll be replacing with Conquise. It's similar in tone but much more pigmented and slightly softer than Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Sheers in Coral 301, and a lot more orange than MAC Lustre Lipstick in Jest.

In terms of formula... it hasn't topped my current favorite high-end lipstick, which is Guerlain Rouge Automatique (here's my review of the shade Shalimar). Rouge Allure in Conquise has very good pigmentation and feels soft and velvety going on, but tends to dry out and settle in a couple hours, requiring a touch-up - and it doesn't quite survive a meal in full strength, but does leave a pretty peachy stain behind. It's also not quite as masterful as a Rouge Automatique in perfecting any unwanted texture like lines or dry patches on my lips. So... yet again, I'm not completely blown away by Chanel's lipstick formula. But Conquise is a lovely shade, and it wears well enough to warrant keeping.

Here's an easy summer look to compliment Conquise: warm pink and peach shades on the eyes with a subtle dark brown eyeliner flick (Urban Decay 24/7 in Whiskey), peachy pink cream blush on the cheeks (NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink) and two swipes of Conquise on the lips, slightly blended out with a finger towards the edges of my mouth for a more effortless feel. It's all very monochrone, but pretty in the peaches & cream kind of way, and elegant - or more grown-up than the stuff I usually wear. Also, this is what my skin looks like the morning after using Dr. Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18% (not bad, huh? My pores do *seem* smaller).

All in all, I'm happy that I took an actual trip to the Chanel counter and swatched their Summer 2014 collection - I liked some pieces way more than I expected from just looking at the promo pictures from the comfort of my own home. As much as I dislike the make-up counter experience and prefer shopping online for most of my cosmetics, it's nice to get out there sometimes and discover new products. Have you picked anything up from the new Chanel release? What is your favorite summer collection so far?

14 comments:

  1. I have the same problem with orange lip colors on my own cool-toned complexion; most oranges make me look like I've been eating Cheetos a little too enthusiastically. Conquise really suits you, though! It's more pastel than I would have expected from the tube.

    I've never gotten that excited about Chanel lipsticks, either. Most of them have too much shimmer for my taste, and the others just don't spark my interest. Not that my wallet is complaining...

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    1. Hahaha, seems like my lips have a tendency to bring out unexpected undertones in different shades. Ugh, yes, I quite dislike the shimmer in Chanel lipsticks too; this one though has more of a fine pearl that translates as depth/ subtle luminosity versus frost. My wallet is usually bemoaning my taste in Guerlain's Rouge Automatiques!

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  2. yup i think you found the exact right orange for you! strangly, i think this one would wash me out since i'm a bit opp of you as far as skintone goes. yellow and light-medium.

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    1. Thank you Jenn! It doesn't hurt to try if you have a chance to visit the counter - Sunny says it works on her and actually looks more intense :)

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  3. Such a super gorgeous shade! Surprisingly, although it's orangey in tone, it's very nude looking!

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  4. Hey Monika, Conquise looks lovely on you!!! I have and love the shade, but it seems a bit more intense on me. I'm with you on Rouge Automatique beating most other formulas hands down though! We won't get the Chanel summer collection for another 2 weeks or so. I'm eyeing some nail polishes and a couple of those Illusion d'Ombres!

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    1. Hi Sunny, I was actually browsing your swatches right after I bought my tube and it does look different on you! I think it's the lighting plus the fact that I didn't build it on to its full intensity. The Illusion d'Ombres are fabulous in this release!

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  5. Oh my now that is pretty on you! I've stayed away from Chanel for these past few weeks but I'll probably go take a peek in a few days and see... :)

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  6. This is such a gorgeous look on you -- I like the whole tonal thing. That's also the same lipstick technique I employ most of the time with the bolder colours!

    I haven't visited a Chanel counter for a while. It's weird here; sometimes we get the new releases not long after the northern hemisphere, but other times it seems to take forever and an age. Dior and Estee Lauder counters seem to be better at it, for some reason.

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  7. Really pretty on you! I can't find an orange lipstick I can wear yet either, but I think I'll go to the drugstore for one. I'm not a fan of Chanel Lipstick either. Actually, I'm not a fan of most of Chanel's makeup except for my Les Beiges #30 hahaha.

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  8. Love this look on you-very chic and casual. I also use the blending tip you mentioned, to soften the look. For really bold colors, i just apply the color with my finger tips. I have to agree with you on Chanel lipsticks, the cpl. that i got, have left me underwhelmed. Much prefer Dior and Guerlain lipsticks for that price point.

    Re: bronzer, i am much darker (NC35-40 depending on the season), but even i feel bronzer is not for me. The only one i can confidently wear without the muddy look is Estee Lauder's bronze goddess blush+bronzer from few years ago. It's basically a bronze toned highlighter, but full on bronzer is not my cuppa' tea :(.

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  9. Wow it looks really stunning on you! I don't own an orange lipstick, I think it's just not my thing. Peachy, corally lipsticks, yes. But orange? It has me running for the hills :D

    xx Anine
    redlipsandbeautybits.blogspot.com

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  10. I am not really into oranges but from time to time I am in the mood for orange. Most of the time I am reaching for corals. Have you tried guerlain nahema? it is soft enough to not look off but still has a nice corally orange hue / Claire xxx

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  11. such a gorgeous soft orange! I have a few orange lipsticks, but none as pretty as that! I haven't played around with chanel lipsticks, but with my obsession for luxury lipsticks, it probably won't be long now ;)

    www.lilting-grace.blogspot.com

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