Chanel Coco Noir

I remember that some time ago, reading of the newly launched perfume, Coco Noir, I got the impression that it's a stronger version of Coco...or, the already consecrated fragrance (as I will comment in a future post)  is a very strong perfume, with powerful individual floral-oriental notes. Great question mark was raised, related to Chanel decision of launching an even more overwhelming fragrance than Coco! ..until today, when I had the opportunity of testing it.
Myself and Chanel fragrances have a very good chemistry, as far as I could conclude. The fragrance stuck to my wrist, and I noticed that in fact, it oscillates between Coco and Coco Mademoiselle, being slightly softer than both of them. Top and middle notes are very much similar to Coco Mademoiselle, but base notes make Coco Noir a more oriental fragrance ..very resistant, gorgeous! It's already on my wishlist! :)

Rate 10/10.

Shiseido Benefiance Eye Cream

I'm very reluctant in what concerns eye creams. I have very sensitive eyes and to me, the majority of creams I've tried so far only created problems rather than fixing skin dehydration..meaning that in short time after applying it, I would get some sort of irritated and watering eyes. And squinting because of soreness is not really something you'd want to experience (quite the opposite effect of eye wrinkle correction, right?). :)
On the other hand, I cannot really say that I am confident in a different effect of eye creams vs. regular face creams. Even so, I kept on trying, because who knows what I may come across at some point :).
The last eye cream I tested was Shiseido Benefiance, one of the very few eye creams which I was not afraid to apply a second or a third time. This one has not created any problems at all. I sunk in the skin easily, hydrating very well the fine skin around the eyes. Skin elasticity seemed to be improve visibly even after a few applications in my case. I have to admit that I don't know whether in the end, the cream is indeed anti-aging (as it intends to be), firstly because I haven't used it for a long time and secondly because I have no noticeable wrinkles to be improved.
Rate 9/10.

Elegant, Classic, Chanel (5)

Eau Premiere - personally, I never did manage wearing Chanel No.5 without being a little sick in the beginning. After an hour or so, the perfume became more bearable, but first few moments are crucial and you can end up being sick an entire day, thanks to those heavy top notes. This is why I was glad when its lighter version, Eau Premiere, was released. Top notes are predominantly floral, but they still hold in some 50% of the strength of the initial fragrance. Ylang-ylang and neroli flower notes vanish relatively fast this leaves my skin with a predominant smell of roses and jasmine, mixed with sandalwood. On me, it can last up to 6-8 hours, being quite persistent, which brings me to pointing out that, despite me calling it a "light" perfume, next to others, it can be quite heavy! Consequently, I would recommend caution when wearing it to the office.

Rate 8/10.

Pudre universelle compacte - it's without any doubt the first powder which I enjoyed using, without being extra careful...meaning the only thing you need to pay attention to is the right shade. In other aspects, the powder has a very fine texture, an excellent matte finish and covers lightly the skin, gently unifying its color. It's the first powder ever which I liked in a particular manner. At the end of the day, you don't have to worry that it gathered up in the skin's fine lines or that it was soaked in sebum and began to shine. Consequently, there is no way you can be wrong with this product, and I recommend it to everyone who can go past its prohibitive price. :)

Rate 10/10.

Elegant, Classic, Chanel (4)

Allure Sensuelle - Allure's younger brother is my favorite of these two. The notes are far better structured, and after the first sensation, represented by citric notes, you can sense the dominant middle and base notes, which are far more oriental and woody, based on patchouli, sandalwood and amber. Its persistence is formidable and is only equaled (in my case at least) by Jungle and Angel. It can be worn in cold or cooler days, and in the evening rather than in the morning. It's not a perfume for the sensible, so I recommend caution in case you intend to wear it at the office! :)

Rate 10/10.    

Beaute Initiale Eye - from Beaute Initiale range of products, is a moisturizer meant to prevent signs of eye fatigue and dark circles. The product comes in form of a pink gel and offers a light hydration, somewhat improving the appearance of fine lines and the color of the area beneath the eye. The packaging facilitates the right product dosage and application. It's an excellent makeup base. Minuses: it seemed that in my case it wasn't hydrating enough over the day and I also noticed a slight eye irritation. Another minus is obvious: its price :)
Rate 8/10.

Elegant, Classic, Chanel (3)

Allure - the fragrance that surrounds you with the sweetest and enjoyable notes. The perfume debuts with energizing citric notes, but is shortly followed by the oriental enriched vanilla aroma  which makes you inhale insatiably any whiff of this perfume...or at least this is its effect on me. It is without a doubt one of the most resistant fragrances I ever had, in my top 5. It can be worn especially in cooler days, casual or at the office.

Rate 10/10

Rouge Coco - I "worked" hard at finishing this lipstick. I didn't really like the color and with this occasion I learned not to go with close-to-lip shades again. I was saying in previous posts that I had a similar experience with a Dior lipstick and it became clear to me that good lipsticks need to have a shade that "says something" instead of just staying quietly and unnoticed in my makeup bag. Otherwise, I have nothing to comment on. Very good resistance, hydrating, with a very subtle shine, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to "invest" some money and try out a good lipstick. :)
Rate 10/10

Spring begins with you..

There was no way of posting anything up to this moment, and the reason is ...see it for yourselves! :)
Pure beauty..

As we adapt to this brand new life together, we'll find the time to also keep writing in this blog. Our cosmetic universe just got considerably richer, if we take into account baby creams and lotions, right? :p

Valentine's

And because today it's Valentine's Day, we need to start preparing, right?!
1. We start with total relaxation

2. We continue with the beautifully scented bath

3. Next comes makeup, of course! :)

4. Hmm..what to wear, what to wear?!

5. Shoes..tough decision

And we start thinking about what comes next...first is chocolate!

And maybe some delicious dinner...

...in a special place!

What are your Valentine's traditions, if you have any that is?! :)