Review| Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Diva

I had been stalking La Diva from Chanel's Spring 2014 release ever since it became an inside joke. A potential roommate had texted my husband asking about an open room in the most illiterate manner ever and signed it off as ~La Diva. Ha, no. 

I HAD to have it, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to splurge 35 bucks on a single lipstick. Never mind it's Chanel and has the most simplistic yet elegant packaging ever... it's still three plates of sushi! However, I'm a huge sucker for fuchsia lipsticks and don't say no to bright colors.

Is it worth 35 dollars? I'm going to lean toward yes. I feel like a diva wearing it and it gets positive attention from both men and women on the street! I don't feel like it's too garish for me because of my dark hair, and you can always tone it down by blotting it on. 

• For a matte finish, it's non drying on the lips and reminds me of a creamier Guerlain RA. Seriously, not drying at all! It doesn't pull or tug when you apply it. 
• However, it does accentuate lip lines, so moisturizing beforehand is a good idea. My lips are on the chapped side at all times so this is a must for me. 
• I got four hours of consistent, no mess, no bleed or transfer wear out of this lipstick when I layered it over MAC's More to Love lipliner. I did not have to blot or reapply a second coat for it to stick. I even ate really greasy/mayo-happy food with it and it didn't migrate to my chin (always happens with most lipsticks.)
•  I put on a simple Nivea balm and smooshed my lips together to revive the color. Reapplication over itself might pull, but over a balm it's like the first application in the morning.
• The color is on point. I don't even care what other colors were released because I'm in love with this one. It leans toward a cooler purple-pink without being lilac and doesn't wash me out or clash with my complexion. It reminds me of NARS Funny Face but with a subtle difference. 

Excuse the claws you see in the packaging, I was trying to capture a somewhat beautiful moment shared between my heart and this lipstick. So luxurious. So beautiful. The grooved "Chanel" in the lipstick's bullet itself makes me want to lock this up and never touch it to my mere mortal lips. 

Here are the ingredients. You know, to this day I'm still not sure why some lipstick brands peel my lips while some are matte in formulation but last and wear so well. I'm sure I must be allergic to a similar ingredient across the board. 

The bullet comes off from the cap with a push down/slide out method. It's rather interesting and probably helps to keep the product intact in your purse. 

Wow...the perfect bright magenta/fuchsia/orchid goodness. Please excuse my nasty nails.

Here is a FOTD with different lighting (bad weather! bad!) featuring La Diva. I wanted to keep the eyes soft just in case this pink came out shockingly bright. Not to say that it isn't, but it's still tame compared to the bright pinks I always buy during the spring and summertime. 

I think my lipliner may have toned it down. Have a look at the similar fuchsias in my collection and decide for yourself if you already a dupe. I'll be putting this collection up on a separate post later for your perusal. Since I layered La Diva over More to Love in my FOTD, the color is a tad darker than it's supposed to be. No matter! I think the combination is striking and more flattering. 

From left to right: Buxom in Berry Blast, NYX Addis Ababa, MAC More to Love, NARS Yu, NARS Funny Face, Chanel La Diva, UD Anarchy, MUFE 36, MAC Girl About Town, Maybelline Fuchsia Flash. 

Will I be trying out other colors from the Rouge Allure Velvet line? You bet! I'm smitten with everything about this lipstick and I want to try a warm coral for summer. If you're going to invest in in "it" lip color for spring, I think this is it.

xo ~La Diva

Review | Bourjois Bronzing Primer

Even though summer is technically over in a week or so, I can't help but want to stay tan year round. I think the LA weather is spoiling me. No, literally. I feel like a plate of food sitting out in the hot sun. The weather here is insane! I think someone needs to invent a portable AC unit that hooks up to your brain a la Matrix.

I'm constantly on the lookout for both bronzers and contour shades, and I'm happy to say that the Bourjois Bronzing Primer is an excellent multipurpose product. It was on sale on Asos.com for 11.00 US dineros, and I'm guessing it would be hard to find in an American drugstore. According to many UK bloggers it's also on short supply in their high street shops.

The product itself is a mousse like foam that looks like chocolate or dog poop, depending on your spiritual interpretation. It didn't smell like chocolate as others have suggested. I was hesitant to try because I could not get over the cloyingly sweet scent of Too Faced's Milk Chocolate Soleil bronzer. The Bourjois primer doesn't smell too strongly at all, but it is sweet. It comes in a little pot that was bigger than I thought. Some may say that this is unhygienic, but unless you've been dipping your fingers into mud prior to makeup application, it shouldn't be an issue. Plus, the pot is big enough to only last a month or two and you won't be letting bacteria fester for ever.

I have some suggestions on usage:

1. Use it as a primer, as the name suggests. If my skin is a little too light for a foundation around NC35, I use it to warm up my complexion without looking orange. I like using my fingers to apply it all over.


2. Use it to bronze! I apply the product with a stippling brush to high points of my face. You have to be sure not to blend too well with this product, as it is very natural and tends to fade out easily if you use too heavy of a hand.


3. Use it as a contour. Because it is a little warm but not orange, it also works as a contour shade. I use a flat foundation brush to lightly contour my nose and cheeks. Because it is a cream product, the results are much more natural looking than a powder!

Overall, it's a very interesting product that's a great dupe alternative to Chanel's Bronze Universal, or as I see it, tub o' pumpkin pie. This little pot of sun doesn't streak or slide on the face and costs much less than some bronzers currently on the market. The only problem is, you may have to resort to Ebay to find it.

So, will you be rocking the bronzer year round or putting it away for high pigmentation blush instead? I don't think the baby doll porcelain skin look can even be done in this part of the state...

Be