Chanel at a fraction of the cost?!

When the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre luminous eye shadows hit the shelves, it's safe to say there was a little bit of hysteria throughout the blogging community ;).

I, for one, admired them from afar but my frantic saving for 'Gap Year Round Two' restricts me from my buying such luxurious things.  Well....sometimes anyway!

I have to be honest, I was feeling a little bit hard done-by (after all, is going back to Australia really worth it?  Answer - yes very much so!) so was over the moon when these 17 Wild Metallic Eyes popped up on my radar.

Obviously I have no idea on how they compare in formulations, but so far, I reckon the 17 version is pretty much perfect and comes in at a delicious £3.99.

Heavily swatched, Wild Nude is quite a cool toned brown but when blended, becomes a sheer, warm bronze.  Perfect as base for a brown smoky eye or as a wash of colour for every day.  Right up my street and on second inspection, a colour I prefer to all the Chanel options..my bank balance is sighing with relief ;).

Have you tried these, Chanel's version or both?  Let me know how you think they compare! xxx

NOTD: Barry M Peach Melba

A few months ago, Yu and I realised that her University town is my home town - small world?!  After months of tweeting, we finally met up last week and we had such a good time!  The highlight?  Pretty much jumping for joy that the small, local Superdrug has expanded it's previously tiny range and now stocks Sleek, MUA and Accessorize among many others.  We must have looked like complete nutters....

You can read all about it here (Yu puts it better than I ever could..!) but needless to say, we both purchased some new Barry M nail paints - it would have been rude not to!

First up to try....

Barry M Peach Melba

Peach Melba was on my nail varnish wish list and it does not disappoint.  A supposed dupe for Illamasqua's Purity, it is gorgeous creamy peach that looks almost nude in some lights but neon in others.  The application was a little streaky - nothing to really moan about - and whilst two coats would have been plenty, I opted for three to ensure a perfectly smooth and opaque finish.

Unfortunately my attempt of duping Seche Vite with China Glaze's fast dry topcoat is not really working out.  It is nowhere near as fast and as you can probably see in the picture, it recedes on the tips even when I cover the free edge.  Any recommendations for a fast drying top coat that works - with no health side effects - would be really appreciated!

xxx

Chanel Dupe??

I have worn Chanel Chance every day for as long as I can remember.  I like a lighter fragrance in the day compared to what I wear in the evening - Dior Midnight Poison and Hugo Boss being two examples.

It is however a lot of pennies and as I am rapidly running out I was all set to drop £40 or so on a new bottle.  However, when I was at the Zara till a few days ago and attempting to distract myself on how much money I was spending, I had a quick spritz of their perfume 'Zara Collection'.  The first thought that came into my head?.. "Chanel Chance."  At just £14.90 for 50ml I couldn't resist.

As soon as I stepped out the strore I ripped open the plastic and set about spritzing like mad.  I LOVE IT!!!

When I got home I did a little comparison with the Chanel.  As far as I am concered, they smell pretty damn similar.  My brother said they smell nothing alike and that I don't have 'a nose' for smells...  Well, I attempted a little google search of their notes etc but I could find no real info on the Zara fragrance except that it is 'floral' - as is the Chance.

So the reality is, they don't smell exactly the same but it's as close as one can get and for £14.90 I'm not complaining!  My only gripe is that it doesn't last that long on the skin - being only an Eau de Toilette - but it doesn't really bother me because I know I can spritz away to my heart's content without worrying about how much each spray is costing me!

No, it won't replace my Chance which I will love forever I'm sure but this is great for the Summer and, being Zara, looks simple and pretty classy on my dressing table at the same time.

Smiles all around :)