Essie's Guchi Muchi Puchi - weekly nail review

I don't know what's better than getting your nails done with a good friend; maybe a puppy and a kitten in a basket tied up with a pink bow?  Two weeks ago Sally and I met for a Saturday session of catching up, camaraderie and general banter - a tete-a-tete, if you will.  I was feeling mellow, so I opted for Essie's Guchi Muchi Puchi, a.k.a Muchi, Muchi, a creamy, pale pink and Sally chose a brazen shade of red. We continued onto Laurent's bakery for coffee and nibbles - red, white and blue streamers added to the ambiance (hooray, it was Bastille Day).

Sometimes it's fun sharing a guilty pleasure; that way they know what all the buzz is about and you feel, well, less guilty.

Want to experience French Pink for yourself?  Book in with Mom or your bestie (Penny, Penny, Penny). As of right now you can find them in the Galleria on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth; but if you're not visiting Melbourne until September, then head to 234 Collins.

Looking for a bit more sparkle in your life and gelish manis?  Erin of Blonde Tiger has your digits covered.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Mirifique

Cooled lava emanating smoke upon being swallowed by the ocean - that, right there, is the look and feel of Chanel's Mirifique.  Smoky, luxurious and a tad dangerous with that mysterious gaze.

Chanel Mirifique

Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre range (eight colours in total) is versatile and fairly easy to use.  I prefer to use my fingers when applying this creamy eyeshadow, because the heat given off by my fingertip helps to diffuse and blend out its richness. With that said (admittedly), I have yet to find a brush which is able to grab ahold of and evenly apply this bouncy formula. Any suggestions?

The presence of micro glitter has always been a huge draw for me - the fact it sticks around no matter how it's applied is a huge bonus!  I also dig the charcoal black colour, but smoky eyes typically scare me (I think I look like a racoon).  However, I think I managed to avoid looking like one on this occasion.

Somehow I managed to put together a Chanel face.  Above, I'm also wearing Amour, on my lips and Blush Horizon de Chanel on my cheeks.

Total amount for Chanel's Mirifique:

• $48.00 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags – I think I found another HG product!

Likelihood to purchase again:

• Have you tried Coco Mademoiselle?  I'm addicted to this perfume!

MAC's Dear Diary & Embrace Me - swatches and review

From the desk of 14-year-old Nicole:

Dear Diary,

If you could create a super-awesome MAC collection which brought together polka dots, bright colours, a bit of attitude and harmony that'd be cool with me.  I can do my own makeup, like, pretty okay, but I'm really looking for a fun colour that's easy to wear and lasts all day long at school.  And, it can't come off.  I don't really have time to hit the bathroom for touch-ups every hour - teachers don't hand out hall passes like candy.  I mean, come on!

So, get on it and keep me posted.

Yours,

Nicky

xoxo

Dear Diary and Embrace Me

Lip Pencil and Pro Longwear

Earlier this month MAC released a limited edition collection ranging between brights and pastels - punk rock goddess, Beth Ditto just so happened to be their muse.  Plus, it helps she loves to pack a punch with her makeup and her curves.  Fearless and confident - those are two things you need to be or hope to achieve when applying a bit of Dear Diary and Embrace Me.  These bright watermelon pink hues were released with companionship in mind, but you can certainly take each colour on a solo journey too.

Friends to the end

Embrace Me

Dear Diary

Embrace Me and Dear Diary

When I first swatched these two colours, I got twinges of joy because they both reminded me of NARS' Mexican Rose.  Mexican Rose is deceptively pink and lasts all day.  Looking to make a statement? Then hop to it and add Embrace Me to your makeup bag; Dear Diary is sold out online and in stores (sorry ladies).

Side by side comparison

Mexican Rose certainly isn't a dupe for either of these colours - it leans more red, whereas the other two have blueish undertones.  Embrace Me and Dear Diary both dry matte and require minimal maintenance; first, reach for your favourite lip balm, add a dash of Embrace Me, Dear Diary or both.

A few weeks ago I took both colours out for a spin, all told this duo hung around for eight hours.

MAC Embrace Me and Dear Diary

Total amount for MAC Embrace Me and Dear Diary:

• $30.00 AUS and $40.00 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags – I’m a sucker for bright pink lips

Likelihood to purchase again:

• Hi MAC, what else do you have in store for us this year?

Crack by Chanel

Allure

Well, if that article title doesn't get the Search Engines all abuzz, I don't know what will.  Take heed: You will not discover any great recipes on how to make your own crack in this article.  It's all about scents and addiction and the positive (not negative) impact such things can have.

Hi.  This is Scott.  Nicole's husband.  You may remember me from such hits as .

You're probably wondering why on Earth I'm writing an article on Bagful of Notions -- and you'd be right to do so.   It all comes down to crack.  No, not cocaine, but, Allure from Chanel, a scent for men which Nicole bought for me for Christmas 2011.  I'm not much into scents, other than trying to ensure I don't smell bad, so like any good husband, when Nicole supplied something as a gift that she thought would "fit" me as a scent, I was more than happy to give it a go.

Those of you who are into these things know that an individual's body chemistry can dramatically effect perfumes and colognes.  What smells great on a piece of paper in the shop can smell dreadful when on certain people.  So buying a scent for someone else to wear can be quite a challenge (thankfully, Nicole has been quite happy with the ones she has got from me).

When Nicole had a whiff of Alure in the shop, she knew she liked it, but would it work when added to Scott?

The answer is a resounding: YES.

Indeed, Nicole likes it so much that we've begun calling it "crack" as a bit of a joke.

Here's what the bottle looks like:

Bottle

Simple, to the point, and doesn't look like a fist, or a torso, or anything else -- it looks like a simple, clean-lined bottle.  No Comic-Sans font, no graphic of a man atop a horse.  It speaks what it speaks through the nose, and that's really what a scent should be about.

Sadly, technology which allows you to transmit scent over the Internet hasn't made it into the public's hands yet (and that really is for the best, if you stop and think about it); so you'll have to suffice with a few words to describe my interpretation of Allure:

• Vibrant spice
• Not overtly "musky" as many male scents strive to be
• Dried summer weeds

Finding the right words here isn't easy.  Allure is not like a lot of other male scents that I've encountered wandering through the department stores with Nicole.  It's doesn't shout "douchebag banker" as so many do.  It doesn't shout "I'm trying to cover up some other, atrocious, smell" either - it is sharp, crisp, vibrant, but not floral.  It reminds me of walking through a spice market in North Africa, and every now and then catching a whiff of some dried weeds or grasses.

I'm much better at describing wine or a woman's perfume - after the initial spritz that I may use in the morning, the smell quickly fades to my nose.  It blends well with "me" and that's part of what Nicole likes so much.

Do I like it?  Yes, absolutely.  The fact that Nicole likes it is even better.

I won't give this a Bagful Breakdown, that's up to Nicole to do, but I will say this:  Once this bottle is used up, I guarantee we'll be buying it again.  Well done, Chanel!