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September, 2010

  1. MUG SHOT: Chanel Steel and Strong

    September 22, 2010 by pam

    The Chanel Les Khakis tragedy has ended – and now I’ve ended up with two sets. Thank you, Tatin, Alvin and Karen! They’re still not here, both sets are still in the US, but I can rest easy now because I know I’m going to have them. Woohoo!

    Khaki Vert, Khaki Brun, Khaki Rose – you girls are mine.

    And I can wait for my Khakis to arrive patiently because the super sweet Smile arrived from Hong Kong and gave me a big Chanel fix. She brought home my bottles of Chanel Steel and Strong.

    Chanel Steel and Strong


    And that’s not all – she even gave me goodies that I will write about in another post. Smile rocks so much.

    But first, Chanel Steel and Strong.

    Chanel Steel and Strong


    Arrghh, look how pretty.

    Chanel Steel and Strong


    I know these haven’t gotten as much attention as the Khakis which is a shame because I love them.

    These colors have gotten a lot of flak for not being terribly unique but you know what, none of that matters, because I love them.

    Say hello to Chanel Steel.

    Chanel Steel


    Check out that crazy silver shimmer.

    Chanel Steel


    I just wish the famous Chanel micro-shimmer showed a little more on the nail.

    This is without flash.

    Chanel Steel


    This is with flash.

    Chanel Steel


    Early announcements described this a grayish blue glitter but clearly this is not a grayish blue glitter.

    Chanel Steel


    Chanel Steel is a black gray polish with silver gray micro-shimmer.

    Chanel Steel


    Pretty.

    Chanel Steel


    I love that Chanel Steel looks kick-ass, that it’s not one of Chanel’s elegant colors, that it’s badass.

    Chanel Steel


    I’m wearing this as my manicure now. Yeah, because I like being a badass too.

    Chanel Steel


    And now, Chanel Strong.

    Chanel Strong


    In the bottle it sometimes looks like a shimmery purple and sometimes a shimmer brownish burgundy.

    On the nails, it looks almost black.

    Chanel Strong


    Almost but not quite.

    Chanel Strong


    With flash, it looks like the blackberry micro-shimmer that it is.

    Chanel Strong


    I love it too.

    Chanel Strong


    I can’t decide which one I love more.

    Chanel Strong


    Steel or Strong?

    Chanel Strong


    Then again, I don’t really have to choose.

    Chanel Strong


    So both! I love them both!

    Thank you, Chanel. Thank you, Peter Philips. Thank you, Smile.

    You know how to make a sick girl happy.

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 14 Comments

  2. MUG SHOT: Orly Velvet Rope

    September 21, 2010 by pam

    Oh yes, I’m on a purple kick.

    I was in the middle of a crazy day when I spotted a bottle of purple goodness in Watsons.

    There were rows and rows of Orly bottles and this was the first one that jumped out at me.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    I held the bottle in my hand and I’m pretty sure I gasped.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    Look at the pretty sparkle! You know I’m not a big fan of glitter but I loved the silver glitter in this one.

    I turned it over to check the polish name.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    Velvet Rope. How have I never heard of this before?! Why haven’t people given this polish more attention?

    It’s so pretty.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    I love that it’s purple.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    I love that the silver glitter is understated.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    Here’s Velvet Rope with flash.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    I haven’t worn purple in ages and I’m glad I’ve worn it two weeks in a row.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    Here’s Orly Velvet Rope with my bird ring and my crazy baking scar.

    Orly Velvet Rope


    I know I should be more vigilant about applying Vitamin E to my scar but I’ve learned to love it a little more than I used to. Now it kinda looks like Halley’s Comet to me.

    Which is cool because Velvet Rope looks like a purple night sky to me.

    So yeah, I think my scar matches my nail polish. How weird am I?

    No, don’t answer that.

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,,,,, | 14 Comments

  3. MUG SHOT: Chanel Vendetta

    September 20, 2010 by pam

    Now that I’ve had quite a lot of time to obsess think about my Chanel Les Khakis drama, I realized that it threw me for a loop because my Les Khakis experience has been the complete opposite of my Paradoxal experience.

    My Paradoxal has been all, “Hello, I’m Paradoxal. I love you. How can I make you happy today?”

    And the Les Khakis have been all, “Ugh, who are you?! Don’t. Touch. Me.”

    What did I tell you? Complete opposite.

    My Paradoxal experience was painless – no, it wasn’t just painless, it was magical.

    My Les Khakis experience? A total pain in the ass.

    And we all know that there are three ways to deal with a pain in the ass:

    a) Kill it.
    b) Ignore it.
    c) Love it until it stops being a pain in the ass.

    And I have decided to go for love.

    Because ultimately, I do love Khaki Brun, Khaki Rose and Khaki Vert and I would really like it if they would start loving me back.

    And so today, in a gesture of goodwill, I present a mug shot that is yet another tribute to my love for Chanel.

    You know what else is a great tribute? The crazy things I’ve been doing on Ebay these past days. But no no no, I don’t want to talk about that.

    So yes, Chanel Vendetta.

    I bought this polish along with a bunch of other Chanels in Takashimaya in Singapore.

    Chanel Nail Polish



    This was the moment I allowed myself to give in to Chanel madness and what a beautiful moment it was.

    Last week, I decided to paint my nails with Chanel Vendetta, which I just love.

    vendetta1


    Here she is with flash.

    vendetta2


    Vendetta is a rich sexy purple that I just love.

    vendetta12


    Here she is without flash.

    vendetta9


    Indoors, Vendetta looks almost black.

    vendetta11


    I know a lot of fans wish Vendetta was a little brighter but I actually love it the way it is.

    vendetta13



    I’m a big fan of dark vampy colors and I love that Vendetta and I share the secret of its hidden shimmer.

    vendetta14



    This is the peril of being an insomniac and the problem with swatching only at night – I don’t have glorious photos of nail polish sparkling under the lovely morning sun.

    vendetta15


    But even the afternoon sun loves Vendetta.

    vendetta16


    And here’s the most awesome thing about Vendetta. I wore it while baking. And you know how much havoc all the handwashing and dishwashing can wreak on your nails. My manicure almost always chips after a crazy baking session.

    But not Vendetta. It did not have a single chip after we finished frosting the last cupcake. It has joined MAC On The Prowl on my very short list of baking-proof polish.

    vendetta17


    Vendetta, I love you. And I know you love me too. Now can you please tell the Les Khakis to be a little nicer to me?

    Category mug shot | Tags: ,, | 4 Comments

  4. POLICE FILES: Nail polish and Wikipedia don’t mix

    September 18, 2010 by pam

    It’s no secret – I spend a lot of time looking at nail polish online. I read, I look, I point, I add to my wish list, I drool…

    In fact, last night, I realized that my definition of total relaxation has changed since this polish obsession started.

    My definition of total relaxation is now getting a foot massage and a pedicure while looking at photos of nail polish on my laptop.

    Ahh, bliss.

    A few days ago, after I finished reading my favorite polish blogs and checking Ebay, I wasn’t really in the mood to hang out at MUA. So I decided to google the words “nail polish.” It was different this time because I wasn’t looking for specific brands (hello, Chanel!). I ended up on Wikipedia.

    wiki1


    So I started reading about nail polish history – about the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Incas and Cleopatra.

    And then, I saw this:

    wiki2


    “why r u still reading this…. whatever….” Hilarious. You know you’ve hit the jackpot when Wikipedia sounds like a bored teenage girl.

    I checked the nail polish page on Wikipedia again and that part has been deleted. Sad.

    But this part is still there.

    wiki3


    Correction fluid?! Seriously?!

    Thank you, Wikipedia, for making me laugh.

    Category police files | Tags: ,, | 6 Comments

  5. POLICE FILES: The curious case of the Chanel Khakis

    by pam

    Or how Chanel almost made me cry.

    Or the night I realized how big a nail polish addict I am.

    Or the night I considered carting myself off for therapy.

    But let’s start at the beginning.

    When I interviewed Sophy Robson in July, she hinted at a fabulous A/W collection from Chanel.

    chanel3


    In August, I spotted bottle pictures that supposedly appeared in magazines in Russia and I wanted them. Yes, all three of them.

    And then Sophy posted very early swatches on her blog. And I still wanted them.

    And then I found out that they were made for Vogue’s Fashion Night Out event which was to be held on September 10. And of course, I still wanted them.

    So when Alvin, a friend who recently moved to New York, offered to get bottles for me, I said yes. And why not? I wasn’t sure they would be sold elsewhere.

    Soon, I found out that Chanel’s Les Khakis Collection was going to be available on Chanel.com, in Chanel boutiques and selected department stores.

    But I was no longer panicking. Because Alvin was going to get me my bottles.

    In fact, he called the Soho store early so he can reserve bottles for me. The guy who spoke to him said it was better for him to have it shipped because they can’t hold reservations during FNO. The Chanel guy told Alvin he will receive the polishes on September 13 – three days after FNO.

    Awesome, I thought. Woohoo!

    And then we found out James was going to be in New York from September 11 to 18.

    Even more awesome, I thought. James can bring home my Khakis. Woohoo!

    I showered Alvin and James with thank yous and love for being so awesome and helping feed my crazy addiction.

    On the day of FNO, I was amazed by the photos of the queue outside Chanel’s Soho store that Alvin took. And I took comfort in knowing my bottles were secure.

    Later that day, when Chanel.com crashed from the traffic of all the people trying to order the Khakis, I started panicking like a lot of other ladies on MUA. And then I kicked myself for panicking, because my bottles were secure.

    I drooled over many swatches of the Khakis and I thought, soon these babies will be on my nails. Because my bottles were secure.

    My bottles were secure and I was so freaking excited.

    Alvin and James made plans to meet on September 15. But on September 15, the Khakis still had not arrived.

    So Alvin and James moved their schedule to Friday instead. Because surely, the Khakis would have arrived by then. In fact, someone from Chanel called Alvin to tell him the Khakis will arrive at 2 p.m.

    Friday came – still no sign of the Khakis. Why? Because Chanel sent them to the wrong address.

    Yes, Chanel sent them to the wrong address.

    The package had been delayed and because James was leaving early on Saturday morning, he wouldn’t be able to bring home the package for me. Which is sad because unlike the last time he was in New York, I didn’t give him a list of polishes I wanted him to buy. All I wanted were the Khakis.

    Alvin sent us a quick e-mail and I knew he felt bad about the delay. I told him, no problem, I can wait.

    Then, one second later, I thought, why wait?

    Maybe James can just buy another set for me.

    This was 5 in the morning in Manila and you know what I did? I started calling Chanel stores and counters in New York. And I started live chatting with different stores. At the same time. Seriously. At 5 in the morning.

    I live chatted with Nordstrom and Saks. I called Spring Street, I called East 57th, I called Saks, and because the girl who answered at the East 57th boutique said Bloomingdale’s had it, I called Bloomingdale’s too.

    They all had the same answer: SOLD OUT. SOLD OUT. SOLD OUT. SOLD OUT.

    They were awfully nice – even apologetic – but they had no bottles left to sell to me.

    At about 6 in the morning, I finally tried to quiet my mind by reading Eat Pray Love so I could fall asleep. And I should feel ashamed about freaking out so much over three bottles of polish while there are women out there who only want one thing – to find God by meditating. But I feel no shame. The heart wants what it wants. And my heart wants those freaking khakis.

    Naturally, my dreams were filled of bottles of Khaki polish. In my dreams, James found bottles for me and I was filled with joy.

    But it was a different story when I woke up.

    James spent his last night in New York in the Lower West Side area and he checked three stores – Jeffrey, Macy’s and Bergdorf. They never had the bottles in Jeffery and Macy’s and the collection at Bergdorf was sold out on the day it arrived. “The ladies in Bergdorf said the only place to turn to is online,” James said.

    I love James for trying, I really do.

    There is another place to turn to though – and that is the Chanel counter in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Tatin is going there in about six days. I’m hoping there will be bottles available when she goes. I tried calling minutes ago but no one picked up. I’ll try calling again later.

    Khaki Brun, Khaki Rose and dear Khaki Vert, why won’t you come home to me? Why must you break my heart?

    On the brighter side of things, I just won L.A. Sunset on Ebay for a very good price.

    The Ebay Loser is no more. Now I’m just the Crazy Unhappy Chanel Counter-Stalking Psycho.

    Sob.

    Category police files | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 26 Comments

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