Between seasonal collections, Chanel releases a collection each year themed around pearls. Originally targeted at the Asian beauty market and their love for all things brightening, Chanel has finally figured out that women around the world adore luminous, beautiful makeup.
Before I discuss the collection in-depth, take a look at the promotional image for the collection. It's flawless! Here's the in-store setup, next to the Spring collection:
When I see the image on the right, the following words come to my mind: stunning, flawless, ethereal. Everything that I'm looking for in makeup. It's also the perfect counterbalance to Chanel's oversaturated hues of Spring 2016. There are some times in life when a collection is perfect for a woman; Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco is it for me. So, I bought almost the whole thing.
I wanted to get this post up ASAP, so I have only one day of playing with the collection. Don't quote me on the exact wear time as a result. I'm also still adjusting to a new camera and trying to figure out my lighting. Photos look great on-camera but then dark once they're on my computer.
I'll start with the centerpiece of the collection: the ultra-luxe, collectors' item highlighter duo: Perles et Fantaisies Illuminating Powder (0.3oz/8.5g, $ 70). This inevitably will sell out and is limited edition. As a side note, I can see how 20MP makes all the difference now. I adore the crispness of this photo.
Before even talking about the item, let's talk about how well Chanel does items like this. Even the box is embossed with pearls. Well done, Chanel.
The highlighter itself is a duo- white and pink. With the most careful of hands and smallest of brushes, one could wear them individually. I swatched them separately and swirled together. For my look, I swirled them together. I wore this as a traditional highlighter on my cheekbones and love it. It's quite different than other pink highlighters- this is, like a pearl, just soft and feminine.
I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to observe that when mixed, this highlighter leans more towards the white side than the pink side. It's not a dupe for Becca Pearl though. I think the versatility of this piece, plus its luxe collectors' appeal make this a must-have. It's also very different than Chanel Coups de Minuit despite both having a pink cast. It's also a totally different type of shimmer than Dior's Spring highlighter (I'd call the later a sheen rather than shimmer).
Let's talk eyes. This collection features two new releases for eyes: The Les 4 Ombres in Tisse Ombre de Lune and Illusion d' Ombre 112 Iridescent.
Les 4 Ombres #258 Tisse Ombre de Lune (1.2g/0.04oz, $61). If extremely pigmented, loud shades are your favorites, this will not be your quad. These shades are on-theme, very soft, feminine, and delicate. This is listed as limited edition. It makes me think of ladylike elegance.
When you have snow, you use it for a backdrop. It's actually very true-to-color:
Tisse Ombre de Lune #1 (Ombre Shade) appears to be an off-white in the pan but pulls a lovely light champagne gold against my heavily pink-undertoned NW15 skin.
Tisse Ombre de Lune #2 (Highlight Shade) is the shade that caught my eye initially. In the pan, it appeared to be a lovely silver with blue undertones; it pulls a true silver against my skin. When I re-tested this with a brush spritzed with just a touch of MAC Fix+, this turned almost into a foil! Love!
Tisse Ombre de Lune #3 (Ombre Shade) is a lovely, shimmering light pink against my heavily pink-undertoned NW15 skin. In the pan, it almost looks apricot, but I think my undertones take over. I really like this shade.
Tisse Ombre de Lune #4 (Intensify Shade) is a sultry deep grey with noticeable silver glitter flecks. I'd be hesitant to use this during the day, but it makes this quad workable for an elegant evening out. This is extremely pigmented and the most prone to fallout.
Here's a shot in full sun, swatched. I used my finger to pull the swatches since it seemed as representative as anything else:
The silver shade pulled blue here in the sun- but against blue eyes it looks silver.
Ladies, wear a primer with this quad. Can I yell any louder? I had no problem with pigmentation or wear time as long as I used the proper tools. Primer is one of them. I also found that brush selection was critical with this quad. After trying my Haukuhodo J004G, MAC 233, and MAC 242 with little success and a lot of frustration, I found that the quad sprung to life with my Tom Ford Eyeshadow Contour Brush. Seriously, it was night and day, like I'd picked up a totally different quad.
Unless you pile Shade #4 all over your lids, it's going to be almost impossible to overdo it with this quad. Two thumbs up from this makeup lover who gets ready early AM.
When I tested these pieces, here's how I wore them. I wore Iridescent IdO as a highlight in the inner eye, OdL #1 up near the brow bone as a highlight, OdL #3 in my inner lid to about the 1/3 mark, OdL #2 on the outer 2/3 of my lid, and OdL #4 blended in the crease just a touch. I paired with Ardell Accent lashes #301 for some ladylike drama.
A quick note, I notice that the lashes are lifting a bit here. I'm still learning with false lashes, so I'm willing to admit I'm far from perfect. I require very, very thick glasses so this is a new skill I'm literally trying to learn, blind.
Illusion d'Ombre #112 Iridescent (4g/0.14oz, $36) is also listed as a new limited edition shade. It's tough to pick up on the shade in photographs. It's nearly clear, with a pink pearl to it. Think of it as the IdO form of MAC Reflects Pink pigment with a twist. This shade is perfect as a highlight, or for a no-makeup look. It really does give a pearly sheen. If you look carefully at the inner eye, that's the pinky highlight that's present.
I mentioned that I'm struggling with my lighting setup right now (A common theme from when I started this blog), so most of my shots of Iridescent don't look right. When I get that figured out, I'll edit in a couple more photos. Until then, here's a shot of it in the sun:
It's a bit frustrating since I was careful to photograph before soiling the pristine surface. Oh, well. But here's a photo of it swatched. You can really see it sing here.
This is the most subtle and gorgeous item I've bought for awhile. I think of a butterfly wing or something equally light and fragile. Ethereal at its best.
This post is extremely long at this point, and I haven't touched any of the lip items or the repromoted eye item I picked up with the collection. So, I'll break it up and discuss the rest tomorrow.
I picked up my items in-store at Nordstrom, although they received limited stock. It's also available online at Chanel.com, and via Neiman Marcus as of this post.
