Chanel Confidence, Confidentielle & Rose Confidentiel

September 13, 2010

Chanel has been on quite a roll with a number of product releases this summer and fall – so much so, I can barely keep up, but I like what I see so far. The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss collection is beautiful with a diverse range of pinks and reds – I think everyone can find at least one item to suit their coloring. The collection is both classic and modern at the same time. I’m not sure if these items have hit all counters yet. I got mine from Chanel.com and I believe Saks has an exclusive to release the collection first. If you haven’t seen these yet, they will probably be on counters soon.

I knew I had to get all three Le Vernis shades even before I saw them in person. Amy from Café Makeup did an amazing preview of the glosses which helped me tremendously. While I was in San Francisco I went to Saks to see the whole set in person, bought a new rouge allure and another set of all three Le Vernis shades for my sister (she immediately applied Rose Insolent on her toes). My personal three favorites in the collection are of the same color theme. Each have similar names (which can be a bit confusing) and all are soft but noticeable pinks:

Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Confidence #55
Rouge Allure in Confidentielle #66
Le Vernis in Rose Confidentiel #491

What I love about these pinks is that they are natural but with a slight kick. They aren’t your barely-there pinks. They have just the right amount of pigment, brightness and depth to be noticeable when applied yet are natural enough that you don’t have to worry about it being too bright. I do find that the lipgloss and lipstick brighten the face (read on below for more info).

The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Confidence is a semi-sheer, semi-bright and semi-natural pink gloss with a slight iridescence. I find it applies with enough pigment to wear by itself even even though it’s slightly sheer. The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss is a new gloss formula with a similar packaging to the Rouge Allure Laques. The difference is that the RAEs have longer tubes, a sheerer and glossier finish and a new wedged shaped applicator. I would describe the pigment as being in between a glossimer and rouge allure laque. These are on the thick side, not exactly sticky but not slippery either – somewhere in between. I’m not a fan of the new applicator – I find the shape difficult to use as it is more flexible requiring more pressure to apply. Also applying straight from the tube will result in getting the tip discolored if you apply over a lipstick. I find it best to apply on the back of my hand and then apply the product on the lips with a brush. I will need to do more experimenting with these. I do like the finish but it feels a bit thick. I’m normally a lipgloss girl, but these days I feel more and more like just wearing a lipstick + liner without the gloss.

Applying to the bottom lip (so you can see the contrast between my natural lip color and the color of the gloss):

The Rouge Allure in Confidentielle is also a natural but brighter pink. It goes well with the gloss. It’s definitely brighter than what I normally wear. Creamy and smooth like all the Rouge Allure lipsticks with full coverage. Those wondering how it compares to other shades, I found it to be in between Rouge Coco in Gardenia and Legende. If you didn’t like Gardenia because of the shimmer or don’t like Legende because you found it too cool or if you don’t like the Rouge Coco formula, Confidentielle is the solution for you. Here it is swatched on my lips but blended with a lip brush for a softer finish.

* Note – I realize my lip swatch photos are odd because I always manage to angle the camera in a way that focuses on my hair rather than my lips, also my hair is black except when the sunlight shines on it (directly or indirectly) which is why you see the red in some shots. These are definitely a work in progress.

Note, these may all look the same on your screen. Legende is a mini sample that I have and the most blue-toned. I found it too cool for me and have not purchased it. Gardenia is more frosty. Confidentielle is in between the shades and the most creamy.

The Gloss in Confidence over the Lipstick in Confidentielle: Layering the two gets you a rich and luscious lip look. Almost too luscious for my taste. Perhaps more suitable for a date night. The result with both is really glossy and opaque. Right now I like these with only 1 applied at a time, although experimenting with less gloss will probably work better for me.

One more view:

The new Le Vernis in Rose Confidentiel is another gorgeous classic rose pink shade. Smooth and rich in pigment, this applies very well with 2 coats. I wouldn’t say it matches Confidence and Confidentielle exactly, but it does go well with the colors. Compared to the lips, I would say the nail polish is less bright, a bit deeper, and more of a classic dusty rose. Great for fall and perfect for year round. I’ve reviewed it in my Rouge Fatal, Rose Insolent & Rose Confidentiel post here. I’ve also compared it to a couple other shades in my Chanel Les Khakis de Chanel post here. Here it is on a pedi, 2 coats.