The palettes for eyes this spring from Chanel are beautiful. I’m glad the look for the Collection Les Perles de Chanel for Spring 2011 is lighter and less dramatic than what we saw on the runways (gorgeous but simply too dark and vampy for everyday wear). The theme this spring seems to be all about that pearl finish. The new items from the collection include:
- Ombres Perleés de Chanel Eyeshadow Palette – A beautiful palette of 5 high-shine pearl finish colors I would describe as white cream, pink shell, violet, seaweed and blueish-gray, all have a complex mixture of multi-colored shimmers. The texture is a soft almost creamy-like powder, but not quite cream. These are high-shimmer colors, I have to play around with this more, but I think this will work best when layered over regular shadows for a luminous effect.
- Gris Scintillant Precision Eye Definer – A sparkly cool grey with silver flecks that looks more blueish-purple on my skin rather than gray, this is probably the most sparkly eyeliner I own.
- Regard Perlé Quadra Eye Shadow Palette – A soft buttery-textured combination of white-gold, peach, pink and forest green. All have a soft luminous shimmer quality (not frosty). The palette isn’t all that unique in the sense that you can probably find similar shades elsewhere, but Chanel always has a way of creating colors with a the most beautiful luxurious finish. It’s perfect for an everyday look. I can’t express my excitement that the US formula is back! To me this is a more wearable neutral version of Garden Party (from fall 2007) that I passed on.
More photos, swatches and comparisons below:
Swatched on bare skin, note these are a bit washed out, the pearl finishes had me cursing while photographing these. The colors are fairly accurate (at least on my screen), but they just aren’t as washed out as these appear below. I find the palette sheer, but buildable. Click to enlarge for better viewing of the shimmer particles, perhaps you’ll be able to see the complexity of the colors in a larger view.
With flash:
In natural light:
Details and close up of the Pearl Palette (if you have this, tell me how you’re wearing it!):
This is what the shades look like swatched on the fingers. Sorry for the blur, but the shimmer/pearls were difficult to photograph for some reason. I’m sure other bloggers will have better luck with their photos, I can’t wait to read other reviews. This shows how the pigment can be heavier with a high-frost finish when applied with a heavier hand, but can be blended out (like on the arm photos above) for a luminous glow.
Details of Regard Perlé Quad:
I couldn’t find a dupe, but some wanted to know how it compared to a few other quads by Chanel. I didn’t have time to swatch them, but the textures/finishes are typical of the usual Chanel quads: soft, silky smooth, medium pigment, soft shimmer, beautiful sparkle. Here is Regard Perlé next to Winter Nights and Murano. To me, the runway looks from the Spring 2011 show seemed more like Murano on the eyes rather than Regard Perlé.
Last, but not least, Gris Scintillant Precision Eye Definer. It’s beautiful with those silver flecks, but on the softer side. Those who like a more dramatic defined eye will probably find this too soft/sheer. I think it would be a beautiful cream shadow. Note that it pulls very blue on me. It might be more neutral/grey on you depending on your undertones.
Eyeliner comparisons, L to R:
- Bobbi Brown Thunderstorm Ink (reviewed here, Bloomies exclusive)
- MAC Zinc Zone Greasepaint Stick
- MAC Dig It! Eye Kohl
- D&G Onxy #11 Eyeliner (reviewed here, D&G Fall 2010)
- Chanel Gris Scintillant #69 Precision Eye Definer
- Chanel Graphite #64 Intense Eye Pencil
- Chanel Gris #35 Stylo Yeux (reviewed here)
- Chanel Black Shimmer #70 Stylo Yeux
- MAC Wolf Pearlglide Eyeliner
Overall thoughts: Beautiful, especially for our first look at spring. The Perleés de Chanel palette is the winner for me. The other two are items I adore but don’t know that others will share the same love as I do for soft wearable natural makeup. If you’re looking for a good everyday eyeshadow palette that isn’t your basic boring black or brown, then Regard Perlé is a great option. It has enough color to brighten the face without being too basic. However, those who prefer something more colorful will probably be let down a bit. I feel like the colors in this quad have been done before, yet when I searched my stash, I couldn’t find anything quite like it.
Chanel Spring 2011 is starting to trickle in stores. The first sightings were just a few days ago. I expect most counters in the US to have this within the next week. Cheeks and lips to be reviewed soon.
