Chanel Taupe 84 Stylo Yeux Waterproof

Chanel’s newest Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner is Taupe #84 ($29). It has been released in the US as part of the Sophisticated Eye Collection, a collection of new eyeshadows, eyeliners and tools (see entire collection lineup on Karla Sugar and featured on Chanel.com). I’m a huge fan of the Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners. They’re waterproof, easy to apply, soft yet not too soft (as in gentle on the eyes) and I love that they come with a twist-up design. Taupe #84 is a complex color. It’s nothing like you would expect from the name. I anticipated a grey-brown to arrive. Instead, I found that Taupe #84 is an intriguing beautiful complex fusion of plum brown silver. I applied this alone on the eyes and it gives subtle but pretty definition to the eyes. The silver shimmer makes it slightly lighter than I anticipated. It will look lovely with light-to-medium shades. However, over darker colors, I think this will not show up. I do envision that it will make a great layering base for colors like Fauve and Taupe Gris to intensify the color or help extend the wear of powder shadows.

At first glance I thought it might seem similar to Dior’s Aztec Chocolate Nail Polish. It’s in the same color family but has quite a bit more silver making it look more purply than brown. Here it is also compared to Chanel Fauve and Taupe Gris Eyeshadows.

$29 is rather steep for an eyeliner, but the quality and uniqueness of this color makes it easy for me to justify. I like the color but the lightness/silver reflective quality of this makes it seem more of something I will use like a cream shadow rather than a definer. It will be lovely with lighter subtle colors or as a base for Fauve. For the lasting power, I put it on this morning (alone without any other shadows or base) around 8 am and it lasted until around 5 pm.