Chanel has released a limited-edition eye shadow palette called Rêve D’Orient Quadra Eye Shadow ($70 for 2 g/0.07 oz, made in Italy). It was initially a special release only to the Chanel Boutique in New York on 57th Street. My dear friend Café Makeup e-mailed me to let me know the news in early October. By the time I received my order in the mail it sold out. The good news for Chanel fans is that this palette has launched at other retailers. I have thoughts and swatches to share with you today.
Chanel Rêve D’Orient was designed for the Dubai Cruise Show earlier this year. Each shade has a stunning star pattern embossed on the powders. Opening it simply took my breath away. The colors in the palette are well pigmented. The shades are a bit powdery so you might get a tiny bit of fall out with it, but it isn’t anything different than I experience with most powder shadows. The pigment is very smooth. All the shades have some degree of shimmer. The shades are quite complex with multi-dimensional shimmers. In some light the colors look more warm, in other lighting (like the one below) the gold tones show up more making it look more neutral.
The colors that are in this palette:
- Deep warm brown with a very natural shimmery sheen
- White gold ivory shimmer, I like that this is an ivory color that doesn’t turn yellow
- Sparkling but very smooth true gold shimmer
- Satiny pigmented black, this one applies very smoothly
Swatched on the arms with a brush. The palette comes with tiny white-tipped sponge applicators but I always prefer to use brushes:
Some have wondered how the Chanel Rêve D’Orient compares to the Charlotte Tilbury Fallen Angel. Both have beautiful star patterns embossed on the surface. They are very similar in overall effect, I would say that the Charlotte Tilbury pulls more cool-toned on me, while the Chanel is more neutral.
The differences I’ve seen from testing:
- Charlotte Tilbury’s quad has a creamy texture, Chanel’s quad is more like a traditional powder
- The black shades apply almost identical in the finish, I have a slight preference for Chanel’s because it’s more satiny and slightly smoother when you apply it
- The deep bronze shade in Charlotte’s is more metallic, Chanel’s bronze has slightly more red/plum
- Charlotte Tilbury’s pale shades are ivory champagne pink and silvery tan with a mauve sheen
- Chanel’s pale shades are an ivory gold that’s off-white and the gold is a pure gold
Between the two, I prefer the Chanel, mainly because I can wear neutrals on the eyes easier than I can pull off cool tones. Although the shades in the Chanel palette do have a similar vibe to previously released singles, I think the formula, texture and pigment in the Chanel Rêve D’Orient surpasses the singles. The colors just blend in beautifully with the lids and the color adheres well to the lids. They layer together really well and the shades are distinct enough in undertone and texture that they don’t all look the same once applied.
It’s a splurge at $70 but in my opinion I’ve found it to be totally worth the splurge. It performs well, the pigment is super smooth, the colors are super easy to wear, and it’s extremely versatile for day, night and almost any occasion.
The Chanel Rêve D’Orient Quadra Eye Shadow is limited-edition. It has already sold out on a few sites I mentioned a few days ago, but right now still available at Nordstrom, Macy’s and Chanel.com.
