Chanel has released two new shades of their Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow ($36 each) in Initiation and Fatal. Each color is beautiful alone with a simple coat of mascara but also look lovely when layered together. Lasting power is quite good for these – they did not budge from my eyes from morning to early evening when I tested these.
Below: Left – Fatal, Right – Initiation
Fatal is a stunning purple-red with silver sparkles. It’s like a mix between Chanel Illusoire and Ebloui but with an added kick of visible silver shimmer to make it unique. Purples can be hard for me to pull off if they have too much blue or too much red. Fatal is the perfect in between. It does look warmer in the pot than it applies on the skin but it’s a chameleon-like color. The shimmers are both red and purple so it may look different depending on what angle you hold the pot at.
Initiation is a stunning warm bronze with silver and gold flecks. I find this one to be extra sparkly but in a good way. There was no fall out with the sparkles. I like to use the little applicator brush to apply but fingers or a basic cream shadow brush works well too. (One of my favorites is MAC #242 for creams or Chanel Concealer #10.) I’m glad Chanel released a bronze shadow – it was a much-needed color in the Illusion D’Ombre lineup.
Swatches, two views. The colors are easy to control for pigment. I swatched with a heavy hand but they are easy to blend out and layer.
Comparisons show that Chanel Initiation is quite different from most bronze colors I own. Armani Eyes to Kill #15 is warmer and #26 is more brassy. For Chanel Fatal I found Armani Eyes to Kill #27 almost identical in finish. The Armani is just slightly lighter with a bit more silver frost.
Comparisons below: MAC Buried Treasure Paint Pot, Armani Eyes to Kill #15, Armani Eyes to Kill #26, Chanel Ebloui, Chanel Illusoire and Armani Eyes to Kill #27.
With flash:
Without flash:
Overall beautiful colors perfect for fall to holiday. Versatile enough to incorporate into many different looks for both day and night. Also wearable alone, mixed, or layered over other powder shadows for added depth and sparkle. Definitely must-haves in my book.
Both Chanel Fatal and Initiation Illusion D’Ombres are limited-edition colors. Available now at Neiman Marcus.
