-Chanel

Chanel’s Quadra Eye Shadow in Stage Lights is perhaps the softest (in terms of color) and the sheerest lilac eye palette that I’ve had so far.

– Top left: white with substantial pearly shimmer
– Top right: pale lilac with soft shimmer
– Bottom left: medium lilac with soft shimmer
– Bottom right: a very pale pink with substantial pearly shimmer

Stage Lights is part of Chanel’s spring 2006 collection. While I distinctively remember liking the look of this, I had no intention of buying it at the time. My minty-green-and-turquoise phase was just about to start back then, and I picked up the Irréelle Duo in River-Light later that year.

My lilac phase started later that year and this palette was under the radar several months ago. After testing the shades many times recently and seeing the colors under different lighting conditions, I decided to have it.

The colors go on lighter than they appear in the container. Initially this was one of my reasons against buying it, but then I thought the soft and gentle finishes are great for a barely-there veil of lilac for the eyes. Also, I like the fact that the two lilacs and the pink are on the cool side and that they look more flattering on me than warmer ones.

Compared with many other eyeshadows from Japanese cosmetics brands, the texture of Chanel’s baked eyeshadows can be a little dry and the pigmentation level would disappoint many people. (The Irréelle range seems to fare better on these.) While a smoother texture would be more ideal, I don’t do a lot of layering for a daytime look so the sheerness is not a negative attribute. Obviously this palette can be worn wet for added intensity, but I simply reach for my other lilac palettes for that.

When I finally got to try 4 Fleurs de Chanel, things I heard were confirmed. They are essentially white eyeshadows with various undertones (blue, lilac, and pink). While I do think the texture is very smooth and that the shimmer is quite intense but still sophisticated, I have no intention to buy it. I am still very happy with my Stage Lights.

Although, among all my lilac eye palettes, it does not rank as highly as my Coffret D’Or or Lunasol, the fact that the tones of the two lilacs are also spot-on for my skin-tone is enough for me to go back to it from time to time.

[A reader kindly reminded me that I didn’t actually describe my skin-tone in the last paragraph of my review. I have a medium-to-light skin-tone, with a pink undertone. The foundation I have been using in the past few years is ZA Two-Way Foundation in 22. It has a slight yellow undertone and I use it to neutralize my pink undertone. With foundation on, I would still describe my facial skin-tone as having a very slight touch of pink undertone.]

Related Posts:

Spring 2008 Makeup Trend Report
(not just about lilac…)

Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in Gem Amethyst
(diamond-dust shine)

Kanebo T’Estimo Frame Impact Eyes
(discontinued but not forgotten)

{ 16 comments }

(Chanel Irréelle Duo in River-Light (left)
and Désert-Rose (right))

I have always liked Chanel’s Irréelle range. The powder is delicately pigmented, and the texture is silky smooth and easy to work with.

I bought Désert-Rose when the Irréelle Duo range was launched in fall 2005. It is a very wearable basic duo. The pink goes on subtly and has peach and gold undertones. The chocolate brown is a nice shade for lining the eyes. Both have exceptionally fine multi-color shimmering particles. This is a great duo to be used alone or with other items to create a soft daytime look.

I bought River-Light (out in spring 2006) during the summer of 2006. (That summer was all about finding the nicest minty green and turquoise. More discoveries from that era later on my blog…) Overall this duo is slightly more matte than Désert-Rose. The minty green on the left is quite sheer and is noticeably less shimmery than the pink in Désert-Rose. It goes on with a very slight touch of pale blue undertone, which makes this shade very appealing to me. The beautiful light turquoise on the right doesn’t have any distracting yellowish shimmer seen in many other turquoise-based eyeshadows. This duo can be very suitable for people who haven’t tried turquoise and want to start with a more delicate turquoise hue.

I love both duos equally, but I use Désert-Rose much more often since it is very naturally flattering and easy to use. On the other hand, I reach for River-Light when I want some gentle vibrancy for my eye makeup. (Even when I am not using it, the two soft green/turquoise shades are simply beautiful to look at in the case……)

Related Posts:

Chanel Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose
(one of my favorite blushers)

Spring 2008 Makeup Trend Report
(featuring Chanel’s spring 2008 collection)

Chanel Ombre d’Eau Eyeshadow
(A joint report with Beauty Anonymous)

The Perfect Black: Chanel
(my personal take on Chanel)

{ 6 comments }

Today, Beauty Anonymous and I are joining together to bring you our thoughts on Chanel’s Ombre d’Eau Eyeshadows. I will focus on #50 Bay and there is a review of #10 Glacier and #20 Fountain over on Beauty Anonymous.

A couple of years ago, I was in a phase of neutral shades for eyes. Chanel’s Ombre d’Eau Bi-Phase Eyeshadow grabbed my attention, with many wearable shades. (They are called Ombre d’Eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow in the US.)

I bought (or, to be more precise, used my Boots advantage points on) #50 Bay, which is a warm bronze with quite a lot of fine iridescent shimmer to create an almost soft metallic finish.

Before taking out the sponge applicator, I shake the container vigorously to mix the pigment and the liquid. (There is a small stainless steel ball inside to help the mixing. It reminds me of using a Liquid Paper correction pen.)

The sponge applicator makes the application easy and fuss-free. The slanted facet of the sponge helps sweep the color onto the eyelids, and I can also line the eyes with the tip of the angled sponge (without blending afterwards). (It won’t be a very thin line. The thinnest line you can create is around 2-3mm.)

Once the color is applied on the eyelids, speedy blending is vital as the liquid does dry up rather quickly. If you leave it to dry, the slip disappears. When the color is in place, it is quite long-wearing.

One thing I have recently observed is that the pigment is not water-resistant at all. I was surprised to find that, when I applied the color on the back of my hand and place my hand under running water, the color was completely gone, with no rubbing, within seconds. (On the other hand, it is usually hard to rub off a powder eyeshadow just with water alone.)

But on my eyelids, under usual circumstances, I have never noticed fading, creasing, or transferring.

Overall, I enjoy using it. Even though the shimmer can be slightly too much for daytime, the fact that most of the shades are very low-key still makes them wearable in any time of the day.

Do head over to Beauty Anonymous, where you can read about two other lovely shades: #10 Glacier and #20 Fountain.

Related posts:

– Read about my personal take on Chanel.

– I compare Chanel Mat Lumière & SUQQU Powder Foundation Glow. See who wins!

– Find out why I won’t buy Les 4 Camélias de Chanel.

{ 4 comments }