chanel

Chanel should have issued a warning with their new $42 Ombres Contraste Duos: “Caution: The contents of this compact may be hard to resist!” 🙂

Seriously, you might want to steel yourself against potential temptation and simply stop reading now.

The part of me that loves elegantly effortless makeup just can’t get enough of these eyeshadow duos. The six of them make me feel like screaming, “Gimme, gimme more!”

This fall luxurious textures and intense pigments have been all the rage among the high-end makeup lines (hello, Givenchy Le Prisme Quartets!), and while these duos may not look the part at first, they’re no exception.

Each one comes with a light cream shadow designed to be used as a base and a darker powder matte shadow for contouring and creating the illusion of depth.

Conveniently, skin is where these products really POP! — both in terms of color and texture — and being as smooth as they are makes them remarkably easy to blend.

In the look below I’m wearing Khaki (a matte dark green) from the Khaki-Clair duo. In it I’m barely wearing any, yet the ample pigmentation makes the color pretty hard to miss. BONUS: These leave behind absolutely no shadow fallout whatsoever — zip, zero, zilch.

Wearing Khaki-Clair
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Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush

To complement the dark, smokey eyes and soft lips of fall’s Les Contrastes de Chanel makeup collection, Chanel crafted three of the most beautiful Joues Contraste Powder Blushes ($42) I’ve seen from the line in a really long time. I mean, just look at ’em in their pans!

Rose Temptation (a warm and shimmery rosy brown), Plum Attraction (a shimmery deep plum) and Pink Explosion (a shimmery cool pink) wow me in ways that last year’s Fresque didn’t.

All three of the new limited edition shades pack off-the-charts pigmentation yet still look pretty natural at the same time. The recipe Chanel used of subtle, shimmery powders and buttery, blendable colors just works, and like previously released blushes in the Joues Contraste line, all of them have the subtle signature JC rose scent.

Chanel Plum Attraction Joues Contraste Blush
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There’s something to be said for tradition. Take fall makeup, for instance, and the Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad ($56). Although I love that Chanel went totally renegade with the summery Rouge Coco lipsticks and Glossimer lipglosses from the Les Contrastes collection, it’s also kind of comforting to get seasonal products that typify the season, ya know?

The moment I saw this quad, the first thing I thought was, “What’s the connection between these shades and the new Rouge Coco colors?” I didn’t immediately see how/if the four shimmery shades of peach, chocolate gray, violet gray and dark plum were related to the lippies, but I think I’m beginning to understand.

Doesn’t the shimmery peach shadow in the quad look related to Rouge Coco lipstick in Chintz? I feel like its golden pink undertones also play off the iridescence in the Petite Peche, Coral Love and Rose Dilemma Glossimers.
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Evenin’, ladies! I couldn’t wait to show you these four new limited edition (I just found out these are being added to Chanel’s permanent line up, yay!) Chanel Glossimer shades from the upcoming Les Contrastes de Chanel fall collection ($30 each). If peach, pink and coral glosses quicken your pulse like they do mine, you just might want to take a few deep breaths before you s c r o l l …

Teaser, my favorite one of these non-sticky cuties, is a vivid, can’t-miss-me rosy pink with golden iridescence, but if you prefer glosses with a quieter vibe (shh), there’s always Petite Peche (a sheer but shimmery pale peach), Coral Love (a sheer but shimmery coral with golden iridescence) or Rose Dilemma (a sheer and shimmery mid-tone bluish pink). Each adds a faint whisper of color with plenty of shine.

From left: Petite Peche, Teaser, Coral Love, Rose Dilemma
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Dagnabbit, Coco! Why you gotta make me fall in love with you over and over again? Your three new limited edition (I just found out these shades are being added to the permanent line, huzzah!) Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour Lipsticks ($30 each) from the fall 2010 Les Contrastes de Chanel Collection sing a summery song of seduction, and you know what? I’m totally listening.

Each fall dark, serious shades and heavy matte textures crop up on makeup counters, so the pink, peach and coral lippies in Les Contrastes are welcome breaks from the norm. The colors make me think of summer sunsets, like the one I just missed tonight!

Chalys, the shimmery coral, adds a bright but not overwhelming pop of color to pouts; while the other two shades offer sophisticated options for nude lip looks. Try Chintz (the soft peach) if you wear warm-toned shades well, or Rose Dentelle (the cool baby pink) if cooler colors suit you better.

All three colors grace lips with that classic Rouge Coco texture — smooth, light and oh so moisturizing.

Chalys

Chalys
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Okay, so I *totally* get the glam 1930’s/’40s Shanghai thing Chanel says they were going for with the new Noir et Or (“Black and Gold”) collection, but oooh, gurrl, I’m getting some strong MC Hammer vibes too!

If Hammer had seen this collection way back when he was scooting across stages, he might have asked, “Can I touch this?”

Why? Because it’s so hot, and so timeless.

Was the Chanel crew intentionally referencing questionable late ’80s hip-hop fashion and style when they thought up the four-piece collection for eyes and nails? Probably not … but wouldn’t it have been awesome if they had? 🙂

Inspiration for the collection

Chanel Global Creative Director Peter Philips brought Noir et Or into being for the Chanel Metier D’Art fashion show in Shanghai, drawing upon the spirit of Ms. Coco herself (as he often does)!

Where can I find it?

That’s a good question. Get ready for a beauty hunt of sorts, Chanelophiles, because it might take some effort to track down. The three polishes and eye duo are available now, but they aren’t being carried at regular Chanel counters (huh?).

You can, however, find them at Chanel boutiques, Makeup Studios and online at chanel.com.

I guess Chanel was aiming to create an extra sense of exclusivity this time around.

A closer look…

Of the four pieces in the collection, I’m digging the polishes the most ($25 each). Black Velvet, Gold Lame and Illusion d’or all have that classic Chanel polish texture you know and love — thick (but not too thick) and smooth, with a gorgeous, glossy finish that just says, “Chanel.”

Le Vernis Nail Colour in Illusion d’or

The gold and purple shimmer bits swimming gleefully through this clear polish are just as beautiful on nails as they are in the bottle, yet despite the bits, the polish dries to a smooth finish. Yup, ain’t no grit in this game.
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