chanel

I like to think that within every girl lives a princess, and this morning my princess demanded two things: shimmer and Chanel.

Loved and nurtured, the princess is all smiles, sweetness, sparkles and light. She exists solely to love, and to appreciate beautiful things. Instead of walking places, she frolics; instead of talking, she sings. And sometimes she has daydreams like black and white Fellini films, in which she meanders down cobblestone Roman boulevards wearing a white dress and red high heels.

Not wanting to disappoint the princess, today I introduced her to the new Ombres Tissées Iridescent Effects Eyes in Beiges ($75).

I literally clutched my heart the first time I opened the compact and beheld the tweed pattern and sparkly silver overspray. The shimmery, illuminating pale pink and ivory powders in the limited edition trio, which arrived on Chanel counters recently as part of the Les Aquarelles De Chanel collection, as beautiful as they are to look at in the case, also double as eyeshadows and highlighters.

As the overspray wears down, it reveals pigmented powders with a hint of lovely sheen…

So very fitting of the princess! 🙂

[Continue reading…]

Doth shimmery taupe eyeshadows make thy booty shake? If colors like MAC Satin Taupe make you want to drop it like it’s hot, better limber up, young lady, because Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Fauve ($28.50) is going to ask you to dance.

Fauve, which I keep wanting to pronounce “Farv,” as in Brett, is one of four Soft Touch eyeshadow singles in the new Chanel Sophisticated Eye collection.

Like Satin Taupe’s 21-year-old cousin, shimmery taupe Fauve is a bit of a party girl. Her fab flecks of silver glitter distinguish her from everyday workhorse shades, and when I swatched the shadow at the counter last week, I must have sounded like a hungry Homer Simpson when I spontaneously said, “Mmmmmm… glitter.”

A touch less pigmented and consequently softer on the eyes than Satin Taupe when applied, Fauve seems a little easier to blend to me, but by applying it with a wet eyeshadow brush, the shadow is still easy to intensify.

No need to worry about fallout, either, as I swept Fauve on my lids yesterday before heading to the mall. Six hours later — the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, Nordies to look for shoes, and then the bookstore to browse beauty magazines — I didn’t spot a single wayward sprinkle on my face, and the color itself looked just as rich and smooth as it did the moment it was applied.

Swatches from the left: MAC Satin Taupe, Chanel Fauve applied normally (middle) and wet (far right)
[Continue reading…]