Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.
Holiday collections are usually replete with festive reds and sparkling golds but
Chanel is taking a different spin on the classics with its
Christmas 2016 Libre de Chanel Collection. With shade names like "Ultrarose" and "Super Coral", this unconventional collection is full of contrasting brights and intense silvers. To see some swatches and review of all the goods, click.......
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| Chanel Les 5 Ombres Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette |
Chanel Les 5 Ombres Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette ($70 CAD):
Chanel shadows have been a bit of a hit and miss for me so I was very pleasantly surprised with this beautiful cool-tone eye palette. Housed in the classic Chanel black compact with a shiny silver insert, the Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette includes a satin denim blue, a deep graphite blue shimmer, a metallic silver, a medium brown satin, and a pale silver shimmer.
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| Chanel Les 5 Ombres Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette |
All shades except for the medium satin brown is incredibly rich, creamy, and utterly saturated with pigments. The brown has a nice texture but it's quite patchy and sheer. Overall though, this is a really impressive palette, both the color selection and pigmentation is superb!
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| Chanel Les 5 Ombres Architectonic Eyeshadow Palette |
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| Chanel Calligraphie Cream Eyeliner "65 Hyperblack" |
Chanel Calligraphie Cream Eyeliner in "65 Hyperblack" ($40 CAD):
This is a pigmented black gel eyeliner with a very smooth and slick formulation. The application is a cinch as the product glides beautiful across the skin. The formulation sets very quickly but you can easily apply additional layers or corrections to perfect any lines without disturbing the previous layer.
With a lot of gel eyeliners I've tried in the past, the finish can become quite crusty and thick if you apply too much product but with the Calligraphie Cream Eyeliner I didn't experience the same issue. The liner remained lightweight and flexible even when I had to go back in many times to perfect my wing. "65 Hyperblack" has a matte finish that's very waterproof. However, minor smudging might occur from sebum and sweat produced throughout the day.
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| Chanel Calligraphie Cream Eyeliner "65 Hyperblack" |
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| Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in "360 Hyperfresh" |
Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in "360 Hyperfresh" ($53 CAD):
A beautiful matte bright pink, "
360 Hyperfresh" is a powder blush with a semi-sheer finish. The color is indeed bright so be sure to apply with a gentle hand. The formulation is silky and lightweight so it's easy to blend across the cheeks.
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| Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in "360 Hyperfresh" |
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss & Rouge Allure Lipstick |
Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in "157 Super Coral" ($43 CAD):
I've never tried the Rouge Allure Gloss before so I was very enamored with its packaging. Housed in a lacquered black case similar to that of the Rouge Allure Lipstick, the lip gloss wand pops out by pressing down on the shiny embossed gold cap. The doe-foot applicator is tapered for a smooth application.
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in "157 Super Coral" |
"
157 Super Coral" is a beautiful fresh coral cream. The pigmentation is not too sheer and the formulation is very clingy and slightly tacky. Lip gloss formulation has really taken on a more gel-like and non-sticky formulation in the recent years but I think the formulation of the Rouge Allure Gloss still has its merits as the thicker texture helps extend the wear. Corals aren't really my cup of tea but this particular shade is actually very flattering!
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in "157 Super Coral" |
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in "157 Super Coral" |
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in "257 Ultrarose" |
Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in "257 Ultrarose" ($43 CAD):
The bright lip trend continues with "
257 Ultrarose". Housed in a sleek black case with a push-to-release mechanism, this shade is a very bright red cream. Although buildable to a mostly full coverage, "
257 Ultrarose" actually has more of a tinted lip balm quality. For both the arm and the lip swatches below I used a heavy application as formulation is not very melty or creamy.
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in "257 Ultrarose" |
I am usually not a fan of sheerer lipstick but with this one, the versatility won me over. I can use a light one to two coat application if I just want a flush of red or I can apply more coats for a more intense look. The lipstick has a nice sheen which wears off pretty quickly. However, the lips will remain nice and tinted.
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| Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in "257 Ultrarose" |
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| Chanel Le Vernis |
Chanel Le Vernis Velvet in "542 Pink Rubber" ($32 CAD):
The first matte polish I've ever tried from Chanel, "Pink Rubber" is a pale baby pink. The formulation sets to a matte finish quite quickly but it still takes a good amount time to completely harden. Unfortunately, the formulation is very sheer and patchy so I needed four coats in the swatches below.
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| Chanel Le Vernis Velvet in "542 Pink Rubber", four coats with no top coat |
Chanel Le Vernis in "544 Hyperrose Glass" ($32 CAD):
This is a sheer shimmery pink. The formulation will not build to a full coverage so it may be better paired with a darker base. I used two coats for the swatches below but because the formulation is nice and even, the two-coat look works.
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| Chanel Le Vernis Velvet in "544 Hyperrose Glass", two coats with no top coat. |
Chanel Le Vernis in "540 Liquid Mirror" ($32 CAD):
An eye-catching bright silver frost, "
Liquid Mirror" is very nicely pigmented. However, the coverage is patchy so you can definitely see the brush strokes. For the swatches below, I used two coats for a full and even coverage.
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| Chanel Le Vernis in "540 Liquid Mirror" |
Availability:
The Holiday 2016 Libre de Chanel Collection is available starting November 1st at all Chanel Beauty Counters and
Chanel.ca.
