Chanel Fall 2011 - Illusion d'Ombre in #83 Illusoire.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in #83 Illusoire (means"illusionary") probably is my favourite colour out of the range, it's a super sparkly dark purple taupe with tons of silver and pink sparkle bits. the finish is almost metallic and it just glistens in sunlight.
it comes in a chic glass pot and brings a little synthetic angled brush with it for application, but since the little brush has a removeable cap at the end, i like to use it as a portable lip brush. it contains 4g and costs 29.95€ (only 24€ at Nägele).
the cream shadow has a smooth consistency and feels like a bouncy foam to the touch. it has a good pay off and applies easily with the sparkles distributed evenly. it's best applied with a slightly textured, firm, flat brush like the MAC 242. sleek fibres or fluffy brushes only give you a poorly pigmented result. since the formula doesn't set to a really smudgeproof finish, it stays blendable and you can work out the edges easily with a fluffy brush like the MAC 217.
the formula is not as long wearing as MAC Paint Pots or Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows, for example. after about 5 hours the colour fades on me, so it looks more like silver microglitter on the lids. after 6-7 hours it creases when worn alone. but with a sheer layer of eyelid primer underneath (i use UDPP) it will stay pretty the whole day.
this shade makes for a beautiful and easy sparkly smokey eye, the colour blends well into my skin so that it still looks almost natural. i especially like the almost glossy shine the shimmer creates on the lids without heavy creasing.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in #83 Illusoire swatched in sunlight. 

unfortunately my camera couln't capture the pink shimmers and purpley quality of the colour. it's also much more sparkling than in my photos!

  

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comparison

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Silk Eyeshadow #3 - Chanel Illusoire

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Silk Eyeshadow #3 - Chanel Illusoire

the GA eyeshadow is a lot more purple than Chanel Illusoire.

here a comparison to some shades of the Chanel Ombres Perlées palette from spring 2011 (review, dupes):

Illusoire - purple shade of Ombres Perlées - black shade of Ombres Perlées

while the shimmer of the eyeshadows in the Ombres Perlées palette is more colourful and iridescent, the Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire is different because it's so sparkly.

now to a weak point of these shadows - they are quite unstable in the pot and also their texture is quite soft. look how it is shrunk and lifted up from the pot after i have thrown it from only about 40cm height onto my bed. texture, colour and wearing are not affected, but it doesn't look as nice as in the beginning...

for more reviews of the Fall 2011 collection and shopping tips, check this post.