Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet.

this fall Chanel launches a new line of matte lipstick called the Rouge Allure Velvet. 8 shades will be available and i luckily could get a sample card with 4 of them to try and swatch for you.

the lipsticks will come in the regular Rouge Allure click&spring packaging and cost 29.95€ for 3.5g.

i wasn't a big fan of matte lip colours since i find especially the bolder colours can make me look quite old. the matte shades won't suit thin lips, too.
but some colours, especially a bright red benefits from a matte texture. they look more mature and "serious" than a provocative glossy bright red would do.
i think Chanel has created something really special with these. the matte texture looks warm and autumnal and is something new for these days. after the wave of the glossy sheer lipsticks a revival of velvety, mature bold colours seems quite refreshing.

i was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the Rouge Allure Velvets. they have a high pigmentation and glide very well on my lips. they feel almost weightless and not dry at all, for the sake of silicones ;) all 8 shades are non shimmery.
of course they need to be applied to a moisturised and smooth suface, i suggest to do a lip scrub before to avoid the colour collecting on chaps/dry flakes. of course you need to remove your lipbalm before applying these to get the full matte effect.
the colours don't look cakey and thick and still have a satin sheen. all shades i tried have an excellent wearing time of at least 4 hours, especially the brighter colours will seamlessly fade into an intensive stain to even elongate the look of the colour on your lips.

i bet these siliconey matte colours will be great to use on the cheeks as well, i still need to try it.

EDIT:  i added face photos so you can see how the shades look worn better.

my bare lips to compare

#32 La Ravissante

is a fresh coral shade, my favourite. a wearable fresh red. one of my favourites of the line.

#34 La Rafinée

 a MLBB colour, a mauvey rose. an easy colour but nothing special.

# 37 L'Exuberante

a beautiful striking magenta on me, a little bit too bright for my taste but the satin matte finish makes it look less funky but rather sophisticated. a fantastic colour for winter  types. i guess i need this colour.

#38 La Fascinante

a bold blood red, on my photos it's a bit too bright. in real it's more muted, i think this was the shade of the campaign. a beautiful red, feels great and wears amazingly well. makes me look a bit too mature, though, so i'll skip it.

Shiseido also does some nice matte shades, but i think these from Chanel look a lot better (some swatches here).

if you want more reviews of Chanel's Fall 2011 collection, please check this post.

Chanel Fall 2011 - Le Crayon Yeux in #70 Khaki Platine.

Le Crayon Yeux in #70 Khaki Platine is one of the few limited edition items from Chanel's Fall 2011 look.
this fact and the hype and how much i liked Rose Platine Stylo Yeux from their previous look made me buy Khaki Platine sight unseen, which now that i've tried it, i doubt i would have done. i just imagined too much depth and effect into this eye pencil, which it lacks to deliver.
sure, it is very smooth and it glides evenly on my skin, the soft creamy texture doesn't drag my lids while it's not too soft. it has a foam rubber smudger on the end and also comes with it's own sharpener.
the pearly sandy colour with minty green tinge only remotely reminds of a khaki colour. unfortunately, how a light coloured eyeliner ends up looking on you mostly depends on your skin tone, undertone etc. and on me, Khaki Platine just looks too unimpressive. the colour is too light and greenish and too pearly to wear on the lower lashline as a glistening eyecatcher (like i have intended to). it can make me look peaky and just doesn't differ from an eyeshadow one uses to line the eye.
i will try to use it in the inner corner in a smokey eye like they have done it on the model in the advert, but all in all the Khaki Platine is my disappointment of the collection :(
this is not a long wearing formula and starts to smudge on my oily lids after about 5-6 hours.
it contains 1g and costs 20.95€ (i paid almost 17€ for it at Nägele).

tihilw

worn on the lower lashline

comparison

you might remember when i showed you an eyeliner from Essence's 50's Girls Reloaded  collection that i assumed to be a possible dupe for the Khaki Platine - well, they are similar but the Essence liner is darker and more shimmery and i like it a lot better than Chanel's.

Chanel Khaki Doré - Chanel Khaki Platine - Essence Love Me Tender - Chanel Rose Platine

Chanel Khaki Doré - Chanel Khaki Platine - Essence Love Me Tender - Chanel Rose Platine

after the rub test - none of them really survived

if you want more reviews of Chanel's Fall 2011 collection, please check this post.

Chanel Fall 2011 - Joues Contraste in #68 Rose Écrin.

of course i also bought the blush launched with the fall 2011 look by Chanel. it's a Joues Contraste blush called #68 Rose Écrin.
the european version of these blushes are baked and contain 4g while the version available in north america is usually pressed and contains 6g. i haven't tried a pressed Joues Contraste before, but i heard that this formulation is softer and more pigmented than what we are used to in europe.

about 10 years ago i bought my first high end blush and made the mistake to choose a JC by Chanel. even though it was nicely packaged and had a divine scent, the pigmentation was so meh that i haven't even considered to buy expensive make up anymore for about 7 years. there surely was some improvement since then, my two newer JCs (Espiègle and Pink Explosion) definitely have a nice pigmentation - but they will always stay the sheer kind of blushes, at least in europe.

it's hard to understand that Chanel marketing thinks the european women want these lower amounts and inferior quality. initially i wanted to order this blusher from Maureen in the US-pressed-version, but when i heard that our version this time has a decent quality and good colour payoff, i decided to order it here.

it was part of my Nägele order, so i could save 20% on it and paid about 29€ for it instead of 37€.
it comes in a velvet pouch, the compact is as bulky and unattractive as always, but became a classic. the brush that comes with it once more proves to be reliably crap.

but let's just concentrate on the pan with that pretty dome of blush.
Rose Écrin is a neutral mauvy rose with low satin shimmer. it is a great colour for a nude look, it's so subtle and natural that it goes with a lot of different looks and skin tones. on me, it's a very natural flush with a soft sheen and almost creates a sculpting effect.
it has a silky texture and the signature rose scent that i like so much with the JC blushes. it has a rather sheer pigmentation but a good product-pay-off. it applies and blends evenly and the colour is very buildable, albeit i prefer the very sheer application for a barely-there-look with this blusher. it melts into my skin nicely without looking chalky but there also is no oxidation whatsoever. the colour lasts on me all day.
i'm glad that i don't own a dupe to this in my large collection although the colour seems so familiar and almost bland in the pan. it's a good everyday colour and i imagine it will look great on winter skin.

Chanel Rose Écrin in sunlight: swatched heavily & blended out

tihilw

without blusher - with Chanel Rose Écrin

comparison

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #10 - Chanel Rose Écrin

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #10 - Chanel Rose Écrin

next to Rose Écrin, GA Sheer Blush #10 looks quite warm and peachy.


if you want more reviews of Chanel's Fall 2011 collection, please check this post.

Chanel Fall 2011 - Illusion d'Ombre in #86 Ébloui.

my last Chanel Illusion d'Ombre is in the shade #86 Ébloui (which means "enraptured" or "dazzled"). this i ordered in a second go on stadtparfuemerie-pieper.de after looking through swatches on Café Makeup once again, which look gorgeous.
they currently have a 5€ off code for orders over 25€ - AK06. so i paid 25€ for it and got some nice samples.

Ébloui comes in the glass pot and of course also includes the little angled synthetic brush with the removeable cap. i like to use this brush as a portable lip brush.
this one came to me in a bit mangled state, the product already slightly shrunk and lifted from the edges due to transportation. the texture has not changed, though. it feels like a bouncy foamy texture and is soft and smooth. it applies evenly and intense with the shimmer appearing very visible with a MAC 242 brush.
it's a rich maroon colour with lots of pink and green sparkles, which makes it really different and special compared to other reddish browns in my stash. it's really sparkly and complex, but my eyes need to be framed well with a black liner and mascara to avoid the red undertones making me appear sore eyed. i like to combine it with golds, but it's real quality is to make boring and sheer shades look really complex and special when used as a base colour (like a sheer taupe over it).
it doesn't dry to a smudge-proof finish but stays creamy and blendable on your lids, you can blend out the edges with a fluffy brush after application. but it stays well on my lids, especially when i apply my UDPP underneath there's no creasing or fading whatsoever even after 8-10 hours.

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in #86 Ébloui swatched in sunlight

tihilw

comparison

Flormar Eyeshadow in #21 - Chanel Ébloui - Rouge Bunny Rouge Bejewelled Skylark

Flormar Eyeshadow in #21 - Chanel Ébloui - Rouge Bunny Rouge Bejewelled Skylark

compared, it's quite similar to the Flormar Eyeshadow in its pink shimmer, but it's even more reddish and a lot more shimmery with the green sparkles. RBR Bejewelled Skylark looks more bronze when compared to Ébloui.



for more reviews of Chanel's Fall 2011 collection, check this post.