Chanel Collection Libre 2017 : Eyes on the Silver Screen and Trait de Charactère Creation Exclusive Eyeshadow

Chanel’s Christmas/Holiday collection this year – Collection Libre Numéros Rouges – is a little different from previous years I feel. There is a glaring hole in the collection, where a beautiful highlighter used to sit in every Christmas collection. Instead, Chanel has chosen to focus on lips, an interesting approach. I actually love it, because it’s a) different and b) red lipstick LOL! I’ve said it often, and I say it again. Lucia Pica has done wonderful things for Chanel makeup in my view!

Because I found the collection a little disparate, I decided I’d not lump it all together in one post, but to split it up and focus on the different aspects of it that I find interesting.

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Although the collection puts red lips at the forefront, I’m approaching it from the eyes, because they are the windows to the soul after all 😛

But no seriously, there is one product there that I want to highlight, and one product that I want to revise my opinion a little on. I shared some preliminary thoughts on the collection during a live chat on Instagram and I think I’ve done one of the products a disservice (I do a weekly Instagram live chat on the weekend, if you were not aware, where we talk about any number of things, and I love answering questions and interacting in that short time we have. So join me, if you have not already!) Now, what is what? 😀

Chanel Ombre Première Longwear Cream Eyeshadow – Silver Screen 822 (Limited Edition) – US$36

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I think that if there is one item you “need” from the Chanel Christmas 2017 collection, it is this one – the Chanel Ombre Première Silver Screen cream eyeshadow. The Ombre Première eyeshadow is a cream shadow, with a slight mousse feel to it, and a satin finish. What this means is that you do not get very high shine, but a beautiful sheen on your lids, and it comes in a range of easy to wear colours.

Ombre Première Silver Screen is a limited edition colour, and I love this beautiful taupe-gunmetal gray-platinum colour that is so wearable, and so versatile. You can wear it on its own, because it is a complex enough colour, or you can use it as a base, and blend other shades over it to create shadow.

When it first arrives, it looks like what you see in the picture, like pressed powder eyeshadow. But don’t be fooled. It is a cream, and it doesn’t look very pretty once you start using it. You can use your fingers to apply (pat it on for best effect) or a brush. In fact, a little brush is included in the box but for me, fingers are the quickest and easiest way to use this. Wear this colour alone, with eyeliner (I like using the Chanel Signature eyeliner) and you instantly look polished! I’m in love with this colour, and formula and it is well deserving of every accolade it has received to date. The down side is that it is limited edition, so better run, before it flies off the shelves!

Chanel Trait de Charactère Creation Exclusive Eyeshadow Palette (Limited Edition) – US$70

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Every year, Chanel releases a limited edition 5 colour eyeshadow palette and this is usually around Christmas or one of their seasonal collections. One of my favourites is the Matelasse Eyesshadow palette from way back in 2012! But they haven’t released one this year, reserving it, I guess, for Christmas.

This is the Chanel Trait de Charactere Creation Exclusive eyeshadow palette and comes with 5 powder shadows. At first glance, I was underwhelmed. That said, these palettes usually underwhelm me although I LOVE their regular eyeshadow quads. I actually said so when I talked to you on Instagram on the weekend. I had swatched it with my fingers, and I wasn’t too impressed with the quality.

When you swatch with fingers, it feels a little dry to the touch. While the first two shimmer shades are soft, with a soft shimmer, the 3 deeper shades are dry and the green in particular, felt patchy going on.

However, when I took a brush to them, my opinion changed completely! When you use a brush, the colours pick up very easily, and it is very easy to deposit on skin. Not only that, I found the colours quite pigmented! They are soft, and I did not experience fall out working with them.

This is one situation where I am very happy to be proven wrong from a preliminary view of this product! Colour-wise however, I do find the colours a little too deep and autumnal. When you blend them together, I find there is a tendency for the colours to muddy, which I find rather disturbing and unflattering. The green in particular, goes on a dull, flat muddy green that disappointed me. However when I work with just one light shade and one deep, I like the effect very much. The moral of the story therefore is that less is more.

The best way to use this palette for me therefore, is with caution LOL! 😀 If you want a bold, smokey effect, blend the deeper shades, and then use the light shade for a bit of highlight. If you want something more wearable daily, I’d suggest that you layer one deep colour on the outer lid, over one of the light shades. This gives a more polished look and effect. Or better yet, layer one of the shades over Ombre Premiere Silver Screen for a very pretty effect. On its own however, I do feel that it is lacking in quality somewhat. Chanel should really scrap their 5 shadow palettes and focus on their quads which are STUNNING!

While I am happy to revise my opinion on the texture of this eyeshadow palette therefore, I am still critical of its colour selection, because those of us with small lid space or hooded lids will struggle to get the best use out of it. I think it therefore suits someone with larger eyelid space better, who is better at working with deep eyeshadow colours, for the colours to truly come into their own.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof – Legendary Green (Limited Edition) – US$33

I am a fan of Chanel Stylo Yeux eyeliners, so I am naturally biased towards this. The colour of this gel crayon eyeliner is a deep, matte, forest green that very nicely with Silver Screen. I’d apply the liner and then smudge it lightly for best effect!

Here are the swatches of the products I’ve featured here.

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Ombre Premiere Silver Screen is beautiful, although a little light. Perfect for a neutral work eye, or understated eye colour. For definition, smudge an eyeliner along your lash line, or use a deeper powder shadow for contrast.

The Stylo Yeux Legendary Green looks obviously green, but on eyes, it is just a very deep colour. A perfect foil for Silver Screen!

The Trait de Charactere Creation Exclusive eyeshadow palette swatches with fingers a little patchily, as I’m sure you’d notice. The first two shimmer highlight shades are soft, and smooth and apply smoothly. The burgundy shade is similarly quite intense, as is the brown-grey shade. However, the green is not as vibrant as it looks in the pan, and applies patchily with fingers. When you use a brush however, it goes on smoothly but still not as vibrant as it looks in a swatch. Don’t be fooled by it!

IN A NUTSHELL

The eye colour offerings for the Chanel Collection Libre 2017 Numeros Rouges collection is an interesting foil for the red lips that form the focus of the collection. My personal recommendation is the Ombre Premiere cream shadow in Silver Screen, which is pretty and versatile – a combination you do not get often. The eyeshadow palette is, I feel, nice to use with a brush, but best serves those with larger lid space, to avoid your eyeshadow looking muddy. You can of course just opt to use one or two colours to avoid that. But it is something to note.

PROS: The Ombre Premiere eyeshadow in Silver Screen is a pretty colour and very versatile, The Stylo Yeux eyeliner blends well and is longlasting on my lids (non oily) and easy to use

CONS: Limited Edition colours, The eyeshadow palette can be quite tricky to wear as the colours are rather dull and can muddy

WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants a very pretty, versatile and easy to use cream eyeshadow in a very nice colour

PRICE: As above. MYR prices to follow

WHERE TO BUY: Chanel beauty boutiques and counters, Chanel website (US)

Here’s how it looks when I wear these eye colours, just for an idea. I’m sure you can do it better LOL! 😀

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On your left is just a wash of the Ombre Premiere in Silver Screen all over, and lined. The colour is easy to wear and it isn’t very strong. On my light skintone, it looks a little khaki-gray on my lids. On your right, I’ve blended the green and burgundy with a touch of the beige highlight. It is a little tricky working with these colours for me, and I find it looks muddy. I won’t wear them together, maybe separately. But that’s just me.

Base is Chanel Les Beiges foundation, on lips is the Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick in No. 3 from the same collection and on cheeks is the Dior Precious Rocks blush (which I LOVE! Maybe a little too much hehe… 😀 )

Have you checked out the Chanel Christmas collection? Does any of the items here catch your eye?

My instincts with regards this collection has been quite accurate so far. The eye products have been quite underwhelming except for Silver Screen which I suggest you look at. But the star of the collection is truly a STAR and my post will follow 😉

Paris B