Chanel City Lights, Memory, Signature de Chanel & Palette Essentielle

Much as I love bold, edgy makeup collections, it is often the softer, everyday colors that speak to and sell well with the average woman.  And so, I appreciate very much Lucia Pica’s thoughtfulness in curating an alternate look within the Chanel Travel Diary Collection for Fall 2017.  But beyond just keeping fans happy, Chanel has also launched a couple of exciting new makeup items this season, and I’ll be sharing my thoughts with you today!

Chanel Les 4 Ombres City Lights is a limited edition eyeshadow palette for this latest season, but it almost escaped my attention because it resembled so many other palettes before it, not least of which the classic Chanel Raffinement from Spring 2013.  On second look, it reminded me of Lumiere Facettes Gold Rush from Summer 2006 which was my very first Chanel quad.  Whichever reference comes to mind, City Lights will ensure your eyes glow and reflect ambient lighting to flatter in every way possible.

City Lights perfectly represents how far Chanel’s eyeshadow formula has come, and every swatch left me gasping over how buttery soft and creamy the texture is.  There is a certain amount of shimmer in every one of these shades, which is in direct contrast with the more matte Road Movie [reviewed here] from the same collection.

From left to right, the shades are:

• Top right of palette – pale pink with a frosted finish.  This one is somewhat sheer, and works best layered on top of the other shades, or dabbed into the inner corner of the eye to brighten.
• Bottom right of palette – medium taupe with a metallic finish.  This has a slightly warmer undertone, but the bright sheen neutralizes things.  The color is quite close to the bronze shade, so it works best as a textural variation to make the center of the lid pop.
• Bottom left of palette – dark bronze with a satin finish and some sparse purple micro-shimmers.  This shade has excellent pigmentation and is so creamy to the touch I’d imagine it sells the palette.
• Top left of palette – medium brown with a warm reddish undertone and some sparse pink micro-shimmers.  Another beautifully done shade with great texture and pigmentation.

I will show you the eye look in a moment, but first I’d like to mention there 2 Chanel Ombre Premiere Cream Eyeshadows that are released as part of this collection.  I had reviewed the formula just a couple of weeks ago here, so I will not go into details now.  The 2 shades here are Urban (818) and Memory (820).

Urban is a dark blackened blue with a matte finish; and Memory is a warm-toned golden bronze.  These are designed to complement the 2 Les 4 Ombres eyeshadow palettes, though in usual Chanel fashion, neither shades are exact replicas of the shades found on the palettes.  Having said that, I found Memory to layer beautifully with City Lights, giving it a different dimension that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve.

Most people make do with 1-2 shades each time, and with these colors you’d be safe with any combinations.  However, in the interest of time (because I just can’t find the energy these days to stay up past midnight photo-editing), here is 1 look using all 4 shades of City Lights + 1 Memory.  I started with Memory all over my lid, keeping it light as this is merely the base, but you can see the color diffusing out into the crease.  Next, I dusted a light layer of the reddish brown from City Lights on most of my lid, followed by the bronze shade on the outer third of the lid.  I took the bronze below as well, lining my lower lash line with it.  Patted the center of my lid with metallic taupe, and finished with frosted pink on the inner corner.

I added a thin cat-eye flick using this…

Signature de Chanel Eyeliner in Noir is a new liquid eyeliner from Chanel, and already I am looking forward to more colors!  It has an interesting flattened wide brush that tapers to a fine tip, and has a good flex to allow for a smooth flick.  The shape allows for a bold, thick line to be drawn, or as fine and natural looking as you wish.  Simply lay the brush flat on its wide side, or turn it around and use the narrow edge.  Whichever way you use it, the result is an even intense black with a satin finish.  Though not marketed as waterproof, Signature de Chanel stays on my oily, hooded lids very well without smudging nor running!

When you first receive the item, it comes with the ink cartridge separated from the pen body.  The BAs at the store will be able to help you assemble them, but if you are doing this at home, the easiest way is to unscrew the top of the pen, drop the catridge into the bottom of the pen body, then screw the top back on.  Thereafter, lay the pen flat for about 3 minutes for the ink to percolate the tip, and then you’re all set.

In the spirit of the luxurious jetsetter, Chanel Travel Diary Collection’s piece de resistance is the Palette Essentielle!  This is a 3-in-1 cream palette comprising of a blush, concealer and highlighter.  There are 3 different versions available in the US, but out here in Asia we only received Beige Clair and Beige Intense.  In any case, I managed to swatch all 3 at a preview session, though the lighting leaves much to be desired.

The logical way to do this is to choose the best concealer shade match, but of course, the heart always want what it can’t have.  Beige Medium would have been the ideal palette for me, and since it is not available locally, I “need” to have both Beige Claire and Beige Intense.  The concealer in Beige Intense is just a little too dark for me, instead it works nicely as a very natural contour!

Unlike most other Chanel palettes, Palette Essentielle does not come with any applicators, which is less hassle and keeps the packaging slim.  Instead, Lucia Pica has designed 2 sexy retractable travel brushes!  I am still dancing around the brushes myself, and if I decide to take the plunge, will be sure to update here.  Until then, I am applying with my own brushes when I am at home, and with my fingers when I’m on the go.  In fact, I found the blush shade in Beige Intense to be surprisingly pigmented that it actually applies best with a feather-light tap of my fingers and letting my body heat do the blending for me.

Here’s a look fresh out of the oven!  I’m still battling with a 5-day old sinusitis (which is code for feeling the shittiest you can imagine – why hasn’t a cure been found yet?!), so pardon the zombified appearance.  On the eyes is the Memory-City Lights-Signature de Chanel combination shown earlier.  And on the cheeks, I’m wearing Chanel Palette Essentielle in Beige Intense as blush, contour and highlight.  Oh, and I popped that blush on my lips as well!

To read more about the other pieces from this collection, head over here.

Have you picked up anything from this collection yet?!

_{This post featured some items that were generously provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}