Illusion d'Ombres

Make-up tips for brides and everyday beauty.

CHANEL 2011 Autumn Collection – Illusions d’Ombres de Chanel

I am the Imelda Marcos of make-up. Clients are often somewhat overwhelmed by the sight of me in their doorway with an oversize suitcase brimming with skin preparations and make-up.  Having delicately schmeared, stippled and sponged just about every make-up product imaginable across my trusty palm, it’s hard to impress me, and it’s not often that I feel that I really NEED anything anymore.

On a recent Sunday, as I milled around the cosmetics floor at David Jones, wasting time and occasionally stopping to test a particular shade of shadow on the back of my hand, I was particularly taken with the glossy, ebony coloured pots winking at me from the Chanel counter.

The Illusions d’Ombres collection, the brainchild of Chanel’s creative director Peter Phillips for the Autumn 2011 collections, is quite unlike anything I have ever tried. In a range of six rich jewel colours, the star product is the long-wear cream shadows. What I love most about them is the intensity of the colour and the ease of use. The product, part cream / part gel has a spongy consistency that can be applied with the included angle brush for a liner type look, or simply with your finger for a fuller shadow look. On the first application the metallic sheen, with gentle flickers of delicate glitter, delivers all that is promised. This is so refreshing, as so often with glittery shadows the actual glitter falls away on application. As you blend out the colour, you can create more of a wash. For a more intense colour, simply allow the first coat a minute or two to dry, and then re-apply. 

‘Ébloui’, which looks dauntingly reddish in the package, is a divine, warm brown tone when applied– a perfect shade to bring out blue and green eyes.

‘Mirifique’, a rich ebony, works beautifully as a shadow or eyeliner, and is softened by the fine metallic flickers of silver. (For all those who have attempted a black smoky eye, only to find black powder everywhere except your lid, the gel texture makes this perfect for clean application.) 

‘Émmerveillé’, a rich and warm gold, is a beautiful shade to sweep softly across the lids, and then apply lashings of mascara - polished and understated. 

‘Illusoire’ is what I would call a ‘universal’ shade. Not quite purple, not quite taupe, this colour works beautifully on all skin tones and eye colours. 

Also available is ‘Fantasme’ - a fine veil of reflective ivory, great for highlights, also try this on your cheekbones and lightly just above your lip line. And lastly ‘Épatant’, a beautiful muted green.

All shades are stunning on their own, but for those who wish to mix it up, don’t be afraid to mix shades using the lighter tones for highlights, as pictured above and below.

 Photographs courtesy of Chanel

Peter Phillips used a combination of 3 shades to create this runway look:

‘Fantasme’, ‘Épatant’, & ‘Mirifique’.

Illusions d’Ombres cream shadows retail for $48.

Available from major department stores and selected stockists nationally.