SPRING 2016 | CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES MULTI-EFFECTS QUADRA EYESHADOW IN TISSÉ BEVERLY HILLS (262)

Packaging

Above: the sleek, black lacquer of the compact that is also very lightweight and convenient to carry.

The palette comes with two mini sponge applicators, which are very useable and of high quality.  There's also a mirror for on-the-go application.

Above: the product description label on the bottom of the compact.

Shades, Finishes & Application

Clockwise from top left in the palette:

// Lavender (Iridescent)

// Ivory (this one has the most micro-shimmer in the palette)

// Bright turquoise (matte)

// Aubergine (slightly iridescent)

Personally, I wish there was more of a pearl in the shades to give the colours interest and complexity.  This would also help with blending and colour transition.  Usually, more pearlescent shades have more of a buttery texture compared to matte or glittery shades so they adhere to the skin better and blend better without completely disappearing.  However, in this case, the work-around is to use a soft, squirrel-hair brush.

This palette is extremely bold so unless you like to have fun with bright colours and are brave enough to wear it out then this palette is definitely not for you.

For the first day or two that I played with this palette, I was very annoyed with it and couldn't get it to work, especially using all four colours together.  I actually wanted to return it! >_<  However, I think I finally got the hang of it on the third day!  So, it's definitely a palette that you need practice with to see how you can work with the colours to make it wearable for you.  I never bother to look at the tiny instruction booklet that comes with the Chanel quads (I end up throwing them out), but in this instance, I actually found it useful!  So it's worth trying the looks in that booklet to appreciate the versatility of the palette.  These looks range from natural, almond-shaped, intense to a smoky look.

I also discovered in my experimentation which brushes work best for achieving different looks.  It is best to use either a dense, goat-hair flat eye brush (e.g. Mac 239), or the sponge applicator provided to lay the colour on the eyelids.  This gives the quickest and best colour pay off, especially when applying the product dry and then layering to build colour intensity.  I know lots of people don't like the sponge applicators and throw them out, but in this case, they are actually the best tool!  (I actually like to use these sponge applicators now and then and I find the Chanel ones are the best quality).  The alternative is to apply with a dampened brush (or sponge applicator), if you want the colours to really pop.  See the swatches below for the different results you get with the two application methods.  To blend and soften edges, or apply soft colour along the crease, use a soft, squirrel-hair brush.  If you want to have a really intense colour along the crease, then I would use goat-hair brush like the Tom Ford #13 brush or Mac 217). 

Here are a few examples of how I personally would wear the shades:

// The pale lilac lavender and the deep purple; or 

// The turquoise on its own on the mobile lid or as an eye liner; 

// The turquoise on the mobile lid with the ivory in the inner corner and lavender along the crease, then the aubergine in the outer corner for depth.

// The ivory in the inner corner.  The aubergine close to the upper lash line, then the lavender above that along the mobile lid and the bright turquoise along the crease.  To wear the bright turquoise along the crease, I prefer it soft so I would use a soft squirrel brush.  This gives a sheer hint of colour.  I personally wouldn't take it too far above the crease, or use a goat-hair brush though to prevent looking too dated, totally 80s and clown-like.  <Insert picture of Mimi Bobeck from The Drew Carey show> *grin*  Of course, if you like that look then go for it! ;-)

Pigmentation & Texture

The pigmentation of the ivory and lavender are OK.  Note these two are soft, pale shades rather than bold intense colours so it's sufficient in my opinion.  However, the aubergine is a tad drier in texture so the colour pay off is a bit sheer.  The bright turquoise is the driest, so it's the sheerest and also patchy when applied.  It's workable though if you follow my brush and application recommendations I mentioned above, but overall, this palette definitely is not of the same calibre in quality as the eye shadow quads that Chanel have released since they've reformulated them in 2014 (though they're not as dry as the original baked eye shadow formula prior to 2014).  I would also highly recommend applying eye shadow first prior to your base or foundation as there is fall-out.

Swatches (Dry)

Below are the eye shadows swatched dry using the sponge applicator provided.  For reference, I currently have medium to tan olive skin (~NC30-35) and the swatches were photographed indoors using a strobe.

Swatches (Wet)

Below are swatches using dampened sponge applicators.

Overall

Very spring and summer appropriate although it does have the risk of being too retro 80s if not applied carefully.  This palette definitely isn't the easiest to work with in terms of creating wearable looks and dealing with dry texture and sheer and patchy pigmentation, particularly with the star colour in the palette.  It takes a bit of getting used to.  So, I'm sad to say that overall, it is a bit disappointing given the high standard of the other quads in Chanel's line-up and the fact that this is a luxury brand with a high price point.  However, if you absolutely love playing with bright colours then you may want to try this in store first before buying to see if you're happy to work with it or not, but I suspect there are probably more affordable options elsewhere.  The colour combination in this palette is unique in my personal collection and I've managed to be able to work with it after some effort, so if it weren't for that I would probably would have tried to return it (although, this is usually not allowed in Australia in a lot of places once the item has been used! >_<).

Just an observation, but I find it interesting that the colours used on the model on the campaign ad below does not represent those in this quad or any of the shades in the Illusion D'Ombres for Spring.  I wonder why!

My IG friend FrenchCarol has also noted that this palette is made in France, while the permanent palettes are made in Italy, so this would explain the significant difference in the formula.  As I've mentioned in the past, I have observed many of the powders I've come across from various brands that have very good formulations have been made in Italy.  I assume it's a particular manufacturer.

Hope this review was helpful! :)

What do you think of this palette?  Will you be getting it?

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