Alluring pearls

THE BEAUTY AND ALLURE of the pearl have enchanted many a women over the years, none more so than Mlle Chanel who turned it into an emblematic accessory and an essential element of her style.
   Chanel loved pearls for their simplicity, beauty, refined charm and, above all else, their power to illuminate the face. With this in mind, Global Creative Director of Make-up for Chanel, Peter Philips, has created the Chanel spring–summer 2011 make-up collection, Les Perles de Chanel, inspired by one of the house’s trade marks.
   Colours of the deep ocean and mother of pearl are evident in the collection—stormy greys, seaweed greens and pearly whites recall the alluring nature of the pearl as it glistens, reflects and weaves a delicate rainbow of colour and basks in its own natural beauty.
   Specially created for the spring–summer 2011 collection, les Ombres Perlées de Chanel is a beautiful case of luxurious eye shadows containing five iridescent shades of blanc perlé, violine clair, gris vert and gris noir scintillant, offering a bewitching colour palette with which to weave your magic. Either apply with the foam applicator or with your fingertips, and for the brave, let some stray from your eyelids to your cheekbones to enliven and add just that touch of shine to your siren call.
   Along with the limited-edition creation, nine new products are introduced into the already extensive make-up collection. For the eyes there is les 4 Ombres; Regard Perlé, a palette dominated by pale sunny tones which are accented by an anthracite green to reveal your natural beauty; le Crayon Yeux is the must-have eye pencil for creating dramatic eyes—a big look for this coming season. The specially adapted colour gris scintillant will match perfectly with all colours from the collection.
   For lips you can go no wrong this summer with rouge, and Chanel has created two unprecedented shades in the Rouge Allure range to create dramatic come-hither-me lips: Flamboyante is a rosy red that shimmers while Coquette is a vivid and energizing pink.
   For more something more subtle and you can wear everyday the classic Chanel lipstick Rouge Coco in Jersey Rose—a perfect pink lipstick for all skin tones; while Peregrina is a vivid coral perfect for the late afternoon sun.
   For gloss this season Philips has created two delectable shades: Nakkar, a soda-pop pink warmed with gold facets; while Aragonite is a light sheer that leaves slight pink and blue flecks on the lips.
   For your cheek, brush on illuminating particles to create that rosy flushed summer complexion, either with Joues Contraste in a peachy rose blush colour of Espilègle or go for a light halo with the limited-edition Rose Mervielle.
   And finally, match the pearly effects of your eyelids to your nails with three gorgeous colours: Pearl Drop, pure and white in the daylight but golden and reflective in the evening; Black Pearl, a pearly grey shimmer with accents of deep blue and green, much like the pearls of the Pacific; or go for a feminine shade with Pêche Nacrée with subtle bronze effects.
   All products were used recently during the ready-to-wear spring–summer 2011 collection where models showed dramatic smoky eyes paired back with translucent lips and rosy cheeks. A perfect match to the youthful collection of classic Chanel signatures handwritten by creative maestro Karl Largerfeld, clouds of tulle, tweed, marabou, coq feathers and floral chiffons matched perfectly back with the apricots, sea green, shimmery pearl grey and golds of the make-up.
   Whatever you choose from the new collection this summer, remember to always reflect your natural beauty and let your own shine through like the pearl itself—which is what these gorgeous Chanel products will do. •

Chanel’s Nouvelle Vague
Launched in French cinemas in March, Chanel’s Le Rouge commercial film, directed by Bettina Rheims, is a tribute to the Nouvelle Vague work of Jean-Luc Godard
all photographs and images courtesy Chanel