Blue Illusion de Chanel

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of using the brand new Spring/Summer Chanel collection on a beauty shoot. Chanel products are always a dream to play with, and this collection even more so than usual as it’s all blues! Mr Lagerfeld must have been reading my recent post about my lust for blue eyeshadow as he has released a whole collection just for me (I like to think so, anyway). Mr Lagerfeld has us taking to the friendly skies with his fabulous new collection – and it made me dream of air travel in the 60’s. Here’s a vintage Pan Am video to get you in the mood:

The collection itself was inspired by air and travel, so it’s a medley of beautiful blue hues that reflect the sky and inky nights (and made me think of Pan Am uniforms). It made its debut at the extraordinary Chanel Couture Spring/Summer 2012 show, where Karl Lagerfeld designed the whole runway and its surrounds as an aeroplane – genius, non? Check out the video:

Pretty much all of this gorgeous collection is a stand-out. For starters, there are two new Ombre d’Illusions, and we all know how I feel about those. There is one pale, sky blue one called Destination which is divine either on its own or as a base for a smoky eye, and another deeper inkier blue called Apparition. It’s beautiful as a solid sweep of colour (as the sparkles give it depth), or combined with Mirifique, up until now my favourite dark Chanel Ombre d’Illusion.

The Ombre d’Illusions range of eyeshadows have to be some of my most favourite, favourite products in the world. Put it this way, if there was a fire and I could only save some of my makeup, these guys would be some of the first rescued! I love these for a smoky eye with a twist.

Then there’s the two new eyeliners (two I tell you! Mr Lagerfeld, you do spoil us) – Marine Intense Eye pencil, which is a deep blackened blue, and Blue Aerien Precision Eye Definer which is a lovely, rich cobalt.

Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Chic is the lip colour to go with it, which is a, well, chic little nothing of a lip. It is on the pale brown side which channels perfectly with the current shift back to the 90’s with its love of brown lipstick. But as this is sheer its easy to wear and very a la mode.

The nailpolish in Skyline continues Chanel’s straight run of stand out polish shades. It’s an incredible, vivid sky blue and such a nice change from the usual bronze/peach/gold summer collections. It makes me think of tropical water, clear blue skies and sunshine and it’s the first thing I’m packing for my current trip to Bali (far more important than say, sunscreen or clothes). If I could float way on this little jewel of a polish colour right now I would.

Also makeup maestro Peter Phillips used all the colours of the new collection IN the Chanel Spring/Summer Couture show. So if you’d like to look like Lindsey Wixon, just head to your local Chanel counter *

 * Gap in teeth and jewel-encrusted Chanel accessories not included.