
I’ve posted about Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows ($40) a couple of times (here and here), so this is also kind of a product update. All of the shades are swatched at the end if you want to skip to that. The shade 224 Ble D’or Antique is my favorite of the four shades that I own, and it is the only one I haven’t talked about anywhere on my website before, so I’ll start with that one. Chanel describes this as a golden green metallic, and I agree. The amount of shine it provides is impactful without looking textured or dry. When swatched, it feels a little loose and gritty, but whether I apply it with a brush or my fingers, it isn’t messy to use. I tap my brush off to minimize fallout, and that does work. Sometimes there is a sparkle or two that strays, but overall, the application is fine. However, this does have fallout throughout wear. I mainly see it near my inner corner area, and again, it is a few sparkles. But I only see it if I am up close in the mirror, looking for issues. Chanel calls these “long-wearing” eyeshadows, but then states that they provide 8 hours of comfort and wear. That sounds a little contradictory in a way. Typically, I expect long-wearing claims to be closer to the 12-hour mark. However, I do find that, except for 240 Brun Fauve (I’ll discuss this one at the end), the shades that I have last for the entire 8 to 10 hours that I typically wear my makeup for.

If you were following me at the beginning of this year, you may remember my post with swatches of Chanel’s limited edition spring collection featuring the shades 248 Latte Frappe and 252 Peche Glacee. I hadn’t gotten a chance to test them much at that point, but now I can add some more context. The shade Latte Frappe (described as a matte warm-beige) looks warmer on other people that I’ve seen use it, so I did compare it to MAC Texture and some of the shades in the Natasha Denona I Need A Warm Palette to help put it in perspective. At least on my skin depth (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4) and olive undertone, this shade pulls pinker than I expected it to. It is a more neutral tone on me, which is fine, but different than the way it looked on lighter skin tones, so I wanted to point that out. Latte Frappe blends easily and looks smooth, even when I have some eczema texture to contend with. It is slightly buildable, and is a good transition and blending shade for me. I haven’t had any issues with fading or longevity.



The shade Peche Glacee (described as a coppery pink) disappointed me. I think my expectations were very high because I was expecting the same type of impact that I got from Ble D’or Antique (which I owned first). However, after double-checking, Peche Glacee is a satin finish versus the metallic finish of Ble D’or Antique. So with that in mind, I can’t fault it for being more subtle, but I just wanted more from it. I also think that it is close to my skin tone, and that also keeps it from standing out as much as I’d like. It is easy to apply, and I don’t get any fallout during application or wear. It lasts all day, and I don’t notice any fading. So there is nothing functionally wrong with it; it is just not as punchy as I’d hoped.

I talked about 240 Brun Fauve (described as a red brown) late last year when I was revisiting some older favorite products. As I mentioned in that post, the Ombre Essentielle Multi-Use Longwearing Eyeshadow is a reformulation of Chanel’s. It does blend more easily than the old formula, and the pigment is stronger, but it is still a buildable formula. You aren’t going to get intense pigment from this. In fact, I wish that this shade could go a little darker than it does. It does still provide some depth in the outer-v, but only for more subtle looks or if I’m pairing it with a very light shade. When paired with mid-tone shades, it doesn’t go as dark as I want. That isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, just something to keep in mind if you are looking for a deepening shade and are around my skin tone (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4) or darker. There is a significant downside to this shade, however, and that is that it does fade on me. I can still see it after 8 to 10 hours, but again, I wanted this shade for depth. So the fact that I have to build it up so much to get that depth, but then it doesn’t last all day, is annoying for $40.

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Swatches (left to right): 248 Latte Frappe, 240 Brun Fauve, 252 Peche Glacee, and 224 Ble D’or Antique
All of the shades of the Chanel Ombre Essentielle Multi Use Longwearing Eyeshadows ($40) are in stock at **Bloomingdale’s, including the limited edition shades (248 Latte Frappe and 252 Peche Glacee). You can also find the permanent shades (Brun Fauve and Ble D’or Antique) at **Nordstrom. At least I think Latte Frappe and Peche Glacee are limited edition, although they are still listed on Chanel’s website.

I think the Chanel Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows are nice. It doesn’t seem that the fading I experience with Brun Fauve is normal, considering I don’t have that issue with any of the other shades. I have paired these with different eye primers, and my experience remains consistent. The shade Ble D’or Antique is the standout for me, so if you are intrigued by these, I’d look into the metallic finishes. As I try to remember to point out, you can, of course, find great eyeshadows for less than $40 for a single shade. But for those who like the luxury makeup experience, I don’t think that these will disappoint if you want soft, buildable eyeshadows. If all the metallics are like Ble D’or Antique, then you’ll get more color payoff and high shine from those. However, the satins and mattes are very typical of the subtle sophistication that I think Chanel is known for.
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I’m not a regular commentator but I visit your blog regularly and I wanted to appreciate the depth in which you cover products and new releases. I find it incredibly helpful.
Everything seems to have moved to Instagram and blogging is fading away (as has mine) but I really love each post and the thought that goes into it. I’m a few shades lighter but a similar undertone and your swatches help me so much with deciding makeup, particularly with new releases.
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It means a lot that you’ve found my posts helpful and continue to visit. As you said, blogging isn’t what it used to be, but I have a hard time letting go of the detail and context that it can provide over other platforms. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. 🙂
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Wow, Ble D’or Antique gleams so nicely! I would not have expected that from Chanel. Your singles look so much nicer than the majority of the quads I see by Chanel. A lot of their baked ones look dusty to me. lol.
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Yes, very impressive compared to my past experiences with Chanel. I never end up buying the quads after I see them in the store 😂.
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