I picked up the two new products released this holiday for Chanel: Tentation Cuivrée Quadra Eyeshadow ($56) & Splash Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow ($32). In addition to these two, there are a few repromotes such as Cassis Eyeliner (reviewed here), Espresso Eyeliner and Misty-Soft Duo (reviewed here).
* left to right: wearing Khaki Rose, Splash, Tentation CuivréeBoth are beautiful but not entirely unique. All of us Chanel lovers have been waiting holding our breath to see what the Holiday Quad in the Euro formula will look like. I’ve tried the round-pan formula at a few Chanel Studios (which carry import collections) and was never impressed. I found the pigment sheer and texture powdery. The Tentation Cuivrée quad is not quite as powdery as most I’ve tried and I was surprised to find out pigmented the colors were. You’ll see my swatches below without any base (it’s incredible in my opinion). However, after swatching this quad at home I saw how it was quite a bit more sparkley than I observed from swatching in-store. It must have been bad lighting. Still gorgeous but the colors have these uber tiny micro glitter particles and a higher level of shimmer (much like Paul & Joe’s lighter eyegloss shades reviewed here).
I’d describe the colors as light pink with gold sparkle, neutral ivory with sparkle, warm medium-light brown with gold sparkle, deep warm chocolate shimmer (love this last shade). There is a difference between the lighter shades, but on the eyes, they both look the same, at least on my skin.
I’ve compared it to single shades and a few other quads. I personally prefer the older square pan eyeshadow quads and current singles, all of which have a more sophisticated luminous glow (rather than super-sparkle). Take note I’m not claiming any are dupes, these are simply comparisons to help you get a better idea of what the quad looks like. The singles below have a more finely milled shimmer quality. Those who have Chanel Ivory and are familiar with MAC Pigments know that Chanel Ivory is a softer more wearable version of MAC Vanilla Pigment. Both have this lovely opalescent almost duochrome quality. The light shade in the quad is more basic in undertone, but more glitzy in sparkle. (Does that even make sense to anyone? I feel as though I’m not really communicating what I see properly.)
Note that Nomade didn’t swatch so well on my arm, but it applies so much better on the eyes. Trace is warmer and less red than the quad. For the bottom left shade in the quad I couldn’t find anything with the same undertone and deepness – all the other shades I looked at were lighter, less pigmented, or more red/purple/or darker.
Splash Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow is like a liquid-and-slightly-warmer version of Taupe Grisé. I envisioned Splash to be a light silvery blue or a light greyish color. Instead it’s more of a medium taupe grey. These come in a glass tube with part clear liquid and part pigmented liquid eyeshadow. To apply, simply shake the tube, apply the sponge tip directly to the eye and then blend. I like to blend with my fingers. Since Splash is a darker shade, I find it takes more careful application on the eye compared to the other lighter colors like Source & Sand etc.
Overall thoughts: I prefer the older US Chanel quads. I find the holiday quad a stunner, but the shimmer level is a bit outside of my comfort zone. Still the pigment is amazing and shades are very blendable. The liquid eyeshadow is stunning, but if you already have Taupe Grise you might find it redundant to own both. Definitely check it out if you’re a taupe lover.
ACK! Just when I think I've talked myself out of needing anything from this collection, SURE ENOUGH, it looks so amazing on you, Sabrina, that it's BACK in my shopping cart. And now I'm feeling the need to try Vanilla and Nomade, as well! LOVELY swatches and review, as always!
I think I will sticking to the Chanel singles 🙂 Love how you put up comparison swatches..it really helps a lot.
Hi Sabrina,
The chocolate shade could be anything close to Bobbi Brown's Metallic e/s in Cognac? Maybe this last one is a bit less darker? I am just talking by heart here, since I cant compare properly (I don't own Chanel's quad … yet). Anyway, it is a gorgeus shade and together with the medium brown, they make the quad worthy (at least for me).
Thank you very much for the swatches =)
I bought Tentation Cuivrée yesterday and actually found quite a difference in tone between the pale blush tinged ivory and the pale rose gold color, but then my complexion is much, much lighter than yours (Chanel Ivoire .07 is my summer color!). When I was playing with the quad, I found that the pale rose gold makes a beautiful transition color between the medium copper brown in the crease and the slightly blush tinged ivory on the brow bone. It also works beautifully as a "spotlight" when applied on the lid directly over the iris. As for the deep copper brown–wow! What a gorgeous liner that makes!
For anyone concerned about too much sparkle near the inner corner of the eye (We older ladies know who we are!), I used Chanel's light matte pink in Lily as a base color on my eyelid. I then started in with the pale rose gold over my iris and blended. The two colors are very compatible and blended seamlessly. The only difference was that the area where the wrinkles are looked satin smooth.
These Euro formula colors are a bit dusty in the pan, but like you, Sabrina, I was very impressed with the richness of the pigments. I was also surprised at how little fallout there was seeing as these colors are shot through with micro sparkles–especially the pale rose gold and the medium copper brown.
As for dups, remember the name of this quad translates as copper temptation. All the colors are warm and are tinged with rose gold or copper.
Almus, I have the BB in Cognac. It is nothing like the deep brown in this quad. The deep brown has a hint of plum to it and is shot through with copper micro sparkles. It glows with warmth and deep fire.
Hi Sabrina,
Yeah I remember the light shade in the quad was super sparkly when I swatched it. I thought that was odd for a Chanel shadow. The only shadows that swatch that sparkly on me is UD. It is pretty nevertheless, I was just surprised by the frostiness. I do like that liquid taupe shadow. It looks awesome and something I would get a lot of use out of. I am envisioning it layered with EB Intimate shadow. Well at least I know I can skip the quad and feel good about only buying the liquid shadow. My wallet is happy too.
PS,
Since I don't own any Chanel quads – which one would you recommend? I like either solid neutrals or even something smokier.
Those colours look amazing, and thanks for the swatches. Unfortunately I'm trying to save a bit of money at the moment, and curtailing my Chanel addiction. But I want them! Must resist! x
wow the colors are impressively pigmented. I have been lemming this collection for a long while so thank you for the review and swatches. They're very helpful in narrowing down my purchases.
Maybe it's just me, but of late, all of Chanel's quads seem to sport the same color scheme – sort of plummy brown.
Thank you so much Eileen for your answer. Then I got my answer: I need that quad! =D
Lovely review Sabrina! I can't wait for my quad and liquid shadow to get here! The shimmering Dunes quad looks gorgeous, too bad it's not available anymore.. This quad sorta reminds me of a Stila trio called bronze glow which is super sparkly but still pretty!
Hm, I thought I'd skip the quad, but your swatches made me want it! Such a pretty dark plumy brown shade!
The taupe by Chanel is a beautiful shade. I bought another quad from chanel a year ago and the colors were immaculate!
I bought the Cassis eyeliner and I love it! I have fair skin so its not as harsh as black. I love the quads but they cost more than what I am willing to pay at this point…ill hint at it for Xmas gifts 😛
Great review, as always, Sabrina. I will definitely be getting the quad. Thanks for the heads up about the similarity between Taupe Grise and the liquid shadow. At least I can skip something from this collection!
Thank you for the lovely and thorough review. I'm so nervous about this formulation change. What can I say? You think you know a line, then they toss it all up in the air. Sigh. Your review was quite helpful though–thank you!
I'm with you Sabrina, I have mixed feelings about this quad. The shimmer is fine, but definitely perceptible bits of shimmer/glitter, not the usual soft glow/shimmer I have come to expect from Chanel.
Oddly, the whole quad goes incredibly purple on me. The gorgeous copper-y tones get eaten up by the plum in the dark brown.
I am love, love, LOVING the liquid shadow, though. Wearing it today and it is so easy and wearable.
Thanks so much for your fantastic reviews. I always look forward to seeing your thoughts on things!
Estelle – Are you interested in Chanel Ivory or MAC Vanilla? Keep in mind Chanel also has an eyeshadow called Vanilla. Nomade might not be available anymore but it's worth looking for.
Rads – I like the singles better too, although buying the individual shades is so much more expensive 🙁
Almus – I don't have Cognac so I can't compare those. Glad the swatches helped some.
Eileen – That's the beauty of different skintones. The quad looks different on Karlasugar too who is lighter than me. Thanks for your input on Cognac!
Lexi – The liquid taupe shadow seems more similar to EB Dusk than Intimate, but would work well with either. I think these Chanel taupes are weird on me. Taupe Grise & Splash both pull warm on me although in the compact/tube they are clearly warm. If you don't own any Chanel Quads – look at Kaska Beige, Mystic Eyes and Winter Nights.
Lakshmi – This quad is very different from Stila Bronze Glow. The Stila is warmer and lighter in color. I actually don't know that I can say one is more sparkley than the other – I'm inclined to say the Stila is less so.
Tasha – Plums are a great alternative to the traditional black.
Julie – glad to find another Chanel fan! Still try out the liquid shadow if you can.
LuckyRedLisa – I miss the US version of the glossimers, quads and blushes. I noticed the glossimers have more sparkle than usual (will review soon). I can definitely see the quad going purple on darker skintones. Odd isn't it?
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I'm also torn regarding the quad. I love the colors. They seem quite different from other similar colors, and although I'm more of a singles fan these colors really look great together. I just saw the colors in person, looked for the sparkle you mentioned, and thought that it would be too much for me. However, looking at the photos again I'm having second thoughts. I may buy it yet. Thanks for the great review!
Great swatches&review!!!
This quad looks like a winner, even though it's quite different from what one would expect in a holiday quad – beautiful none the less though!
xxx
lovely swatches.