For a woman who was known for freeing women from the ostentatiousness and sartorial constraints of the Belle Epoque, Gabrielle Chanel loved rich ornamentation. Pioneering the maxim “less is more”, she was equally fascinated and inspired by aesthetic opulence. While her ground-breaking garments were the epitome of streamlined elegance, the bijoux she created were sumptuous, acting as a perfectly paradoxical foil. Byzantine crosses, gold coins, layered pearls, and rich jewel-toned stones became emblems of the House’s bijoux under Mademoiselle Chanel and have endured as part of her stylistic legacy ever since.
For the CHANEL Holiday 2019 Collection, Lucia Pica was deeply influenced by Mademoiselle Chanel’s love of ornamentation. LES ORNEMENTS DE CHANEL is as a stunning collection that is rich yet totally refined. Speaking of the woman Pica designed for, she notes she “is completely CHANEL…She’s seeking timeless simplicity, but she also loves richness and glamour, modernity and grandeur.” The products are housed in limited-edition packaging with the powders being engraved to appear as a vintage CHANEL button. Pica further noted that she “wanted to express the idea of richness that particularly fits with the festive time of year – but a mastered and modern richness.” The exquisite colors of LES ORNEMENTES DE CHANEL are the perfect representation of this wish and are a must have for even the most casual of beauty lovers.
For lips, there are fabulous new additions to both the ROUGE ALLURE and ROUGE COCO GLOSS lines. The six downright luxurious shades added to the iconic ROUGE ALLURE line are absolutely lush and luminous. Highly saturated and downright creamy in their formulation, they glide on to the lip with total ease resulting in a beautiful pop of color for the wearer. There is Rouge Délicieux, a soft rosebud, Rouge Majestueux, an intense muted raspberry, Rouge Splendide, a pink coral, Rouge Magnifique, a bright orange, Rouge Spectaculaire, a true red, and Rouge Noble, a black cherry burgundy. To add further richness, there are the two ROUGE COCO GLOSS additions which can either be worn on their own on layered atop lipstick to deepen its impact. Rouge Carmin is a stunning brick red while Rouge Grenat is an elegant brownish red.
LUCIA’S TIP
“A fresh complexion means that you can be bold in your adornment. A deep, glossy lip is made entirely modern when paired with a natural, luminous complexion.”
For face, the focus is entirely on the exclusive to LES ORNEMENTS DE CHANEL, ÉCLAT MAGNÉTIQUE DE CHANEL. An absolutely stunning highlighter in a pearlescent peach tone, ÉCLAT MAGNÉTIQUE DE CHANEL is the standout in an all-around standout collection. With its blendable texture, it gives the wearer instant luminosity resulting in a complexion that looks kissed by candle light while glowing from within.
LUCIA’S TIP
“Using a brush to diffuse the power, create an iridescent halo of light around the eyes either before or after eyeshadow application for a fresh approach to highlighting.”
As for eyes, Pica has created a suite of shadows that are utterly luxuriant. With their creamy powdery texture, they pack serious pigmentation and are wonderfully buildable. LES 4 OMBRES in Lumière et Opulence is perfectly named. Featuring a dark gunmetal khaki, a soft peach, a bronzy khaki, and a rich chocolate brown it has quickly become my go-to quad. As for the two exclusive OMBRE PREMIÈRE additions, Grandeur, a metallic old gold, and Poupre Brun, a plum brown, they as well can be blended or layered. Lastly, the holiday iteration of the classic STYLO YEUX Waterproof is a gorgeous dark gunmetal khaki called Khaki Intense. It is also the only eyeliner that I’ve been reaching for as of late. My love of this particular product is noted during each beauty review I write about CHANEL for good reason – it really is one of the best eyeliners. EVER. Allowing for both precision or a more relaxed approach to eyeliner, it can be worn directly as applied for more defined look, or easily blended or smudged for a more dramatic look.
LUCIA’S TIP
“As well as being worn along, OMBRE PREMIÈRE Grandeur offers the perfect vase for other shadows, making their impact even more lush and luxurious, or can be used as a highlighter and swept across small areas around the eyes and cheeks. “
Lastly, for nails, there is Deepness, a gunmetal green, and Richness, a chestnut red. With their high-gloss formulation, they add the perfect finishing touch to your holiday beauty look.
For those of you interested in scooping up any of these gorgeous limited editions pieces, I would suggest you do so before it’s too late. CHANEL Holiday Beauty collections are understandably highly coveted by both beauty and CHANEL lovers alike. With their limited-edition status, they frequently sell out, so make sure to pop over to your CHANEL counter or place your order online before it’s too late. You absolutely won’t want to miss this stunning collection darlings!
