Chanel Summer

Chanel’s summer collection is on counters at last. It’s called Collection Les Fleurs d’Ete de Chanel, and I’ll be curious to know if it does evoke “summer flowers” for you.

Most Chanel collections begin with an eyeshadow quad. This summer’s is Lilium ($57), featuring a shimmery peony pink, a low-shimmer rich emerald/forest green, a low-shimmer apple green (springy yellow-green), and a low shimmer purple-taupe (purple-warm-grey).

And Chanel rather brilliantly made that fourth shade into a glorious, metallic-finish, iced-violet waterproof eyeliner pencil ($29): Rose Platine.

There’s also a new summer duo: Khaki-Discret ($42, not to be confused with the previously released Khaki-Clair). Khaki-Discret includes a low-shimmer forest green (darker and not as blue-green as the color in Lilium) and a low-shimmer, very whitened, light yellow-green.

Khaki-Discret has more of a satin-finish compared to Khaki-Clair’s matte. Discret’s dark green is also more green and more blue (Clair’s green is very muted). And Clair’s lighter shade is white.

Chanel also has two… what should I call them, bronzing-blush? It’s Soleil de Tan, Moisturizing Bronzing Powder according to the website, but they look more like blush to me.

I swatched these powders three ways: first with a triangle sponge, all over all four shades equally — both light and heavy swatches. Then I swatched each of the four shades individually (because you may get a different “mix” as you run your brush over this product).

I was surprised that Bronze Corail was rather brown and mauvey on my arm. Bronze Rose is a natural pink. Both powders are $50 each.

And finally: the lips and nails. This collection offers two Rouge Coco lipsticks ($32): new, hot coral Sari Dore, and the repromoted Gardenia (this was Neiman Marcus’s exclusive shade for the original Rouge Coco launch).

There are three new Glossimers ($28.50): pink-with-silver-sparkles Pink Peony; sheer-coral-with-gold-sparkles Pensee; and clear-with-pink-and-gold-sparkles Aurore.

Of course the internet has been buzzing about Mimosa… since before they knew what the shade would be called. It’s considered the star of Chanel’s summer polishes — though I suspect the shade will look best on medium-to-darker skintones. It’s a bright, saturated yellow with a very subtle shimmer.

The other two polishes of the summer collection are “safer” — Morning Rose is a bright, warm pink with gold sparkle. Beige Petale is very, very, very sheer ballet beige-pink. All three polishes are $25 each.