I had been anxiously awaiting the release of this palette.  Like other Chantecaille wildlife-based palettes, 5% of the proceeds go to an organization that helps the animals – in this case, the WIDECAST Organization.

With flash:

I don't really have anything else to say, except that I think turtles are so cute so I was very excited to see them!  I wish Chantecaille would come out with another turtle palette but more like the Protected Paradise palettes or Baleine palettes – an underwater scene complete with baby turtles.  🙂

Chantecaille has redeemed itself in the eyes of the Curator.  After a few pretty uninteresting releases (uninteresting from a collectible standpoint, anyway) they have released this lovely palette for spring.  While I don't think it has the level of detail of, say, the Protected Paradise palettes, it's worth collecting.  Here it is with and without flash:

If you look really closely the big dolphins all look like they're smiling!

 
As with the other wildlife palettes, 5% of sales will go an institution that helps save the animal – in this case, it will go to the President of the Tethys Research Institute, "a
non-profit NGO for the study and the conservation of the marine
environment in the Mediterranean" that "has
been studying Mediterranean whales and dolphins for two decades and has
become one of the foremost research organizations working in the area."   So there you have it.  I'm curious to know what Chantecaille has up its sleeve for fall!

I'm a bit disappointed in Chantecaille's holiday offering, Les Pétales collection.  This features – you guessed it – roses on gold compacts. 

 
 (images from bergdorfgoodman.com)

Between the fall rose palette and lots of other makeup companies doing a rose motif , I'm rosed-out.  Maybe for spring Chantecaille will get back to their endangered species specialties.

I love Chantecaille, but their fall release is making me cranky.  Yet more roses?  Sigh.  Dubbed "Sylvie's Quattro palette", the compact features 3 eye shadows and a blush.  I must admit the colors are nice for fall, but the design could have been more inventive.

(photo from neimanmarcus.com)

So many roses this year, I could probably do an entire exhibition just with rose-themed makeup!  Say, that gives me an idea…

Chantecaille came out with these lovely palettes last year.  Five percent of proceeds went to the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.  The intricate fish are gorgeous, but I think the tiny seahorse on the right is my favorite part.

And the face powder:

Next to Chantecaille's butterfly eyeshadows, these are easily the most detailed of the compacts the company has come out with.  While I'm still not tired of summer, especially after enduring the coldest winter my city had in almost 30 years, I'm hoping Chantecaille will come out with something equally gorgeous this fall.

Yesterday's post got me thinking about another coral-inspired makeup item:  Chantecaille's lovely coral highlighting powder from spring 2007.  A portion of the proceeds went to Reefs of Hope, run by the Pew Institute of Ocean Science.

But the real collectible is this little gem by designer Jay Strongwater, who teamed up with Chantecaille to create a limited-edition, hand-lacquered refillable compact.  Unfortunately I lacked (er, still lack) the $420 (!!!) necessary to purchase this, but I would love to get my hands on this for the Museum if it were still available.  Just another item that got away!

(photo from neimanmarcus.com)

For spring Chantecaille released these lovely palettes.  Five percent of sales will go to the International Union for Conservation of Nature to help save the whales.  I think what I like most about these isn't the abstract waves formed by undulating lines, it's the little baby whale swimming below the larger one. 

Eyes:

Face:

I'm happy Chantecaille is continuing its trend of putting out palettes with endangered species – it's another way the cosmetic industry can do some good.  If only the packaging itself were eco-friendly.  Sylvie better get on that.  😉

It all started with a face powder embossed with a butterfly in the center.  Then Chantecaille released three eye shadows, each with a different color butterfly.  In the spring of 2006 the Garden in Kyoto palette, featuring 2 butterflies in gorgeous spring shades, was released.  Finally, the coup de grace was a beautiful holiday palette with gold and silver butterflies.  While the Museum is missing the butterfly face powder, I was able to procure the 3 shadows and the palettes.  Aren't butterflies the best symbol for spring?

Papillons Violet, Rose and Bleu:

Garden in Kyoto:

The Muse (a.k.a. Ethereal Eyes) palette:

Chantecaille has since moved on to feature other endangered species in their limited edition items, but the butterflies will always remain very special as they were among the first to use such intricate embossing.