I was pleased to see this pretty little eyeshadow/highlighter combo from Chanel's Aquarelles collection. The pattern is their "iconic woven tweed", but it's a variation on the tweed pattern they have released previously (Pink Lamé and the tweed blushes) – noticeably different from those.
With flash:
Here's the idea for the inspiration from Temptalia (why don't they put this at the Chanel website?): "In the 1920s, Marie Laurencin painted a watercolor portrait of Gabrielle Chanel. Today, Karl Lagerfeld employs that image as a point of departure for the 2011 Spring-Summer Haute Couture Collection, suffused with light and restraint. The atmosphere is pastel-toned, with clean silhouettes of catwalk models styled as ballerinas, evanescent and nonchalant. Soft pinks merge into tones of ivory and dove grey. Every aspect of the cherished rue Cambon style is washed over with the candor of youth. The enigmatic grace of a black satin ribbon tied high around the neck accentuates the mysterious spirit hidden behind the models’angelic faces…Created in the image of the 2011 Spring-Summer Haute Couture Collection, the shade range focuses on a palette of pinks and delicate grey on the eyes, framed by black and bathed in light. An exclusive creation, OMBRES TISSÉES Beiges takes on a fine-knit texture of silvery, golden and pinkish tones of beige. Arranged in three bands within their square case, these satiny eyeshadows smooth transparently over eyelids, while illuminating facial contours with touches of light."
It sounds a little vague, but the actual 1923 portrait by Laurencin shows that once again, Creative Director Peter Philips can take an artwork and create a spot-on makeup look based on it.
(image from artcyclopedia.com)
You can see the soft pastel shades and the subdued, almost gauzy texture of the brush strokes. And I'm sure the aforementioned black ribbons tied around the models' necks also found their inspiration in this painting. It's as if the painting has come to life in the various colors and textures of the Aquarelles collection (the name is also quite apt, as the painting by Laurencin is a watercolor.) I also like that the tweed pattern is a bit different and softer than the other Chanel palettes, and the fact that idea for the collection comes directly from a specific piece of the brand's history. Can't wait for the holiday palette – looks like it's going to be a another very inspired piece!