Three years in a row, CHANEL Cruise has been my favourite collection each year. It’s that final drop as summer hits and loaded with great colours for summer vacations. Usually the nail polishes are my first pick, glorious shades that work superb for sunny manicures and powders that are eventually must-haves in my makeup bag.
Lumiere Et Contraste is based on light and shade. The glow on summer skin with depth to make the features pop. I love smokier eyes for summer paired with nude lips and glowy skin. Isn’t it pretty much summer makeup 101?
Here’s the list of newness that’s Chanel Cruise 2019,
Duo Bronze Et Lumiere Clair & Medium
Les 4 Ombres Lumieres Naturelles
Ombre Premiere Gloss Lunaire & Solaire
Stylo Ombre Et Contour Pure Flesh, Metallic Flash & Vague
Rouge Coco Gloss Fraicheur, Aurora
Rouge Coco Flash Lumiere & Contraste
Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Warm Beige
Le Vernis Afterglow, Open Air & Purple Ray
Duo Bronze Et Lumiere described as ‘matte’ bronzer/pearlescent highlighter duo. This comes in two shade variants, one intended for fair complexions (Clair) and Medium for medium skin tones. The formulation for the bronzer seems new, incredibly fine, luminous and blends like a DREAM. It almost feels gel like when swatching but still a powder.
The undertones are very neutral and work perfectly for a bit of sculpting. I love that the bronzers aren’t flat, there’s definitely some golden shimmer, for a more satin luminous finish.
The highlighters in these are equally stunning. Both with golden shimmer.
Clair overall has a slight peachy rosy undertone that makes it beautiful for fairer skin tones. I don’t think the bronzer in this will ever work for anyone, perhaps those with an alabaster complexion, even so as a finishing powder at best.
Here’s a look at the swatches.
Clair contains a peachy pink powder and a peachy pink highlighter with golden shimmer.
Medium is a neutral brown with a gold shimmery highlight.
I rounded up a few comparisons to see how these compare with my current stash.
My go-to is the Givenchy (which looks pretty beat up now!) and is my perfect shade. A mid tone warm brown with no orange tones. In comparison the Chanel is the deepest of them all, with hardly any yellow. probably why this works so well for some sculpting. It’s also much less warmer compared to everything else.
I also included the (NEW) Tom Ford Soleil bronzer Gold Dust which will be reviewed next along with the Soleil 2019 collection. It’s a peachier gold with a fantastic formula.
For the eyes it’s neutrals again (I feel like CHANEL’s been churning out neutrals non stop these days!). This time an easy to use no fuss combination of matte browns, shimmering taupe and bronze to help define this seasons sultry smokey look. The colours are easy to work with and the textures are beautiful. As always Chanel shadows are very easy to blend and always allow effortless application.
Lumieres Naturelles is one of those palettes that can definitely be an everyday staple. I found myself dipping into shade 3 and 4 the most, a quick eye look with some subtle contouring and bronzy lid.
Also within the collection are three eyeshadow pencils that can be used on its own or as eyeshadow bases. Metallic Flash is a silvery taupe and Vague a satin medium brown.
These are creamy and can be smudged out with a brush or fingers before they set. They are pretty much budge proof then on for long wear.
It’s hard to pick a favorite between the two. But I am drawn to Vague for most days as it’s the easiest shade to throw on when i’m rushing.
Also in the eye category are two interesting gloss toppers. Personally I shy away from high maintenance makeup. Specially in weather that’s pushing over ninety degrees! But the gold eye gloss Solaire piqued my interest. There’s noticeable gold flecks suspended in the gel that catches the light beautifully. If you skip eye makeup, a thin wash of this looks sophisticated and fresh. A waterproof mascara is a must of course.
I wore them out once and also added some to the tops of the cheeks for a wet highlight and decided I prefer to wear them this way. When placed strategically these are gorgeous on the skin (as you’ll see from the look I created for the collection).
For the lips I was sent the two Rouge Coco Flash lipsticks. These are a brand new lipstick launch for 2019. An instant love for me. I have been accumulating quite a few and live for the glossy, vibrant shades. As expected from a glossy formula they don’t last as much but I don’t mind reapplying time to time so these are perfectly fine for me. Overall sheer lipsticks are my go-to for summers warm months and they look great applied.
Lumiere is a soft peachy rose and Contraste a deep neutral mauve. The pay off as you can see is quite sheer but they are somewhat buildable and look beautiful on the lips. The deeper shades do show up better, especially if you have pigmented lips.
The nailpolishes are always high on my wish list and the three new additions did not disappoint. I found they are sheerer in terms of pigmentation, though with two medium coats deliver a satisfying result. Purple Ray is my must-have and a gorgeous shade for summer, so is Open Air. I love how paler, neutral toned shades like Purple Ray compliment my warm skintone as I tan. Definitely something to check out when you visit the counter.
Afterglow is a beautiful neutral toned sheer nude with subtle golden shimmer. I wasn’t sure how much I was going to love this but it’s one of those polishes that can look great for a barely there groomed look.
As always the wear is approximately 4-5 days.
Moving on to a look I created with some of the collection.
I used the Duo Bronze Et Lumiere in Medium for the cheekbones, the eye gloss Solaire with Lumiere on the lips. I wanted to experiment with a slightly different look since I always post the brown neutral eye looks.
The gloss is absolutely gorgeous for summer, but obviously crazy high maintenance and creases if you apply too much. But as you can see topped over the highlighter it gives the most incredible wet glow. It’s probably one of my favourite looks so far!
Bottom Line
My must-have from the collection is the Bronzer duo Medium, the lipstick in Lumiere and the nailpolish Purple Ray. I would also add Vague to the mix as it was a great everyday shade that I’m sure you’d grab often. Just perfect for those rushed days when you need something on the eyes that wont take much time.
What are your favourites from the collection?