CHANEL · Délices Pastel de CHANEL

Inspired by the summer pastel tweeds Mademoiselle loved, CHANEL recently launched the Délices Pastel de CHANEL Collection. Not surprisingly, the details are all exquisitely crafted, but what really grabs my attention is how fresh and so very spring-like the vibe is. Also, tell me you don’t think Easter when you look at these pieces?!

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This may be a capsule collection (there are also some lip & brow products, not shown here), but each piece has been quite thoughtfully created, so that whether you choose to play with just one product or go full face with it all, there’s a cohesiveness that I really appreciate. I’m all about details like that.

68 Délices Les 4 Ombres Délices, limited edition* (CAN $80.00) | While the shades might not be pastels in the traditional sense, there’s an airiness to them that keeps them fresh-looking, yet you can still create something quite sultry & mysterious. The surface of each hue has a fabric-weave texture with raised double C’s on top, and is absolutely stunning — it really killed me to put a brush to them, let me tell you. It goes without saying that this motif will get worn down with use but I’ve taken enough pictures to remember the pristine look. The texture on each is amazing: buttery smooth, beautifully pigmented and all blend like a dream. Both the lavender and pale yellow have an almost iridescent quality to them, while the peach and amber display more of a satin sheen. They all have a nice harmony to them so that no matter which combination of shades you choose, they will work incredibly well together. Staying power (when worn over primer) is excellent.

iridescent lavender, top left
satin peach, top right
pearlescent pale yellow, bottom right
shimmering amber, bottom left

Fantaisie de CHANEL Pastel Fuchsia, limited edition (CAN $90.00) | I mean, COME ON! Is this a work of art, or what? A blush that seems to almost to have a ‘built in’ highlighter, the sheer exquisite beauty of the pattern blows me away (and I’ve both seen and own quite a few unique CHANEL pieces, so that says a lot). With raised iconic double C’s front & centre, the fabric weave texture is also beautifully rendered, and I’m also impressed with how you can even see a slight colour shift on the far right. The shade has both warm and cool undertones, making it suitable for a broad range of complexions. The texture is velvety smooth and blends so effortlessly along the skin. Pigmentation is also excellent, and I was actually surprised by the level of colour saturation for a shade that appears relatively light. The end result is a gorgeous flush of colour that comes to a luminous finish — you won’t even want to consider laying any highlighter on top (unless it’s one of the Baume Essentiels from the collection, lol). Lasting power — over foundation and/or primer — is amazing.

Baume Essentiel, limited edition (CAN $60.00/each) | Housed in the brand’s signature black lacquered case with white double C’s on the cap, these are cream highlighters in a retractible stick format. They’re perfectly named, as the texture is incredibly balmy and moisturizing. You can apply this anywhere you want a dewy glow: obviously very effective along the cheekbones, but they also make for great lip balms as well. Feeling editorial? Wear them as eyeshadows, but just make sure to apply over bare skin (no primer, concealer or powders) as they are emollient and can really crease whatever is under them. I believe that I have every shade that CHANEL has released to date (10 in total) and I find them super easy to use, although my personal preference is to apply them to bare skin — especially when I have a light tan and don’t really need many complexion products (foundation, blush, bronzer). I’ve also played with layering these balms over blush and I really like the effect, but it can decrease the staying power that way. You can certainly use a brush to apply these balms (CHANEL actually created one specifically for the job), but I prefer using my fingers as it I find it gives me better control of placement.

Lilas* – delicate lavender
Dragée – peachy pink

From my collection of Baume Essentiels, I pulled out those I felt may be close to both Lilas and Dragée, but I’m happy to report that they’re both unique. Perlescent is more of an icy white with a prismatic shift, while Rosée is more rose. I added Rouge Frais as it’s the other new one recently released, and while it’s within the same colour family as Dragée, it’s clearly much more pigmented.

My love of CHANEL began over three decades ago and is still going strong today. That said, my collection holds many unique pieces, but I confess that my heart definitely skipped a beat when I first saw these beauties. In person, the pieces are even more breathtaking and what’s more, truly deliver on quality and performance. The bad news is that this is a very limited grouping, and even though online the key pieces are already sold out, I definitely recommend calling your nearest counter to see what they might still have. But fair warning: act fast. Like, super fast.

Available online, Holt Renfrew and Hudson’s Bay