CHANEL – #90 Convoitise Illusion d’Ombre

The other item new from CHANEL that I picked up along with the #41 Fascination eyeshadow quad (reviewed here), is #90 Convoitise Illusion d’Ombre – a gentle gold hue in the brand’s innovative cream/gel/powder range of eye shades, but unlike the quad, I actually swatched this at the counter first. There’s many reasons why I love these Illusion d’Ombre shadows, starting with how incredibly complex they are colour-wise, the ease of application (your finger), and the fact that they can be worn alone or layered under powder shadows for incredible depth and major staying power. As CHANEL has a predilection for giving their products 1-word names, this particular word was unfamiliar to me, so I looked it up:

“Convoitise” – to gaze lustfully at

I’d say they pretty much nailed it on the head with this one.

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise

#90 Convoitise Illusion d’Ombre – (CAD $37.00) a soft gold/beige hue with ultra-fine pink shimmer woven throughout. Since this particular golden shade leans more warm, I suspect it will be highly wearable for basically all skin tones. Slightly sheer upon initial application, you can definitely build it up a few degrees for a stronger gilded finish, although it still retains some subtlety. Wear time, as with most of the Illusion d’Ombre range, was quite good – lasting a solid 7 hours before any visible creasing, although with primer I was able to extend that to 10 hours easy. This formula has some slip to it, so those with oilier lids should definitely prime first.

I tried wearing this several ways; worn alone, it comes off as more of a sheer-ish wash of colour, perfect for a “no-makeup” look with a little zing. Used as a liner (bottom lashes & inner corner), it drew light to my eyes and the olive tints in this shade also appeared to emphasize my eye colour (green) to some degree. Layered under a similarly toned powder shadow added a multi-dimensional finish, as well as increased the wear time overall.

Note that your finger is the best application tool for this product, but I’ve also had success with a variety of brushes: natural bristles do not pick up or distribute as much colour, but can be used to give a diffused effect. Synthetic fibre brushes work better for a stronger intensity and in more finer/detailed areas.

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise (in sunlight)

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise (detail, with flash)

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise (in sunlight)

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise (natural light)

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise (blurred to show detail)

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Even though I already owned the other gold Illusion d’Ombre shades from CHANEL, that didn’t stop me from grabbing at ‘Convoitise’, although I was concerned about colour duplication; thankfully, the only thread in common amongst them is the fact that they’re all in the same colour family.

#817 Apparence (Holiday 2012, reviewed here) – cooler toned, similar texture density, no underlying pink shimmer
#90 Convoitise – warmest toned, slightly beige leaning, sheerest of the three
#89 Vision (Summer 2012, reviewed here) – the most brilliant gold hue of the three, yellow based, more scattered texture

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise & comparisons (in sunlight)

CHANEL – #90 Convoitise & comparisons (natural light)

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Final thoughts: Initially, I felt that perhaps this wasn’t a “must-have” product, but the more I use it, the more I’ve come to realize how versatile it really is. Come the summer time, I can see this shade working beautifully to compliment a light tan, but for now, I love how its soft gleam brings the focus to my eyes in a totally non-tacky manner. A more sophisticated version of MAC’s famous paint pots, layering Convoitise under a matching powdered shadow not only serves to anchor the entire look, but really adds a gorgeous depth. The only downside? Two factors: its limited edition status (I will never understand why brands do this to items that are as wearable/workable as this) and the price … especially if you live in Québec, the land of ridiculously high sales taxes.

I purchased #90 Convoitise Illusion d’Ombre from The Bay (Canada)
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