“Éclosion: hatching, and/or parallel lines drawn close together to produce the effect of shading” – how perfectly appropriate these meanings are, both in terms of season and from an artistic viewpoint … Peter Philips (CHANEL’s Global Creative Director), you’re a sly genius!
Even though ‘Éclosion’ was one of the first items from CHANEL’s spring 2012 collection that initially drew me, I felt that this natural-seeming eyeshadow quad wasn’t exactly that unique; after swatching it quickly at the counter, I didn’t hesitate for even one second before adding it to my other purchases from this collection (previously reviewed here, here, and here). The four shades that make up this palette may be neutral leaning, but with a fresh & modern vibe.
Beginning clockwise from the bottom left, the four shades of ‘Éclosion’ are as follows:
- a smooth almond-tinted taupe, with a delicate sheen
- an unexpectedly pigmented pale apricot with pink/peach undertones, sateen finish
- a beige leaning ivory with larger gold glittery particles
- a colour-rich mahogany, with an aubergine shine
Three of the four shades were quite effortless to apply, although I was surprised that the taupe was lighter in tone and slightly less pigmented than the apricot. The darkest shade of the quad was as expected: deeply saturated and with excellent colour payout. The palest shade of this palette is the troublemaker here, primarily because of the glitter it holds (unexpected for a CHANEL eye shadow), and the fact that its base is quite sheer, requiring more of a “patting” method of application as opposed to sweeping it on. All four shades can be worn dry, or wet for a deeper intensity, and applied over primer, I easily got more than 8 hours of wear without any visible signs of creasing or fading.
Éclosion
bottom left shade
top left shade
top right shade
bottom right shade
The following swatches are all on foundation primed skin, applied in the same order (from left to right) as the individual shades shown above:
in direct sunlight
indoors
with flash
Final thoughts: Two things elevate Éclosion from your run-of-the-mill earthy tones: the pale apricot and the rich garnet coloured shades – unusual hues to be found in a springtime collection. With the exception of the one glittery shadow (which can also double as a highlighter in a pinch), the other three bear a finely milled powder texture, which makes for a buttery smooth application – no fallout or residue. Rarely do I wear all the shades of a palette at once, but these make it easy, as they can be layered for more visual depth and intensity. Looking through my collection of both individual eye shadows and palettes, I couldn’t find duplicates for any of these shades, which makes this foursome quite original, as well as a worthy addition in my beauty arsenal.
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