One can only fit four shades, max, on to one’s lids at a time
I am sent hundreds of eye palettes each year and, after the initial gasp as I flip open the compact and admire the sheer prettiness within, I am mostly identifying which of the component colours I would never wear in a million years. And this is the inherent flaw in an otherwise delightful plan – one can only fit four shades, max, on to one’s eyelids at any given time (a neutral base tone, a darker tone to lay in the eye crease, one darker still for lining the eyes and adding smoke, and perhaps a shimmery shadow for the centre lower lid or brow bone to attract light – and that’s, let’s face it, for when one has the requisite time, occasion and inclination). All of these must be wearable and useful so as not to represent false economy.
Fulfilling this brief entirely is Chanel’s Multi Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Tissé Essentiel (£40). Released this summer but now seemingly here for the long haul, this is, I think, the perfect palette. Comprising a soft ivory, taupe, intense mushroom and a deep, rich brown (all in a satin finish), it’s ostensibly yet another collection of bland nudes. But in practice one can just as easily create a sexy, smoky party look as a simple daytime wash of colour. I wore no other eyeshadow for a series of evening events across the UK (at one point I realised I’d left it in a hotel room and rushed straight out to buy another), and even if you’ve previously found Chanel’s baked shadows lacking in pigment and colour payoff, as I have, I would urge you, too, to revisit this newer formula. The mousy taupe gives a defined 1960s-style socket line, but blends silkily and seamlessly to avoid harsh edges.
Related: Beauty: the best new mascaras | Sali Hughes
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