Chanel Pearl River Ombres Matelassees Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:00:44 +0000

Chanel Pearl River Ombres Matelassees Eyeshadow Palette

Chanel Pearl River Ombres Matelassees Eyeshadow Palette ($80.00 for 0.21 oz.) contains five eyeshadows that range from white to brown designed to “[recall] the luminous beauty of Hong Kong, refleted in the China Sea.”

Pearl River #1 is a pale, warm white with a frosted finish. It had decent color payoff, but it was on the sheer side. It was buildable, but it wasn’t densely pigmented. The texture was incredibly soft and finely-milled, though; one of the softest textures I’ve seen from Chanel. There is no shortage of frosted, white eyeshadow, so it’s highly likely that you have something similar in your stash. Giorgio Armani Open is not as warm-toned. Tarte Macaroon is similar but even less pigmented. bareMinerals Silhouette is more pearl-like in finish. Guerlain Terra Azzurra #1 is also similar.

Pearl River #2 is a warm-toned, light-medium gold with soft yellow undertones and a frosted, slightly metallic finish. It had good pigmentation, and the texture was very soft and smooth. Jasmine Sand in the Glass is more metallic. Tarte Bellini is less frosted. Wet ‘n’ Wild Sparkle ‘Til Morning #1 is less warm-toned. MAC Femme-fi has a more reflective sheen. (This shade, though certainly pretty, is very, very dupable–nearly ever shade I mentioned above is 90% similar in regards to color.)

Pearl River #3 is a warm, orange-toned gold with a frosted, metallic finish. It had so-so color payoff, and I found I really needed to use it wet to get smooth, even color applied to the lid. I wasn’t sure if you could use these wet, but I didn’t have any residual effects on the pan of product where I used it damp. Lancome Eternal Gold is less warm-toned. Tarte 24 Karats is less frosted. Cinderella Gus Gus is yellower. bareMinerals Remix is a touch less orange. Chanel Blazing Gold is very similar in color.

Pearl River #4 is a tangerine orange with warm undertones and a pearly finish. It had great pigmentation, and it applied very smoothly. MAC Chessa is a touch warmer. OCC Mimosa is a smidgen lighter. MAC Fresh Daily is darker. Chanel Tigerlily is yellower.

Pearl River #5 is a rich, deep dark brown with warm, red undertones and a very fine burgundy-bronze micro-shimmer. The color payoff was absolutely fantastic; it was incredibly rich and smooth–the best shade of the palette. Wet ‘n’ Wild Sparkle ‘Til Morning #8 is a hair lighter but not by much. Urban Decay Busted is less red-toned. Tarina Tarantino Dreamy #5 is darker, almost blackened.

I liked the palette, but the color payoff overall could have been better. If you prefer lighter, sheerer washes of colors, you may still enjoy the palette. The texture of all of the shades is phenomenal; that’s the standout feature: beautifully soft, velvety eyeshadows that go on and sit so well on the lid. All five eyeshadows also blended well and only needed a feathery touch to diffuse. The other downside to the palette is that it is rather dupable (and of course, this depends on your stash), but I felt like there were far too many really, really close shades to a few of the ones in the palette. The “most unique” shade in the palette was the darker brown. The eyeshadows wore well, though, and lasted nine hours without fading or creasing (no primer), but I did have a touch of fall out.