Chanel Topkapi Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:00:08 +0000

Chanel Topkapi Eyeshadow Quad

Chanel Byzance: Topkapi Eyeshadow Quad

Chanel Topkapi Eyeshadow Quad ($65.00 for 0.14 oz.) is one of the highest quality eyeshadow palettes I’ve seen the brand put out in the time that I’ve been reviewing their products (about four years). There have been standout palettes released, but Topkapi is no gimmick–it delivers. These are smooth, buttery shades with absolutely zero powderiness that apply like silk and deliver rich color payoff in a single pass. The texture is different from normal Chanel eyeshadow quads–much richer.

The quad contains a medium-dark brown with copper shimmer (think the tone of MAC Swiss Chocolate with the richness of NARS Galapagos); taupe-brown with a frosted finish (a better, more pigmented version of MAC Caviar Dreams, very similar to Inglot #402 and theBalm Insane Jane); deep-dark brown-black with a hint of burgundy (MAC Beauty Marked seems similar, but definitely more burgundy and a pain to work with); and a bright, metallic yellow gold (similar to Urban Decay Eldorado but better quality, also Inglot #403 and MUFE #10).

As lovely as the colors are and how they coordinate with each other, the shades themselves are not particularly unique. Depending on what your personal stash looks like, it may or may not be worth the splurge. What impressed me most here was the texture of the eyeshadows themselves. The texture is soft without being powdery, smooth and rich in color, and all of these characteristics enable the shades to blend together effortlessly.

I wish they put more product in the palette, though–it’s less than the usual (U.S.) quad, which contains 0.24 oz. compared to the 0.14 oz. weight of this quad. Of course, it’s all in your use, whether it is realistic that you’d even use the 0.14 oz. here or not. It’s $8 more and 0.10 oz. less than their typical eyeshadow quads. (Keep in mind, non-U.S. locations have a different formula, and I believe the weight is much, much less, because they are baked eyeshadows.)

I found the color palette here suited my skin tone quite well–so much so that for a few seconds, I had the urge to get a second one. If I wasn’t a beauty blogger, I could easily see this as being a go-to palette for me. Great eyeshadows exists in a variety of textures, finishes, and shades; my personal favorites are more buttery–the smoothness of a cream eyeshadow but in powder form–like the kind found here (often found in brands like theBalm, Hourglass, Le Metier de Beaute, Urban Decay, and so on).