CHANEL launched their summer collection this past month (it’s amazing, Chanel launches their lines so early, but hey, it is great when you’re jonesing for a touch of summer!), which featured understated and sophisticated colors of rich browns and greens, with less emphasis on pastels. I think one of my favorite items out of the launch was the green from the Oasis quad ($55.00)–I couldn’t justify the full price of the quad just for the green, though.

I find that while Chanel’s quads are indisputably classy, I prefer the quality and payoff of soft touch shadows ($27.50) (if only Khaki was more olive and less cool!). One of my favorites is Gold (which I bought a year or so ago, and come to think of it, should dig it out and use it for once!) because it was such a marvelous highlighter. I bring that color up because Tigre is somewhat similar (and the name tempts me alone), but with more white and higher frost level.  Nomade is a soft, pastel pink with gold flecks that reminds me of a grown-up pink, and it does remind me more of spring than summer, but mixed with Safari (rich bronze) I can see working well during the hotter months. Khaki is a cool, pastel green with medium frost finish. Both Tigre and Nomade are limited edition, but you can wait on Khaki and Safari if your budget doesn’t allow. (By the by, my heart stops every time I think of the price tag, so you’re not alone when your jaw drops!)

The Oasis quad is a good mix of colors, but I really do feel like it would be more fitting for autumn, maybe even later summer. The green is divine, as I’ve already mentioned, and there is an intense orange-bronze that looks lovely. The peachy pink and ultra soft pink do less for me, but they do make this quad a little less fall and more spring/summer. I found the lightest pink didn’t give me enough color for my liking, but the other three went on smoothly.

If you’ll remember my previous Chanel reviews, you’ll know I’m not a devoted follower of glossimers ($26.00)  It is not that I dislike them, it is just that I am hard-pressed to pay $26 for a single gloss. It’s just hard! Many extol glossimers for their long-wearing, even-fading, adult shimmer, and non-sticky texture–things that are all true from my experience. Pinup (shimmery baby pink) and Seashell (creamy pale sheer pink) are both existing shades of glossimers while Gazelle is limited (and my girl Karen adores it). I think I would have been better suited to try Gazelle over Seashell, after seeing it swatched, because Seashell hardly showed up on my lips whatsoever, just a dash of shimmer.

Seashell

Rouge Hydrabase Cream Lipstick, Rouge Allure Satin Lip Color, and Aqualumiere Sheer Lipshine are sure to make your head spin.

Rouge Hydrabase ($26.00) is a creamy, long-lasting formula with Vitamin E that is meant to give you medium coverage. Summer shades include Leopard and Rose Flamingo (both limited edition), with my favorite being Rose Flamingo beacuse it is a mauvey-pink that’s bold and yet not over the top. Like if you ever wanted to rock a hot pink lipstick but didn’t have the courage, this might be your solution.

Curious, Naive

Rouge Allure ($30.00) is a frostier formula with soft to medium coverage and average wear time (but it does come in a nifty gadget-esque tube). Even though you may feel like you get less lipstick in this formula, according to the box, it is the same weight as other formulas (because I instantly assumed that I was getting less for more money!). The summer’s Both Naive (soft nude pink) and Curious (brown-beige) are permanent choices.

Aqualumiere ($26.00) is sheer, creamy color with SPF 15. For summer, Chanel launched Mauritius (brown beige with peach reflects) and Zanzibar (warm coral beige), which are both limited edition. I found that these two shades were a bit too similar to each other to see in the same launch. On my lips, Mauritius is less wearable (too dark, a bit brown), though Zanzibar I can wear as an everyday color.

Availability: Chanel’s Summer 2008 collection is available at department counters, as well as Nordstrom.com.

See some lip swatches and additional color swatches…

Swatches I took when I was at the Chanel counter… (Apologies for the lack of labeling – I’m not a Chanel expert, so I can’t remember what’s where…)

Single shadows (Tigre, Nomade, Safari, Khaki)

Top row: eyeshadow quad; bottom row: lipsticks

Top row: lipsticks; bottom row (right): glossimers