July 26, 2011

Chanel Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow Review, Swatches, Photos

I do believe that Chanel Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadows are exactly what I expected from the MAC Big Bounce Eyeshadows.

These innovative shadows have a texture that you may have never experienced in the shadow world before.

Let’s take a look!


A range of shimmer eyeshadows with a gel texture that is soft and cushion-y.


What can I say? The formula is most interesting without a doubt and they are exactly what I thought MAC’s Big Bounce Eyeshadow would be, which happened to be such a said fail but you’ll experience none of the same disappointment with the Chanel Illusion d’Ombre as the formula turns into a very interesting affair.

You have a variety of things going on here. The formula looks whipped as in a mousse-like texture but turns out it isn’t quite spot on for what you’ll feel when you touch it for the first time. I’d go with a soft, sponge-y texture here that bounces instantly back to shape when touched. The creaminess of the product has a certain thickness that feels cushion-y and allows the product to easily spring back to it’s original shape. I kinda think of these as clay. I imagine if you dump it out of the jar and start to mold it you can come up with some grand masterpiece! I absolutely love the way these feel and can’t really compare them to anything else on the market at this point.

I do believe at first glance you might get a Giorgio Armani Beauty Eyes To Kill Intense vibe or even a bit of Lancome Ombre Magnétique one but these are honestly like neither product. They have a unique formula all their own that isn’t like anything I’ve tried in the past.

I find these glide onto lids beautifully and leave behind buildable color that can be intense or really, really subtle. The two shades I tried both had a nice pop of color and plenty of shimmer so be aware during application, the shimmer is no joke here. I find they blend out easily on my lid with no issues of patchiness plus they wear incredibly long without the color fading, creasing, or migrating. The two shades I tried were Emerveille a soft shade of shimmering peach and Mirifique which is an intense shade of black with silver sparkle.

The shadows are housed in a glass jar and each is $36. The $36 could prove a bit much for some but you’re bound to get a plenty of use out of a single shade since a little goes a very long way. They also come with a brush which is a slanted eyeliner type brush. I found it a little useless as I’d have preferred a dome shape that would work easily to apply color on my lid however if you’re lining your eyes with these than the brush may come in handy!

I really liked these overall and felt like they were an incredible shadow however…


They are WOW all kinds of shimmery! I love me some shimmer but if you’re strongly averse to the finish you might want to gently swatch at counter before deciding whether you need these or not.

I wish Chanel had released a better shade selection. Don’t get me wrong some of the shades they introduced are amazing but I’d have loved a brown or even a copper…perhaps in the future?

  • Those who want to experience a long wearing cream shadow with a unique formula.
  • Shimmer lovers!
  • Those who enjoy cream shadows and prefer this shadow medium (if you love cream eyeshadows you’ll be delighted with the interesting texture of these).

  • Those who dislike shimmer (these have a healthy dose of shimmer).
  • Those who aren’t keen on splurging near $40 on an eyeshadow.


Overall, Chanel Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadows prove one of Fall’s more innovative beauty releases. The texture of the shadows is truly something you haven’t yet experienced in a shadow! I find these wear amazingly long and create some very pretty eye looks but they can easily be overdone in the shimmer department so use a lighter hand to avoid the disco ball effect. At the very least , if the price scares you, check them out at counters as you’re bound to fall in love with at least one shade…!

Loves ’em lots!

Available now on counters and online at www.chanel.com

Muse Approved for purchase!

Disclaimer: I purchased one of these and one was sent as a sample from Chanel for review.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • Laci

    I may have splurged on all 6. LOL

    Emerville and Illusoire are my favorites. But they are all so gorgeous.

    • the Muse

      ha go ON laci ;-D I was tempted but the colors didn’t really grab me enough to want all of them! but if they did a brown or a copper or perhaps a nice forest green..OH BOY i’d be in trouble!

      • Laci

        They’re all so gorgeous. I’ve used the peach one as a wash on the lid with the burgundy one as a liner. It’s so, so pretty.

        I will say that Fantasme (the white one) is a glitter bomb. Like, way more so than the others. I think that one might look really pretty layered over another shadow (say one of the taupes from the Prelude fall quad). I need to experiment. 😀

        I’m so glad these are permanent. It gives me hope that they will make more shades. And I will buy them. LOL

      • Clotho

        You have probably heard about this by now, but ELF cosmetics has the duplicate of chanel whipped gel eyeshadow for just $3 (half that with a coupon code). I bought every color, They have all six colors shown in the picture, plus one more, They are really beautiful and long lasting. Just wanted to share that with you 🙂

  • Josie

    I want Epatant so bad but i still can’t find it in Toronto yet! I can buy it at The Bay or Murale and i have a points card to both stores so looks like i will be getting mine for free which i will have to do as i think the price will be $40+ Canadian plus 13% sales tax!!!

  • Erika

    I just *had* to get my hands on Illusiore, I received major compliments from 3 different people at the beauty salon the first time I wore it. Those who bought theirs, does it almost seem like the product has shrunken away from the walls of the jar when your first opened it? Mine was, but idk if it might just be the unique texture?

    • the Muse

      erika I didn’t experience that however I did notice it on friend’s jars! Seems a mixed bag…think it depends on where you are storing, etc…! could be a temperature thing?

  • Sara

    I grabbed Epatant earlier this month and only just used it today on my lids. It’s glorious! With my freshly dyed purple hair and pale skin, it actually pulls a pale, sagey green color. Weird. I freaking love it though. Feel you on the color selection, wish it was better. Epatant (and maybe that purpley one at some point) was the only one of the bunch that I thought was unique enough (nothing else like it in my collection) to warrant a purchase.

    The texture is too weird. But awesome. And I use the brush….only because I rarely wash my brushes and only have like two shadow brushes. Didn’t wanna gunk either one up. :p

  • kerstin

    Do you have Color Infaillibles by L’Oréal in the States? They look quite similar to me! Maybe they’re good budget dupes…

    Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadows look ab fab, but Swedish sales taxes are even worse than Canadian ones (25%!!!), som you can imagaine the prices here…

  • Katrosado

    I was going to purchase these but when I saw them at the counter and the amount of shimmer my heart sank. I just can’t do that much shimmer anymore, I’m too old now. But boy does that look gorgeous on you! It suits you!

    • the Muse

      aw thanks katros and girl you are NEVER too old for shimmer ;D!

  • Melissa

    I have bought the purpley taupey one and I have no idea what the name is at the moment. I’m gonna go back and get the pearl and black. The one I got picks up a nice brown hue when i blend it with a brown shadow. I really like the long wearing-ness of them so I will have all 6 when the budget permits. They are “permanent” so I imagine more colors are coming.

  • Quinctia

    These look interesting, but I don’t have a counter nearby and I can’t splurge that much without having checked out the formula first. :/

  • Líria

    I don’t think these have arrived here yet, but now i’m so curious, i have to check out that unique texture

  • theRothstanator

    Oohh the black is so pretty and sparkly! $36 is a bit steep, though. To me they kind of look like those Buxom Stay There Shadows. They feel like shadow marshmallows! I think I saw you have some? How do they compare?

    • the Muse

      mmm not the same roth….be’s version doesn’t have the same bounce-y texture. 🙂

  • Nia

    Cannot wait for these to launch 😀
    I have Illusoir and/or Epantant on my list and hope they are not too shimmery to be worn in the office. The ETK are a bit too much I think, so I hope these are nicer or a least a more sophisticated Chanel-esque shimmer.

  • Mariel

    Wow! These shadows look amazing on you and have a pillow-esque texture? WANT! I think the sparkly black would be fab for Hallowe’en.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think my teenage budget will allow this purchase to happen… 🙁

  • Stefania

    Hi I bought the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Illusoire (purple/taupe) yesterday here in Sydney AUD$48.00 – steep I know but if you are thinking of buying it do it. I was a little concerned with the shimmer but I love, love, love the shade the texture etc.. I have been wanting a smoky eye that wasn’t too harsh for the day and I have found it. Wore it to work received lots of compliments. Love, love, love……the only other one that I would contemplate getting is the Epatant (green) it is really beautiful but I find this one colour does it all. Thx

  • telle

    these are turbo shimmery! i am hauling the white one next week along with the peridot glosses!! *eeee*