Hey everybody!
I hope your Monday wasn’t too rough and your week is off to a good start! I also hope the weather is nicer where you are. It’s been around 10 degrees (around 45 degrees Fahrenheit) and rainy here for the past couple of days. It’s hard to believe it’s already June! I am seriously tempted to turn the heater back on!
After the quick n’ dirty swatches of the three Illusion d’Ombre in Les Expressions de Chanel collection that I showed you yesterday, today I have the swatch, full review, comparison, and FOTDs of Vision (89) for you!
Since this is my first Illusion d’Ombre, I am going to briefly go through the packaging and formula. According to Chanel, Illusion d’Ombre is supposed to be an intensely shimmery long-wear eyeshadow with a gel texture. It should function as both an eyeshadow and an eyeliner.
Illusion d’Ombre comes in a glass pot. I love the sturdiness and the weight in my hand. It also comes with a brush that is designed to both lay the color down on your lids and line your eyes. The brush looks like this when you open the box:
Once you pull it open and attach the parts together, this is how it looks:
I find it a decent size to use without straining my hand muscles, and it does work as an eyeliner brush really well. The bristles are soft and non-scratchy, but it does have enough give. However, when it comes to laying color down on my lids, I still prefer to use my pinky. It’s easier, and I find there is far less fallout that way.
The texture of Illusion d’Ombre is entirely different from everything I have tried so far. The best description I can find is spongy. When I press a little harder with my finger, I can feel how spring-y and spongy it is. However, due to the highly soft and dense nature, there really is no need to press down that hard!
In terms of lasting power, I got about 6 out of these without a primer before it started creasing a bit. With a primer however, it lasts all day! I have tried to wear it alone and as a base, and I found that as long as there is a trusted layer of UDPP underneath it, Vision stays put throughout the day.
I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone that Vision is the piece that I wanted to try the most out of the whole collection. Gold eyeshadows are really no-brainers for me! Vision is a very metallic and shimmery (but not glittery or gritty. My lids are sensitive and I don’t feel it’s grainy) lemony gold. Out of the gold shadows I own, this would be the coolest one. However, it is not SO cool that it doesn’t flatter my very warm skin tone, so I would say it should work for most people.
As smooth as Vision is in texture, when I sheer it out, it looks almost like a clear base with golden shimmer. In other words, it doesn’t offer a lot of opacity as a shade. However, because of how dense the shimmer is, it still looks unmistakably gold on my lids.
Here is the comparison shot I did with some of the gold eyeshadows I have. From left to right: Urban Decay Chase, Urban Decay Vanilla, Maybelline 24-hour Color Tattoo in Bold Gold, Chanel Vision, Urban Decay Half Baked, and MAC Woodwinked.
Compared with Vision most of them practically pull orange!
I did a look with Vision all over my lids, Urban Decay Evidence (dark navy blue) blended into the outer half and crease, and Urban Decay Vanilla for the inner corners. My lower lash line is lined with MAC Coffee Eye Pencil (swatch and review coming soon). I went over the inner half of the line with Vision, and outer half with Evidence.
I personally think the best way to use Vision is as a base, because the pretty gold shimmer does show through whichever eyeshadow you choose to layer over it (I’ve tried a matte black and it’s stunning). It also works very well as a liner. However, as an eyeshadow on its own, it might not be as amazingly pigmented and opaque as its siblings in the same line, which makes it less versatile in comparison.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a cream shadow that will add a lot of glitz and glam to your (especially matte) eyeshadows, look no further. Vision offers great texture, minimal fallout, lasting power, and a lot of bling. If you’re looking for a gold cream shadow that will work on its own, then Vision might not fit the bill. I am personally convinced by the formula and I can’t wait to try some more Illusion d’Ombres!
Have you tried Chanel Illusion d’Ombre? What shades would you recommend? Does Vision look like something you might be tempted to swatch?
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx
Bonus kitty photos: I can haz Chanel! This is about the only picture in which Tango is not trying to murder me with a ribbon around his neck. I know he was sleepy, but most of the time he reacts pretty violently to similar attempts!
Muffin still doesn’t care.
Disclosure: The product mentioned in this review is sent by the PR for my consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. I am in no way compensated for this review. I have always been, and will always be committed ONLY to my readers.
Aww the kitties are so cute!!
I’m glad you liked the shadow, but I think it’s too expensive for average liking (at least for me lol). I hope you will try more shades! I still think I would love illusoire… Don’t think I’ll ever get over it! Lol
Haha thanks Joyce! I definitely want to try Illusoire and Epatant, though I’m hesitating between Epatant and Benefit Skinny Jeans. I never used any cream shadow until very recently, but now I’m so hooked! If you find a cream shadow with good formula, then application is easy plus you get to play with the pressed shadows you have. It’s just too amazing!
TANGO!!! So cute in Chanel! 🙂
Thatsa’ some gold shadow! Really gold! Kind of the perfect gold actually.
Looks amazing on you Sunny!
Haha thanks Tracy! I think Tango exceptionally allowed me to put a ribbon around his neck because he knew Chanel is a big deal!
Those shadows are super pretty! And the Chanel ribbons on your cat? Just adorable lol
Thanks Fancie! I really have a somehow sizable collection of gold eyeshadows now haha
Pretty ! Your cat is soooo cute !
Thanks hon! I’ll make sure they know they’re getting a lot of love today 🙂
What a gorgeous golden eyeshadow!
Isn’t it? I honestly haven’t seen a gold shadow that I dislike!
Muffin has class, Muffin has style!!! 🙂 Looks like a nice cream eye shadow!
Haha thanks Peggy! I’m impressed by how well the formula holds up! There’s nothing more disappointing than a cream shadow that refuses to stay put on my lids!
Looks amazing! The kitties are too cute btw!!!
Thanks Sofie! Tango really rarely cooperates, so this is a RARE picture you’re seeing lol
oh gosh, your cats are soooooo cute! ❤ I really love Vision on you, it's not too cool and I can imagine a lot of pretty combinations with it too! So glad to hear it holds up very well too, yay for that!
Haha thanks Teri! It’s true that it’s not too cool, but it’s not warm either so I can see it working for a lot of people. And yay for the lasting power! I’d be so disappointed if it creases all over the place!
This is so lovely! I would love to try the I’dO formula, but I’m trying not to buy any eyeshadows right now (I have so many!)
Haha you should try at least one at some point! There are great shades in the permanent range so you should find something you like 🙂
This is certainly a nice gold colour that doesn’t look too over the top, beautiful FOTD there!
And your kitties are so adorable with the Chanel ribbon!! *hugs*
Thanks so much Ruby! Muffin is actually the only cat I’ve had that doesn’t care when I put a ribbon around her neck 🙂
AHHHH that is the perfect gold! I think I need it. (Okay, I know I don’t NEED it, but you know what I mean). Also, your kitty: adorable.
LOL you should check it out when you can! It’s strange how I haven’t heard anything about the launch dates in North America.
I just looked for it and it is already sold out here where I live. It looks like a gorgeous gold.
OH NO! I had no idea it’d sell out SO fast! I hope you’ll be able to locate it in another store maybe? xx
The color is beautiful, but I think I’ll wait for a more unique shade, considering the hefty price tag.
Annabelle sleeps in a ball too, but she usually does it on my pillow. When I need it. Go figure. 😛
True! I do think permanent shades like Epatant and Illusoire are worth looking into though. They’re really pretty and complex!
Tango sleeps on my pillow too! He is rarely allowed in my bedroom, but sometimes he still sneaks in. Needless to say I’ll wake up with a stiff neck because he takes up 80% of my pillow!
Oh my god that’s so gorgeous!!!
♥ Jessica
Thanks Jessica 🙂 I hope the collection will make its way to the US soon 🙂
This is such a beautiful color! I love how shimmery it is too – it really brightens and opens up your eye area. Your cats are too cute ^^
Thanks Rinny! It is a very nice and bright shade! I can’t wear anything but for my inner half to be honest. Otherwise it closes my eyes up!
It’s quite lovely–but close enough to my Maybelline Bold Gold (as well as several gold powder shadows I own) that I don’t feel the NEED to get this.
PS: ooh, fancy kitty! So cute!
Hey Becca, I still think Vision and Bold Gold are significantly different, and also I’d personally use them for different purposes (more layering with Vision, especially underneath dark, matte shades). But true need is a relevant thing! xx
I cannot resist a gold eye shadow, this looks so som
Retry, Sunny you have created many lemmings!
Haha same here! You should check this one out!
I love the eye look you have on in the pics! And your kitty is just too adorable. *melts*
Thanks so much LeeAnn! The kitties want to give you kitty kisses for saying that 🙂
Hi when was this gold eye shadow launched?
I really want to buy it. Is it in the fall collection?
Hey Sarah, this collection has been available in Belgium for a while, and it’s coming out in the US soon from what I heard. It’s a mini collection and not part of the fall collection. Good luck locating Vision!