Chanel Fall 2016 – Le Rouge Collection 1

So this went on counter while I was on holiday, hence the late posting, but for someone as obsessed with red as yours truly, I couldn’t let it slip under the radar. With Kristen Stewart as the face, and a gorgeous one at that, and Chanel’s Global Creative Makeup and Colour Designer Lucia Pica at the helm, Le Rouge Collection 1 is gorgeous.

Putting paid to the idea that you can’t ‘do’ red on the eyes, these colours have just enough hint of red, showcased as an undercurrent in pencils and shadows that are so wearable that Mother removed the eyeshadow palette from my hand quicker than a poker dealer at the table when she saw it. I haven’t seen it since.

Nails are an easy red to do, but this being Chanel, they had to go a step further and trot out Rouge Radical – a new nail gloss, that should be transparent, but isn’t. A Limited Edition, it’s a hugely shiny gloss that leaves the nails singing. Yes, I used the word ‘singing’ about a nail polish.

This being Chanel, lips are front and centre. The boldest poppy to the darkest black cherry, my favourite Coco Chanel saying is ‘Mettez du rouge et attaquez’ or a tad less exciting in english: ‘Put on lipstick and attack‘ and this collection reminded me of that. I’ve worn a bright lip ever since I went to the presentation of the collection to meet Lucia Pica. A woman, incidentally, who walked the length of the room and shook the hand of every single attendee on the day, winning over this cynical businesswoman immediately. This is her first collection for Chanel, and if this is anything to go on, more greatness awaits.

Chanel Le Rouge Collection 1 is available now from FeelUnique.com in the UK and Nordstrom in the USA.