Twilight zone

Chanel has long held a fascination for night. Their bestselling polish is called Rouge Noir. Their black-as-night cosmetics have fans so devoted, they wax rhapsodic over it in magazines. Lily Allen, the singer as famous for that upturned flick of eyeliner as she is for her chav style, deemed Chanel’s Automatic Liquid Eyeliner her favorite.

Dusk, claims Dominique Moncourtois and Heide Morawetz, the people responsible for Chanel’s cosmetics collection, is their inspiration for this latest line. The “March blues, dawn pastels and indigo blues of star-strewn nights (and) the burgeoning shades of tentative flowers moist with dew” served as the duo’s color palette.

Nixing the total black that characterized past offerings, this collection strikes a balance between the pale winter shades of pre-spring and the deeper autumnal hues, making it ideal for transitioning between seasons.

For their key look, they swept Natalia Vodianova’s lids with a rich navy with a touch of shimmer. Her cheeks were glazed with a subtle peach and her lips left alluringly nude with a hint of rose.

The luxury makeup line has been smart to lighten up, realizing that their client base responds to drama, just not the sort that resembles theater maquillage. Instead, dark tones are paired with soft, more subdued hues to offer depth. Given a light touch and a penchant for nude lips, the Chanel look can easily transition — once again — from day to night.

Used sparingly, the 4 Ombres, a quartet of eyeshadow shades ranging from indigo to azure with a touch of peach, works for day. Swipe some in a smooth line above the lid and use the pale peach as a highlighter and you’ve accomplished an easy-to-wear look that’ll take you into night with an easy addition of the darker shadows. — Bea Ledesma