Chanel's Spring Collection Channels Gypsy Queens!

Chanel is always a leader in trendy, sophisticated, and wearable fashion. Their Spring 2009 Makeup collection features a lovely, "boho" vibe inspired by gypsy dresses, featuring bold contrasts: nudes and earth tones with bold reds and deeper tones.



Of course the packaging features the iconic, shiny black Chanel cases with the crossed C's logo in white--that's already a plus, but the makeup is the main reason you'd covet this collection. I got a chance to try some of the pieces. Here are the highlights:


Aqualumiere Sheer Colour Lipshine $29.50 with SPF 15 arrives in two nudes: a soft, shimmery copper called: "Malta" that looks more sun-kissed than deep, and "Positano," a perfect, fleshy-beige that provides a totally nude lip look without any shimmer and lots of moist shine. Normally, I'd find a light nude too "eggy" for my taste, especially if your lips aren't perfectly smooth, but this one glides on with ease with just enough color to be classy, not creepy. And the lip sheers are silky and luxurious--what else would you expect from Chanel? And the SPF is super-important, as your lips are always exposed to the sun's damaging rays, even when you're just rushing to the bus! I didn't try them, but the contrast to these dreamy nudes are the Rouges Hydrabase Creme Lipstick featuring several shades of bright red, pink, apricot, and rose: Rose Rebelle (pink), Euphoria (intense pink), Fiesta (apricot), Fuego (coral red), Beige Desire (beige) and Gipsy Scarlett (red). Two other Chanel lipstick choices are Levres Scintillantes Glossimer $27.00 in Wild Rose (rosewood) and Beige Guitare (taupe). For a super-long lastiing lipstick, Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour $34.00 features a bright red called "Alexandrite, and a bold rose pink called "Opal Rose."

Every Boho goddess needs a chic lip compact. The Levres Signees Satin Lip Color Compact $60.00 features five dreamy, satin lip creme shades, from pale pink to deep plum in Chanel's signature, mirrored, square, black compact. A nice touch is that the lip cremes are packaged so that they form Chanel's iconic crossed "C" logo.

In this collection, deep, expressive eyes are important. I also got a chance to try two of the new, Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadows $28.50. They have a metallic finish, and can be blended out so they're less shimmery for daytime. I tried "Magic Night", a glamorous, deep plum with gold shimmer, and for a fabulous highlight, there's "Liberty," a sheer, light beige shimmer. There's also an eye-catching, eye shadow quad: Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow $56.00 in new "Mystic Eyes" featuring plum, pink, beige and bronze. Add definition with the Ombre D'Eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow in $32.00 In a gold-tone called "Delta." The Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer $28.00 and Imnmitable Waterproof Mascara Multi-Dimensionnel $30.00, both in brown, add a softer touch than basic black.

Faces are fortunate this season to have some wonderful new products from Chanel to help them look their best. I adore the Poudre Universelle Compacte Natural Finish Pressed Powder $44.00 that adds a sheer, matte finish to your complexion. This transparent face powder will suit nearly every skin tone. Apply it with the included thin, square, fabric "puff" and watch shine and imperfections simply disappear!

Contouring faces is back in a big way. I'm not really a fan unless you really know what you're doing, but Chanel's Joues Contraste Powder Blush will help you define cheekbones and décollete without looking like you're "striped." Applied sparingly, this is a warmed bronzer-toned brown that helps contour bone structure. You can also just use it as a bronzer or (dusted lightly) as a golden blush if your complexion is light.

For Nails from Le Vernis Nail Colour $23.00 There's trendy "Vendetta," a seriously dark violet, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, "Django," a beige/pink that covers in one coat and looks like a pearly seashell, with two. Very pretty and a must-have for brides, proms and special events.

Get the Look: Visit Chanel boutiques or your favorite Chanel makeup counter, or http://www.chanel.com/