Before I tried Chanel Fascination Les 4 Ombres (41, RRP in Belgium: 49,50 euros), if you had told me I would even remotely like how gray and blue look on me, I would say you’re crazy. None of these is my favorite shade. In fact, I have been avoiding them all my life. I was afraid that gray would make my skin tone look dull, and blue might look too 60′s. I was fully prepared to try Chanel Fascination Les 4 Ombres on and tell you guys it is a good quad, but I wish it wouldn’t look so odd on me. Well I didn’t have to, because Fascination is such a sophisticated and modern way to wear blue, and I am entirely smitten!
Chanel Fascination Les 4 Ombres is my first standard Chanel quad (my first Chanel quad is Harmonie du Soir, which has a different formula). I am aware that Chanel has two versions of their quads, namely a regular pressed version for the US and the baked one for the rest of the world. I have also heard that the “rest of the world” version tends to be sheer and produce fallout (a common culprit for baked eyeshadows), so I approached it with caution. Of course with one single quad there is no way of telling how I would feel about the others, but this version of Fascination does not disappoint!
Fascination comes with a shimmery blue-teal with a slight gray undertone, a satin light gray, a satin steel gray, and a blackened teal with some shimmer. When I swatched the quad, I was a bit worried about the blue-teal. It didn’t seem to be opaque from the get-go, and I wasn’t sure if the shimmer would be messy. However, it turned out to perform well on the lids. I barely had any building up to do to make it look vibrant, and there was no trace of fallout at all. The other three shades are soft and fine to the touch, and the color payoff is excellent. All four shades blend into each other extremely easily, including the highly pigmented blackened teal. I have no issue with wear either. Over a primer, Fascination lasts all day. Do note that I systematically use a primer, so I seldom have wear issue with pressed shadows in general.
Here is the swatch:
I think that Chanel eyeshadows are by nature different from the ones from for example Urban Decay. Fascination is smooth with great color payoff, but if you are expecting something extraordinarily “creamy” and opaque, you won’t be in your happy place with this one. However, I think a big part of the reason why I appreciate this quad so much is because it has a certain subdued quality about it. It’s easy to work with, and you can make it as bold and as office-friendly as you like. In terms of shade combination, Fascination is a brilliantly versatile quad!
For the look, I first used the light gray all over my lids as a base. I added the teal on the inner half, steel gray on the outer half, and the blackened teal in the outer v and into the crease. I highlighted my inner corners with the light gray and went over the gel liner on my lower lash line with the blackened teal.
I used Chanel Rose Initiale on my cheeks, Chanel Notorious to contour, Chanel Poudre Signée de Chanel Illuminating Powder to highlight. Since the eyes are rather cool-toned, I wanted to have a bit more warmth on my lips. I ended up mixing Chanel Fantasque Rouge Allure with Guerlain Ballade Rouge Automatique.
Bottom line: The shade combination and quality make Chanel Fascination Les 4 Ombres a wonder quad. It’s easy to work with, and you can make it as office/daytime appropriate or dramatic and sultry as you want. The shades do lean cool, and I think girls with neutral/cooler undertones will be able to use them more effortlessly. However, I pull them off just fine with my warm undertone, so I would say it depends more on what you pair with the quad!
Has Chanel Fascination Les 4 Ombres made its way to your local counter? Would you wear gray and blue? If you wear colors in these color families a lot, what do you pair with them? I could definitely use some pointers!
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx
