Test Drive of Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Candeur et Expérience for Fall 2016

I didn't have the best lighting for makeup photos in the Neiman Marcus Café, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from getting photos of the Le Rouge Collection N°1. The eye shadow quad shown directly above is the one that has drawn all the buzz. The entire collection is eliciting attention because of its emphasis on red.

Chanel's new Global Creative Makeup and Colour Designer, Lucia Pica, calls it more than a color, it's a statement of life. Red inspired her passionate debut with Chanel. "I am obsessed by the color red," she said. "For me, there is strength and emotion, warmth and disruption in the color red." There is an idea of the symbolism of red and a red undertone that runs through the entire fall collection.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Candeur et Expérience ($61) scared me at first glance. I was immediately smitten by the three neutral brown shades, light brown, deep brown, and warm brown. However, because my eye allergies have been patch tested, and I'm allergic to red dye, and I don't know which one, red scares me.

Freba Slimanzada, Chanel's makeup artist at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria, immediately suggested we use it as a blush. I jumped onboard. I thought that was a superb idea.

The lighting in the store is abysmal for close-up photos. Just as well. I had just washed my hair, and when I stepped out of the house to go over to Neiman Marcus in 95 degree heat with humidity to match, my hair decided to frizz. Nevertheless, I wanted a photo to show you how her creativity in using the quad looked. I guess I could have smiled, but I was concentrating on looking down so you could see the eye shadows.

Freba used the light brown all over the lid. Then she applied deep brown in a "V" shape in the outer corners of my lids, bringing the V up toward my eyebrows much higher and darker than I usually do (made for a better photo). She used the warm brown, the darkest brown, as an eyeliner on my upper and lower lash lines. Then she used the deep brick red shade as a blush. It looked like a perfect fall shade. We didn't fool with mascara or other makeup. We just focused on my eye shadow and blush, using this new quad. My friend and Chanel account executive brought the quad over especially for this test drive, so it was our centerpiece for the day.

I thought the "finished product" looked really good - edgier than I usually wear, but it certainly put a focus on my eyes. I hope you can see that at least one of those browns has a slight red tinge in it. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but after studying it in different lighting scenarios yesterday afternoon, I was sure. I think you can see it in the photo above.

Over the next week, I'll be showing you other photos of the Fall 2016 Collection, which will be available by August. I know you have been waiting to see the first Chanel collection by Lucia Pica. Her coming out party is drawing compliments from all over the globe.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty