Sunday, February 16, 2014

Chantecaille Save the Bees Palette for Spring 2014

What a glorious day! The sun is shining, and the sky is blue. That plus Chantecaille's refillable Save the Bees Palette ($83) will brighten anyone's day.

I finally got a chance to get outside to take photos. The conditions for clean photography aren't good. It was hard to find any backdrops that weren't bright, white silvery snow. The snow reflected light a bit too much. I did my best.

This refreshing eye and cheek palette artfully fuses the natural beauty of the bees’ habitat with the Spring 2014 runway trends. Five percent of proceeds from the Save the Bees Palette will be donated to The Xerces Society to help protect bees and our environment.

The Palette features Honey, a glistening golden highlighter for both eyes and cheeks; two new eye shades: Sky, an eye-opening sheer blue, and Beehive, a versatile grey beige; and Nectar Blush, a flattering warm coral-pink. These shades will work for all of us.

I think the colors could not be prettier. Although the metallic bees will disappear with a wipe or two of your brush, they leave behind beautiful memories - and an incentive to do everything you can do to save the bees.

Acting as nature’s pollinators, bees have played an extremely vital role in our terrestrial ecosystems for millions of years. Unfortunately, in the past century, a number of bee populations have become extinct as a result of disease outbreak, monocultures like corn and soy, and repeated use of dangerous pesticides. Other species are declining rapidly Their dramatic decline not only threatens our harvests and livelihoods, but serves as a serious warning sign that our environmental attitude and practices must change.

What can we do as individuals? Saving the Bees only takes a few simple everyday changes, such as:
  • Plant wildflower seeds;
  • Eliminate pesticide and herbicide use (this gardener did so years ago);
  • Purchase local honey from community beekeepers;
  • Sign the Pollinator Pledge; and
  • Bring back the pollinators (click here to learn more).
Of course, you can purchase Chantecaille's Save the Bees Palette to donate to The Xerces Society to help protect bees and our environment.

Honey, the golden shade at the top left in the palette, is shown at the top of my arm. Although it is technically a highlighter, I find it a stunning golden eye shadow. Beehive, second down on my arm is one of the most beautiful cool taupes I've ever seen - or used. I have a feeling it will become my everyday go-to taupe. That means, of course, that I will have to purchase a few more Save the Bees Palettes. Sky, a beautiful accent shade, brightens the eyes. It's almost white, so don't worry about the "blue eye shadow" stigma. The blush, Nectar, is a perfect warm pink, one that flatters the other shades, as you can see in the photo of Olivia Chantecaille shown at the top of this feature.

All of these shades leave an elegant glean, without glitter or micro-particles - my favorite finish. It's forgiving for all age groups.

Can you see show Olivia (or her artist) used Sky on the inner corners of her lids to brighten up her look? I'm guessing her lids were covered with Honey, then Beehive was used to top it in the outer half of her lids. The light cheek, composed with Nectar, added a finishing touch to her always beautiful countenance.

For the most part, my favorite palettes were all made by Chantecaille. I love the company's makeup because it fits my lifestyle. I'm not saying that I wear Chantecaille exclusively, but it has become a regular part of my beauty routine - both the skin care and the color.

Even the box of the Save the Bees Palette is lovely.  Too bad my reflection on the cover marred its perfect beauty. I love the image; this is one box I will be saving.

I should have shown you Save the Bees weeks ago. Mother Nature conspired against me, but it's a spring palette, after all. Today's sunshine reminds me that spring is not too far off. I hope you'll take a look here, even though you've probably seen photos taken in indoor studios.

The Neiman Marcus Spring Beauty Event starts February 19 and runs through March 2. Chantecaille has beautiful new colors for eyes and lips to start your season off right. The gift is a medium-sized ivory mock croc cosmetic bag with deluxe sizes of Bio Lifting Neck Cream, Bio Lifting Mask, Mirth Lipgloss, and Black Faux Cils Mascara with a qualifying purchase. If you need help, give Jeannine Barnes a call at (202) 966-9700, extension 2289. You will also be given the Beauty Event tote with any purchase in Beauty of $125 or more.

Photo at top courtesy of Chantecaille; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

21 comments:

Lori Jenkins said...

So happy to see one of your lovely posts! So many palettes I would have disregarded for their blue or green shades until I see your swatches...thank you! This is indeed lovely and going in my shopping cart. C, I know you most enjoy posting new products, would love to hear what your other go to taupe or neutral e/s are...you have incredible taste!

wendy said...

hi charleston girl!! thankyou very much for posting this!! i was very interested about this pallette except for the blue shade but, after your great review i think this is a must have! also, thankyou for the neiman's info!! i think this will be such a great and versatile pallette for both spring and summer. i also want another coral reef pallette and pressed the "notify me" on chantecaille's website. i used every color down to the "very last drop". thankyou for making my day with this fabulous post!! xxx

wendy said...

...oooh...i forgot to ask....did you have a favorite of the lip colors? i'm not sure whether to get primrose or wild rose? although i must have the lipgloss in pretty because i'm sure it's really pretty!! i also wanted to know your thoughts on the eyeliner formula. i've never tried their pencils. will you be using storm eyeliner with this look or do you suggest a different color? thankyou very much!! do you have to work tomorrow? my school is closed but i have to report bright and early for a full day meeting. huggy presidents' day to you!! xxx

Evelyn said...

Ooo I really like this one! I've been rather on the fence about these palettes, sometimes the colors don't grab me but I believe this going to come home to me. lol I also like honey so I will support the bees. :)

alrenwald said...

CG,
I agree, you have such impeccable taste! And thank you, too, for notifying us about the NM Event. I am eyeing this particular palette as well.

Beauty Traveller said...

Such a beautiful palette. Looks really luxurious. It reminds me of a Guerlain collection that had bees and it was such a different theme about a 'bee'. I loved the initiative to save the bees as they are a huge contribution to the ecosystem. The blue and pink are so wearable and I too rely on your swatches. I hope I get this palette someday.

Lovely post!!

Lisa said...

The regional makeup artist for Chantecaille was at Norstrom last week. I did had a makeover with the bee palette. I've been rocking it all week and just love it! She tweaked the look a bit and used the blush color on my lid as well. Let me explain: from inner to outer, sky, bronze ( on the ball of the eye) blush color next. Darkest color like a C shape. Simple, elegant, easy, spring-y, fresh! Love it. ( I have blue-grey eyes btw.

melisand61 said...

Thanks for the review. What a beautiful palette! Taupe and gold always tempt me and those shades look perfect. I also appreciate your discussion of bees and the environment.

roxymisha said...

So glad you were able to have some much needed sunshine! The palette is deceiving in the photos and I probably would not have considered it but for your swatches. Simply gorgeous with a beautiful case.

Niki

Bonnie C. said...

Wow, another pretty quad! :-) I was a little skeptical about the blue color as well, but I think you explained it beautifully, and seems it may pair well with the taupe color too. I think it's neat that they used someone "in the family" to model, Olivia is quite beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing this with us. :-)

Have a great night!

Unknown said...

All the colours are lovely. It is heartening to see beauty brands come up with such initiatives for nature/animals etc.
Btw, I really need to thank you for sending me the Chantecaille aromachologie emulsion sample when I had won ur giveaway. It really saved my skin this winter when I was on a holiday.

Unknown said...

I have the Save the Bees palette. I just bought it. I wished that I had waited on the NM event. Oh well. I was going to pass it by. I thought that the pastel blue was meant for someone else. While I was waiting on the Guerlain SA to get to me during Nordstrom's Winter Beauty Event, the Chantecaille SA asked if she could try the Bees on me. It was lovely. I was hooked. She used the blue as an inner corner highlighter, a wash of gold on the lid, taupe in the crease, and a faint touch of the highlighter under the brow. She used the eyeliner storm. It is such a pleasure to use. I almost want a backup so that I can keep the bees intact. I am now officially enamored of Chantecaille! And yes, I hold you, CA responsible. Thank you so much! I do think the empty palette cases are crazy though.

Unknown said...

Sorry, I called you CA, I meant CG of course. I was caught up in the moment.lol.

Makeupremastered said...

Wow I am drooling over this quad-Do you know if unlike other brands limited quads-does Chantecaille keep these in stock for awhile-I have family visiting the states in mid march?-tnx:)

grlnxdor said...

It's such a worthy cause to "save the bees" yet it seems to get little press. We have three apple trees and my husband and I keep our fingers crossed each year that it will be a "good bee year". A few years ago not many bees showed up to do their job and as a result we got hardly any apples.

Anonymous said...

Oooh I quite like the colors when I see the swatches! And the whole theme and packaging are really lovely.

Sara said...

Hi CG! I am glad to see you back! This palette looks gorgeous although I will admit I am dying to see the new Rouge Bunny Rouge eye palette. I am also a bit mad at Neiman Marcus because they had a security breach around New Years when I ordered the LMDB Countess Kaleidoscope. Have a great week! -Sara

Charlestongirl said...

Sara, was your credit card number stolen at NM like mine?

Sara said...

I received a letter from NM about a security breach (my mother did as well) for store purchases around the holidays- and so I have signed up for the free credit monitoring. Luckily neither I nor my mother has had any fraudulent activity on our cards. Incidentally NM and target are using the same credit monitoring service.

Unknown said...

Ooo I really like this one! I've been rather on the fence about these palettes, sometimes the colors don't grab me but I believe this going to come home to me. lol I also like honey so I will support the bees.
Algeria

Anonymous said...

Oh, do you know which lip product and colour the model is wearing in the promotional picture?
I ordered Magnolia, but I'm afraid it's not the one.
I couldn't tell from the Chantecaille site…
Thanks!

(I just sent Tom Ford Firecracker back to NM because I found it has phthalates in it :(