Chanel Sycomore, Chene Brun, Cedre Cuivre Ombre Premier Libres Reviews & Swatches
Sycomore (402)
Chanel Sycomore (402) Ombre Premier Libre ($40.00 for 0.14 oz.)
- Mostly opaque pigmentation but sheered out as soon as it was blended out
- Drier, almost crumbly, texture; fallout from applicator but also during application
- Did not adhere well to bare skin, applicator worthless, had to be pressed firmly onto skin with fingertip
- Short-wearing (faded after six hours of wear)
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Formula Overview
$40.00/0.14 oz. - $285.71 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "pearlescent and intense pigments" that deliver "vibrant color with a satin sheen." The texture was described "as fine as a puff of dust, becoming creamy upon application" and has "8 hours" of wear. The sponge-tip applicator was designed to be used directly on the lids.
Loose eyeshadow is typically more difficult to work with than pressed eyeshadow, so I feel like most buyers are looking for something extra about a loose formula, and there was absolutely nothing special about these... and they were particularly challenging to work with. I was surprised at how NOT finely-milled the texture was myself; there was a general dryness to it that made them prone to sheering out as they did not adhere well to bare skin.
The applicator made exacerbated that--the only way I could really get them to adhere decently was to really press it into the skin and do almost no blending as blending resulted in some of it disappearing and some of it resulting in fall out. Speaking of fall out, there was a significant amount of product fallout--aka waste--every time I opened it, as that applicator did not hold the product well. It was also very short/stubby, which may not be comfortable to hold in the hand for some.
One of my favorite parts about Chanel's eyeshadow quads is that they tend to sit well on bare skin, but these emphasized dryness and imperfections. They lasted six hours before showing signs of fading.
Browse all of our Chanel Ombre Premier Libre swatches.
Ingredients
TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE | JOJOBA ESTERS | DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE | SILICA | DEXTRIN ISOSTEARATE | ETHYLHEXYL POLYHYDROXYSTEARATE | SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE | MAGNESIUM STEARATE | C8-12 ACID TRIGLYCERIDE | CAPRYLYL GLYCOL | 1,2-HEXANEDIOL | POTASSIUM SORBATE | CHLORPHENESIN | LAUROYL LYSINE | ALUMINA | TOCOPHEROL | CELLULOSE | TIN OXIDE | [+ / - (MAY CONTAIN) | CI 75470 (CARMINE) | CI 77000 (ALUMINUM POWDER) | CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) | CI 77163 (BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE) | CI 77288 (CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS) | CI 77491, | CI 77492, | CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) | CI 77510 (FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77510 (FERRIC FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77742 (MANGANESE VIOLET) | CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) | MICA] | BS000150B
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Sycomore (402)
LELimited Edition. $40.00.
Chene Brun (404)
Chanel Chene Brun (404) Ombre Premier Libre ($40.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a light-medium brown with subtle, warm undertones and a semi-matte finish.
- Mostly opaque pigmentation but sheered out as soon as it was blended out
- Drier, almost crumbly, texture; fallout from applicator but also during application
- Did not adhere well to bare skin, applicator worthless, had to be pressed firmly onto skin with fingertip
- Short-wearing (faded after six hours of wear)
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Dior Rivage #5 (LE, ).
- Pat McGrath Inferno (PiP, $25.00).
- LORAC Rose Quartz (LE, $19.00).
- Chanel Intensite #2 (LE, ).
- NARS Orgasm IV (LE, $19.00).
- Tarte Glam Girl (LE, ).
- Make Up For Ever ME612 Silver Brown (P, $17.00).
- Lisa Eldridge Emily (P, $27.00).
- Natasha Denona Lavender Gray (40M) (PiP, $29.00).
- Melt Cosmetics Warehouse Party (LE, ).
Formula Overview
$40.00/0.14 oz. - $285.71 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "pearlescent and intense pigments" that deliver "vibrant color with a satin sheen." The texture was described "as fine as a puff of dust, becoming creamy upon application" and has "8 hours" of wear. The sponge-tip applicator was designed to be used directly on the lids.
Loose eyeshadow is typically more difficult to work with than pressed eyeshadow, so I feel like most buyers are looking for something extra about a loose formula, and there was absolutely nothing special about these... and they were particularly challenging to work with. I was surprised at how NOT finely-milled the texture was myself; there was a general dryness to it that made them prone to sheering out as they did not adhere well to bare skin.
The applicator made exacerbated that--the only way I could really get them to adhere decently was to really press it into the skin and do almost no blending as blending resulted in some of it disappearing and some of it resulting in fall out. Speaking of fall out, there was a significant amount of product fallout--aka waste--every time I opened it, as that applicator did not hold the product well. It was also very short/stubby, which may not be comfortable to hold in the hand for some.
One of my favorite parts about Chanel's eyeshadow quads is that they tend to sit well on bare skin, but these emphasized dryness and imperfections. They lasted six hours before showing signs of fading.
Browse all of our Chanel Ombre Premier Libre swatches.
Ingredients
TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE | JOJOBA ESTERS | DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE | SILICA | DEXTRIN ISOSTEARATE | ETHYLHEXYL POLYHYDROXYSTEARATE | SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE | MAGNESIUM STEARATE | C8-12 ACID TRIGLYCERIDE | CAPRYLYL GLYCOL | 1,2-HEXANEDIOL | POTASSIUM SORBATE | CHLORPHENESIN | LAUROYL LYSINE | ALUMINA | TOCOPHEROL | CELLULOSE | TIN OXIDE | [+ / - (MAY CONTAIN) | CI 75470 (CARMINE) | CI 77000 (ALUMINUM POWDER) | CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) | CI 77163 (BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE) | CI 77288 (CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS) | CI 77491, | CI 77492, | CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) | CI 77510 (FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77510 (FERRIC FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77742 (MANGANESE VIOLET) | CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) | MICA] | BS000150B
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Chene Brun (404)
LELimited Edition. $40.00.
Cedre Cuivre (406)
Chanel Cedre Cuivre (406) Ombre Premier Libre ($40.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a light-medium, slightly muted, copper with moderate, warm orange undertones and a pearl finish.
- Mostly opaque pigmentation but sheered out as soon as it was blended out
- Drier, almost crumbly, texture; fallout from applicator but also during application
- Did not adhere well to bare skin, applicator worthless, had to be pressed firmly onto skin with fingertip
- Short-wearing (faded after six hours of wear)
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes #6 (LE, ).
- ColourPop Lil Orb (LE, $4.50).
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Day Eyes (Enhance) (LE, ).
- Charlotte Tilbury Copper Charge #3 (PiP, ).
- Sydney Grace Blushed (P, $6.00).
- ColourPop Bird Brain (LE, $4.50).
- Laura Mercier Copper (LE, $23.00).
- Sydney Grace Guardian Angels (DC, $5.00).
- NARS Delirium (LE, $19.00).
- NARS Tantric (LE, $19.00).
Formula Overview
$40.00/0.14 oz. - $285.71 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "pearlescent and intense pigments" that deliver "vibrant color with a satin sheen." The texture was described "as fine as a puff of dust, becoming creamy upon application" and has "8 hours" of wear. The sponge-tip applicator was designed to be used directly on the lids.
Loose eyeshadow is typically more difficult to work with than pressed eyeshadow, so I feel like most buyers are looking for something extra about a loose formula, and there was absolutely nothing special about these... and they were particularly challenging to work with. I was surprised at how NOT finely-milled the texture was myself; there was a general dryness to it that made them prone to sheering out as they did not adhere well to bare skin.
The applicator made exacerbated that--the only way I could really get them to adhere decently was to really press it into the skin and do almost no blending as blending resulted in some of it disappearing and some of it resulting in fall out. Speaking of fall out, there was a significant amount of product fallout--aka waste--every time I opened it, as that applicator did not hold the product well. It was also very short/stubby, which may not be comfortable to hold in the hand for some.
One of my favorite parts about Chanel's eyeshadow quads is that they tend to sit well on bare skin, but these emphasized dryness and imperfections. They lasted six hours before showing signs of fading.
Browse all of our Chanel Ombre Premier Libre swatches.
Ingredients
TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE | JOJOBA ESTERS | DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE | SILICA | DEXTRIN ISOSTEARATE | ETHYLHEXYL POLYHYDROXYSTEARATE | SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE | MAGNESIUM STEARATE | C8-12 ACID TRIGLYCERIDE | CAPRYLYL GLYCOL | 1,2-HEXANEDIOL | POTASSIUM SORBATE | CHLORPHENESIN | LAUROYL LYSINE | ALUMINA | TOCOPHEROL | CELLULOSE | TIN OXIDE | [+ / - (MAY CONTAIN) | CI 75470 (CARMINE) | CI 77000 (ALUMINUM POWDER) | CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) | CI 77163 (BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE) | CI 77288 (CHROMIUM OXIDE GREENS) | CI 77491, | CI 77492, | CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) | CI 77510 (FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77510 (FERRIC FERROCYANIDE) | CI 77742 (MANGANESE VIOLET) | CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) | MICA] | BS000150B
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
I’m sorry you had to waste your time reviewing all of the shades, Christine! Thank you for doing so.
Gotta say, I feel really bad for anyone who ordered any of these loose pigments with this level of disastrous performance at that steep price point. I have seen a few YouTubers finagle it using a brush and applying these damp, but I just don’t believe that anyone ought to have to put so much into getting a $40 single pigment to work. And neither did those reviewers!
Oh, I see now these are eyeshadows (I honestly thought they were lame lippies or beastly blushes). What dumb packaging for a dreadful product. And they’re not exactly “budget”!
The trouble is the shade colours are lovely – just perfect for autumn. I thought that the applicator was an issue as well as the formula. Honestly Christine, you’ve had no real luck – half the products out there in the makeup marketplace seem to be rubbish, no matter what the brand.
I was just going to comment on how nice some of these colors are! What a shame they didn’t work out. This packaging looks interesting for on-the-go application especially but it doesn’t seem to work in practice, with this formula at least. Too bad they’re a bit pricey as well!
I just watched another reviewer today who struggled to get them on her eyes and then said how beautiful they were and how she was going to get more. She kept wiping fallout away and even mentioned that in wiping the fallout it had displaced her base. She did just take a small packer brush and dipped it right into the pigment, foregoing the awful applicator but as she tried to get the excess off the brush it was going on the table in front of her. I am with Nancy, they may look wonderful after you finally get them on but at this price point, they should be perfection.
My SA showed me these and when she went ahead and swatched the shades, they crumbled and fell everywhere. Hot mess galore. Definite pass. Thank you for your effort reviewing them for us Christine!
I guess a good primer might make these perform better. At the Chanel price point though, they should work really well with or without help. I think they should have skipped the applicator, maybe sent a lose one along as they do (did) with the quads, but a longer one so the bottom of the container could be reached.
With so many good performing, much less expensive makeup these aren’t what I’m dreaming about.
I do wish they had made one of the lovely quads a cool toned one, I would have been all over it. That type of formula, I would pay for.
Anyway, thanks for reviewing these, Christine!