Chanel Topkapi Regard Signe de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow

Topkapi Regard Signe de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow is the another high point in the Collection Byzance de Chanel. It shouldn't be confused with the Lumières Byzantines de Chanel Palette, a gorgeous jewel-like set of cream gold highlights that was only made in 1500 units and sold out over a month ago (and no, I don't have it. But you can ogle it on Best Things In Beauty and Cafe Makeup). Topkapi, an eye shadow quad in a rich almost creamy texture is more my thing, as it offers great versatility in application, finish and pairing possibilities.

You can get the full metallic effect of Topkapi's four colors if you use a (gasp!) sponge applicator. I'd rather not, unless I'm using any of them as an eyeliner (Sephora actually has a very smooth and dense one in their Professionel Collection that works great for this, as long as I can keep them away from the cats who have a thing for biting the heads off). But since I have few red carpet events and more days and nights out on the town I'd rather use various makeup brushes for a more subtle finish.

The secret is simple: the softer the brush the more sheer the finish, so I've been playing with creating various effects with these four colors, wearing them as a light wash over other eye shadows (the gold in particular is excellent for that), pairing them with others (LMdB Corinthian and/or Jojo in particular) and just having fun realizing how pretty and utterly wearable Topkapi is.

At first glance the palette may look very warm, but take another look: the gold and bronzed brown are, indeed, warm hues. But the light silvery taupe and the dark brown are quite neutral. I can wear a vast array of colors from both families, so this Chanel quad works great for me. I wear the gold lightly in the inner corners and mixed with the brown, the silver taupe as a base and the two browns wherever I want to create depth and dimension. Like the other colors in both Chanel fall collections, I find Topkapi as appealing for summer as I know it would be for fall.

Bottom Line: yes, it's that pretty.

Chanel Topkapi Regard Signe de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow ($65)  is a limited edition item, exclusive to Chanel boutiques around the world (the ones that carry the beauty and fragrance line) and apparently also to Bloomingdale's flagship store in NYC (as of last week neither Saks nor Bergdorf were going to carry it). Currently also available on chanel.com (USA only).

All photos are mine.