Reds and shimmer make a Chanel Christmas

The problem with red lipstick is also why so many women love it: it’s such a standout. It stands out when it’s perfect and it stands out when it’s not. This is why finding the right red can be tricky — on some skin tones, an orange red looks tacky, on others, it looks exotic and alluring. On some skin tones, bluish reds bring out their best features, the color of the eyes, the pink in the skin; on others, bluish reds are so overwhelming, only their lips can be seen. On me, a vivid siren red, I have found through numerous failed reds, is best. It’s not the easiest color to wear. The slightest smudge spells disaster, but wear it well, with a lined lip, a primed perimeter and a practiced but relaxed pout and you’re set.

For the holidays, red is the color to finish a look with. It is festive, polished and timeless — which makes it perfect in photos, not a color like, say, hot pink, which years later could beg the question, “What was I thinking?” Chanel’s Christmas 2013 collection, Nuit Infinie de Chanel or Infinite Night, carries alluring reds with nudes and browns and bronzes that can give you a holiday glow. It’s a bold, sexy collection of evening makeup that, to me, appears to be anchored on its reds — Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Précieusé, a vibrant red, and Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Rubis. You can match your nails with your lips, wear a little black dress, and you’re all set.

For the eyes, Ombres Matelassées de Chanel created one palette, Charming, which contains five shadows neatly lined up and stamped with the iconic quilted Chanel motif: the elegant rectangular case opens up to reveal a wealth of materials and variations. Five timeless shades or beige, bronze and violet plum shadows can be blended to create different combinations and control intensity.

Illusion D’Ombre consist of balms of iridescent eye shadow in glass pots, which can be applied with a light tap of your ring finger on the corner of the eye for subtle glamour, or traced along the eyelid like an eyeliner for a more intense look. The collection includes two original shades: Initiation, a platinum bronze, and Fatal, a silvery plum taupe.

To accentuate eye makeup, Ligne Graphique de Chanel in a khaki bronze shade works well with the rest of the collection. And for a final touch, there’s Cils Scintillants mascara in Bronze Platine, which subtly catches light and leaves metallic points at the tips of the lashes for a glittery gaze that lasts all night.

For the lips, colors are daring. Aside from reds, Rouge Allure Infinite Night also carries La Desirée, an intense burgundy that’s both classic and provocative, and Radieuse, a bluish, ultra feminine pink.

For the face, Joues Contraste in Accent diffuses soft color on the cheekbones with a rosy beige shade with pink and gold pearls that subtly revive the skin tone.

Poudre Universelle Libre in Moon Light is a loose powder that shimmers with gold and bronze pearlizers. Dab onto the face or swipe across the décolleté for a festive final touch.

During the holidays, the nights seem infinite, parties go on and on and cameras flash nonstop. When you find yourself with a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, look to the palette Christmastime for some fashion inspiration: when in doubt, wear red and shimmer on.

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Chanel Nuit Infinie De Chanel: Christmas 2013 makeup collection is exclusively available at Rustan’s.