Chanel • Ombre Essentielle - 417 Beige Lame • Eye Shadow

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catpie on 3/14/2012 1:09:00 AM more reviews by catpie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I picked this up mostly on a whim - I had heard some hype about it and came across it at my chanel counter - I picked it up mostly because I thought if I changed my mind it might be sold out.

The first time I tried it on my eyes my reaction was totally "bleh" nothing special. BUT, and maybe this is the pigmentation issue others are complaining about, when I pack it on my lids using a mac 239 it gives the most beautiful sandy colour and you can really notice the lovely multi-colour micro glitter. It's slightly warm but not orangey and remains neutral and subtle but really pretty.

I'm not sure it's necessarily worth the hype but I do find it a lovely shadow and I don't have anything else similar.

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Newyorking on 3/1/2012 11:21:00 PM more reviews by Newyorking

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I am so disappointed with this product. I tried it in store before buying, it looked like a nice basic color to apply before using darker colors as eyeshadow. I brought this home and used it the next day, there is barely any pigment and it looks like plain transparent shimmer. I am so disappointed because this product is expensive, but there is hardly any pigmentation. Chanel's bright lights at their counter totally deceived me! I would not recommend this color. It looks absolutely beautiful when you look at it like a mix of different bluish shimmery color on beige, but there is no pigmentation. Just my luck, I purchased this with Fauve which is also not pigmented, I could use both interchangeably for a base shimmer. I have such bad luck in eyeshadow! My color is medium fair, but my eyelids are slightly darker so its difficult to find a well-pigmented color that works. I would think this color would work only on very fair porcelain skin since the color would stand out or look more pigmented on fairer skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tstgirl on 1/28/2012 8:37:00 AM more reviews by tstgirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This is not what i was expected it to be. It looked so nice on blogs but I have to keep building on this eyeshadow before it shows up. Im light to med skin, nc30 and this barely shows up. When it finally shows, it is a nice neutral shade, it looks a bit like urban decay naked eyeshadow but with shimmer. I used a primer underneath but i really had to pack the shadow on. In the end it is a pretty neutral shadow but not worth the price. Have to keep reminding myself, what works for others doesnt always work for u.

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clandis on 1/14/2012 9:53:00 PM more reviews by clandis

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Beautiful in the pan, but doesn't show up on me, and has UD level fallout.

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*TOP REVIEWER* stilagrrrl on 12/28/2011 12:57:00 PM more reviews by stilagrrrl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have to agree with Abfabjeanius's review - this is a beautiful shade but just didn't work with my NC15-20 coloring and light brown eyes. It looks like a true beige with blue-green microglitter in the pan and when I swatched it on my hand, but on my lids it appeared darker and had a distinct orange undertone, making me look tired and washed out. Not flattering. Oh, and the glitter gets EVERYWHERE unless you use the shadow wet. Paired with a bronzer or peachy blush and nude lips I think this would be gorgeous on blue, green and hazel eyes and slightly medium skin (NC25 or so), but it didn't work for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* abfabjeanius on 12/23/2011 11:59:00 AM more reviews by abfabjeanius

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I hate to be the party pooper here, but I really didn't love Beige Lame. It is sort of a shimmery nude-beige-bronze shade in the pan, with lots of multi-colored glitter in it. On my skintone (NC20'ish), it is slightly darker and warmer than my skin.

That being said, it doesn't look that attractive when used as an all-over wash. It just doesn't brighten my eyes or skintone. Maybe it would look better if I had green or hazel eyes, but with my dark brown eyes, it is really blah.

It looks better in the crease, especially paired with a black or dark shade on the lid, but then I find the glitter and shine to be a bit distracting. (I prefer something more satin-y in the crease.)

Overall, I still gave it a 4, because I'm sure it looks good on someone (as evidenced in the previous reviews) -- but for myself, it was a waste of $30.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Vittoriak on 12/21/2011 2:20:00 AM more reviews by Vittoriak

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This eyeshadow looks ordinary but it is anything but! The blue, gold, pink, violet microglitters in the eyeshadow make it outstanding! The glitters are so refined that it doesn't make you looking like a glitterball, or not sophisticated. I use it as a all-over lid colour as it is slightly darker than my skin colour. (I am a NC 20-25.) I love it so much!

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*TOP REVIEWER* LUVrascal on 11/18/2011 7:09:00 PM more reviews by LUVrascal

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I wish this wasn't a limited edition! It's so beautiful, like a dressed up, glitzed out version of Sand. My favorite crease color is Chanel's Sand, and I use it often. This is so similar in color, the same neutral, flattering light brown, but this has a soft shimmer and micro-fine glitter in a rainbow of color. Green, gold, silver, coral, pink... it's all in there. The glitter is subtle despite the color, nothing chunky or over the top. Completely wearable for perfect for everyday use. The shimmer and colorful glitter/glimmer just adds a radiance to the brown.


This has the same velvety texture and even finish of most of the Chanel shadows. The quality shows. Mostly I use this in the crease, but it looks equally good all over the eyelid.


Of the whole Winter 2011 collection, this was my favorite product, even surpassing the highlighter. I collect highlighters and absolutely love them, so that's saying something. At first glance this might seem like another unassuming brown, but take another look and you'll be convinced that it's fantastic and unique.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cerulfox on 11/10/2011 11:28:00 PM more reviews by cerulfox

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Black    

#417 Beige Lame' was my first Chanel eyeshadow purchase, and I'm glad I picked it up! It's an LE shadow from the Holiday 2011 collection, a neutral beige with pink, teal, and clear sparkle. The glitter is small and adds a fun kick to this neutral shade without going disco-ball shiny or looking like a tween. The effect is subtle, mature, and sophisticated. Beige Lame' is perfect for days when you don't want to do an overly complicated (and time-consuming) eye look but want something a bit more than a bare lid. It nearly blends into my NC44ish skin, so I imagine Beige Lame' will be darker on paler ladies and potentially ashy on darker lovelies. There *is* a little sparkle fall out towards the end of the day, but it doesn't look like there's giant chunks of glitter on your face and doesn't go into contacts. The shadow itself isn't gritty despite the sparkle and is smooth, soft, and easy to apply.


Chanel packaging is sophisticated as always, but a bit too much plastic considering how much shadow you're actually getting. I was actually surprised at how small the shadow itself was when I opened the case. You don't need to pile it on for it to show up though, and patting it over a good primer will keep it and the sparkles on all day with no creasing. I believe the embossed Chanel logo goes all the way down as I've used Beige Lame' daily for over a week and I've yet to scuff it. Pricey at $28.50, but the color is so unique and well-made that it's worth the cost. As Beige Lame is LE for Holiday 2011 I'd pick one up ASAP if you're debating it, and it's most definitely backup-worthy.

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