An Enigma and a Paradox(al) from fall...

No, I 'm not speaking in riddles here, I 'm actually talking about two of the most coveted makeup items from Chanel's fall makeup collection: the Enigma eyeshadow quad and the nail polish in Paradoxal.

Now, I don't know if you remember the single eyeshadows from this collection - Vert Khaki was the khaki green and Taupe Grise was the grey taupe with the purple undertones - but what I had noticed about them, was that they were both very similar to two of the eyeshadows in the Enigma quad. And since I wanted both of the singles at that time, I figured I might as well go for the quad - after all, I 'd be getting two more colours plus a lot of sparkliness: naturally, I was sold!




The quad consists of a light golden pink and three darker shades: a khaki, a purple/charcoal and a muddy eggplant, that have noticeable amounts of grey in them, making them ideal for a different version of a smokey eye.
All four of the colours are sparkly; the light pink and the darker purple are more subtle in that aspect, while the khaki and purple grey contain a larger amount of glitter particles, as you can see on the swatches above: the second and fourth swatch, since the swatches were done clockwise.

I found the pigmentation satisfying and the consistency easy to work with. Keep in mind though, that I don't have a huge experience with the quality of Chanel quads, however I consider Enigma to be more of a hit than a miss. Of course, there will be some fall down, due to the sparkliness, but nothing too dramatic.



And that's my look with this quad (khaki shade all over the lid, darker purple for crease and lower lashline, sparkly purple grey on the outer third and light pink as an inner corner highlighter). For the upper lashline I used MAC Blacktrack fluidline and for the lower one, besides the eyeshadow, I used Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Violet(amaaazing especially for those with lighter skintones).
FOTN-wise, NARS Angelika blush and MAC Blankety lipstick complement the look.


But, to fully complete this greyish purple colour theme, we need a nail polish too, right?
So, we need... Chanel Paradoxal... or maybe not: Barry M Dusky Mauve does the job just as well.

And here's the photo-evidence:



Paradoxal is on my first two fingernails and Dusky Mauve (ps Thank You Lydia) on the rest two. Can you spot the difference? I can't. Well, maybe Paradoxal is like 1.2% more purple than Dusky Mauve, but maybe I think that because my eyes are playing tricks on me, trying to find a difference.
Gorgeous shade though - dark, sophisticated and with the subtlest fuchsia shimmer to add some dimension. I suggest you go grab a bottle of the Barry M version asap!

Now, yes, this isn't exactly a fair post, since these items were LE, but I thought they were worth mentioning. The Enigma quad would make an amazing Christmas/New Years present too if you can still find it (I spotted one at my Sephora not too long ago), in my eyes it has the character that the Holiday quad (Tentation Cuivree or whatever) lacks.

Perhaps Barry M can take note? How awesome would that be (just an idea here)?!

What do you guys think? Would you go for a khaki/purple smokey eye?
And have u ever come across a dupe that's identical to the original? Do share!

What's your opinion?

  1. I would totally go for a khaki/purple smokey look! I love how that quad looks, I have to confess that I didn't even know it existed! Oops! I knew about Vert Khaki(thanks to Temptalia) and have wanted it since first seeing it on her blog, it's so gorgeous! These colors look so pretty with your eye color, lucky girl! :) Wow I'm shocked to see there is an exact dupe for Paradoxal! We unfortunately don't have Barry M in the US but even with shipping I'm sure it'll still be much less expensive than a bottle of Chanel nail polish :) Thanks for sharing lady, great & informative post! xoxo

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  2. omg, that quad looks gorgeous! My cousin told me about it a while back but I forgot about it til now. I love the look you came up with too! The US version of the Chanel Paradoxal dupe is Revlon Perplex (which I have but I don't have Paradoxal) and based on swatches I've seen of the two side by side, the Chanel looks more shimmery and a little bit prettier in my opinion. Darn it! :)

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  3. I'll totally go for this look!!You look gorgeous!!And this Chanel quad it seems that it has amazing and pigmented eyeshadows!Thanks for letting me know hun!I think I 'm going to check this out for my Christmas present!!hehe
    And thanks for the Chanel/Barry M dupe!!!
    xxx

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  4. Wow, I could not tell believe how close Barry M Dusky Mauve is to Chanel Paradoxal. I cannot tell the difference! But it's a gorgeous colour.
    And I love your smokey eye using the quad :) I'd definitely go with the quad instead of the single shadows if the single shades were so similar to the ones in the quad. Plus, I find once a shade gets enough grey undertones and is dark enough, they start looking quite similar when worn!
    Absolutely I'd wear khaki and purple shadows :) Purples are my probably my second favourite colour range to wear after browns for eyeshadow.
    Hmmm...and I cannot think of a dupe that's as good as the original. I guess because my makeup is always low end to mid range pricing so I never really have to worry about looking for a more affordable alternative ;)

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  5. Oooh, this looks good, i would go for the the khaki/purple look and the polish! How similar are they?

    x.o.x.o

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  6. Oooh, this looks good, i would go for the the khaki/purple look and the polish! How similar are they?

    x.o.x.o

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  7. Oooh, this looks good, i would go for the the khaki/purple look and the polish! How similar are they?

    x.o.x.o

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  8. Your eyes are so beautiful and these colors really compliment them. This looks like a nice palette and the colors seem to be pigmented. I have a Chanel travel palette which is fine for a soft morning look but I have tried a few other palettes and I wasn't crazy about the pigmentation. Too soft for my liking.
    You got a fantastic dupe for the Chanel nail polish there, it looks almost identical. I've never tried Barry M products. Where do you get them from?
    xxx

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  9. WOW! That quad looks beautiful! I am lousy when it comes to managing eyeshadow Fall outs!
    Chanel NP is soo pretty. The dupe is pretty close. Unfortunately, Barry M is not sold here in US...

    btw, did I ever tell ya, you have very beautiful eyes....:)

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  10. Thia is a wonderful look! And something different for nights out! Not the classic black smokey eyes... You have amazing eyes!
    And I loooove the shade of the nail polishes!

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  11. You have amazing eyes! Love the look you created really elegant and sexy (and not too much) That quad looks to have really amazing pigmentation!!! I WANT!!! xx

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  12. Very winterish look.really suits you. Love it x

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  13. Soooo amazing on you! I love when you do FOTDs cause you're such a beautiful girl and you don't show your face enough ;) That quad is so beautiful, and I love the mix of khaki and purple together! Oh and now I want that Clinique liner because of you. It's so pretty on you! I love purples but really don't own any.

    That Barry M color is srsly identical...I was really looking at the picture, and I can't see a difference. Hmmm, perhaps I need to go peruse the Barry M website! Teehee ;)

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  14. I loved the eye make up and the nail polishes too!
    Πραγματικα δεν βλεπω διαφορα!!
    Πολλα φιλια!

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  15. I was wearing Barry M's dusky mauve one day when i went into a makeup department store near me which is mainly for high end stuff and the sales assistant complimented my nails and asked if it was Chanel, so it definatley works as a good dupe :)

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  16. i'd totally go for a khaki/purple smokey eye! i love it and you look beautiful!:) xx

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  17. WOW, similarity is amazing! Absolutely the same, I love it,plus barry m nail polishes are of such a good quality.
    Love the eye look as well, will steal it totally hehehe :p

    And a similar comparison I made between MACs myth lipstick and Natural cosmetics apple blossom that is like less than 2pounds :))

    Loads of love
    Tamara xoxo

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  18. I wouldnt do a purple and khaki eye look, just because purple eyeshadow looks so weird on me. I wish it didn't, because I love purple eyeshadow! I'm still trying to figure out a way to use it without it looking weird. It doesn't go well with my skin tone, but I have green eyes so it looks great with those.

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  19. Wauw I just love your green eyes! The enigma quad looks fab :D

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  20. That is a gorgeous eye look. I'm totally kicking myself for not buying this after reading this post! I think it looks beautiful with the the blush and lipstick you chose too. Thanks for sharing.
    Jane x

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  21. Your eyes look amazing!I'm jealous.I've seen the quad, and I like it, but I'm not an eyeshadow fan, so I won't be buying it (if however Santa feels like bringing it, I won't say no).
    What mascara do you have on?It's great!
    I have the Barry M version and loving it.
    Another dupe I have is Catrice's Sold out for ever, which is a dupe for Chanel Jade.And oh so pretty!
    Filakiaaa!

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  22. @Ebru: Thank you love! :) yes, I figured that it would make a nice alternative to the usual grey or brown smokey eye looks! And, I can't complain, those colours did work in my favour, lol!
    As for the Barry M nail polish, I strongly suggest you order it online, or have sm1 overseas pick it up for you, it's literally indistinguishable from the Chanel one! ;) Thank you for your lovely comment! xxxx


    @WillWorkForMakeup: Thank you dear! :) I wanted to create a darker look that would still include all the colours and look a bit original, imo that's half the fun when trying out new looks! :)
    I didn't know about the Revlon dupe of Paradoxal, I 'm guessing though it's a good alternative to the Barry M one for US beauty addicts! ;) Thank you for sharing! xxx


    @Blushingloves: Aw, thank you my love, you're making me blush! :) I truly hope that Santa is good to you this year, considering how good you've been too, hehe! ;) xoxox


    @Karen: Believe me, I can't spot a difference either and I tested it both under artificial light and during the day.. I think ppl have been trying super hard to spot a difference between these two...!
    And yes, luckily enough the palette had two very similar alternatives to the singles.. granted, the singles would have been probably a little better in quality, but still I 'm very happy with the palette!!!
    I 'd love to see you create a khaki eye look btw! ;) xxx

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  23. Fab post! This quad always catches my eye in stores, I love shimmery pastels and mushroomy greys. I also wasn't sure about paradoxal, but I'll definitely be looking for the barry m dupe!
    Sarah
    sparkle-and-grey.blogspot.com

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  24. @A BRIT GREEK: Thank you dear! If you're asking about the similarity between the two nail polishes, they're practically identical! xx


    @Arietta: Thank you honey! Yes, I think this is a good palette in terms of pigmentation, I do have another one that's pretty much crap, so I think this is quite a good one... Of course, those with a larger Chanel collection have probably witnessed even more pigmented ones - I think that explains why some found this quad mediocre in that aspect!
    Yes, the Barry M is identical to Paradoxal. You can order Barry M online, the nail polishes and dazzledusts are definitely great products to try! :) xxx


    @resham: Thank you for your lovely comment girl! :)
    Thankfully the fall out was minimum and it probably has to do with my crappy application skills that require too much blending, haha! But applying foundation afterwards always saves the day!
    WillWorkForMakeup just commented that Revlon Perplex is similar to Paradoxal, hope this helps! :) xxx


    @ElenaKat: Thank you so much, that's really nice of you to say! And yes, a little colour makes a smokey eye a bit more interesting, no? :) xx

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  25. @Tali-mou: Thank you so so much! :) Comments like this keep me going (and make me think that it's time I actually tackled those OTT dramatic looks..we shall see, hehe)! ;) xoxox


    @λειντι ντι: Thank you my dear! Yes, those colours were definitely spot on for this season and turns out they work together quite nicely too! xx


    @ellamarie84: Haha, well then, I 've tricked you all, cos I hate how I look in 99% of pictures, I look so silly!
    That liner is a nice plum shade and I love it cos I use it for a variety of looks: black, brown and purple. Let me know if u can find swatches online, otherwise, I could blog about it on a separate post!
    And yes, the Barry M IS identical! Lol! ;) xxxx


    @Artemi: Σ'ευχαριστω πολυ κουκλα μου!! Κι οσο για διαφορα...δεν νομιζω οτι υπαρχει! :) xxx

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  26. @Gemma: Lol, if I were you, I 'd totally pretend it was Chanel, haha! :DDD Let the SA wonder, hehe! xxx


    @fashion written with a lipstick: Thank you love, although truth be told, my left side is the best (and I have so uneven characteristics)! Purple and khaki would be stunning on you too, we have similar colours! ;) xxxx


    @Glam and Glitter: Yep, identical, that's what I 'm saying, haha! You can't go wrong with Barry M either, the price and quality is hard to beat!
    And feel free to duplicate this look, I 'd love to see it on you!
    As for Apple Blossom, it runs a lot pinker on me than Myth, but I when I wore both on the lips, the difference wasn't as big as on the hand..! xxx


    @Katie: Judging by your photo, I think you have stunning eyes!!! Have you tried cooler/more grey purples? I think you'd could pull those off easily! xx

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  27. @Delance Fashion: Thank you so much girl! :)) xxxx


    @ModestyBrown: Aw, that's such a sweet comment, thank you! :) And yes, especially Blankety worked great, I wanted to try sth different from the usual bolder nudes and also, sth that wouldn't take the focus off the eyes too!
    xoxo


    @kot-itsa: Νομιζω οτι το πρωτο μου χρωματιστο βερνικι ηταν ενα βαθυ μωβ..κατι λεει αυτο,ε? :) xx


    @Ria: Aw, thank you Ria! :)
    The mascara is L'oreal Volume Collagene, I want to make a post about it at some point! It looks even better at a different angle - when I try to photograph the eyelid, the lashes are captured almost at a parallel angle, still have to work on that one! Lol!
    Catrice is a German brand, right? Do we get it here? Φιλια!! xx

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  28. @sparkle-and-grey: Thank you dear! Sounds like we have quite a similar taste in makeup colours - I swear by greys and shimmers, haha! :) x

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