Chantecaille Lion Collection Luminescent Eye Shades | Every year, the brand releases a new collection under their philanthropic “Beauty with Impact” conservation program, and every year, I look forward to this particular product. This year’s collection is said to give back to the Lion Guardians and their important conservation work protecting lions in Kenya.
The Luminescent Eye Shades are a baked gelée (or gel-powder) formula that offers a really special smoothness and luminosity to the lids. They are one of my favorite eyeshadow formulas in my collection, and as someone who gets regular use out of single eyeshadows, you will always find at least one in my vanity.
Note: The swatches of the Lion Collection-specific shades are split, with the left side being more sheer and the right side being more opaque. The comparison swatches farther down are all full opacity.
With this collection brought three new shades: Narika (matte golden beige), Selenkay (rose shimmering sand), and Martii (deep chocolate).
Narika is described as a matte but is closer to what I would consider a satin. It’s not flat at all as it contains some of that gentle luminosity and therefore still lends some brightness and “life” to the lids.
Selenkay is the most luminous out of all three and is an absolute stunner. It might actually be my favorite shade they’ve ever released – though I’ll need more time to confirm as that’s quite a statement! It’s quite like a lighter rosy taupe in person, and taupe + I are like this 🤞 It’s most similar to Pinto but a little lighter and less warm. On deeper skin tones, the differences is probably quite minimal. I’d love to see this one made permanent as with Roan (Mustang).
Martii sits right in between the two in terms of luminosity and is the darkest of the three. It’s a really nice shade to offer dimension without being overly shimmery as a deepening shade, and the reddish undertones make it both meld really well with the other tones and give it a bit of uniqueness.
I’ve also included my other more shimmery luminescent eye shades so that you can directly see the differences (including the Selenkay/Pinto comparison).
We also saw a slight change to the packaging this year, which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. It’s the same compact as previous years, but instead of the casing being a metallic graphite color, it’s described as a metallic olive green.
Do I think they’re overpriced? Yes, of course – no single eyeshadow needs to cost $58. Do I ever regret purchasing them? No. Whether something is “worth it” is a very personal evaluation dependent on a lot of factors, but they are for me personally considering how much I love and use the shades.
Regarding the brand’s philanthropy, I don’t find them to be overly transparent about their donations but have read that generally 5% is sent to the receiving organization. It’s worth noting that you can always donate directly to these programs where your dollar will go further, so I don’t see it as a reason to purchase but rather a side benefit.
What did you pick up from this beautiful collection?
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