Face: Chanel by Lloyd Cassler

Doesn't this face look photoshopped? That is the magic of Chanel in the hands of Lloyd Cassler.

At Best Things in Beauty's recommendation, I made an appointment with Lloyd Cassler of Chanel at Saks Mazza during the Care for Kids charity event. Yesterday evening the place was packed, and despite the chaos swirling around us, Lloyd gave me his undivided attention. Actually, the setting seemed to fit his dynamic style of working. He will quickly and decisively apply something to your face, then step back and freeze like a painter or sculptor as he judges his own work, then step back in and adjust, bringing in other colors and tools as needed, occasionally zooming across the floor to retrieve something himself. I am deaf, and Lloyd readily communicated makeup instructions and tips to me via gestures and notes (it also helps that he's very easy to lip-read!). I walked away with not just lovely Chanel products, but also a wealth of knowledge.

On my face Lloyd used Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 in B30 Beige-Sable. He emphasized that I should use this foundation more as a concealer, merely blending down the bridge of my nose and outward along the naso-labial folds, chin, and forehead. My foundation shouldn't be a mask, and indeed Vitalumiere Aqua felt weightless on my skin. I also appreciate the fact that it has mineral SPF in addition to chemical SPF.

I had told Lloyd that I liked a bold red lip, and otherwise to have fun. For my eyes, he chose the Les 4 Ombres Regard Perle Quadra. First he took the bottom two shades on the brush simultaneously and applied them all over the eyelid. Then he took the top two shades, again simultaneously, and blended them along the crease all around the eye orb. Under the brows he laid down the gold shade, then layered the pink shade thickly along the inside of the top lash line, and finally applied the darkest shade to both the top and bottom lash lines.

By the way, I initially misread the darkest shade as a simple black-gray. It wasn't until I looked at other swatches online that I realized it's actually a dark sea-green. It's a lovely, luxurious color. This versatile quad is a good addition to my burgeoning collection.

Before the eyeshadow, he lined my upper lash line with Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Ebene; afterward, he showed me how I could amp the look up for evening by lining my top lash line with Automatic Liquid Eyeliner in Brun. The brown is so dark it looks black at first glance. Lloyd then enhanced my lashes with Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir, demonstrating his unique technique: first, hold the wand vertically and run it along the very tips of your lashes, then go horizontal and gently brush the top side of your lashes before switching to the bottom side as usual. He only did the upper lashes, and left the bottom lashes alone. Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Naturel cleaned up my brows.

For my cheeks, he chose the flattering Joues Contraste in Rose Ecrin. He also cooled down my natural redness with a pale pink-lavender blush, the name of which I didn't catch. For under my eyes and spot treatment, he used Correcteur Perfection in 20 Beige Ivoire; he'd also repurposed it as eyeshadow primer. To finish off my face, he swiped Base Lumiere Illuminating Makeup Base on top of my foundation, explaining that this method lights up the face. Last but not least, he honored my request for a bold lip and took inspiration from the holiday collection: Rouge Allure Famous with Extrait de Gloss Triomphal layered on top, lined with Aqua Crayon Lip Colour Stick in Spice. What a red!

Lloyd Cassler gave me a simple but sophisticated fall/winter look that can easily be adapted to either daytime or evening wear. I swear I didn't touch these photos. It's all Lloyd and Chanel.

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