Why not a mascara in ‘Kill Bill’ yellow?

MANILA, Philippines - A few things came to mind when I first laid my eyes on Chanel’s new yellow Inimitable Waterproof Mascara from its L’Été Papillon de Chanel collection. First was Uma Thurman a.k.a. The Bride’s iconic suit in Kill Bill, second was Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s cheerleader outfit in Death Proof, and finally, Bruce Willis’ robe in Pulp Fiction. So I like to call the poppy shade “Tarantino yellow,” which fits its intensity and daring to a T.

Summer comes a-fluttering: The butterfly-inspired L’Été Papillon de Chanel Le Vernis in Lilis, Lévres Scintillantes in Envolée, Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Zest and Blue Note, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Black Stream, Blue Bay and Moon River

Chanel presents its new collection of makeup as a flirty, feminine palette fit for the summer, but this doesn’t mean it can’t have an edge. On the contrary, the collection seems to be quite the edgy move, but the elegance that swathes anything Chanel is not lost. When viewed as a collection for the first time, you get an onslaught of intimidating colors — a flash of cobalt, a pop of coral, a hint of mint. But once seen individually, without their posse, they become desirable additions to the summer palette.

To me, the Inimitable Waterproof Mascara line steals the show with its three colors — Blue Note (an intense cobalt), Lime Light (a fresh mint) and Zest (Tarantino yellow). The formula glides smoothly on lashes and is truly waterproof — it peels off instead of dissolving when met with warm water and soap. But the best part is how it doesn’t coat your eyelashes entirely and deposits pigment only at the tip so you really do end up with eyes that seem to flutter like a butterfly.

Although, of course, Chanel’s Le Vernis will always be a favorite, being one of the more long-lasting, chip-free nail lacquers on the market. Its coral-esque shade Lilis proves to be the new red this summer, as it goes with anything — from the very Karl Lagerfeld blacks and whites of Chanel spring/summer 2013 to the tropical hues of L’Été Papillon de Chanel.

The summer also brings easy-to-use eye shadow sticks. Chanel’s Stylo Yeux Waterproof is loaded with shimmer and intense color in Black Stream, Blue Bay, Moon River, Cool Gold, Pink Lagoon and Jade Shore. I must warn you, what you see on the stick is what you get; don’t go underestimating them, thinking the color would go on translucent, or the shimmer, restrained.

Recently, Chanel announced that long-time Lagerfeld muse Diane Kruger is the new face of Chanel beauty. This leads me to wonder how Kruger would wear yellow mascara, or if she would wear it at all, at the back of my mind thinking that if she wouldn’t wear it, how can we? As the images from L’Été Papillon de Chanel suggest, the best way to wear all these bold colors is to wear them full on. Own it, as they say. Anyway, how can you go wrong with a little Chanel?

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L’Été Papillon de Chanel is exclusively available at Rustan’s.