I don’t usually indulge in “dupes” posts, but I’ve been beavering away trying to find a good alternative to the red shade in Chanel’s Candeur et Experience palette (shade on the far left above), a palette which sold out, unsurprisingly, almost the moment it landed on the shelves. If you want to witness the gorgeous eye-brightening effect of this autumnal red then do refer back to my original Chanel post – the Eros eyeliner was also a total winner, also sold out, but – thank me later – I’ve also managed to find a close-ish match for that. Hurrah!

I tried about a dozen or so different shadows in an attempt to find a good match to Chanel’s matte, brickish red, but it was Make Up Forever’s “M738” that came up trumps. (It’s the single shadow in the larger pan, photographed above.) A really close call, I think. If it was the red from the Le Rouge collection palette that took your fancy the most then MUFE’s version is a safe bet. Ever so slightly lighter and warmer, but brilliant pay-off and longevity and so soft and easily blendable. £13 online here, if you want to give it a go!

If you might prefer something a tiny bit brighter and lighter then MAC’s shadow in Coppering (the smaller single shadow on the far right above) has a brilliant sheen to it, it really lifts the eye area and is slightly more forgiving than the brickish matte red. It’s less edgy, less…editorial looking. You can find that here online – it’s also £13. Here’s the line up swatched on my hand – Chanel, MUFE, MAC:

And the eyeliner?

Chanel’s Eros was the most beautiful, sultry sort of plummy-red-brown. So unusual, and so incredibly flattering. It was harder to find a close match for this liner, but KIKO’s Spicy Burgundy was near enough and had the same soft application and good longevity. In some ways, KIKO’s liner is easier to wear – you can see a comparison of the shades below. KIKO’s is on the left, Chanel’s on the right:

Yes, Eros is more red, but it’s very difficult to tell once you have them on. And, as I said, KIKO’s is a bit more pedestrian, so perhaps you’d end up wearing it more often. It’s a total steal at just £7.90 online here.

So there you go – if you were lusting after some Chanel Le Rouge but arrived too late for the party, I’ve got your back. Nothing can ever replace the lovely feeling of opening the little Chanel makeup boxes, but if you’re desperate to replicate that Kristen Stewart red-eyed campaign look then my picks are good options. Take a look at my Chanel Le Rouge video if you’d like to see the original products in action!