If you’re looking for one luxe item to add life to your summer makeup bag then you could do worse than Chanel’s Empreinte Du Désert eyeshadow quad. I’ve been using it for the past month or so, almost on a daily basis, and it has the perfect trio of shimmery, simmering hot shades as well as the usual Chanel “wildcard” shade in a contrasting tone.

And for once, I’m actually using the contrasting – or accent – tone, which in this case is a very pretty green. A sort of sparkling khaki – more vivid than khaki, actually, but not one of those acid-brights or near-neon colours that tend to pop up in summer palettes. This is wearable and flattering and blends beautifully with the shimmering gold, beige and chocolatey brown.

For a simple daytime look, I’ve been using the two lighter shades across the lid, moving towards the darker of the two as I reach the outer corners. Then a teeny bit of the darkest brown in a “v” shape along the top and bottom lash-line right at the edges.

In the pictures here, I’ve ramped it up a bit more by smudging the deepest brown shade into the bottom lash-line until about halfway along towards the inner corner, using the khaki green in the inner corner and blending out. I also used the smokey eyeliner brush from Bobbi Brown to create a tiny “flick” at the outer corners with the dark brown, blending it out so that it was almost imperceptible. It’s barely noticeable, really, but it does elongate the eyes. Though it requires a little more practice than I demonstrate in these photos – I had the baby in my lap and I wasn’t giving it my full concentration!

Chanel’s eye quads very often end up being my most-used makeup items in any given season – I think it’s because they are so compact and the shades so easy to blend together. There’s always one colour that works really well on its own to brighten up the lids and can be quickly swept across with a fluffy brush to create a polished look in no time at all. And it’s usually such a delectable little foursome of shades – I like that it’s all been pre-curated, a bit like a capsule wardrobe, and that the hassle of decision-making has been removed from the equation. It’s expensive, obviously, but the resulting looks are always top-notch and Empreinte Du Désert, with its smouldering tones, is no exception. It makes me yearn for a trip to somewhere exotic where I can float about in a black kaftan and wear chunky gold jewellery.

Keep on dreaming, Crilly.

You can find Chanel’s Empreinte Du Désert Quadra Eyeshadow Palette at Boots here – it’s £42.

If luxe is not an option this summer then I can also highly, highly recommend British Beauty Blogger’s Fortune Favours the Brave palette, which is packed full of gorgeous shimmers. At £9.99 has to be one of the best value shadow collections I’ve seen. Find it online here.