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Chanel Beauty Spring-Summer 2020

January 14, 2020

Chanel Beauty Spring-Summer 2020 just launched and it offers the prettiest palette of soft neutrals for the new year. I’ve been playing with the items for a few weeks now and love everything. The colors are soft and glowy for a new fresh look. You can find all the pieces available now at Chanel.com. The Chanel beauty team sent the collection for review and I have swatches of everything today including:

Illuminating Powder in Eclat du Desert ($70 for 11g/0.38 oz)
Baume Essentiel in Golden Light ($45 for 8g/0.28 oz)
Les 4 Ombres in Elemental and Warm Memories ($62 for 2 g)
Stylo Ombre et Contour in Contour Mauve and Contour Brun ($34 for 0.8 g/0.02 oz)
Ombre Premiere Laque in 5 shades ($36 for 6 ml)
Rouge Allure in Rouge Brulant ($38 for 3.5 g)
Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Endless ($38)
Le Vernis in Daydream and Mirage ($28 for 13 ml)

Illuminating Powder

The Illuminating Powder Elcat du Desert is one of the softest highlighting powders I’ve ever tried. It’s quite powdery with a lot of kick up on a brush but blends beautifully and seamlessly on the skin. It’s a soft cool-toned pink embossed with a pattern that looks like a desert. The texture is smooth and gives the skin a really pretty glow. I find it unique enough to justify owning even with all the other highlighter options out there. Lasting power is excellent – it stays put all day. Pigment is soft but buildable. It’s smooth and doesn’t emphasize texture or pores on my face.

Baume Essentiel

This is my first time trying the Baume Essentiel. The new shade for spring is Golden Light which is a sheer golden bronze. I would love this in a pigmented powder, gloss or eyeshadow form – I think the color is truly gorgeous! The baume itself is ultra dewy and glossy. If you like the concept of a dewy highlight like the RMS Living Luminizers, then you’ll love these. My bestie has been raving about the original Baume Essentiel for months wondering why I didn’t buy it. Dewy balms for the face aren’t my thing – but Golden Light is fun to play around with. I see myself wearing it more on the lips vs face.

On my medium skin once it’s blended it pretty much disappears into a very subtle glossy glow. It almost matches my skin tone. If you have fair or light skin tones it will most likely look deeper and give you more of a bronzed look.

Les 4 Ombres

There are two new Les 4 Ombres quads for spring. Elemental is the prettiest soft palette of neutral pink and mauve with some taupe shimmer. It’s very neutral-looking on my skin and reminds me of a more subtle version of the NARS Kalahari duo but in quad form with more pinks and mattes. Elemental is the perfect everyday kind of neutral quad.

Warm Memories is a warmer option with a mix of mauve, plum and shimmering orange. It’s a lot more wearable than I anticipated but still pulls very warm. Pigment is medium but buildable and lasting power of both quads is excellent without any fallout.

Stylo Ombre et Contour

There are two Stylo Ombre Et Contour products which are essentially chubby pencils that are in the twist up format. The two colors for spring are perfect contouring shades for the lids. I simply swipe on the lids and blend with my finger. Contour Mauve is the perfect my-lids-but-better soft mauve nude pink. Contour Brun is a deeper but very soft brown that adds depth in a natural way for my skin tone. I tried it as a liner and it gives a soft diffused look. They are both creamy, easy to blend and have a matte finish that stays put once it sets.

Ombre Premiere Laque

The Ombre Premiere Laque is a new formula of liquid shadow. They have the perfect amount of shimmer and glow when you blend on the lids. I played around with these a few different ways – I can use one or two all over the lids for a wash of color. They also layer on top of powder shadow almost like a top coat. They are like a thicker fluid, not quite creams. Texture is easy to blend and they dry down nicely to a dry finish for long wear. These come with a sponge tip applicator which is sturdy and makes application easy. I blend either with my fingers or a separate cream shadow brush. My favorite color is Quartz Rose and Rising Sun, but really all the colors are gorgeous.

The packaging reminds me of the older Chanel D’Eau Fluids from many years ago, but the fluid ones were more of a watery bases with pigment suspended. The new Ombre Premieres are thicker and not nearly as watery.

Lipsticks

The two lip colors are bold this season. They pull very warm and have super rich opaque pigment. The Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Endless is a warm bold pink red. I’ve reviewed this formula a few times in the past here and here. This is Chanel’s ultra pigmented matte lipstick that has a velvety finish but does not look or feel dry. They’re very creamy and opaque and smooth.

The Rouge Allure in Rouge Brulant is lighter in color but still very bold and warm. I’d describe it as a warm brick shade. Formula of both is smooth, easy to blend and they glide on the lips flawlessly. There’s no detectable scent in either. The Rouge Allure formula is like a classic lipstick, bold and opaque and creamy with a slight sheen.

Le Vernis Nail Color

Last but not least are the two new Le Vernis Nail Polishes in Daydream which is the prettiest mauve pink cream and Mirage which is a gorgeous dusty purple. Both have a glossy finish. There is a very slight transparent quality to the color but I can get full coverage with 2 coats. I’m obsessed with Daydream which pulls more muted on the fingers once I get 2 coats and it dries down.

Top is Daydream, bottom is Mirage

Two makeup looks below. Look 1 wearing:

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B30 and 40 mixed
NARS Tinted Glow Booster in Simos layered on top (review soon)
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus to set
Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Elemental
Cle de Peau Cream Blush #2 on the cheeks
Chanel Illuminating Powder in Eclat du Desert to highlight
Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 119 Bourgeoisie (not new, but matched the highlighter better in my opinion)
Sweater tank from Madewell (older style)

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Look 2 wearing:

Same base as above look
Chanel Baume Essentiel in Golden Light on cheeks
Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Warm Memories
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Endless on lips

Overall I think this is a beautiful collection to start off the year. Everything performs well to the typical Chanel standards for high quality textures and lasting power. My recommendations for picking items would be based on your color preferences you see yourself wearing a lot. Quality-wise everything is phenomenal.

My top picks are the Eclat du Desert Illuminating Powder, Elemental Quad, Daydream Le Vernis, both Ombre Contour Pencils and any of the new Ombre Premiere Laque. I would have liked to see a few more lip options but there are always lots of launches closer to February anyways. The new Rouge Allure Camelias have just launched online but I have not yet tested them. For the eyeshadow quads, I loved how both performed. In terms of color selection I can’t say whether or not they are must-haves yet as there are a lot of new launches this year including a few options from Charlotte Tilbury, Natasha Denona and Tom Ford. I’ll have reviews on all of those in the upcoming weeks and will be able to compare them later. I do really like the vibe of Elemental – I think it’s different from the popular reds and oranges these days. It makes for the perfect classic neutral eye.

Did you check out anything from the spring collection yet? What did you think?

You can find all the pieces available now at Chanel.com.

Spring 2020 collection provided by Chanel for review.

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Chanel Skincare

Chanel Sublimage Skincare – New Additions

December 23, 2019

Chanel has some new additions to their Sublimage Skincare line and after putting them to the test for the past couple of months I have a review to share today. The Chanel Sublimage line has been one of the most luxurious lines I have ever tested. I’ve loved the Eye Cream, Face Mist and Texture Fine Cream in the past. New items to the collection have launched and I’ve been getting so many messages from you to review. I’m thrilled to have been able to put the new launches to the test:

L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage ($110 for 5 fl oz) – gel-to-oil cleanser
L’Eau de Demaquilllage ($110 for 4.2 fl oz) – refreshing cleansing water
Les Grains de Vanille ($140 for 1.7 oz) – purifying scrub
Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme (new size $125 for 0.5 oz) – regeneration cream, now available in a travel size

There is also a new Sublimage Le Savon de Soin that launched recently as well but I have not tested it. If you have, I’d love to hear your thoughts! It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a bar soap for the face.

The Sublimage line is best suited for normal to dry skin types (in my opinion) but there are some great products for normal combination skin too. It’s an excellent anti-aging line and comforts the skin in the most luxurious beautiful way. My thoughts on each product below along with some alternate suggestions in case you don’t have dry skin. Mine is more normal to dry right now.

Sublimage L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage

The Sublimage L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage is their Ultimate Comfort and Radiance-Revealing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser. It’s super gentle and hydrating and dissolves makeup when you rub it into the skin. It contains antioxidants and purifying ingredients to leave the skin feeling extra soft and clean. This is the most hydrating gel-to-oil cleanser I’ve tried. I really like it – it makes my skin feel so soft!

Long-time Chanel lovers might remember the Le Blanc line had a similar product which was reformulated to the current Le Blanc Tri-Phase Makeup Remover cleanser (which I have tried and loved but haven’t repurchased in a while). If you have more oily or combination skin I would recommend opting for the Le Blanc version or the L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil which is a very soft cushiony cleanser more along the lines of a traditional cleansing oil remover.

Sublimage Ultimate Comfort and Radiance-Revealing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser vs L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil, on the nails is Le Vernis in Organdi

Sublimage L’Eau de Demaquilllage

The Sublimage L’Eau de Demaquilllage is their Refreshing and Radiance Revealing Cleansing Water. This is also a very hydrating makeup remover and does just as the name implies: refreshes and adds radiance. It won’t take off waterproof eye makeup but it’s great for regular face, lip or eye makeup. It has a very soft fluid feel and is very moisturizing.I found it gentle and soothing on the skin. It has a small rubber opening at the top to control how much product you dispense. A little goes a very long way!

I think it’s a beautiful product but best suited for normal to dry skin. For other cleansing waters I’ve really loved the Lancome Eau Fraiche Micellar Cleansing Water and the Chanel L’Eau Micellaire. I feel either of these will be better for normal or combination skin. I’ve gone through a full bottle of the Chanel L’Eau Micellaire and liked it enough to repurchase. It’s a really nice one!

Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille

The Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille is the fanciest face scrub I’ve ever tested and the most gentle one too! If you have ultra sensitive skin that can’t handle most abrasive scrubs this is one I think you might want to look into. It has Vanilla and Jojoba seeds that are super fine and suspended in a gel base. It has a smooth feel and while I can feel some subtle exfoliation it is very gentle. I love the Sublimage scent and wish it came in a body cream form. It’s the most calming and soothing vanilla scent I’ve ever smelled.

I wish I could compare it to something else but this is a unique scrub in my experience. It’s so gentle and soft, it almost doesn’t feel like a scrub.

Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme

The Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme now comes in a mini form that is the perfect size for travel or to try out the formula. It’s still quite spendy at $125 but the 0.5 oz format is perfect to me! I hope they consider launching the other formulas in this size too. Right now you can find regular La Creme in a travel size only in their Sublimage Le Voyage Set.

With the Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme there’s a little spatula to help keep the cream itself clean. Every cream comes sealed to preserve the product. A little goes a long way and it’s ultra hydrating and smoothing. Skin is instantly calmed, tightness is removed and it gives the skin a luminous finish. I’ve been wearing this one at night more often than for day time because it’s so hydrating.

This year my most-used moisturizer has been the Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream. It’s the perfect lightweight texture for my skin. It’s a lovely one to try if you have normal skin.

Sublimage La Brume Intense Revitalizing Mist

One last mention is the Sublimage La Brume Face Mist which is still one of my favorite face mists ever. This is quite the splurge at $200 but it does come with three refills which made the price easier for me to stomach. It dispenses a super fine mist and refreshes the skin without feeling heavy. Even if you have normal or combination skin I don’t think you should let the “intense” part of the name intimidate you. I feel it’s suitable for all skin types.

For those of you who have been asking for the Sublimage review I hope you found this helpful! If you’ve tried the Sublimage line I’d love to hear your thoughts! If not, have you tried any other Chanel skincare products?

You can find all the new Chanel Sublimage launches online now at Chanel.com.

P.S. The Spring-Summer Collection has already launched online and it looks so beautiful! Review coming soon 🙂

New Chanel Sublimage Skincare items gifted for review.

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Bronzer + Blush Chanel

Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Pink

December 3, 2019

Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Pink ($48 for 5.5 g/0.19 oz) is back for a limited time! Chanel Beauty has relaunched one of their classic soft pink blushes embossed with their iconic tweed pattern available exclusively on their website Chanel.com. In addition for a limited time Chanel is offering Beauty Look Book readers a special promotion. Any fragrance and beauty order on Chanel.com with code REVITALIZE will receive (while supplies last) a complimentary deluxe sample of Sublimage Creme.

The Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Pink has been launched in the past a few times. I love this formula of blush for the delicate soft wash it gives the skin. This year’s is a bit deeper in pink with more pigment compared to the older ones I have although the color is very close. On my medium olive skin (I wear Chanel B40 or 50) it shows up for a soft baby pink flush. It has a beautiful sheen to it. There’s a lovely overspray but underneath is a mix of pale pink and medium rose pink infused with tiny silver bits of shimmer. On the skin it looks naturally radiant with just the perfect amount of glow.

More close ups, swatches and a beauty look below!

Indoor lighting:

With overspray removed below:

Swatches of 2019 vs 2015’s Tweed Pink

Swatch comparisons to Charlotte Tilbury Chic to Cheek in Love is the Drug, Chanel Joues Contraste in Quintessence, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Ghost Palette Iridescent Rose and Sublime Flush (2 of 6) and Ambient Lighting Ghost Quad Surreal Effect (1 of 4).

Makeup look below wearing:

Foundation Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (review here)
Blush Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Pink
Bronzer Soleil Tan de Chanel
Eyeshadows Ombre Premiere Cream in Patine Bronze, Ombre Premiere Powder in Cuivre Lame and Noir Lame
Eyeliner Chanel Stylo Yeux in Black Wood (swatched here)
Mascara Chanel Volume de Chanel
Lipstick Holiday Rouge Allure in 807 Rouge Delicieux (also reviewed here)
Lip Gloss Rouge Coco Gloss in 728

Overall a solid A+ for a pretty easy to wear pink blush with the Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Pink. I’m a huge fan of the formula, especially the color Tweed Beige (reviewed here) which is still available I even bought a backup because it’s the perfect neutral highlighting beige blush for me.

You can find the Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Pink available at Chanel.com. Also while supplies last any fragrance and beauty order on Chanel.com with code REVITALIZE will receive a complimentary deluxe sample of Sublimage Creme (5 g).

Available at Chanel.com.

Many thanks to Chanel for sending the Tweed Pink for review.

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Chanel Highlighters

Chanel Duo de Camelias Illuminating Powder Duo

November 28, 2019

For Black Friday Chanel has created a special new limited-edition creation called the Chanel Duo de Camelias Illuminating Powder Duo ($70 for 8.5 g/0.3 oz, made in Italy). It will be available for purchase starting Friday November 29th exclusively at Chanel.com and I’m thrilled to give you a peek at this new highlighter! It comes in a black velvet pouch like all other Chanel compacts and a small brush. It’s a stunning radiant pale almost white gold kind of shimmer that gives the skin a luminous glow.

The Duo de Camelias Illuminating Powder Duo has two iridescent shades that have a beautiful shimmer. There are tiny little sparkles that capture the light to give a reflective glow depending how it hits. One side is described as a golden beige and the other is a pearly platinum. The texture can be applied with a sheer finish or more intense highlight depending on how dense a brush you use. Color is easy to layer and blend, goes on smooth and doesn’t emphasize my pores. Lasting power was pretty good – it stayed put from morning until late afternoon without budging or fading too much.

You can apply each side individually or blend. The highlighter itself has a radiant finish and these photos and swatches can’t capture the true beauty or depth of the sparkles as much as I see in real life. As always I’ve done my best to try and show you what it looks like. It’s multi-dimensional so it will look different depending on whether it’s in natural light, sunlight, has a flash and contrast level with one’s skin tone.

Colors swirled together with the sun hitting some of the sparkles:

Swatches with a heavy hand individually and swirled, taken with flash. To me it’s almost like magical fairy dust for the cheekbones!

Below a couple looks applying the highlighter, also wearing:

Foundation – Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet B40* + B50* mixed
Powder – Chanel Les Beiges No 20 to set
Blush – Chanel Joues Contraste in Quintessence
Bronzer – Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light
Highlighter – new Chanel Duo de Camelias
Eyeshadows – Ombre Premiere Cream in Patine Bronze, Ombre Premiere Powder in Cuivre Lame + Noir Lame
Eyeliner – Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Black Wood*
Brows – Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown
Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Waterproof
Lips – Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue in Intense Nude
Brush I’m holding is separate Chanel Precision Powder Brush

Swatch comparisons to: Le Signe du Lion in Or Blanc, Duo de Camelias Black Friday 2019, Holiday 2019 Metal Peach, Holiday 2018 Le Lion de Chanel

I think it’s a beautiful one! You can find the Duo de Camelias Illuminating Powder Duo available for purchase online at Chanel.com starting November 29th. I hope you found this review helpful! Let me know what you think. Do you think it’s a winner or similar to what you already own?

Many thanks to Chanel for sending an early preview of the Duo de Camelias for me to share with you.

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Chanel

Chanel Holiday 2019: Les Ornements de Chanel

November 17, 2019

The Chanel Holiday 2019 Les Ornements de Chanel collection has launched and it has some beautiful pieces I want to wear for the rest of the holiday season! The powder products have the prettiest embossed patterns that look like ornaments. Texture, quality, pigment and lasting power are impressive with all items. I have swatches of everything today plus some beauty looks featuring:

Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach $70
Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence $65
Ombre Premiere Creamy Powder Shadows in Grandeur and Poupre Brun $36 each
Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Khaki Intense $33
Rouge Allure in 6 shades $45 each
Rouge Coco Gloss in Rouge Carmin and Rouge Grenat $30 each
Le Vernis in Richness and Deepness $28 each

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Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach

Up first is the new holiday highlighter Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach is one of the most sparkly intense highlighters I’ve tried from Chanel – but it does apply with a smooth sheen. It has a complex metallic peach champagne color that pulls a bit pinkish on my olive tan skin. If you’re lighter in skintone (ie lighter than a Chanel Beige 40) this will pull more peach rather than a paler sharp highlight like it does on me. It’s quite pigmented but blends easily. I had to be careful and use only a tiny bit on the brush. Even though it has a sparkly finish it’s very smooth and didn’t emphasize pores. Lasting power was excellent. I love the embossed pattern on the surface. I feel like Chanel is always really creative with the embossing!

Swatch comparisons below to other Chanel highlighters. The texture is creamier than the Poudre Lumiere which is harder/stiffer. It has a similar texture to the Le Signe du Lion formula.

Full face look wearing:

Foundation Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in Medium
Blush is Chanel Joues Contraste in Golden Sun on cheeks (discontinued)
Highlight/glow is the Chanel Metal Peach Highlighter to highlight
Brows are Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
Eyeshadow is Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence on
Lips are the Chanel Rouge Allure in 807 Rouge Delicieux
Sweater from Nordstrom

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Holiday Eye Makeup

The eye makeup is unique for a holiday look to me. It feels more like fall to me but if you’re tired of the warm/red/pink eye palettes that dominate the market, these are going to be a refreshing change. The Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence quad gives a smokey olive eye on me. Colors are ultra smooth and buttery. They all have some degree of shimmer and are easy to layer. Colors include a deep olive shimmer, a shimmery pale pink, shimmery light olive and shimmering brown plum. They swatch a lot prettier than they look in the pans! Lasting power is excellent and I feel like pigment is better than their usual quads.

The two Ombre Premieres for holiday in Grandeur (warm gold) and Poupre Brun (deep plum) are creamy to the touch which is new to me. Most of this formula seem more like powders. These have a slightly creamy soft feel and dry to a powder. Pigment is excellent and easy to blend. Colors aren’t my top picks but are nice to layer and mix with other colors.

The Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Khaki Intense was a hit for me. I love the deep khaki moss green look and I normally do not like olive shades on me. It’s a nice softer alternative to black. It glides on smoothly and lasts all day.

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Holiday Rouge Allure Shades

The Rouge Allure Lipsticks are all luminous creams for the season. They’re ultra creamy without any tugging (like some other shades pull). Every single color is beautiful and I think if you’re looking for a classic bold holiday lip, Chanel has it all sorted out for you. The coverage is full and they have a glossy shiny finish. Lasting power is excellent and they feel ultra smooth and hydrating on the lips without feeling heavy.

807 Rouge Delicieux is a rose pink
817 Rouge Splendide is a bright coral pink
827 Rouge Magnifique is a bright orange
837 Rouge Spectacuaire is a bold red
847 Rouge Majestuex is a bold plum
857 Rouge Noble is a deeper plum

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Holiday Rouge Coco Gloss

For gloss Chanel has two ultra pigmented reds in the Rouge Coco Gloss finish. These pack in a lot more pigment and coverage compared to many of the other glosses in this formula. They’re super shiny with a hydrating feel. 824 Rouge Carmin is a bold classic red, 826 Rouge Grenat is a deeper wine red. I truly appreciate that they launched reds that don’t turn fuchsia or bright pink on my lips.

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Holiday Le Vernis

For the nails I’ve been wearing the Chanel Le Vernis in Richness which is a deep red in the bottle but pulls to a deeper brown red on the nails. It’s the color I’ve been getting TONS of messages and DMs about because I’ve been wearing it on Instagram Stories. There is another deep olive green shade called Deepness which is an olive almost black color. Both are creams with excellent coverage. They apply smoothly and I prefer 2 coats.

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Overall some lovely pieces for the classic beauty lover. If you want something new but not too trendy to wear for the holiday season Chanel has lots of beautiful options. The Rouge Allure lipsticks are the stand outs to me. As a Chanel highlighter collector and lover I think Metal Peach is quite lovely if you apply with a light hand. For eyes I really love Khaki Intense for a deep smokey liner that isn’t as basic as your regular black or brown pencil.

Chanel has also launched all of their Holiday Beauty Sets, Skincare Sets and Fragrance Sets online. I’m still in the process of putting together holiday gift guides so I’m not sure which ones I will be reviewing but if are interested in any specific ones let me know and I’ll try to add them to my review list! In other Chanel newness though they’ve added some amazing pieces to their Sublimage Skincare Line which I’ve been testing and will review soon. I’ve also been using their new Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gentle Oil for Hair and Body and it’s the most amazing body oil I’ve ever tried. I’ve been a huge fan of the Body Cream for years so it’s no surprise that the oil is just as amazing!

You can find the Chanel holiday makeup collection out now. Available at Chanel.com and all Chanel counters. Have you checked out anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

Chanel holiday gifted by Chanel.

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Chanel Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

October 16, 2019

I have a new Chanel lip haul with a look at some of the newRouge Allure Ink Fusion colors, a new Rouge Allure Ink shade and additions to the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss formula. I ordered everything sight unseen as the colors are currently only available at Chanel.com (coming to counters soon). I’m 100% thrilled with every single item and think there are some great additions for fall.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

I’ve never really been a fan of liquid lipsticks or the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink formula. I found the original formula looked great in hand swatches with so many gorgeous colors. On my lips the colors didn’t show up well and I found the finish too thin/streaky. I was willing to take some extra effort to make some of the colors work. The deeper/bold colors performed better but the neutrals were too sheer for me. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is much MUCH better in terms of color payoff and pigment. It has similar packaging in the tube but the applicator is beveled. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is more of a fluid liquid that dries to a matte finish. It’s lightweight and has a similar feel/effect to the NARS Powermatte Pigments, only the Chanel does not dry down or shrink like the NARS does.

I ordered four Rouge Allure Ink Fusion shades to try them out. Swatches are tricky with liquid lips for me since the dry down often darkens the color and they always look SO different on my lips compared to others who have lighter pigment in lips or a cooler complexion. The olive in my skin also makes them look completely different than what I’ve seen online for lighter skin girls so please take note your mileage may vary. Formula is lightweight, has no scent, dries down to a soft matte finish without making the lips look like they’ve shriveled.

802 Beige Naturel is a pale beige cream, on me this turned more neutral/peach and while on others I’ve seen it swatched on, it looks more yellow-beige. 804 Mauvy Nude is a cool toned mauve rose, also darkens on my lips but perfect for fall! 806 Pink Brown is more of a deeper brown-rose on me than a pink brown, also lovely for fall. 814 Coral Peach is a bright vibrant coral.

There are also some new additions to the regular Rouge Allure Ink lineup. There are some mattes and also new metallic finishes. I bought 216 Legerete which is the most beautiful rose pink color. The formula is still the same as the Rouge Allure Ink, slightly streaky but I can make it work. The color is beautiful!

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink applicator:

Swatches below:

Some comparison swatches, I didn’t find dupes but thought this lineup might help you compare and contrast how light/deep the colors are. The Rouge Allure Ink Fusion has a similar fluid texture and dry town to the NARS Powermatte. By comparison the newer Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Mattes have a more whipped matte finish.

Three of the colors in full face looks, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion 802 Beige Naturel, for skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B50:

804 Mauvy Nude:

Pink Brown 806

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Chanel also added some new colors of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss which I just rediscovered. They changed the packaging and formula a little while ago but I think it’s pretty much the same as the original. I picked 2 of the new colors in Intense Nude 152 which a gorgeous soft cool pink and Intense Caramel 154 which is a medium neutral beige. There is a liquid lipstick side that you apply all over the lips and then top with the gloss top coat. These are super long lasting and I think I need to check out more colors soon.

Since I’m a huge fan of neutrals I added other shades from my collection above and swatched below for reference. I have two other Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue colors in Merry Rose and Warm Beige alongside Rouge Coco Gloss neutrals in Caresse (discontinued), Caramel and Noce Moscata:

The new Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss in Intense Nude and Intense Caramel on the lips:

Full face look wearing Intense Nude:

Overall some solid wins and a successful haul. I wish Chanel would reformulate all the Rouge Allure Inks into the Rouge Allure Ink Fusion formula – I think it’s SO good!. Based on the color selection I think I would have also loved a plum color but for now am happy with the colors I bought. I may splurge on one more down the line once they hit counters and I can see them in person.

You can find the new Chanel lip launches available now at Chanel.com – I suspect they will be at counters soon in the US. Have you tried any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

September 11, 2019

There are so many new foundation formulas out this season and today I have a review of the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation ($50 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). It comes in a small black squeeze bottle with SPF 15 and is available in 13 shades. There are three undertones, B for beige (usually what I wear), BR beige rose (has pink undertones) and BD for beige dore which is the first time I’ve seen this color name but it might not be new. The active ingredients are Octinoxate 5% and Titanium Dioxide 3.1%.

The Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation seems to have replaced the Perfection Lumiere Velvet which I used and loved many years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve used the older formula so I can’t really compare the new to old but from what I recall it has a similar effect. The new Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation has a lightweight oil-free fluid texture and smooth blurring effect on the skin. It feels very lightweight and glides on nicely offering medium coverage. It has a powdery feel with the dry down but isn’t too matte. I’ve found it sets quite nicely with a semi-velvet matte finish but not dry or cakey like some matte base formulas have. On my combination skin it lasts nicely all day requiring only a small touch up on the nose mid-day.

I have swatches of a selection of the colors, I didn’t have all the colors to swatch, B40 is swatched twice with both sets on the top and bottom:

A few comparisons to other Chanel base formulas: Les Beiges reviewed here, CC Cream reviewed here

My color match back in San Diego and earlier days of blogging was almost always B30. Since moving to Florida I’m exposed to intense sun and am outdoors more so I’m now a B40 or B50. With this Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation formula I found I can get away wearing either B40 or B50 right now. I tried both on my face, 40 on one side and 50 on the other. I can barely tell the difference when it’s blended out even though from swatches there is a clear difference between the colors.

Below is a look at B50. Once applied it adjusts/warms up slightly but there isn’t a huge amount of oxidation or darkening. I would recommend picking your regular Chanel shade with this formula. For application, I tried three ways: with the fingers, with a Chanel foundation brush and with a beautyblender sponge. My favorite way is the sponge method, but the formula is really easy to blend with fingers or a brush.

Top left: bare skin (just have brow makeup on)
Top right: a swatch of B50
Bottom: B50 applied all over with a brush

Full look with the Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50, also wearing:

Foundation: Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50
Powder: La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium
Bronzer: Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel
Blush: Chanel Joues Contraste Quintessence
Eyeshadow: NARS Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Brow: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Mascara: Le Volume
Lip: Chanel Rouge Allure in Rouge Angelique + Rouge Coco Gloss in Noce Moscata
Sweater: Reformation
Nails: Chanel Le Vernis in Pure White

Full list of ingredients from the box below for the US formula. It does contain alcohol and dimethicone but neither irritated my skin. There are some foundations that have a high concentration of alchohol that irritate and dry out my skin. If you have sensitives your mileage may vary but this one works well with my skin which makes me believe it’s in a smaller quantity than others like the L’Oreal Infallible line (which looks great on the skin, but causes a lot of irritation for me).

On the nails Pure White (review here)

Overall it has performed really well for me. I’m relieved the SPF and alcohol content in this base did not irritate my skin as I’ve had a really rough summer testing sunscreens. I give it a solid A+ for me and think the undertone works just right for my skin.

I’m still in the process of trying out a few other foundations including the new Fenty Beauty, Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury and Zoeva formulas. I’ll have a roundup to come as soon as I get through all of them. First impressions are the Charlotte Tilbury one has the most similar effect with the matte finish but isn’t quite as lightweight in feel.

You can find the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation out now at Chanel.com, coming soon to all Chanel counters (your store might already have it!). Have you tried this yet? What did you think?

Chanel foundations gifted and provided for review.

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