Chanel

Happy Wednesday! I’m finally back with a new post featuring the Chanel Holiday 2020 Collection Les Chaines D’Or de Chanel. We have been away on a mini getaway to celebrate our Anniversary. If you want to check out a few snippets you can check out my Instagram Highlights under the Miami section @beautylookbook. I played with and swatched Chanel Holiday before we left town. I think the colors are really beautiful and luminous for a glowing look. You can find the entire collection online now at Chanel.com – in today’s review:

• Les Chaines de Chanel Illuminating Blush Powder ($70)
• Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows ($36 each) in Or Blanc, Or Antique, Cuivre Rose and Cuir Brun
• Rouge Allure Luminous Lip Color ($45 each) in Or Beige, Or Cuivre, Rouge D’Or and Pourpre D’Or
• Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in Chaine D’Or ($28)

Les Chaines de Chanel Illuminating Blush Powder

This holiday Chanel has one illuminating blush called Les Chaines de Chanel. It’s a luminous copper bronze rose with a super smooth sheen. On my skin it warms up the complexion in with a pretty soft pink glow. Pigment is medium with smooth coverage. It’s easy to apply as a soft wash but also buildable. The shimmer is ultra-fine so on my skin it’s not frosty at all. It comes in a black mirrored compact with brush and a stunning embossed chain design. I give this a solid A+. It is definitely a powder formula but has a soft silky almost gel-to-powder like feel. Lasting power is excellent and stays put without darkening. Color shifts depending on how the light hits the pan so don’t let the intensity intimidate you if it looks dark from certain angles.

Swatches below of the Illuminating Blush vs the Rose Cuivre Eyeshadow in this collection:

Comparison swatches below to a few other highlighters and blushes:

Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows

There are four new Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows. They’re metallic with tiny flecks of sparkles for a shimmery festive look. I ended up liking these a lot more than I anticipated. In the compacts they looked a little dull but on the skin they’re really flattering and easy to wear. I’m super picky with gold undertones and on my arm/hand the golds looked like they would not work on my tan olive skin. They are very wearable. There is no fallout on me when I apply these, they stay put like the other colors in this formula. Pigment is medium when applied dry. You can apply with a damp brush to intensify pigment.

• Or Blanc is a shimmering antiqued white gold
• Or Antique is a sparkling antique deeper gold
• Cuivre Rose is a pretty metallic rose shimmer (LOVE this one)
• Cuir Brun is a soft smokey shimmery deep cool brown

Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color

For the nails Chanel launched one Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in Chaine D’Or. It’s a metallic antique gold. Coverage is smooth and although metallic applies easily with minimal visible brush strokes. On me this is a one-coat wonder although I applied it in two coats. As pretty as it is I don’t find it flattering on my skin and undertone. It’s a little too brassy on my fingers. I feel it will be better suited for those who are lighter or deeper in skintone than me. Quality wise it’s excellent though.

Rouge Allure Luminous Lip Color

Last is a look at the four Rouge Allure Luminous Lip Colors for holiday. These all have varying degrees of shimmer and are a little more shimmery than most other Rouge Allures I’ve tried. Application is smooth and comfortable. They have a super soft almost almond-like scent like the Rouge Allure formula but it’s VERY subtle and I barely notice it once it is on the lips.

Formula is creamy and offers full coverage with a luminous sheen. They feel nice on the lips like a traditional lipstick. For me lasting power is pretty good!

• Or Beige 107 is a soft beige with gold shimmer
• Or Cuivre 117 is a nude plum shimmer
• Rouge D’Or 127 is a bold warm red with shimmr
• Pourpre D’Or 137 is a deeper plum (almost looks identical on my lips as Or Cuivre)

Looks below wearing:

• Foundation – Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in B40
• Powder – Poudre Universelle Libre Loose in 30 and 40
• Blush – Chanel Les Chaines de Chanel
• Eyeshadow – Ombre Premiere in Cuivre Rose and Cuir Brun
• Liner – Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense
• Mascara – Le Volume Mascara in Noir
• Nails – Le Vernis is from the fall collection in Egerie (also reviewed here)
• Tee – Reformation Alex Slim Tee

The stand outs to me are the new Les Chaines de Chanel highlighter and Rose Cuivre Eyeshadow. I also love a good smokey brown so Cuir Brun is another new favorite for me. I hope you found this review and swatches helpful! You can find everything available now online at Chanel.com. I suspect it will launch soon at other retailers and counters as well.

Have you checked out anything from the new Chanel launches yet? What did you think?

Chanel holiday 2020 collection provided for review.

I have a look at two different product launches from Chanel! They recently added eight new shades of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue and also three re-promoted blushes in special edition packaging to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Joues Contraste Powder Blush.

Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue

The Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss is a long-wear full coverage liquid lip color with a high shine top coat. These are double ended tubes with two sides. One has the lipstick with a sponge tip wand applicator, the other has a shiny gloss with a brush tip. Out of all the long-wear lip products I’ve tried this is one of the longest lasting formulas. The color does not budge once it sets, but you will need to reapply the top coat as needed.

I’ve tried a few of these in the past and really love the formula. It’s best to apply on a clean lip. You can apply liner first if you prefer, but I usually just apply straight out of the tube. New shades include:

• 164 Chic Beige is an ultra pale light beige cream
• 166 Timeless Beige is a perfect neutral beige
• 172 Light Mauve is a light blue-based mauve pink
• 174 Endless Pink is a medium warm pink
• 176 Burning Red is a bright bold classic red
• 180 Passionate Red is a deeper bold red
• 182 Light Brown is a taupe brown
• 184 Intense Brown is a dark cool-toned brown plum with a hint of shimmer

Swatches below alongside a few of my other favorites (you can see other ones on the face in this post here, Intense Nude and Intense Caramel are still my favorites).

Quality and pigment is excellent for me. The only ones that didn’t work for me were just because the colors didn’t suit my coloring. Chic Beige is too pale for my complexion and Intense Brown is too deep/cool toned. Out of the new colors I think Timeless Beige is the best easy to wear everyday color. Beige can be hard to pull off as many are too pale, too yellow or too flat. Timeless Beige is perfect! I also love Endless Pink for a pretty warmer brighter but still  neutral pink shade. I think the reds are phenomenal too.

Chanel 40th Anniversary Joues Contraste

This year marks an anniversary milestone for the Joues Contraste Powder Blush. They launched classic colors in a special limited-edition compact with a burgundy colored CC logo instead of the white. Colors are existing shades so if you already own them I don’t think there is a need to repurchase unless you are a Chanel collector and love the packaging. I do believe that different countries featured different colors in this launch. The US colors include:

• 02 Rose Bronze a soft shimmery pink with an iridescent sheen (this color was one of my first Chanel splurges when I started getting into makeup!)
• 260 Alezane a classic beige with a hint of gold shimmer
• 320 Rouge Profond is a classic flushed red

All three have that classic soft texture all Chanel blushes have. I do think the formula and color payoff has improved over the years and these have very good pigment while still having a natural look.

Makeup Looks

Looks wearing 6 of the 8 new lip colors and all 3 blushes below. Full beauty breakdown wearing:

• Foundation – Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet* in B40 (swatches here)
• Powder – Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre in 30 (review soon)
• Eyeshadow – Tom Ford Eye Quad in Body Heat (review here)
• Eyeliner – Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense
• Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Waterproof
• Top – Rails Ellis Cotton Top

Most of the looks have the gloss top coat on top of the liquid lip color.

Overall I think Chanel launched some beautiful classic colors that you can wear on an everyday basis. I want to try a few more shades of the Le Rouge Duo Gloss. I used to love and own Darling Pink and think I may repurchase it. A number of you have mentioned you loved Intense Rosewood so I will probably give that one a try as well.

I think the three repromoted blushes perform well. They have a soft but buildable texture that is easy to wear. All three show up on my medium tan skin. If you’ve used Chanel for a long time you know that their blushes have been sheerer in the past – I do think the formula has improved over the years.

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

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

6 of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra glosses and 3 blushes provided for review.

The Chanel Fall-Winter 2020 Collection has arrived with a mix of pinks and reds for the upcoming fall season. You can find everything now online at Chanel.com – I have swatches of everything including:

• Les 4 Ombres ($62 each) in Candeur Et Experience, Candeur Et Provocation, Candeur Et Seduction
• Stylo Yeux Waterproof ($33 each) in Romance and Psyche
• Baume Essential Multi-Use Glow Stick ($45) in Rosee
• Le Vernis ($28 each) in Egerie and interdit
• Rouge Coco Lip Color ($38 each) in Adrienne and Attraction
• Rouge Coco Flash ($38 each) in Flushed and Lust
• Rouge Allure Ink Fusion ($38 each) in Ambiguite and Idyllique

Les 4 Ombres

There are three Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Eyeshadow Quads. Candeur Et Experience is a repromote and there are two new colors in Candeur Et Provocation and Candeur Et Seduction. Everything has a pink and red theme for a trendy eye look. I found the matte version the easiest to pull off for my neutral-loving self. I also like the look of Candeur Et Provocation because of the brown and light pink mix.

All the quads performed well for me. They have a soft easy to blend pigment that layers nicely and applies smoothly on the lids. Below left to right:

• Candeur Et Experience has a warm matte brown, a tan canel, matte brown-red and a deeper matte brown with a satiny feel
• Candeur Et Provocation has a cool pink shimmer, a pink rose gold shimmer, a raspberry shimmer and a warm coffee brown
• Candeur Et Seduction has a raspberry matte, a pale white-pink shimmer, a bold red satin and a brown brick red

Stylo Yeux Waterproof

There are two new Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners this season. Romance is a shimmery soft mauve-pink (I think I want to try this as a lip liner!) and Psyche is a matte plum brown. I swatched these next to a few other liners for color reference. The Stylo Yeux Waterproof this season are smooth and pigmented. Psyche is a deep color that is a nice alternative to black or brown.

Baume Essential Multi-Use Glow Stick

There’s a new Baume Essential Multi-Use Glow Stick in Rosee. I have mixed feelings about this but I still keep on trying them out. These are a glossy twist up glow stick with a balmy glossy finish. I think they’re nice in photos to add a glow on the cheeks but they’re too dewy for my skin type and Florida heat to wear anywhere except the lips. Rosee is a sheer rose, on the cheeks it’s fairly sheer although I can see a pinkish tint on the skin.

Le Vernis

My favorite things in the collection are the two new Le Vernis Nail Colors. Egerie is a really pretty peachy pink cream. Interdit is a deep blackened brown-red (very similar to Rouge Noir and Vamp, just a different more brown undertone). I get full smooth coverage with two coats. I almost always top with the Chanel Le Gel Coat on top for added shine and lasting power.

Fall-Winter Lip Colors

Last is a look at the fall lip colors for the season. There are mostly dark vampy shades with a couple lighter options in the mix.

There are two Rouge Allure Ink Fusion colors. These are the long-wear liquid lips and since these are darker the coverage and pigment is very good. Ambiguite is a fawn mauve brown. Idyllique is a classic deep brick red.

There are also two Rouge Coco Flash lipsticks which are a sheer finish. Flushed is a pretty coral pink with gold shimmer mixed. Lust is a sheer mauve brown.

And lastly there are two Rouge Coco Lip Colors. This formula is a classic lipstick with medium coverage and a satiny finish with a subtle shine. Adrienne is a repromote which is a pale beige pink. Attraction is a plum brown which layers to an almost black color on my lips when I give it a few swipes.

Fall colors on the face below wearing:

• Foundation – Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50 (swatches of more colors here)
• Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless in Medium
• Blush – Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Bronze
• Highlight – Chanel Baume Essentiel in Rosee
• Eyeshadow – Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Candeur Et Seduction
• Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Mascara
• Lip Colors listed below in Flushed, Lust and Idyllique

That wraps up my review and swatches of the Chanel Fall-Winter 2020 Collection for beauty! For me the standouts are the Le Vernis nail colors as I’m a die-hard collector, although Interdit is very similar to Rouge Noir and Vamp so I can’t call it a must-have. I love the Rouge Coco Flash in Flushed. The other items performed well true to Chanel quality standards. The color palette is very pink and red which isn’t the easiest to pull off for everyday as they pull more on the trendy side.

Hope you found this post helpful! You can find the Chanel Fall-Winter 2020 Collection out now at Chanel.com. The items should be arriving at other retailers and counters soon.

Chanel Fall-Winter collection provided for review. Baume Essentiel stick purchased by me.

Chanel launched their 2020 Les Beiges Collection and I finally have swatches of everything I hauled today! A few of their classics have been reformulated and repackaged in this collection. The entire vibe of this year’s Les Beiges is true their classic line but with a slight summery twist. If you like a natural glow there are some nice options in this collection. I ordered everything except one of the polishes (which I skipped):

• Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid ($48 each) in Sunkissed and Pearly Glow
• Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder ($62 each) in Sand and Sunset
• Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream ($50) in Soleil Tan Bronze Universel
• Healthy Glow Lip Balm ($25) in Warm (new color)
• Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette ($65) in Warm (new color)
• Le Vernis ($28) in Cruise

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Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream

The cult classic Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Cream has been discontinued and replaced with the new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream. The question you all want answered is: are they the same or is it completely different? I’ve seen a few other reviews on the new version. Some say it’s performs the same, others say it does not. The ingredients are different but performance and color-wise I feel they are the same. On my skin there’s no detectable difference in color. Texture is the same – creamy, soft, easy to blend, has a semi-matte dry down. It is on the warm side. I really hope they add some other shades in the future like a cooler tone bronze or perhaps ones with shimmer! For those who did not know, Chanel started adding ingredients to their product pages. Simply scroll down to the area you see tabs like, Description, Ingredients, Reviews, Q&A etc. They have their current ingredient list there! This one right now has:

DIMETHICONE | HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL | SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE | SILICA | POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE | PARAFFIN | PHENYL TRIMETHICONE | METHYLPROPANEDIOL | SYNTHETIC WAX | KALANCHOE PINNATA LEAF EXTRACT | HYDROGENATED MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX | CAPRYLYL GLYCOL | PARFUM (FRAGRANCE) | PHENYLPROPANOL | LECITHIN | TOCOPHEROL | ASCORBYL PALMITATE | GLYCERYL STEARATE | MALTODEXTRIN | GLYCERYL OLEATE | CITRIC ACID | BHT | [+ / – (MAY CONTAIN) | CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) | CI 77491, | CI 77492, | CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) | CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) | MICA] | IL45B-I

Bottom line, if you have the original (which I still have and find it lasts a LONG time) I don’t think you need the new one. For cream bronzer application, you can use a number of different brushes in your collection. I alternate between the Chanel Angled Foundation Brush (older version, FYI it looks like all the brushes have been revamped slightly on their website), Fenty Brush 115, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion Brush or the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush. The best budget-friendly one I’ve tried is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 200 (reviewed here).

If you find the Chanel color too warm you might want to check out the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick in Baked (it’s cooler toned and slightly darker).

Original Soleil Tan de Chanel vs New Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream 390

On the face, beauty breakdown:

• Foundation is Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (review here)
• Concealer is Kosas Revealer Concealer in 5.0 (review soon)
• Powder is the Bite Beauty Changemaker Flexible Powder in M2 (review here)
• Bronzer is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in Soleil Tan Bronze Universel 390
• Eyeshadow is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm
• Brows is Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
• Mascara is the Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Stretch (review here)
• Lips is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Warm
• Top is the Everlane Pima Micro Rib Scoop

Quick note this is meant to be a face swatch, with normal wear I would blend out the bronzer more like a traditional bronzer/contour product to warm up the face.

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Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid

There are two Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluids similar to the older Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid. The product has been repackaged with a pump + cap similar to that of the Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops. There are 2 shades in Pearly Glow and Sunkissed, both are sheer as the product name implies.

Pearly Glow is a new color that is a sheer champagne gold and Sunkissed is similar the original which is a sheer soft beige tan shimmer. Both have a very lightweight fluid texture that is thin and easy to blend/layer. On my skin they apply very sheer. Out of all the liquid highlighters I own these are among the most natural looking and on my medium tan skin from a distance they look very similar when on the face.

Below left wearing Pearly Glow over the Soleil Tan Bronze Universel Cream Bronzer. On the right wearing Sunkissed on top of the cream bronzer. Foundation shade right now is the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (I wear B50 in the summer). I pump 1-2 pumps of the highlighter on the back of my hand and dab in my fingers to apply or use a foundation brush. I used the Tom Ford Foundation brush here. You can definitely mix it in with foundation to add glow to your base.

I think these are nice if you want a subtle highlight on the cheekbone. Once they’re blended on the skin they sheer out quite a bit! If you want more shimmer or pigment, opt for any of the others I swatched below.

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Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder

Above Sand and Sunset

The new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Illuminating Powders are soft luminous powders that offer the skin a very subtle glow but with color. Sand is a highlighter on me. When applied with a loose brush I can apply all over kinda like a setting powder with glow. With a denser brush it adds a very subtle lit from within glow. Below worn on just one side so you can see the difference. Wearing Sand below:

Sunset is a warmer bronze color that looks like a soft warm bronzer with a hint of gold shimmer. This one is really nice to warm up the complexion.

Both have the same scent as all the other Les Beiges powders. They have a beautiful embossed rope pattern on the surface adding a lovely touch! Texture is soft and easy to blend. Long-time Chanel lovers will know that the 2019 Les Beiges powders from last year were stiff in texture (which I did not mind but many of you did not like). The 2020 versions have a softer texture making it easier to pick up product.

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Healthy Glow Lip Balm

There is one new shade of Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm this season in Warm. It’s a sheer warm peachy coral shade. Looks bright in the tube, swatches sheer on the hand, applies somewhere in between on the lips. Warm is a nice healthy summer color. I was hoping for a softer cantaloupe peach to be launched, maybe next year!

Swatches next to the other existing colors. If you want the lip swatches, you can check out my posts from past years. Light/Med/Deep on the lips/face in the 2018 Les Beiges review. Intense worn in the 2019 Les Beiges review.

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Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette

I have mixed feelings about the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm. This palette has a very soft texture. Powders are very finely milled and soft with a delicate finish. When layered together on an emollient base the colors show up nicely. I do have to apply the brown with a slightly damp brush for it to show up on my skin. Applying the colors on dry lids made them all look like a sheer wash of peach. I do realize the Les Beiges collection is supposed to give a barely there glow, but the palette runs a bit sheer.

It’s workable and I do think it is lovely, I think colors will show up better on lighter or deeper skin with the contrast. The first two times I applied this I felt a slightly itchy sensation from the powders. I feel that the powdery debris and kick up fell into my eyes and caused some irritation. Luckily I did not have an allergic reaction! Adding an emollient cream shadow base underneath helps keep them in place on the skin better (at least for me, I have dry lids).

Colors include a sheer satiny beige, soft blurred brown, shimmery coral peach, soft lighter peach shimmer and a sparkly champagne.

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Le Vernis

Last is the Le Vernis in Cruise. There are two shades which seemed like your standard orange and red polishes. Pretty, not entirely unique, and in my mind not must-haves. I decided to pick up the orange one Cruise which is almost identical to the older discontinued Mirabella. The difference is slight and barely noticeable. Mirabella has a tiny bit more blue undertone. Cruise is a cream. It’s bright orange and I can get full coverage with 2 coats. I have a feeling Cruise is close to Orange Fizz but I searched all of my boxes and it appears I no longer have it to compare. To date I still think Chanel’s best orangey shades were Holiday, Sea Whip and Resplendissant.

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Overall a lovely collection adding some sunshine and beauty into my life right now! I think there are a lot of natural glow products that are easy to wear and perfect for the conservative makeup-lover. That being said I do think there is a lot of summer beauty newness on the horizon so you might want to wait and see what launches from other lines.

The best products to me are the Healthy Glow Illuminating Powders and Highlighting Fluids. I think they’re nice additions to my daily makeup routine. I do think the Highlighting Fluids might not be for everyone since they are very sheer. I do love the new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream – to me it’s nearly identical to the original in color and performance. Since I already own the original and still have a lot left I don’t think it’s a must-have for me.

If I were to do my purchase over again I would have skipped the nail polish. Also while I love both of the highlighting fluids, I don’t think I needed both since they look similar on my medium skin. I would have picked just one although trying to figure out which one is better is difficult as they’re both lovely.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges collection available now at Chanel.com. Have you checked it out yet or ordered anything? What did you think?