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Becca Lips

Becca Lush Lip Colour Balm Review + Swatches

August 22, 2017

Becca launched eight tinted lip balms called the Lush Lip Colour Balm ($22 each). These are creamy tinted balms with a lipstick feel. They have a vanilla scent similar to that of MAC lipsticks which is soft and creamy. Pigment is medium but buildable if you layer and they feel hydrating without feeling heavy or like they’ll slip off the lips. The texture is smooth and they’re comforting on the lips and I like them even in the hot humid weather. My lips have been on a the dry side a bit with the chlorine and salt water from swimming combined with heat – these helped hydrate them significantly after a day’s wear. Lasting power isn’t the best as it is an emollient balm. They’re not going to stay put like a longwear lipstick or liquid/matte lipstick – but they don’t disappear on me quickly and it’s something I don’t mind re-applying.

Color options have a good range from light to deep and they’re all fairly conservative wearable shades. I did have some streaking with the deeper colors as they had a bit of contrast with my natural lip tone and when I swatched these I did have some peeling going on my lips – but it’s something I can fix with more blending.

Colors include:

Cafe Au Lait is a pale peachy beige which looks a bit streaky with one swipe, but add a few more and it smooths out to an impressive level of smoothness, often times I cannot wear such pale colors because they are super streaky, I was really surprised by this one
Ginger Vanille is a soft pink coral, it pulls a bit more coral on most people I’ve seen it on, since I have a lot of olive and yellow, especially when I’m in the sun a lot, it looks a bit more pink on my lips
Almond Fraise is a pretty soft pink rose cream, on me it pulls a little bit cool
Chai Creme is the perfect creamy soft brown pink shade on my lips
Milk Chocolate is a mauve brown cream, this one felt sheerer than the others
Toasted Hazelnut is a deeper brown
Cherry Ganache is a burgundy red, this one had a little bit of streaking with my dry patches
Black Violet was a bit streaky on me as well, but without any dry lips it looks smoother, it’s a purple cream

Lip swatches below on bare lips. The bases I’m wearing include NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St Moritz, MILK Makeup Flex Concealer in Medium set with Armani Luminous Silk Powder in #4.

Bottom line love and I think the price is reasonable for the amount. Nicely hydrating with good color payoff for a balm. Smooth finish and a delicious scent. For a balm they are on the lightweight side but not weightless – I can definitely feel product on my lips, but since it’s a balm I don’t mind. My favorite is Ginger Vanille but it’s really hard to pick one favorite. If you need more color/pigment then I’d recommend opting for the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipsticks (even though they are a lot more expensive, review on all shades soon). By comparison the YSL Volupte Tint in Balms have a more glossy finish and emollient feel. As a sheer lip lover I like both – I think for neutrals the Becca has more options while YSL has more brights.

You can find the Becca Lush Lip Colour Balms at Ulta Beauty and Becca Cosmetics.

Balms provided courtesy of Becca for review.

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Chanel

Chanel Fall-Winter 2017 Makeup Collection

August 21, 2017

Chanel is among the first to launch their Fall-Winter 2017 Beauty Collection this year with a California Travel Diary inspired set of colors. So many of you have requested a review and from the items I ordered I’ve found some hits and misses. I’ll say up front the Les 4 Ombres in City Lights is a the highlight for me and one of the prettiest neutral-cool palettes I’ve tried. Based on the color payoff and texture I’ll be looking at Road Movie once it hits counters but for now it appears everything is only available online at Chanel.

Up first is the Palette Essentielle in Beige Clair 150 which has a concealer, highlighter and cream color. All the items in this palette are creams and the one I ordered has a concealer that is definitely too light for me to conceal but it does work as an eye base to even out the lids. I ordered sight unseen so I can’t report on the pigment of the other two, but Beige Clair has a pigmented concealer with a matte finish, a soft medium-sheer light peachy pink cream and a pale white highlighter with sheer but buildable finish. On the face pigment is medium but on the soft side – you can build it for a super natural dewy finish. It’s not too dewy though and I was able to wear all three without it getting greasy looking by late afternoon. For me it’s neither a hit or miss. Quality, pigment and texture are very good. They give me a natural polished glow but based on the color I ordered it’s almost too natural for my skintone.

Up next is the Retractable Dual-Tip Concealer Brush ($38, made in China). I was surprised to find this was made in China according to the box label but it performs exceptionally well. It works to pick up concealer from a pot or the tip of an applicator and the fluffy side works to blend. I personally feel this is best suited for cream shadow and powder like the Tom Ford Cream Powder Duos. For concealer application I like to apply with the sponge tip applicators and either blend with my finger, a beautyblender or the Marc Jacobs The Conceal Brush. The original Chanel Concealer Brush #10 is actually one of the best ones I’ve tried but they didn’t bring this out with the redesign. You can still find the original one at a few select places like Neiman Marcus but I don’t know how long they will be available.

The brush performs well and I really like the dual-ended retractable ends. Still given the number of brushes I own I do feel like I already have ones that do the same trick so I can’t call this a must- have. The convenience factor and packaging style is really well made though.

The eyeshadows in the Les 4 Ombres City Lights and Ombre Premiere Cream in Memory are both gorgeous. The Les 4 Ombres in City Lights looks more on the warm side in the stock photo, in person it looks more neutral, swatched on my olive skin it pulls more cool-toned. Your mileage will definitely vary depending on your skin undertone. If you have pink or fair skin this will definitely not look as cool-toned as it does on me. It has four easy to wear neutral shimmers with excellent pigment and lovely shimmer.

Ombre Premiere in Memory is a stunning bronze shimmer. I can’t wait to wear this all season long. As with the other Ombre Premiere formulas I reviewed lasting power is quite impressive and pretty much budge-proof once you apply and let it set. It has a semi-matte finish but still has a shimmery look to it.

Both aren’t really the most unique colors. They have a very similar vibe to previous launches from Chanel and other brands. As I’m in the middle of moving and travel for the next 2 months I have most of my things in temporary storage and don’t have easy access to pull things for comparison.

For the lips I picked out the neutrals. I had very high hopes for the Rouge Coco in Daylight which is a sheer soft peachy nude and Rouge Allure Ink in Lost – both are just not the best formula-wise. I can make them both work with some blending and layering but they are on the streaky side and with all the other formulas on the market that are pretty much opaque, smooth and flawless I found these to be a disappointment. I will say that this may be due to the fact I have naturally pigmented lips – if you have lighter tones in your natural lip color there may be less contrast and therefore less streaking. I feel like there’s a really good dupe with the Hourglass GIRL Lip Stylos in Believer or Idealist (swatched here) although since I don’t have them to compare at the moment I can’t say which color. I’ve even though I feel the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim Lipsticks are overpriced I feel the formula is truly excellent and if price isn’t a concern (or price per oz that is), these are definitely superior in formula, pigment and color pay off.

For these Chanel lips, I can make them look smooth with blending but anything that touches the lips after – even if it’s my own lips touching each other makes the color budge and streak. If you have a different experience please share in the comments.

Last but not least are two gorgeous Le Vernis nail polishes. I’ve been in a bit of a nail polish funk for months. Long time readers know I used to be a die hard Chanel and Dior nail polish collector of every single color. These days I feel like I rotate between three colors: Chanel Coralium (swatch here), OPI Be There in a Prosecco (swatched here), and Chanel Organdi (swatch here). The new Le Vernis shades for fall are Chanel Horizon Line which is a soft grey mint color and New Dawn which is a muted dusty lilac. Both are really pretty and have smooth opaque coverage.

A quick look with the collection wearing:

Foundation Chanel Sublimage Le Teint 40
Powder Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder 2
Concealer, cheeks and highlight Chanel Palette Essentielle Beige Clair
Blush Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love
Eyeshadow Les 4 Ombres in City Lights (all four shades)
Brows Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown
Lips Rouge Allure Ink in Lost (with 3 layers)
Sweater from Club Monaco

I think the standouts are the eye shadows, both the City Lights quad and Memory cream shadow. The nail polishes are nice subdued shades that have a soft feel without that pastel vibe you usually get with spring launches so I think they’ll be really pretty once the fall season arrives. You can find the entire Fall-Winter 2017 Collection available online at Chanel.com now.

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Lips NARS

NARSissist Velvet Lip Glide Set (Ulta Exclusive)

August 18, 2017

There’s a super cute NARSissist Velvet Lip Glide Set ($45) which is an Ulta Exclusive. It has six new shades which are really perfect for summer but wearable year round. I found this at my local store – they don’t have the full line of NARS but did carry a small selection including this set. The velvet lip glides are minis (same size as the Sephora Give Me Some Nude Lips Set) and I’m beyond thrilled all the colors are new. It comes in a pretty pink box:

Colors include cream colors. All the colors are consistently medium to full coverage with a smooth streak-free finish. Pigment is really good and they have a natural sheen even though they have a velvety finish. I don’t detect any scent in these and they feel comfortable on the lips. Lasting power is medium – they have a similar lasting power to a regular lipstick. I love that the formula feels weightless and doesn’t dry out my sensitive lips.

Rapture a medium soft coral peach
Night Together soft neutral medium pink brown with a hint of plum
Californication cool-toned mauve
Immoral bright pink
Staying Alive vibrant plum
Burning Love is a bright red coral

Full size vs minis and some comparison swatches:

Shown below:

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Playpen and Bound (review here)
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Slow Burn (review here, love this color and formula)
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Suck
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in Chutney (swatched here)

I think the set is a great buy. Colors are very wearable but not boring. Even the brighter ones are easy to wear especially for summer. If you haven’t tried the NARS Velvet Lip Glide formula this is a nice way to try more than one shade without having to buy the full sizes.

You can find the NARSissist Velvet Lip Glide Set exclusively at Ulta Beauty. Have you tried this one yet? What did you think?

9 Comments

Shu Uemura Skincare

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils

August 10, 2017

I’ve rediscovered cleansing oils from Shu Uemura and they’ve become a regular part of my daily skincare routine this summer. With the heat, sunshine and humidity I have multiple layers products on my face in order to prep, moisturize, protect the skin and also and make my base last. I’ve switched up my skincare routine over the past few months since moving to Florida because I found the water dried out my skin. At the same time the increasing humidity levels cause me to sweat while I’m outside. I’ve finally re-balanced my skin and will share my full skincare routine soon – but today I have a review on all six cleansing oils from Shu Uemura. This year marks their 50th Anniversary.

I’m fairly certain that every one of my readers are already familiar with cleansing oils. In case you are not these are cleansers in oil format where you apply to a dry face then massage into the skin. You can use them on bare skin or as a makeup remover. Simply add warm water to emulsify afterwards and rinse. It’s a skincare product that allows you to remove makeup and cleanse the skin effectively in a single step. With these I only need 2 pumps to cover the entire face although they recommend 3 to 4.

For a bit of background on my skin type, I have normal skin that is on the sensitive side. I tend to double cleanse with cleansing oils or cleansing waters because I like to have my skin squeaky clean. With the Shu Uemura oils they have enough power to do a single cleanse to remove all of my face makeup. With eye makeup or lipstick I still prefer to remove that separately first with a cotton pad and bi-phase makeup remover. It’s just easier and less messy for me. Also with waterproof mascaras and long-wear shadows most cleansing oils simply don’t take it off 100%.

There are currently 7 Shu Uemura cleansing oils – I have 6 of them that I put to the test. Each one has a different formula designed to be suited to certain skin types or preferences. I found they all performed similar in terms of how well they emulsified with water and also how they removed face makeup. Some are better suited for oily skin vs. normal/dry skin and there is a noticeable difference in texture between them. Most of these come in various size options – I have the 150 ml options shown in this post.

Thoughts on each one shown above from left to right. Up first is the one I’d consider the classic which is the High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula. It’s actually “an evolved” formula of the classic with ingredients designed for waterproof make-up. This one is designed for sensitive skin and it has the most emollient medium-weight smooth feel out of the ones I tested. It leaves the skin completely clean and soft. In terms of mascara removal it didn’t take off 100% of my mascara but it was a very good first pass to remove most of it. For the face it will remove sunscreen, foundation, powder and concealer nicely without stripping the skin.

POREfinist is designed for acne-prone/oily skin but is the lightest weight option in terms of texture. This has a floral petal scent and is designed to remove excess oil and dirt from pores. For my skin it felt the strongest in terms of cleansing power. It was a bit too strong for daily use for me, but if you have oily skin this is probably the best option. This was the second best in terms of waterproof mascara removal.

Anti/Oxi+ is designed for those with aging concerns. It has moringa and green tea extracts to remove pollutants and balance the skin. This one has a fairly strong scent which my nose was a bit sensitive to. In terms of cleansing this removed all traces of makeup, mascara included without stripping the skin. The scent is a relaxing spa-like scent which is nice – but I preferred the unscented/fresh options. It does leave the skin looking completely refreshed with a smooth feel and the scent did not irritate my skin.

Blanc:Chroma is my favorite. It’s a lightweight oil with a brightening effect. On me it was the most gentle and it’s designed for combination skin. I have yet to see noticeable results for brightening with this one – I suspect it’s one that will take months and months of regular use to see visible results. I like this one for the way it makes my skin feel clean and soft.

Nutri:nectar is the newest cleansing oil from Shu Uemura and the most unique. It has a thick almost gel-like texture so it won’t slide into the eyes as easily as fluid options. It is designed for delicate skin and for me was definitely one of the most gentle feeling. It has calming Acai, magnolia to replenish and mushroom to improve resilience.

Ultime8 Sublime is the option best suited for normal/dry skin. On me this was the richest feeling option without any film. It removes all traces of face makeup and leaves the skin feeling plump and soft.

Ingredients on each of the boxes, left to right is blanc:chroma, high performance balancing cleansing oil advanced formula, nutri:nectar:

Left to right: anti/oxi+, POREfinist, ultime8 sublime

Out of all of the cleansing oils I found that Blanc:chroma worked best for me. It has a lightweight texture and soft scent that I really liked. Anti/Oxi+ was the best for makeup removal including waterproof mascara and liner. The new nutri:nectar was the most gentle. If you have any favorites from the line let me know in the comments!

You can find all the cleansing oils online at Shu Uemura. They are also offering Beauty Look Book readers a special promo 15% off + free shipping on orders with code BLBXSHU. Valid online at both Shu Uemura US and Shu Uemura Canada.

Do you have any Shu Uemura favorites? Let me know what you recommend in the comments!

Cleansing oils provided courtesy of Shu Uemura.

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Beauty Tools Chanel

Chanel Makeup Brushes – New Design

August 9, 2017

Chanel recently revamped their makeup brushes with a new sleek look and the ones I’ve tested are extremely well made. I had quite a few from the previous design and they’ve lasted for years. The new ones have definitely improved with a softer feel and more luxurious application. These are currently exclusive to Chanel.com and they’ve pulled all the older styles from their site.

There are four face and cheek brushes I tested. All exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and application of powders and creams.

Shown above from left to right:

2-in-1 Liquid and Powder Brush ($50) is essentially the same as the original design in shape and size. This works extremely well for streak-free foundation coverage. I tested this on the Chanel Sublimage Le Teint and it provides a flawless application. It’s very soft and makes it easy to layer and blend liquids.
Blush Brush ($50, made in Japan) is one of the most dense fluffy blush brushes I’ve tried. I feel like I can almost use it for powder. For blush it picks up the perfect amount of product for a single sweep on the cheeks. It’s dense but still extremely soft and isn’t too dense.
Foundation-Blending Brush ($50, made in France) is essentially like the previous version and also similar to MAC’s 187 Duo Fibre Brush but with all black hairs. It’s not quite as dense as the previous version or MAC’s but large and fluffy and extremely soft. It is softer than both previous versions. I’ve had this used on me for liquid foundation blending and buffing which works extremely well. I tend to use this for powders or highlighters. It’s a versatile brush though so you can really use it any way you want.
Precision Powder Brush ($60, made in Japan) is an extremely soft tapered face brush perfect for contours or detail powder application. I tried it as an all over face powder brush and it’s a bit small for big sweeping strokes. It is however great for detail application like on the nose or cheekbone area. It’s so soft and plush and picks up product beautifully. I’ve used this for bronzer and soft contouring.

For the eyes the brush options have improved significantly. Unfortunately I didn’t keep the boxes of all the brushes but for the ones I have I’ll list where they were made.

Shown above from left to right. Quick note at the moment on the Chanel.com website a couple of these are switched in the image: the Eyeshadow-Blending Brush and Rounded Eyeshadow Brush images are switched for the names. I emailed them and they said they fixed it but based on the product names they have not. I would go by the brush name which I confirmed by checking the box they came in.

Eye Contouring Brush ($32, made in France) is a detail brush perfect for a precise line with powder shadows. It’s described as one you can use to apply eyeshadow to the eye contour but to me it seems too small and tiny for that purpose. As a small liner brush it’s excellent and there’s no poking.
Rounded Eyeshadow Brush ($28, made in Japan) is the new version of Chanel’s previous #19 brush. Thew new design is significantly softer in material but just as dense. It’s perfect for smudging the eyeshadow.
Flat Eyeshadow Brush ($38, made in France) in the new version is much better than the previous one. In the older format this brush had more coarse bristles while the new one has the same shape/size but it’s more dense and a lot softer in finish. For me it’s the perfect size for lid application. I’m going to order a few more.
Eyeshadow Blending Brush ($38, made in Japan) is a soft fluffy brush you can use on the lids or crease. It’s pretty standard but well made along the lines and quality of the ones from Wayne Goss Eye Set.
Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush ($42) is a double ended brush for smudging shadows or defining them. I’ve used this on both powders and creams and it works really well. I love that it comes with retractable portions and caps to keep the bristles pristine if you store them in a jar or travel.
Retractable Dual Tip Eyeshadow Brush ($42) is a double ended brush with a fluffy shadow brush and more precise shadow brush on the other end. This is the perfect duo for me. It has my two favorite shapes in one brush. It’s extremely soft without any poking.

A quick look at the original vs new for the ones I own, original ones have the silver handles:

A quick look at the brushes next to product for size reference:

For the face and cheek brushes, items shown are the Hourglass Ambient Diffused Palette (review here), Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Bronzer (review here), Chanel Joues Contraste Blush, Armani Luminous Silk Compact #4, Chanel Les 4 Ombres Jardins Eclat (swatched here), Ombre Premiere in Talpa (swatched here), Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Palette in Glambition.

Overall the brushes are excellent. They have a more modern updated look and quality and performance wise it’s definitely an improvement or upgrade from the previous ones. The face brushes seem to be a bit on the pricey side but they are well made and perform well. Based on how long mine have lasted from the previous launch I do think they are a good investment as the ones I bought have lasted for years (I’m guessing at least 5 years).

Bottom line definitely worth looking into!

You can find the newly revamped makeup brushes online at Chanel.com.

Most brushes featured in this post were provided for review consideration. Ones purchased by me include the Rounded Eye Shadow Brush, Flat Eye Shadow Brush and both dual-ended brushes.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Eyeshadows

August 7, 2017

Chanel launched new eyeshadow formulas earlier this year in the Ombre Premiere Collection. There are two formulas called the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadow ($36 each) and Longwear Powder Eyeshadow ($30 each). I bought a few colors several months ago to try and fell in love with the texture of both formulas. Since then I’ve acquired more shades in the neutral category as press samples and find the formulas quite good. Chanel also launched two double-ended brushes with this launch that come with caps making them really nice for travel or to carry in your makeup bag. There is a Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush ($42) and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush ($42). They are a bit on the expensive side but are super soft and perform extremely well and for me they were worth the splurge.

The new Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows are the among the best ones I’ve tried from Chanel in powder form. They are extremely soft but velvety in texture with beautiful pigment. The colors I tried are neutral shimmers. I’ve had Flesh for a few months and find it to be the perfect neutral champagne pinky peach for an all over lid or wash color. Sable is a lighter champagne color. Talpa is a really pretty cool-toned brown shimmer. I feel like this makeup age is the age of palettes and find it rare that single eyeshadows are released. Palettes definitely have the convenience factor but these are really good even if the price tag is pretty high. They glide on the lids beautifully and smoothly with very little fallout. Lasting power is quite impressive alone. If you layer them over the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadows you get a more intense shimmer. These come with applicators but for these shadows I find it better to apply with a regualar full size eyeshadow brush.

The Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows are pigmented cream shadows that have a softer texture and more pigmented texture compared to the Illusion D’Ombres. The Ombre Premiere formula by comparison to most traditional creams has a dry finish versus a super emollient one. This makes it one of the longest-lasting cream shadows I’ve ever tested. My lids aren’t like most others in the sense that they aren’t oily and do not tend to get oily. I find my eyes to be more on the normal/dry side if anything. Most of my readers have asked for shadow primers that work for oily lids – ones that are super popular and highly rated with customer reviews all tend to dry out my skin making it look wrinkly. Because of this – I find that the creams work best when I use a single color as a base or lid color either alone or with a powder on top. Layering cream on top of cream with this formula didn’t work so well on some occasions because they dry and set fast. These last an impressive amount of time even in hot humid weather.

Shadow labels on the bottom:

These come with a small white-hair applicator which I didn’t think would be useful. It actually performed the best in picking up pigment and applying them to the lids. I wish that Chanel made another one like it with a larger handle for easier use. Otherwise fingers work for application too. I’ve experimented with a number of shadow brushes and like the double-ended contour brush the best for a full-size option. I do think the applicator these come with is the best way to pick up the most color.

Last but not least are the two dual ended brushes, Retractable Dual Tip Eye-Contouring Brush on the bottom and a Retractable Dual-Tip Eyeshadow Brush on the top. These are some of the softest eyeshadow brushes I’ve tried from Chanel. I really love the larger option as it has the perfect size/density for a brush. The smaller one works really well too but I already have my favorites for detail brushes. There is a moveable portion on each end that you push up to cover the brush tip and then place the cap on top – that way you don’t have to worry about messing up the brush if it gets fluffy from use and recapping. In the past few weeks Chanel has launched an entire line of new brushes – I’m still testing them but hope to have the review up soon.

Overall thoughts are that the formulas of the shadows are really good. I prefer the texture of the powders for that beautiful shimmer but like the colors of the creams better. For summer or hot humid weather these are very good for lasting power when it feels like almost everything is prone to melting off my face. I’m all about neutrals but there are quite a few other colors that are more edgy or bold. For me the neutrals seem most on-brand for Chanel. Some of the others (like the yellow, blue or green) seemed a bit dated but I can see how they could appeal to those who like more fun trendy shades.

Other new items have launched online as well including the Fall-Winter Collection and some new pink Lip and Nail Colors. I already ordered a few pieces from the fall line which I’ll review, for now I’ve decided to pass on the pink shades.

You can find the Chanel Ombre Premiere collection online at Chanel.com and also at all other counters now. The shadows are listed as limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Ombre Premiere Longwear Shadows provided for review. Brushes purchased by me.

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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Collection Summer 2017

July 28, 2017

The Chanel Les Beiges Collection this year brings us a some new products including a new foundation formula, new brush, two new cheek colors, a natural eyeshadow palette and some repromotes. I have four items I’ve been testing this month thanks to the Chanel team and am happy to report the collection exceeded my expectations. There have been mixed reviews about this year’s launch, after testing this I do think it’s going to be a hit or miss for you depending on how natural or pigmented you like your makeup. For me it’s a hit. In today’s review:

Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint in 30 and 40
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in 23 and 24

The Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint is an interesting base. If you like BB creams or dewy sheer bases you will love this one. I had expected this to be a cushion – but it’s not really cushion like. It has a soft flexible mesh top where you press a sponge into to absorb product. There was some excess that had oozed out around the edges when I opened and I swatched with my fingers and barely saw any coverage. Quick tip is to use the sponge – it’s amazing what a difference there is in application when you apply it with the sponge. I’ve been a long-time fan of the original Les Beiges Healthy Glow Colour Powder in 20 as a setting powder but subsequent Les Beiges launches have often let me down – the newer bases and tints have been tricky to work with sometimes.

The Gel Tint compact is smaller around in size compared to other Les Beiges compacts, but it’s also taller.

Swatches of 30 and 40:

Comparison swatches to the Dior Dreamskin Cushion in 30 (which looks dark but actually matches once blended out), Saturday Skin All Aglow Sunscreen Perfection Cushion in 5 Honey and 6 Goldie, Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in 25.

Coverage is sheer but still noticeable. There’s enough coverage to cover redness, even out skintone and see color on the skin. Shade-wise I wish there were more yellow-toned options. 30 looks a bit light and pink on my skin but it does adjust and darken on me – my skin is weird these days, some foundations darken quite a bit after they dry down. 40 is the right undertone but it matches when I have a tan. As mentioned in a few recent posts, if I’m out of the sun for even 2-3 days I lose my tan very quickly. Since there is sun everywhere in Florida it’s impossible to avoid the sun – so my skintone changes frequently. Long story short – I can wear either 30 or 40.

I think the Gel Touch Cushion is better suited for normal to dry skin, but even in the hot humid weather I’ve found it stayed put all day and didn’t slide off in the humidity. You do need to set with a powder – when testing this I set with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder in 20 and it helped to tone down the glow but still keep the skin looking radiant and glowy.

Next up are the two Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks in 23 (sheer warm pink) and 24 (sheer apricot). Both have a very natural sheen to them and I believe 23 and 24 are new shades. I tried these when they launched a few years ago and found the pigment lacking once you blended them out on the skin. The pigment in this years’ has improved significantly – but they are still very natural looking. They have a satiny almost velvet finish so they’re not like regular creams. I found they lasted and stayed put all day.

Last but not least is the Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette. Reviews on this have been all over the place in terms of reviewing the pigment. I found all the colors performed well with good pigment – they are all sheer to medium for a soft natural eye though. If you’re looking for high impact rich pigment this is not the palette for you. For me it’s a great fool-proof everyday kind of palette. If you have dry lids or us a matte primer the shadows most likely won’t show up as well as they are very soft – try using a more emollient base and the colors will show up better. I used the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold to prep my lids.

In the palette you have a sheer beige base, a soft cool brown, a soft warm brown, a satiny charcoal brown and a shimmering champagne. Everything is soft with a diffused look to them. For the person who wants natural definition to their eyes this is just perfect.

It has a similar vibe to the Dior Eye Reviver Palette which I found way too sheer and natural for me. It also reminded me a bit of the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics so I swatched them side by side.

A beauty look with just the Les Beiges Gel Touch Healthy Glow Tint in 30 on the left side. On the right look:

Face with the Gel Tint set with the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder in 20
Les Beiges Blush Stick in 23
Le Rouge Crayon de Chanel in Beige Rose (all shades reviewed here)
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette all shades used
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Le Volume Mascara Waterproof in Black

Bottom line I like the collection a lot more than I expected. For me the winner is the Natural Eyeshadow Palette – it’s great for everyday when you just need a little color or a fool-proof conservative palette to add definition without looking like you have a lot of makeup on. I really like this year’s launch of the Blush Sticks – the pigment is a lot better than it was a few years ago but they still look natural. For a cream they stay put for a good amount of time but that being said they’re still creams so if you’re going to be outdoors in humid weather for an extended period of time they’re not going to be budge-proof. The Gel Touch Tint is going to be hit or miss for you depending on skin tone and skin type. I think if you like moisturizing dewy bases you’ll love this. I like it more than I expected and I found a few color matches although I would prefer it to have more of a yellow/olive undertone. I did just buy the Dior Forever Perfect Cushion in 21 and Forever Undercover Concealer in 30 and 31 and I’m testing some bases from Sisley-Paris so you may want to stay tuned for those reviews.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges collection now online at Chanel.com and at all Chanel counters. P.S. The new brushes have launched as well along with some new nail and lip colors! I’ll be reviewing some of the brushes soon – I’m currently putting them to the test.

Have you tried anything from this year’s Les Beiges collection?

Press samples include the Chanel Les Beiges Gel Tint in 30, Les Beiges Blush Sticks in 23 and 24, Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette and Le Rouge Crayon in Beige Rose. All other items purchased by me.

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