In general the Les Beiges powders are among the sheerest of the sheer when it comes to pressed powders. They aren’t quite as sheer as MAC Blot Powders though (which I always found chalky-looking). You can definitely layer the Les Beiges over tinted moisturizers or foundations. Buffing in a circular motion with a denser brush helps build color.
I would say the Les Beiges are most similar in concept to the discontinued Poudre Douce Soft Pressed Powders even though these only came in lighter shades. Pêche Tendre 20 (no longer available in the US) has a more glowy finish with visible shimmer. Les Beiges No. 20 has no visible shimmer and goes on the skin more pinkish.
Below you can see that the Double Perfection Lumiere in 20 Beige has significantly more coverage than the Les Beiges powders and that in general the darker Les Beiges powders are quite a bit warmer in undertone. They aren’t quite as brown as MAC Golden Bronzer (which also has more of a glow at a cheaper price) but Les Beiges have a similar natural finish.
The more I use the Les Beiges the more I like them. My initial thoughts were slightly less than impressed due to the sheerness. I’ve found that buffing in a circular motion creates a nice glow – something definitely more natural and suited to my preference than mineral powder foundations (pressed or loose), but similar in result by blending out imperfections (only when layered over liquid foundations though for me).
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour powders have finally arrived in the US ($57.50 for 12 g/0.42 oz). There are seven shades available in the powder. Each come encased in a black pouch and a beige colored square compact. The Les Beiges Powders come with a half-moon domed-shaped brush, but there is also a separate Les Beiges Retractable Kabuki Brush ($70) that has been released as well specifically for use with the Les Beiges powders. The compacts for Les Beiges are the same size as the now discontinued Poudre Douce, but with slightly less product. I was able to preview and test Les Beiges last month at a Chanel event. The artist used the shade in N° 20 all over as a soft finishing powder over the Vitalumière Aqua Compact Foundation in B30 (a full coverage foundation), then used N° 40 as a face contouring powder to add definition. The result was a flawless glow.
The Les Beiges powders are very finely milled powders with a sheer
translucent finish. The colors I picked out have a subtle glow in the
compact but the shimmer is not really visible on the skin except for N° 30 which has visible glow particles (at least on me). There are a number of ways to use these powders. My local Chanel
counter had some useful sheets to explain how the powders are meant to
be used. You can enhance the skin by using as a setting powder. Add a glow with a color that is one shade darker. Or use as a bronzer with an even darker shade by layering.
More ideas on how to use the powders:
The colors I picked: N° 20, 30 and 40
Each color side by side:
Since each color is very sheer, I tried to do a heavy swipe to show the color.
Swatched with a brush with a heavy hand:
Comparisons to come in the next post, but for now I’ll share my thoughts on how these powders performed. I’ve tested these several ways over the past few days. Overall these are very sheer even when buffed heavily into the skin. I’ve tested with several different brushes that Chanel recommended. Each brush will give a slightly different effect although no matter how you use these shades, the result is a similar soft glow. The Les Beiges create the same soft sheer effect as a loose setting powder but in pressed form.
1) Dusted over a full coverage foundation with the Retractable Kabuki or Touch Up Brush creates the best effect for me. There is a big gap between N° 20 and 30 and unfortunately I fall in that range. If I could only pick one, right now the N° 20 works best for me when dusted lightly over foundation. I’ve found mixing both N° 20 + 30 gives the best color finish even though the powders are sheer.
2) Buffed over a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer needs a denser brush like the Retractable Kabuki. My skin is not good enough to just wear a sheer tinted moisturizer and sheer powder. I need something with more coverage. Dipping the brush into the powder and buffing the color into the skin helps create a heavier coverage but it’s still a bit too sheer for my taste.
3) Buffed over bare but moisturized skin (like in Lisa Eldridge’s video). I tried this over Chanel Le Jour de Chanel mixed with a bit of Chanel Sublimage Le Fluide (small sample). I used the same buffing method that Lisa demonstrated. This would work best with those who have near flawless skin. This method did give a lovely sheer glow with soft coverage however my skin isn’t in the best condition right now and in need of something with more pigment. If you have any imperfections you need to hide this method won’t cover them.
4) Used as a dark contour with the darker shades. N° 30 isn’t dark enough for me to use as a contour, but anything darker like N° 40 work perfectly. There’s enough warmth in these to look natural on the skin but not too much brown so that these look like a bronzer (at least on me). N° 30 does work to add warmth by dusting it over the cheeks and temples but in a very subtle way.
5) Used as a touch-up powder with the half moon brush. I will probably need to test this more, but I found that the half moon brush did not pick up enough color to do much of anything. It’s made well with high quality bristles and cut for a compact, but the bristles are not dense enough for me to pick up much color to deposit on the face. If you’ve had luck trying it I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Overall the Les Beiges act as a good setting powder if you want a sheer soft finish (emphasis on the sheer). It has less coverage but a more matte finish compared to the Poudre Douce (discontinued). I’ll have a separate post with more details on how it compares to other powders from Chanel. In general with the Les Beiges I found the biggest downside to be the color selection. There are gaps in the middle shade range where I think many women fall (like myself). I tried N° 20 in the evening and photographed with a flash and it did leave a white cast. I haven’t photographed N°20+30 or N°30 alone with a flash so it could just be that N° 20 is a tad too pale for me as it is. I do think these are good high quality powders with a decent price of $57.50. If you are one who prefers heavier coverage then using this as a setting powder might not be the best option for you. You can still get a good finish when buffed over a fuller-coverage foundation but again, these powders are very sheer.
Les Beiges powders should be at all Chanel counters now. I found mine in store at Nordstrom. You can also find these online at Nordstrom, Chanel.com, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales.
Hourglass has released a series of beautiful finishing powders designed to emulate various lighting effects. There are six shades of their new Ambient Lighting Powder ($45 each for 0.35 oz/10 g, currently available online at Sephora.com). According to Hourglass, the Ambient Lighting Powders are not your typical highlighting powder. These powders have “photoluminescent technology that refracts light, creates transparent coverage and renders the skin gorgeously radiant.”
I received Luminous Light (a champagne glow) from Hourglass and have been playing with this for a few weeks now. Luminous Light was designed to give a candlelight glow to the face and this fits the product perfectly. It’s a stunning champagne pearl with a slight pinkish tint that gives THE prettiest natural glow. The application instructions on the box recommended that you use their Ambient Powder Brush ($35) and dust the powder all over the face. I’ve been using my regular blush and powder brushes to test which have worked quite well. Given the glowy nature of the product, I found it best used as a highlighter (rather than all over). I’ve used it numerous ways, under and over blush, mixed with a powder bronzer, over a contour powder or over a cream bronzer. The formula is soft and the color-intensity has just the right balance of pigment and softness to make the entire face glow. It melds into your skin and illuminates the face (rather than sitting on it or emphasizing pores like some highlighters can).
What amazes me is how complex the pearl particles are. Depending on the angle you will sometimes see a straight champagne, other times more pearl, other times a hint of pink. I attribute the candlelight glow this product gives to the complexity and perfect blend of pigments. On the arm, Luminous Light swatches more pinkish but on the face it’s more neutral/flesh toned for me.
Swatched:
There are a number of champagne highlighters on the market. Luminous Light stands out to me because it adds a natural glow without looking too frosty. It has the perfect balance of glow and color to look mimic lighting effects. The lasting power was quite good – on me it lasted all day. Other highlighters pale in comparison – the difference is difficult to capture in photos or swatches, but I’ve included a few to help show the difference.
Below: Chanel Poudre Signée de Chanel, Mouche de Beauté, Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Brick, Estée Lauder Tom Pecheux Highlight, Laura Mercier Stardust.
I can’t wait to order more shades and the brush from Sephora – however I do want to try them in person. As of this past weekend I did not see any of the Ambient Powders or brush at my local Sephora, but I’ve been told they will arrive instore mid-February.
Here is the ingredient listing:
I’ve found my holy grail powder lighter in Hourglass Luminous Light. I haven’t tested or tried the other shades to compare but based on what I’ve seen I am impressed. Few products make it into the “this changed my life” category and the Ambient Lighting Powder from Hourglass has made it. It gives that perfect glow that I aim for with cream highlighters or liquid ones – but in powder form (the benefit is that this one lasts much better than liquids). I think everyone needs at least one in their collection. More information and insight on HourglassCosmetics.com and Sephora.com.
Have you tried the Ambient Lighting Powders? What shade did you try? Thoughts on the brush? Do I need it?
This review contains a product sent by PR without charge for review. This post also contains affiliate links. For more information please refer to the About/FAQ section.
Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder ($42 for 0.42 oz/12 g) comes in one shade: a light beige with a finely milled pearl finish. It’s not exactly a translucent powder but the finish is sheer and the color disappears once applied very much like a translucent powder. The pearl particles give a soft glowy look to the skin and while the shimmer is visible, it’s not over the top. The finish is not quite as glowy as Chanel’s Poudre Douce – Soft Pressed Powder, but the concept is similar. I would say this powder is most similar to Armani’s Microfil Loose Powder with the shimmer particles being the same size. This is a beautiful setting powder but the sheerness means that it won’t necessarily even out the skin, but rather set your foundation and add a subtle glow.
The Koh Gen Go powder comes with a puff but I prefer to apply with a loose fluffy brush over a creamy foundation. In the past few months, I’ve tried this with a number of foundations and tinted moisturizers and it works with other brands including Chanel, Guerlain, Laura Mercier. I like that it doesn’t alter the color of your foundation but rather sets it. I’ve used Laura Mercier’s Translucent Powder for years and while I love it, I find sometimes it can look a bit chalky on my skin when I am very tanned.
Here is the Aqua foundation and Powder photographed together for a size comparison. I like that the container is large enough to easily fit a large fluffy powder brush in the top.
I’ve compared the Koh Gen Do powder to a few others. The color is different from others that I own but still sheer enough to work on a wide range of skintones due to the sheerness. Below is Laura Mercier’s Translucent, Armani Micro-fil #2, Chanel’s Naturel 30 Translucent 2.
Here it’s heavily swatched on my arm although they disappear when applied with a brush or puff on the face.
Overall the Koh Gen Do is a lovely loose powder. I personally prefer something with a bit more coverage when it comes to powders and I tend to prefer the pressed kind. I will even set my liquid foundations with powder foundations even though most might find it to be a bit of an overkill. I like my liquid foundations sheer to medium and my powders to be a bit heavier. To date, I think the Chanel and Armani are my two favorite loose powders still, but the limited shade selection make them difficult for many. I think the Koh Gen Do is more universally flattering for a wider range of skintones and adds a pretty glow. Will I ever repurchase? At this time I’m not sure, the tub is so large it seems like it will take quite a while for me to use up. I go through compact powders and powder foundations at least 5 times faster than I do for loose powders.
Have you tried Koh Gen Do’s powders? What are your thoughts? Any favorites?
Dolce & Gabbana’s Powder Foundation has reached holy grail status for me ($59 for 15 g / 0.53 oz). When the line first launched in NYC mid-2009, I immediately e-mailed a few NY friends for their thoughts. It was only available at a select few counters (none near me) so I relied on several for their keen eye and exquisite taste. Two things that were constantly raved about included the Dolce & Gabbana mascara and powder foundation. Not having local access to the brand, I was hesitant to try this sight unseen. With the exception of the Dolce & Gabbana I have never purchased a foundation without testing it in person first. Many thanks to Nikki at Saks Houston who was kind enough to match me over the phone. I told her a few foundation shades I used, “Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid in Shell and I’m in between Armani’s Lasting Silk 5.5 and 6.5” and the kind soul that she is, she swiped the Chanel on her hand to find my perfect match to Tan #140. Since discovering this my skin has lightened a bit. When I Tan became too dark, I told her “I’m now 1.5 shades lighter, not quite a full two shades down, but almost.” She matched me perfectly again to Warm #100 (I’m not sure why there’s such a huge jump, but I suspect other shades in between either have more peach or pink or yellow).
The powder foundation comes in a gold double tiered mirrored compact. The bottom compartment will hold a square sponge for application but I prefer to apply with a brush. The texture is smooth and silky with full but natural coverage. It makes the skin look velvety smooth but not in an overdone way. The finish is truly flawless for me.
Dolce & Gabbana Warm Powder Foundation:
There’s no detectable scent. Applying with a sponge works well for touch-ups but I prefer to use a brush. Even though it’s a powder foundation and doesn’t require liquid foundation underneath, I like to use it as a setting powder. I tend to use sheerer lighter weight liquid foundations (which are more forgiving when the color isn’t a 100% exact match) and always layer with some kind of powder on top (loose, pressed or powder foundation). It lasts well into the afternoon without changing color as your skin gets oily. Touch ups are easy to do with a swipe of the sponge. With this powder, I rarely ever need concealer if I have redness.
Chanel’s Double Perfection Powder Foundation ($50 for 13 g / .45 oz) has been a long time favorite of mine. Both have similar soft smooth textures with very similar coverage. I feel that the Dolce & Gabbana is slightly more versatile in the sense you can control coverage better, but both are similar in finish and quality. I can’t pick my favorite out of the two because I adore them both.
Swatching these on the arm seems futile since it will end up blending into my skin. I’ve featured it here compared to the Chanel shades I alternate between for Tender Bisque and Medium Beige. I hope this helps a bit. The Tender Bisque is close to Warm, the Chanel has slightly more peach while the Dolce & Gabbana has more yellow. Two views since it might be hard to tell how they compare from the lighting.
Overall I love this. I’ve used up two compacts already and this is my third. It’s pricey and while I had luck being matched over the phone, I don’t recommend trying the same. There’s no substitute for trying foundation on in person and I believe it’s one of the things you need an exact match for your undertone. Makeupalley does have some reviews which might help you guess what shade you are if you can’t get to a counter in person.
Have you tried Dolce & Gabbana’s powder foundation? What’s your current holy grail or are you still searching?
Photos, swatches and what I’m coordinating with the Armani Spring 2011 items. Picks include: Pink Light Micro-fil Powder for Spring 2011, Rouge d’Armani #518 and the new La Femme Bleue Blush Palette.
*Update Friday Evening* What a week! TGIF a million times over. The Spring 2011 Collection from Armani is lovely and fresh with soft feminine pinks for lips and cheeks. I viewed the eyeshadow quad as the misfit in the collection – lovely and vibrant and very original, just not for me. I ended up with the classic soft pinks – gorgeous and naturally flattering, but dupeable and a bit unoriginal. Photos are separated by Spring Product Picks first, followed by comparisons all the way at the bottom.
#518 Rouge d’Armani is extremely close to last spring’s Silk Lipstick #98 and Dior’s Serum de Rouge in 640. It’s a lovely soft cool pink but I found it applied a bit streaky and uneven. It took a bit of work layering combined with a brush for me to get an even application. I like the effect but it’s been done before. The texture is smooth and creamy and those who avoid Armani Lipsticks because of lack of staying power – the good news is the Rouge d’Armani formula does last longer. The finish is natural with a soft shine. No detectable scent.
The Spring 2011 blush was the item I was anticipating the most. I’m a huge fan of Armani blushes for their subtle natural finish. They are soft and light but noticeable on my skin and I love the way they look when layered over a soft cream highlighter. The Spring Blush is a soft powder pink with a luminous glow. There’s a soft silver sparkle that you can barely see. The finish of this blush is very natural. More comparisons down below.
I was a bit disappointed to find this season’s Pink Light Powder is the exact same as 2009’s Pink Light Powder. I think my sister will be happy to take this off my hands. If you missed out a couple years ago, definitely try to find a counter to try this. It’s like their Fluid Sheer #7 and NARS Luxor in a powder form. It’s a soft opalescent pink that is beautifully luminous and gives that glow from within effect. I love this layered over other blushes to add shimmer. It’s really lovely without being too sparkly or frosty. Can’t rave enough even though I wish this was slightly different than the previous release, it’s still an awesome product.
What I’m wearing with the Spring 2011 items today:
A lot of repeats this month from recent features. Right now I’m loving …
NARS Eyeshadow Duos – here are a few of my favorites that haven’t been depotted yet (which I don’t recommend, but did for the compacts that got too sticky, now stored in my Trish McEvoy planner pages)
Urban Decay Naked Palette (previously featured here)
Chanel Teint Innocence Foundation and Natural Finish Loose Powder – No matter how many other foundations I try, I keep coming back to the Teint Innocence. Just recently tried their loose setting powder and love it as well. I use Shell in the foundation and Naturel in the powder.
Chanel Rouge Coco in Chintz & Rose Dentelle – A little bit more delicate than most of my other Chanel lipsticks. These came a bit dinged on the sides but everything else was in tact. They are really close in color, Chintz is more peach, while Rose Dentelle is more pink.
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners – Rich pigment and longlasting plus no sharpening required! Wish they would re-release that old shade Tweed (a lovely golden taupe).
Black Shimmer & Ebene swatched here Cassis swatched here Marine swatched here and here
Edward Bess All Over Seduction Cream Highlighters – Perfectly glowy (previously reviewed and swatched here)
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers – Great pigment and shine. I had to get almost all of the colors. I’ll get to lip swatches eventually.
Burberry Lipglosses are great . . . but I’m loving everything I purchased (click on the Burberry tag)
Quilted accessories, purses, makeup planners – dreaming of a quilted flap bag
Out of all the Trish planners I have, the quilted ones are my favorite.
Last but not least, my kitty, small but mighty fierce. This is the only photo I could get of him that makes him look non-evil. (I love my puppies too but they won’t sit still for a picture – way too excited about my brother in-law visiting this week after having been gone to the east coast for several months)
