Chanel are my favourite brand when it comes to foundation. Their Vitalumiere Aqua foundation is my all time favourite, I almost cried then they discontinued Pro Lumiere and their Vitalumiere compact is my go-to touch up when I’m on the go. Needless to say, when they announced the launch of ‘Les Beiges Healthy Glow’ foundation this month I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. With a name like Healthy Glow, it sounded promising to say the least! So does it live up to my (very high) expectations?
Firstly for the packaging… I’m a big fan. I love the frosted glass. The heavy, sleek bottle is really luxurious yet still quite small and compact. It feels much more premium than the small plastic bottles that house the Vitalumiere Aqua and Perfection Lumiere Velvet but it is heavier, so if you love them for their portability this isn’t quite as handbag friendly. It has a nice pump that dispenses cleanly. I use two full pumps to cover my face and neck.
It’s a thick liquid, creamy formula which I like to apply with my Sigma 3DHD synthetic brush. It’s formulated with SPF 25 so offers the highest sun protection of all the bases Chanel makes. It blends in nicely and although thick, it isn’t too heavy or cakey. It gives a solid medium coverage. The finish is what I like to call a ‘fresh matte’ It’s glowy, but still matte. Not quite satin and definitely not ‘dewy’ (note the distinction between glow and dew here… glow is a ‘lit from within look’ while dew is a definite sheen on the surface of the skin)
It’s quite middle of the road when it comes to finish so I think this will be an instant hit for those who have normal, slightly dry, slightly oily, or combination skin. If you’ve got very dry skin I don’t think this would be moisturising enough for you. If you’ve got oily skin and are looking for a glowy foundation without the dew (so it’s not going to slide off your face in an hour) this could also be a great option.
The below picture is me wearing it with no other makeup except mascara and lipgloss. As you can see, the coverage is good even on it’s own, evening out my skin tone and covering any redness and small blemishes on my skin. I think this is a great everyday foundation for non ‘high maintenance’ girls (i.e. you can apply it quickly and easily in a few minutes and look instantly put-together)
There are 9 shades in the UK (and up to 14 in other territories) which provides an OK selection, but definitely more skewed towards paler skin tones. My shade is 20 (I’m B20 in Vitalumiere Aqua). Overall, I really like this foundation and it’s definitely secured a place in my current rotation of products. Is it better than my beloved Vitalumiere Aqua?! Not quite (I like the lighter, more moisturising feel of the VA) but I think those who are a fan of a more traditional liquid foundation texture, a slightly more matte finish and a higher SPF may think so!
It’s £36 for a 30ml bottle and available now on Chanel counters and online here if you want to try it out!
