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If you’re a beauty enthusiast, you’ll know a Chanel makeup product a mile off, with its interlocking ‘C’s and sleek black packaging. But beneath their luxe exterior are the brand’s formulas worth the spend? As a lover of natural makeup, I put them to the test…
While already admired for timeless fragrance – many of which rank among the best long-lasting perfumes – Chanel’s beauty line is equally brimming with icons, from Rouge Allure lipstick to the pebble-shaped hand cream. Indeed, Chanel also has contenders for best foundations and dark lipsticks, all of which uphold the fashion and beauty house’s chic reputation. With said reputation and designer status, however, inevitably comes a premium price tag. So, if you’re on a budget, you may be looking to invest in just one or two Chanel buys.
This is where I come in. As a beauty writer, I’ve sampled my fair share of makeup and have quite the list of criteria a product must meet before it takes up permanent residence in my beauty bag. To that end, I’ve tried a range of Chanel’s best-sellers to see if they live up to their acclaim…
6 of Chanel’s makeup best-sellers, tested by our beauty writer
From Mademoiselle to the No.5 Body Oil, Chanel’s shelves are teaming with icons but it’s the brand’s line of premium makeup that concerns us today.
I haven’t tested every Chanel product (that would take forever, though I wouldn’t complain) but I did sample a selection of best-sellers, from the Baume Essentiel Glow Stick to the Les Beiges Bronzing cream, with woman&home’s Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim also sharing her experience with the popular Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint. So, if you’ve been tempted to invest, here’s how these popular products measured up, in order of preference…
My top six Chanel makeup buys
1. CHANEL Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream Cream-Gel Bronzer
RRP: £48
I’ve always favoured blush over bronzer, but this creamy number from Chanel is by far my favourite of the haul and has swiftly become a non-mover in my routine. The formula is buttery and buildable, offering a subtle warmth to the skin that blends out seamlessly. I use shade 390 Soleil Tan and find that even on my very pale skin it looks natural and radiant. Value for money wise, you do get a lot of product for your £48 spend, and if you’re like me and favour subtle makeup, it will last you a long ol’ time.
2. CHANEL BAUME ESSENTIEL Multi-Use Glow Stick
RRP: £38
A close second favourite for me, this glow stick is simply beautiful. If you’re a lover of a dewy, almost glassy gleam this is one Chanel product I recommend investing in. I use the Moonlight Kiss shade and its creamy formula just glides onto the skin, leaving a fresh and luminous glow in its wake. I apply it to all the high points of my face and find that it wears well and doesn’t feel too sticky (like some cream highlighters can). The packaging also feels very luxe and again, you do get a good amount of product for the price. That said, if you’re looking for a slightly cheaper alternative, Glossier’s Haloscope is another good option.
3. CHANEL N°1 De CHANEL Lip And Cheek Balm
RRP: £40
Like the bronzer and highlighter, this lip and cheek balm applies like a dream. It’s creamy but very pigmented and offers this sheer, pinch of colour to the cheeks that is just so flattering. I apply it with my fingers and it blends out easily – no pilling or separating in sight and affords a natural flush. I have the shade Vibrant Coral and while I was initially sceptical about how it would look on me, it looks very natural and radiant on the skin. I love that it’s a multi-purpose product (you can also apply it to your lips) as this makes its £40 price point far more tempting.
4. CHANEL LES BEIGES Water-Fresh Tint
RRP: £55
woman&home.com Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona McKim adores this tint for a fresh, lightweight and glowy-looking base: “I generally find ‘no makeup makeup’ a bit of a farcical concept, but this base-skincare hybrid fits the description. It does the grunt work of foundation – lightly evens out my skin tone, washes over redness and gives a glowing finish, without looking or feeling like anything is on my face. The formula leans more into hydration than it does coverage, and contains little pigment bubbles that ‘burst’ on your skin, which is as fun as it is juicily flattering. I love applying this with my fingers for lazy weekend wear, sometimes topping it up with concealer, depending on what my skin’s like on the day.”
5. Chanel 31 LE ROUGE Matte Lipstick
RRP: £140
Its price is on the (seriously) premium side, but 31 Le Rouge does feel very luxe both in regards to its packaging and the formula itself. It boasts a matte finish and feels so lightweight and silky on the lips, likely in part thanks to its nourishing blend of gardenia oil. The pigment of this lipstick is also very impressive, it features mother-of-pearl powder, which adds intensity. I used the shade Rouge Rencontre, a bold, magenta-toned red that despite its brightness, I found easy to blur out – for that chic, diffused lip look. While I love the way this lipstick applies and wears, Chanel also boasts a range of more affordable lippies. So, if you’re seeking a new signature red or nude, I would suggest perusing the brand’s other options before splashing out on this pricey number.
6. Chanel LE VERNIS Longwear Nail Colour
RRP: £29
Okay, this is not technically a makeup product, but Chanel’s nail polish shades have been on my radar for some time. As a lover of trends looking for short autumn nail shades – and with a partiality to burgundy tones – I simply had to sample Rouge Noir for myself. The bottle itself offers every bit of luxury you would hope for and the colour itself is lovely – a very dark wine shade, with brown undertones. It’s a truly timeless colour, one that will always afford a chic finish to one’s talons. That said, I do think polishes like essie’s Bordeaux offer a very comparable finish and for a fraction of the price.
My verdict on Chanel’s makeup best-sellers
(Image credit: Naomi Jamieson / Future)
Chanel is one of just a few brands that can really make this beauty writer sigh with longing at just the mere glance of its logo. After all, the French-born brand truly encapsulates all things chic and as a lover of less-is-more, ‘undone’ beauty, I have been drawn to it ever since I first spied a bottle of No.5 on my mother’s dresser.
That said, I’m ruthless in my pursuit of glowy and natural-looking makeup, so tested the products over weeks, wearing them as part of my everyday makeup to see how they wore and played with the rest of my routine.
Now, onto my verdict. To cut right to the chase, yes Chanel’s makeup – or at least all the products I tested – is absolutely worth the investment, especially the glow stick and cream bronzer.
(Image credit: Future)
I’ve never been a bronzer-wearer but after my first use of the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream, I was hooked. It just afforded this beautiful warmth to my skin and was so easy to apply – it also played well with all my other cream products. The same can be said of both the glow stick and lip and cheek balm, the formulas feel and look premium, with both blending and wearing beautifully. Each product perfectly fulfilled that effortless and classic assignment, adding an extra level to my everyday look that kept me coming back for more.
Of course, while there are plenty of brands out there that offer comparable products for more affordable prices, these products do feel premium and will all fulfil a role in your routine. So, if you’re looking to treat yourself to something luxe that will also elevate your routine – I would recommend investing, especially if you favour subtle, ‘French-girl’ makeup.
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