Without a doubt, CHANEL’s Les Beiges is the collection I wait for all year round and have done so since its inception. The fact that it seems to launch around my birthday just makes it sweeter (coincidence?!). Something about the sleek beige packaging coupled with the whole summery vibe just speaks to me, and the 2020 iteration is no exception to that.
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The Summer of Glow, personified
Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette, Warm (CAN $75.00) | Housed in a beige lacquered compact with a full sized mirror on the inner lid and two applicators, the 5 shades range from satin to shimmer and can be worn singly as sheer washes or combined to create a variety of looks that can take you from casual all the way to an evening out. The melt-away texture applies smoothly, is effortless to blend out, and displays wonderful pigmentation as well. Even though the overall tone leans warm, the shades can all still be made to work on those with cooler complexions. Bonus points scored for the palest hue (bottom right) that can also double up as a highlighter, especially along the inner eye corner, and the soft taupe which can be used as brow colour. Staying power over primer is excellent.
- shimmery creamy beige
- satin peach beige
- softened coral with golden & pink sparkle
- peach coral
- taupe brown
A comparison shot against the Les Beiges palettes I already own, clearly shows that the Warm palette is quite different via the use of the coral shades.
Another comparison swatch against Les Beiges Les Indispensables points out how different the two are as well.
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream* (CAN $60.00) | As this was previously reviewed in detail a little while back, I won’t get into all the particulars here but suffice it to say that this cream bronzer is basically a reworked version of the brand’s longtime fave Soleil Tan de CHANEL. Personally, I actually prefer this version — feel free to check out my earlier review for the complete breakdown here.
Les beiges Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder (CAN $82.00/each) | Inspired by the play of shadows & light, the two new shades of this powder come housed in the same beige lacquered case but with the double C logo done in a “rolled sailor’s rope” pattern, also repeated on the surface of the powder (I mean, come on … how stunning is that?). With a formula that contains Kalanchoe Extract for antioxidant properties and a continuous hydrated feel, this is meant to provide skin with a healthy glowing effect; imagine you’ve been out on a sailboat all day and let the sun & wind work some magic. This powder can be worn all over (basically standing in for foundation), as a traditional bronzer, or even on high points of the face to mimic a sunkissed effect. The included demilune brush actually works quite well, although I still prefer going in with a dual-fibred brush for the most natural finish.
Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder, Sand – a soft dune shade with an ultra fine pearly sheen
Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder, Sunset* – a light camel shade with an ultra fine golden sheen
Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid (CAN $60.00) | Created to be a ‘delicately iridescent complexion enhancer‘, these are liquid highlighters with a complex shimmer and a weightless feel along the skin. The formula contains 69% water and a marine-origin emollient, making it truly unique in its category, while the glow it imparts almost appears as though lit from within (it’s seriously amazing, let me tell you). As this is a liquid, fingers are your best tool for application — although brushes and/or a sponge can also work just fine. Worn along the high points of the face or lightly dabbed along the cupid’s bow, you can extend the effect by mixing in a tiny amount with foundation (but be careful not to go ‘overboard’, lol) or even lightly rubbed along collar bones for an extra special touch.
- Pearly Glow* – pearly ivory
- Sunkissed – pearly bronze
It almost seems like these new highlighters are a revamped version of the original Soleil Tan Illuminating Fluid, which I’ve owned for many years now and continue to reach for the most out of all my highlighters. From the swatch below, it appears as though the original is a perfect mix of both new shades, although the shimmer in the Soleil Tan seems slightly more subdued.
Healthy Glow Lip Balm, Warm (CAN $46.00) | Enriched with Moringa Butter and a Vitamin E derivative, this year’s iteration comes in a soft warm coral shade. Personally, I adore these balms as I find they not only add a lovely sheer wash of colour, but provide a long-lasting hydrated and totally nourished feel to the lips. The narrow tube also makes it a great size to keep in your makeup bag for touch ups.
Obviously there’s no comparison colour-wise to previous versions of this balm that I already own, and while the formula appears to be the same, I feel like this year’s version is the most natural-looking and wearable of the three shown.
- Warm – luminous soft coral
- Deep – soft cherry
- Intense – radiant berry
Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour (CAN $35.00/each) | As a long time collector and fan of CHANEL’s nail lacquers, I feel like the two shades released with this collection couldn’t be more appropriate to the theme. The formula has been revamped in recent years and even the brush has been given an overhaul, so that the entire application experience is now effortless and provides amazing results. For the swatches below, each shade is shown with 2 coats of polish only, although when worn with both base and top coats, you can expect to get the most mileage out of each.
745 Cruise – a sun-drenched apricot shade (which looks more Creamsicle to me) in a crème formula, laying down in a self-levelling way and coming to a naturally glossy finish.
749 Sailor – a sugary raspberry red in a hybrid crème-jelly formula that has a bit of ‘bounce’ to it, but still lays down easily and covers beautifully in two coats (you can just barely see a hint of visible nail line at the tips, but that’s because my nails are rather long here), coming to an absolutely brilliant finish.
This collection is everything I hoped it would be … and more — plus I received most of the pieces a few days before my birthday (my husband went out and got me the rest), which made it extra special this year. Each piece is utterly wearable, looks amazing on a vanity table, and well worth investing in. The downside is that the two powders are limited edition, but at least everything else is here for the long haul. If you’re in the market for some gorgeous summer makeup, then I absolutely recommend you check it out — and get your healthy glow on.
Available online at at CHANEL counters nationwide
Kindly provided by CHANEL for my unbiased consideration
*Purchased products
