Among many in the world of beauty, this year has been unofficially christened “the year of the highlighter”, and it appears that every major brand has released a version with their holiday collections. CHANEL has gone the extra mile with their ‘Lumière Sculptée Highlighting Powder’, a veritable work of art in a compact. A pale, but warm toned ivory powder infused with a glimmering pink pearlescence, it is said to gently illuminate the skin, leaving behind a sophisticated glow. Part of CHANEL’s Holiday 2011 Collection, this highlighter is not only the crowning jewel of this collection, but limited edition as well.
The rather large box that houses the powder compact, with CHANEL’s traditional black and gold colours.
I love how the product name is clearly indicated at the top of the box, making it easy to identify when stored on its side.
The velour sleeve which adds yet another layer of protection for the compact.
The compact itself … or the final step before the big reveal of the gorgeous product inside!
Mademoiselle Coco, seen here in Paris’ Place Vendôme, was a woman who instinctively understood that beauty is not necessarily that which is obvious, but more that indefinable quality that makes you take a second – and even a third – look.
Known for her love of collecting antique baroque belt buckles, it was this passion of Mlle. Coco’s that inspired the idea behind the ‘Lumière Sculptée Highlighting Powder’.
And for the star attraction, I present to you ‘Lumière Sculptée de CHANEL – Highlighting Powder’ for Holiday 2011. Is this not simply breathtaking?
Even though I had read the inspiration behind the creation of this highlighter’s embossed design, I couldn’t help but think of how much it reminded me of Mayan works of art, in particular their rock carvings.
This image of a Mayan stone bas-relief, actually so closely resembles the CHANEL highlighter in terms of pattern – all that’s missing is the sparkly surface!
The Mayan calendar, an image known the world over, displays the detailed and intricate carving the culture became known for.
A closeup detail of the highlighter. Notice how the raised and embossed pattern echoes the Mayan carvings?
…and another closeup detail photo, because I couldn’t stop staring at the scintillating surface…
‘Lumière Sculptée de CHANEL’ comes in the oversized compact format, similar to their bronzers, and is a hefty 13 g/0.46 oz. The angled brush included with the highlighter is also of a decent size and while I found it to be quite useable, I still prefer using a proper powder brush for application (see above photo, swiped heavily). The product has a delicate silvery overspray that basically disappears after a few swipes, while the raised pattern seems to go a little deeper into the powder. At first glance, I assumed that this highlighter would prove too light for my skin tone, but upon swatching, I quickly changed my mind. Once the overspray has been removed, what you get is a subtle, almost candle-lit glow, enough to enhance, earning your look that “second glance” Mlle. Coco was so fond of. The brush I’m using in this review, is CHANEL’s #1 Powder Brush (review forthcoming), a large, exceptionally soft, densely compacted head of bristles that nevertheless fans out amazingly well with little pressure. The bristles are made in such a way, that they pick up the proper amount of product and deposit it perfectly across the skin.
The swatches in the above photo, are on foundation primed skin (Guerlain’s Lingerie de Peau – review forthcoming), with the ‘Lumière Sculptée’ left heavily unblended on the right, and applied with a lighter hand on the left. It appears to be scarily white against my skin, yet bears a deep luminosity.
In order to achieve a more believable glow, you should definitely tap off any excess from your brush, leaving just enough powder on the bristles to make application a simple process.
The above swatch photo, taken in sunlight, shows the subtle glow you’re left behind once the highlighter is fully blended out.
I love how flash picks up slightly more of the silvery glimmer and adds a sophisticated sparkle.
In the above photo, the ‘Lumière Sculptée’ adds a gentle gleam at the top of my cheekbones.
The bottom half of the compact shows how the highlighter appears once the overspray has been swiped off. Even though the top shimmery layer has been effectively removed, there still remains a hint of glow.
Final thoughts: First of all, simply looking at this highlighter, makes me happy. From the early promotional photos, I knew that I would not be resisting this item and I haunted my CHANEL counter until it finally arrived. As my highlighting experience is rather limited, having shied away from them in the past, I’m learning that there are several ways to apply this product depending on the effect one wishes to achieve, and that properly placed touches give a nice finish to a more evening style look. I did find that it looked a little too powdery on my skin at first, which in turn emphasized my pores (sorry about that!), but after playing with this highlighter some more, I’ve since learned that dusting it on lightly before I apply my blush, then buffing very gently on top, eliminated that issue. If you’re looking for an obvious sheen, then this is definitely NOT the product for you, but if it’s a more subtle glow you’re after, then I recommend you pass by your nearest CHANEL counter and give it a try. Retailing for US $72.00, this limited edition highlighter is not a product that you can possibly use up in one season, making it more of a long-term investment in your beauty arsenal. A better reason to indulge? Well, just look at it!
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