Chanel Surprenante (129) Rouge Allure Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

Chanel Surprenante Rouge Allure Lipstick

Chanel Surprenante Rouge Allure Lipstick ($35) is a vibrant, medium watermelon pink. It has a little bit of a frost and shimmer to it, but it's pretty subtle, and actually looks matte on my lips in low lighting. I'm not really a fan of frost, but it's subtle enough where it's not a deal breaker for me. It's very pretty and I think a color that is well suited for the Spring.

The coverage is mostly opaque with one coat and applies smoothly to the lips with a satiny feel. I originally thought that the formula would be drying, but it actually feels pretty good on my lips despite the fact that it's not a moisturizing formula. It makes my lips look soft and pillowy when I wear it alone, but I like jazzing it up with a layer of glossimer over top to really make the color glisten. Unfortunately, if you apply it over dry or chapped lips, the dryness will be accentuated. This lipstick lasts a bit longer on my lips compared to some of my other lipsticks - maybe around 4 hours or so.

Chanel Surprenante Rouge Allure Lipstick on my lips

Chanel Amour (166) Glossimer Review, Photos, Swatches!

Chanel Amour Glossimer

Chanel Amour Glossimer ($29.50) is a vibrant coral pink with fine multi-colored shimmer. This color in my eyes is the definition of Spring/Summer, and is a fabulous shade to rock all season long. Much like Chanel Sourire Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick (in my previous post), it's a great color for those with warm, golden undertones and will brighten the face instantly. The coverage is light but buildable, and pairs really well on top of any pink, peach or coral lipstick and it also looks great all on it's own.

Chanel Glossimers is one of my favorite formulas of lipgloss (alongside NARS and Bobbi Brown). The formula isn't thick and pasty, nor is it thin and watery. It's perfectly in the middle where you'd want it to be. It's thick enough to where it will adhere to your lips and last for several hours, and when you rub your lips together they will feel silky smooth and glossy - no stickiness what-so-ever. They are also packed with shine as most of the shades contain tiny particles of shimmer so your lips will glisten.

Also, this is one of the few lip products that I can get away with without having to moisturize my lips prior - it will keep them hydrated for however long I have it on my lips, and even a little while after.

If I had to choose, Bagatelle is definitely my favorite glossimer. It's like a softer version of Amour.

Chanel Amour Glossimer on my lips

Chanel Sourire Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

Chanel Sourire Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick

Chanel Sourire Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick ($35) which means "Smile" in French, is a soft pink with fine golden shimmer. It looks like a bright watermelon light pink in the tube, but once the color is applied, it's a sheer warm soft pink. It's a great universal shade especially on warm skin tones, as the golden bits gives the pink some added brightness, so it's not a pink that will wash you out. In fact, it's one of those perfect lipsticks that you can mindlessly toss in your bag for every day and it's so subtle that you can wear it on your no-makeup days or with any makeup look.

If you're looking for loads of pigment, you will want to look elsewhere because the color is very sheer - and although you can build the color with multiple passes, you won't reach opaque coverage. The texture is slippery like a balm and will leave your lips tinted, moisturized and slightly glossy. It's basically like a luxury tinted lip balm.

Unfortunately as with sheer lipstick formulas, the lasting power won't be super long, so you might need to reapply a few times throughout the day between meals - not that I mind. Since the color is sheer, you can just pop some on - no mirror needed.

From left to right: Chanel Amour Glossimer, Chanel Sourire Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick & Chanel Surprenante Rouge Allure Lipstick. (The other lip products will be reviewed shortly - I just happened to swatch them all at the same time.)

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer 

When you're looking for a picker upper, what's better than indulging in sparkly and needless material things? Or maybe taking a stroll through Godiva or See's Candy for a piece of ridiculously overpriced, yet completely delicious chocolate. I like browsing the Chanel counter, and that's how I came across this little gem. Absolutely necessary? Absolutely not. Gorgeous? You bet.

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer ($29.50) is a vibrant pink with a purple pearl. You could also call it a glistening fuchsia. (Jalousie means Jealousy in French, btw!) This shade launched in the Roses Ultimes De Chanel Collection earlier in the year. As far as I know, it's limited edition, but is still available online.

If I was rolling in money bags, I'd love to own every shade of this angelic gloss, but for now I only own a few, and I don't wear them daily because they are just that precious.

Glossimers differ in terms of color payoff, some are sheer, but Jalousie is opaque with one swipe. As it wears down, the color sheers up slightly, but it still provides full on color.

It of course looks great on it's own, and it pairs really well with other pink lipsticks to make them a little brighter and pinker. You could also layer it over a similar fuchsia lipstick, such as MAC Lickable Lipstick or MAC Girl About Town for an intense pink lip. 

Chanel Jalousie Glossimer on my lips.

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel Pink Explosion Joues Contraste Blush ($43) is a medium-toned cool pink with fine shimmer. It's not overly cool, so thankfully it works really well on my warm skin. It provides that dolly pink cheek that pairs well with neutral and cool eyeshadows (purples, taupe, etc).

Mine is the Euro (original 2010) version, which is a baked powder as opposed to the version you'd get from the Chanel counters in the US, which is the standard pressed-powder version. There are slight differences - in general, the baked version isn't as pigmented with one swipe and isn't as soft. I prefer the US version. (You can view a comparison on Cafe Makeup.)

If you know me by now, I find any form of pink color cosmetics hard to resist and I love, love, love Joues Contraste Blushes. Pink Explosion has been on my wishlist for a while now, so when I spotted it in a blog sale, I jumped on it! (Hi Risa!) Anyways, who wouldn't love a product named Pink Explosion?

The pigmentation is good - it's light, but buildable and what you'd want from a blush that's so pink. I'm actually less inclined to use some of my really pigmented blushes (Nars for instance) because I tend to use too heavy of a hand. With my Joues Contraste Blushes, I never go overboard - but if I do, the color blends so well into my skin that it never looks unnatural.

Swatched heavily on the left and lightly on the right.

Chanel 'In Love' Joues Contraste Blush - A Lovely Summer Peach.

 Chanel In Love Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel In Love Joues Contraste Blush ($43) is a medium peachy-coral with very fine golden shimmer. It applies sheer (but buildable) and gives off a soft, peachy-coral glow. The shimmer is tasteful and isn't chunky or frosty. It gives the illusion of very fresh, healthy, glowing cheeks. It has a slight vibrancy to the color, which makes it a really nice pick for the summer. It's almost like a peach version of Nars Orgasm Blush.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes are finely milled, super soft textured, pressed powder blushes - that when you touch them, you almost feel like because of the texture, they will apply powdery, like some of the softer textured budget brand blushes. But they apply such a soft, sheer veil of color to the cheeks that never looks blotchy or overdone. It's buildable, so with a couple of layers, you can really achieve intense color (if that's what you're looking for), otherwise, one layer deposits the perfect amount of blush.

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush is available in eleven (11) shades: Imprevu, Orchid Rose, Rose Bronze, Rose Petale, In Love, Espiegle, Rose Ecrin, Pink Explosion, Plum Attraction, Malice and Tumulte. (You can correct me if I'm mistaken, but there are 11 currently listed on the website)

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad

If you didn't know by now, one of my guilty pleasures is blog sales and makeup swaps. Some may cringe at the thought of purchasing or trading used makeup, but over the past few years I've become a pro at sanitizing most makeup products (it's really not that hard). Most of the products I've obtained have barely been used, for a fraction of the price! 

One of the recent gems I picked up through a blog sale was Chanel Enigma Eye Shadow Quad. I don't own any Chanel quads, and have been really interested in trying them , but it's the $58 price tag that's setting me back - ouch!

Enigma is a limited edition palette, that launched in Chanel's 2010 Fall Collection. Enigma contains four shades: a pale pink, olive-taupe, deep blackened plum with silver shimmer and a silvered-charcoal.

All of the shades go very well together, and can create a gorgeous smokey eye. I like using the pale pink shade all over my lid, and any of the darker shades (typically the olive-taupe - third from the left, swatched below) smudged into my lashline and blended up to my crease. I like taking the deep plum and lining my top and bottom lid with it, as the purple tones in it makes the green in my hazel eyes stand out more.
I rarely ever use a primer with my eyeshadows, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the lasting power of these shadows is very good.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation Review!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere is Chanel's newest foundation, which I believe launched this past September of 2011. It claims to be a long wearing and comfortable, will make your skin look fresh and flawless, yet very natural. It is said to be suitable for all skin types.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere is available in 20 shades: 
12 Beige Rose, 22 Beige Rose, 32 Beige Rose, 42 Beige Rose, 52 Beige Rose, 10 Beige, 20 Beige, 20 Beige, 40 Beige, 60 Beige, 24 Beige Ambre, 34 Beige Ambre, 44 Beige Ambre, 54 Beige Ambre, 64 Beige Ambre, 94 Ambre, 104 Ambre, 114 Ambre, 134 Ambre, 154 Ambre.

I have samples of a few different shades - some were pretty random, but the sales associate just grabbed a bunch. Both B10 and Beige Rose 12 work fine on my (no tan) MAC NC15 skintone. B20 is great for NC25, and B30 is a good NC30-35 match. **Many reviewers mentioned that they noticed oxidation (once dry, it turns darker), so definitely try a sample before purchasing. I didn't notice any oxidation with BR12, and slight oxidation with B10.

With it's long-wearing claims, I was very interested in giving this foundation a try. I picked up several samples over the past few months and I feel that I can now properly evaluate it.

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel Soft Glow Blush Review!

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel was the blush released with Chanel's Spring 2012 collection. Originally, I wasn't interesting in much from the collection other than the Glossimer (Bagatelle), which I posed about earlier last month. But my recent trip to the Chanel counter, the lovely sales associate was rocking this color on her cheeks (heavily, but very tasteful) and it looked amazing on her. For reference, she has a medium-tan complexion, with blonde hair and blue eyes and it looked like a very vibrant, warm pink. Pretty similar to Benefit Bella Bamba - unfortunately I don't own it to compare side-by-side, but one of my favorite Sephora SA's is always wearing Bella Bamba and it looks like a similar, vibrant warm pink. 

Anyhow, after doing some swatching, the color really grew on me. I can't say the overall color is that unique (unique enough to pay $60), but it is really beautiful and at that moment, I had to have it. 

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel contains stripes of warm pink, white, plum and peach-coral pink. When you swipe all of the shades together, you'll get a beautiful warm, peachy-pink with a glowy sheen.

If you'd like a more pink look, you can stick to using the top half of the blush, or for a more peach look, you can use the bottom half.

According to Chanel:
» To create freshness, use all of the blush shades as a harmony and sculpt your face using the beveled brush.
» For a healthy look, apply only the pink shade to the upper cheekbones and temples.
» For a glowing complexion, use the sun-kissed effect of a cloud of peach.

Chanel Blush Horizon De Chanel

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Eyeshadow Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Epatant Illusion D'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

The Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wearing Eyeshadows is a small line of  "gel" eye shadows that newly launched this past Fall of 2011. During that time, it seemed everyone was going mad over the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Shadows, but the attention steered away from them for a little bit as these little glass pots stole the spotlight. I still have yet to get my hands on a Giorgio Armani!

What's special about the Chanel shadows is their unique formula. Are they a cream, gel, mousse? 

 Chanel describes them by saying, "An innovative gel texture that is both soft and cushiony allows it to be worn as eyeshadow or eyeliner." They are like hybrid between a mousse (but more dense) and a gel (like a MAC Paintpot, but much less dense). The texture is light and spongy, creamy and blends beautifully with intense pigment.

There are (6) shades in the line-up: Fantasme (shimmering white), Emerveille (shimmering peach/champagne), Illusoire (shimmering purple-mauve), Epatant (shimmering pewter-green), Mirifique (shimmering black) and Ebloui (shimmery burgundy). The shades I was most interested in is: Illusoire, Epatant and Emerville, but at $36 a pop, I only purchased one for now.

 

Epatant is a pewter-golden khaki green shimmering with silver reflects. On the eyes, I don't notice the green as much as I notice the silver. It reminds me a lot of Chanel Graphite Nail Polish, but in eyeshadow form.

Chanel Bagatelle Glossimer Review, Photos and Swatches!

 Chanel Bagatelle Glossimer

After walking away from the MAC counter empty handed, I went over to the Chanel counter to check out their Spring 2012 Collection. The only products that really stood out to me were May Le Vernis, what seemed like the perfect, creamy pink nail polish, Blush Horizon De Chanel; a soft pinkish-coral face powder, and Bagatelle Glossimer.
I ended up getting only the Glossimer from the collection, as I knew right away that it would be the perfect layering gloss for most of my favorite lipsticks.

Bagatelle is a light-medium Pepto-Bismol pink, filled with fine gold shimmer. The gold shimmer gives the pink gloss a bright, warm pink with a hint of peach appearance. From swatches I've seen on other blogs, the lipgloss looks fairly pigmented - Although it may be slightly more opaque than the others in this collection, or Glossimers in general, it's still pretty sheer. When applied heavier, the color is more opaque, but it seems to sheer out pretty soon after.

Applied to my lips, it brightens, with adding a sheer pink hue and lots of shine.

The Natural Pink Blushes in my Current Rotation!

Aside from foundation, blush is my most favored item of makeup. Blush instantly adds liveliness to the face, while sculpting the cheeks. I love all shades of blush, from peach, orange, pink and red. In the summer time, you can bet I'm sporting bronzer and warm-toned red and coral blushes, but in the winter, I usually wear colors that are much more natural.

For the past couple of months I've for the most part skipped out on self tanning and bronzer, and gone the natural-pink route for my cheeks. I've found myself picking up the same shades over and over again (thus calling it a rotation).

CONTINUE READING FOR MY PICKS + ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & SWATCHES!

NOTD: Chanel Fall 2011 Graphite Nail Polish!

Chanel Graphite Nail Colour

Chanel Graphite Nail Colour is from Chanel's Fall Nail Colour release which included three shades in total - Quartz, Peridot and Graphite. I'm sure if you follow several blogs, this nail polish isn't anything new to you. Graphite and Peridot are two shades that have gotten a lot of hype in the blogging world. I contemplated picking up Peridot and Graphite, but ended up only getting Graphite. I'm still kind of 50/50 on whether I want Peridot or not. It's such a unique shade. I'm sure if I look at enough swatches I'll end up convincing myself to get it.

Graphite appears to be a metallic charcoal/silver, but it's so much more complex than that! It has a sheer, charcoal base and is suspended with extra fine silver and gold (they appear much more green to me, but that maybe because when black and gold come into contact, the gold appears green) shimmer. It has a foil/metallic finish and is completely opaque with two coats. I found the formula very easy to work with - It has a great consistency and isn't gritty at all considering it's so shimmery. In dull lighting it appears to be a metallic charcoal silver with a greenish/gold tinge, but when under sunlight and brighter lighting, that's when this gem really glistens. Really accurate swatches of the color in all of it's glory can be found at alllacqueredup.com (HERE). Her photos are simply amazing!

I've had it on my toes for around two weeks and my nails still look perfect! That's totally a first for me because I always manage to botch my pedicures by the two week mark. I hope it has good lasting power on my fingernails as well!

I highly recommend picking this polish up while it's around.. I'm even thinking about purchasing a back up!

Two (2) Coats of Chanel Graphite and One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

Two (2) Coats of Chanel Graphite and One (1) Coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

Chanel Rose Bronze Joues Contraste Blush Review PLUS my eBay possible FAKE Joues Contraste!

Chanel Rose Bronze Blush

Chanel Rose Bronze Joues Contraste Blush ($43) is a medium-toned neutral pink with a mixture of golden and cool pink glimmer. Rose Bronze is a shade that has been on my wishlist for years. I believe it's one of Chanel's most popular shades in the Joues Contraste range as it's very easily a flattering shade on all skin tones.

"Unique powder blusher offers buildable coverage, from natural to dramatic, and imparts a flattering radiance to cheeks. Remarkably silky texture ensures easy application of seamless colour. Applied high on the cheekbone, or near the eyes, it instantly 'lifts' and softens the face for a more youthful look."

I'm not positive how many shades there are in the permanent range, but there are currently ten (10) listed on the Chanel website: Rose Ecrin, Espiegle, In Love, Fandango, Rose Bronze, Rose Petale, Mocha, Orchid Rose, Imprevu and Tempting Beige.

For those that don't like shimmer, you may want to steer clear of Rose Bronze, but it gives a rich, healthy sheen more than tacky glitter. I think even oily skin types can get away with wearing this blush without it looking too shiny.

Instantly the color warms up to my cheeks to a rosy pink that brightens up my complexion. When the light hits my cheeks, the cool pink sparkles glisten. It's simply beautiful.

The texture is super smooth and finely milled, and it blends like a dream. I don't find the brush included very useful, but they never really are anyway.

It has the scent of roses, which some may not may not care for, but I love the scent and feel like I'm using such a luxurious product when I catch a whiff of the powder.

The only downside is that the color fades significantly after four hours, and I have to re-apply mid-day. A total bummer, but I don't mind because I'm so in love with the color.

READ MORE FOR MY LESS THAN PLEASANT EBAY EXPERIENCE...

Chanel Santal and Ming Rouge Allure Laque Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Santal and Ming Rouge Allure Laque

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Discover the pure indulgence of liquid lip lacquer, a colour innovation that could only come from CHANEL. Intensely rich colour and shine last for hours -- and the temptingly creamy formula conditions as it hydrates lips. All this, with full coverage, in eight stunning shades.

Like mentioned, there are only eight shades available: Coromandel, Imperial, Dynastie, Dragon, Ming, Santal, Phoenix and Mandarin. The two most wearable shades are Santal and Ming, which is why I chose both!

**NOTE** I purchased product TESTERS. So the packaging will differ when purchased at a counter. Click HERE to view more details on the Chanel website.

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SWATCHES!

Testing out Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation!

I got a hold of a couple sample packets of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua a couple of weeks ago and finally decided to try it out today. When I asked for a sample, I expected they were going to pour some product directly from their counter tester bottle, but they actually had sample packets of each shade. I was a little disappointed because the packets are so small, I figured I'd need both to cover my face. With the little bottles they fill up from the testers, they can typically last me a week - sometimes more if I'm lucky.

Anyway, the Sales Associate matched me to B30 Beige Sable. My shade in the regular Vitalumiere is 40 Beige. Right away, I noticed that B30 looked a little light, but when it was applied to an area of my face, it was undetectable. I'd say it's a good MAC NC30 color match.

I've read several reviews for Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, and the majority of the reviews stated that this particular foundation looks best when applied with the fingers. I tend to use more product when I use my fingers, and considering I only had a couple of small packets, I wasn't about to waste any product. I first moisturized my face with a little DDF Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew and then I applied the foundation like I normally would any foundation. I squeezed out a small amount and placed a dot on each cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Then, with my Sigma F80 brush, I lightly buffed it in my skin with small circular motions. I then placed a tiny bit more product on my cheeks to build the coverage and again, buffed it in with my brush.

The consistency is a bit different than any foundation I think I've tried. I figured because it's water based, it would be really thin and watery. It's incredibly light and has an airy, whipped texture. Once applied to the face, you can really tell it water based because it has that slight cooling sensation of water. The color seemed to oxidize slightly after a few minutes, but it didn't oxidize too dark, orange, etc. The color is perfect. I was a little surprised by the coverage. It evened out my skintone beautifully and even covered my blemishes pretty good. It's a light coverage and can be layered easily to medium coverage. The finish is a lovely illuminating satin. I'm wearing it right now and it still looks great after almost 7 hours, with the exception that my chin and nose has become a little shiny.

Really loving it so far - and I'm pretty confident that I'll be purchasing it for my summer foundation! I'll have a FULL review to come later!

FACE: DDF Ultra-lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light & Medium (mixed 50/50) applied under my eyes

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30 applied with my Sigma F80 Brush

Chanel Bronze Universel/Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzer applied with my Coastal Scents Tapered Duo Fiber Brush

BROWS:

MAC Espresso Eyeshadow

ELF Eyebrow Treat and Tame in Medium

EYES:

Urban Decay Naked Palette ("Naked" and "Buck" blended in my crease and smoked outward, darkened my outer V with "Smog") 

Nars Coconut Grove Eyeshadow lined my upper and lower lashline

Wet n Wild Silent Treatment Trio applied the pink browbone shade to my lid

Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow applied on my lid over the Wet n Wild shadow, and my inner corners

MAC Blackline Pearlglide Eyeliner on my waterline 

Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara

Revlon Beyond Natural #91169 False Eyelashes snipped in half

LIPS:

MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Lipliner in #4C

OCC Lip Tars - Divine and Hush mixed 50/50

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme Lipgloss (clear)

Hope you all have a wonderful night! And, if you haven't already, please check out my giveaway HERE!

Chanel Mica Glossimer Review, Photos and Swatches!

Chanel Mica Glossimer Lipgloss

Chanel Mica Glossimer is a very sheer pink with fine bright pink, purple and green sparkles. It reminds me a little bit of MAC Like Venus Dazzleglass, but it's more subtle and warm. 

Even though the formula is very glittery, it's not at all over-the-top. The glitters are so fine, that it doesn't scream glitter and it catches the sunlight beautifully. I'm a fan of anything that glistens (with the exception of MAC Dazzleglasses - hate the formula), so this was a winner for me. The color is sheer, but can be built easily. When worn alone, it's not at all drying to my lips - in fact, it's fairly moisturizing. It's a great shade to layer over any peach, beige or pink lipstick.

"Gorgeous shimmer and a high-shine glow is delivered effortlessly to lips with just one stroke of this best-selling lip gloss. A wide range of shades, from sheer and natural to sparkling and rich, look beautiful on their own, or over your favorite lipstick. Equally beautiful: the conditioning formula's comfort and long wear."

Chanel Glossimers may be used over your favorite lipstick formula to enhance shimmer and high-shine glow, or on its own for an ultra-glossy and comfortably hydrated result.

Review: Testing out Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation! (Swatches, FOTD)

Chanel Vitalumiere is a foundation I've been interested in for ages. So, last month when purchasing Chanel's Double Perfection Compact, I figured I'd ask for a sample of Vitalumiere.

I was matched to Beige 40, which seems to match my skintone well. I would say it's a good NC35-37 match. Based on reviews, Beige 40 has worked for those in the MAC NC30-NC40 color range.

If you're familiar with Chanel products, many of them share the same scent (exactly like Chanel Bronze Universel/Soleil Tan De Chanel). It's a light, refreshing scent - if you sniff hard enough (lol) you can detect the chemical smell that's covered up with fragrance.

I first applied a very light moisturizer to my face (DDF Oil Free Moisturizing Dew) and with my Sigma F60 Foundation Brush I applied this foundation to my whole face, with light, short strokes. With thinner consistency foundations, I find that a standard foundation brush works the best, or a dense synthetic brush. I didn't care for using my MAC 131 (Duo Fibre) with this.

The way I categorize the coverage of foundations goes as: Light, Medium Light, Medium, Medium Full and Full. I consider this to be a Medium Light. It is definitely buildable, and doesn't look heavy once it's built up a bit. Some may find it necessary to apply a concealer over any blemishes, as this foundation may not cover the redness 100%. Before application, I dotted Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer on any areas that needed it. The result with this foundation is skin that actually looks like skin, but more even and radiant. I love how this makes my skin "glow". I'd compare it to Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (but with less coverage than GA) and MAKE UP FOREVER Face & Body Foundation (but with more luminosity, more natural). I much prefer this foundation over MUFE F&B, which I find has a "tacky" feeling after application, not to mention the "globby" texture. Application with both is very similar.

I didn't blot my face because I wanted to see how well the foundation wears on its own. After around 3 hours I noticed a bit of shine on my t-zone. I still didn't blot, because I wanted to see how oily it would get. After around 6 hours, it didn't seem to get much more oily than it did at hour 3, but the foundation had worn off the tip of my nose, as well as the area around my mouth. Everything else was pretty much in tact. 

I wouldn't consider this foundation to be long-wearing, as it looks it's best the first 2-3 hours and seems to budge a little after that. I think it's a great foundation for the summer, special occasions, a night out, etc. To those that prefer a foundation that won't budge through a 8-9 hour work shift, this may fall under your expectations. The sales associate actually recommended I use Chanel Double Perfection Compact (powder foundation) over Vitalumiere to prolong the wear. Double Perfection isn't a dull powder, so it wouldn't take away from the finish of Vitalumiere. I haven't tried that though, but I will next time I wear Vitalumiere, as I know now that it's necessary for me to use a setting powder. I'll let you know how that goes. (Sorry for trailing off) Many reviewers have agreed that this foundation is awesome for dry skin, as it doesn't accentuate dry patches, it's moisturizing and it is dewy. I have pretty normal to combination skin (although it seems to be more normal lately) and I think it worked well for me, as it didn't get awfully oily. When I say "awfully", I'm saying, my eyebrows looking shiny & wearing off around the edges, which some foundations will do. Those with oily skin, may want to have a look at Mat Lumiere.

As far as purchasing goes, I'm not sure if this is a product I'll be purchasing anytime soon. I've been preferring Guerlain Parure Extreme lately - and it has actually climbed up to my favorite foundations list.

Chanel Vitalumiere in Beige 40 swatched on my hand 

Top: Chanel Vitalumiere Beige 40

Bottom: MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC40 

Compared to MAC SFF in NC40, they are similar in depth, but MAC is noticeable more yellow.

Even though you can't see my makeup in close detail, I figured I'd give a break down anyway of what I'm wearing.

Face:
Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Medium applied under my eyes and to blemishes
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 20 applied under my eyes to better suit my skintone
Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation in 40 Beige
YSL Touche Eclat in #1 in the corners of my eyes to brighten
NYC Sunny Bronzer to contour
MAC Pleasureful Blushcreme to cheeks
Hard Candy Living Doll Blush applied very lightly over Pleasureful for a pink glow

Eyes:
Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow in Crush Glow
NARS Coconut Grove Eyeshadow used as liner
Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara in Blackest Black

Brows:
MAKE UP FOREVER Eyebrow Corrector in #3
MAC Brow Set in Girl/Boy

Lips:
Bobbi Brown Petal Lip liner (discontinued)
MAC Shygirl Lipstick
Essense Nude Kiss Lipgloss