I've been waiting for Healthy Glow Sheer Color SPF 15, aka Les Beiges, to come out since seeing them on the Canadian blogs. I wasn't disappointed.
Using the small half-moon brush that comes in the compact, a Nordstrom Pentagon City SA dusted #40 lightly over the powder foundation I was wearing that day. I immediately loved the look - that natural radiance that Chanel claims Les Beiges is supposed to impart. Lit from within. I got the same result over liquid foundations and when worn on bare skin. The bristles of the half-moon brush aren't very dense and only seem to pick up only a small amount of product, though enough to cover your blush if you're not careful.
I also tried Les Beiges as a powder foundation using a traditional powder brush and Lisa Eldridge's buffing technique using a kabuki brush. I didn't see much difference between them though I suspect that the kabuki technique uses more product and leaves more in the brush. Les Beiges is not buildable so I needed to use a concealer for some areas. The foundation brush and kabuki techniques covered these concealed areas nicely. Here's how it looks as a powder foundation, applied with a kabuki brush.
The effect of Les Beiges reminds me of T. le Clerc's loose powder, which I've been using for years, and reviewed here. They never look powdery, even when first applied, and both give a "lit from within" look.
I don't understand the rationale for the color range that Chanel produced, though I would really like to know. The SA chose #40 for me, which is slightly darker than my complexion, appears warm on my skin and gives me that healthy glow. As a reference, I wear Chanel Perfection Lumiere #60. MAC NC45, Burberry Shear Luminous Foundation Trench 8, and LMdB Classic Flawless Finish #10. I've read many contradictory reviews and color assessments of this collection. I think it may be important to test it in store before purchasing. I'm looking forward to experimenting with the other colors in the Les Beiges collection, especially for contouring.
About the packaging: I love the beige cover. I wish though that Chanel would find a way to put the brush on the bottom of the compact. It's really a PITA to deal with the loose protective cover that sits under the brush.
Have you tried Les Beiges? What do you think of it?
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