Chanel Healthy Glow Sheer Color (Les Beiges) in #40

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 other products used included: Chanel Kaska Beige Eyeshadow Quad; Chanel Eyebrow Pencil #30 Brun Naturel; Chanel le Volume Mascara, Black; Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons #08 Ebony; Claudio Riaz Eye & Face Conceal 9; Chanel Lip Pencil, Nude; Chanel Glossimer #149 (discontinued).  Note to self:  CR concealer shows up in photos.

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?

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, Radiant Light

It took a while for Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Powders to arrive in the DC area, and given the range of opinion about them from angry disappointment to rave reviews, I thought I needed to check them out in person.

Only one of the shades worked for me, Radiant Light.  Its golden peach tone warms my face and it gives it a golden luminosity unlike other products that I've tried.  Upon close inspection you can see a fine golden flecks.  Its not sparkly like Chanel's Mouche de Beaute, just warm, bright, and, well, radiant.  It softens my face, as if in a candle-lit restaurant.  I love it.

It's not as translucent as Hourglass claims.  I accidentally applied too much the first time and almost completely covered my blush, so it requires a light hand.   If you apply too much it looks cakey and emphasizes pores. 

The swatch below is heavily applied with a sponge applicator.  The tiny golden particles appear in the photo, but they are barely perceptible on my face.  In fact, I never noticed them until I looked at my face with a magnified mirror.

I bought the small brush Hourglass sells separately to use with the powders though applying with other soft, fluffy brushes works just as well.  I used an Essence foundation brush at first, which I bought at the drugstore, but the Hourglass brush is designed to fit the breadth of the compact, so makes for faster application.  It's about two inches wide, and soft and fluffy, and comes with its own pouch.  I suspect it will make a fine foundation brush as well.

The compact is plastic.  It would have been nice if it came in its own pouch too.

For whom this is important, the Ambient powders are free of parabens, talc, fragrance, nano-particles, and gluten.

I'm going to get a lot of use out this powder, I think.  Pinkish gold products suit my medium skin tone,  and it's very wearable for day since it does not add shine.  You could also use it as a very subtle highlighter.   I bought my compact from Marina at Space NK in Bloomingdales Tyson's Corner, 703-556-4569.  Marina is great with colors and she'll give you honest advice.  Give her a call. 

Koh Gen Do High Definition Makeup Trial Set

I've been intending to review this Koh Gen Do High Definition Makeup Trial Set ($20) for several months.  An e-mail in my inbox this morning announcing Koh Gen Do's end of year make up sale spurred me to write though I haven't used all the products in the trial set.

The tin box contained two .14 oz tubes of Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in colors 013 and 003 (additional colors available upon request); Maifanshi Makeup Color Base in Pearl White; .04 oz. container of Maifanshi Face Powder with a full-size puff; Makeup Color Base in Yellow and Green.

The kit also contained a small packet of cleansing water and three cotton pads.  Koh Gen Do developed the yellow and green color bases and the Maifanshi Makeup Color Base in Pearl White without parabens after creating this trial kit, and included paraben-free samples of those.  

A Japanese actress created Koh Gen Do as a skincare line about 25 years ago. The line has evolved since then - the Maifanshi Moisture Foundation was developed especially for high definition cameras.  It is one of my favorites, right up there with the Dolce and Gabbana Cream Foundation, and Burberry  Luminous Foundation.  Koh Gen Do describes this foundation as a "mineral makeup cream foundation that turns into liquid foundation when applied, with 60% water encapsulated into the formula to give you the superior coverage of a cream foundation and a smooth, sheer finish like a liquid foundation. The foundation was tested and created to wear beautifully for 10 hours or more with a perfect ratio of 60% water, 30% highly refined oils and 10% powder."  It does not contain sunscreens but is paraben-free.

I found that this foundation really does give a flawless finish.  Applied first with fingers then smoothed out with a foundation brush, this foundation disappeared into my skin, evening out my complexion and lessening the appearance of my pores.  Applied more  heavily, it worked well in place of a concealer under my eyes.  There were no signs of fading after 10 hours and it caused no irritation or breakouts.  A sheer application is all I need on my most of my face so the .14 oz tube will go a long way, at least 4 applications.

Color 003, included in the kit, is perfect for my NC 45 skin tone.   Maifanshi Moisture Foundation comes a broad range of colors that will suit lighter and darker skin tones.  You can see them here.

The Maifanshi Face Powder was a nice surprise.  I was bit skeptical since it is snow white in the jar, but when applied with either the puff or a powder brush it disappears completely, leaving absolutely no ashiness, or a cakey finish.  This powder takes the Moisture Foundation to an ethereal finish. 

The color bases are supposed to cover discolorations.  I only tried the yellow one and it was too sheer for me.   Besides, the foundation worked so well that they were unnecessary. 


I still haven't opened the Cleansing Spa Water sample or used used the cotton pads included in the kit, since I had already purchased the cleansing water and cleansing water cloths during a Sephora sale.


         Image from Koh Gen Do.

 The cleansing water is excellent, it works as cleansing waters are supposed to, removing virtually all traces of the water-resistant makeup and eye makeup, leaving my face feeling clean with no rinsing required.  White Birch Sap is one of the key ingredients, which Koh Gen Do claims is "harvested only three weeks in early spring, [and] contributes an abundance of minerals and xylitol as it lifts off makeup, oils and residue."  It is oil-free, alcohol-free, and are safe for contact lens wearers.  It is are infused with six essential herbs that are supposed to protect and nurture skin:

• Rosemary Leaf Extract
• Sage Leaf Extract
• Lavender Extract
• Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
• Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
• Ginger Root Extract

The Cleansing Spa water is $39 for 10.15 oz. - expensive to use as a daily cleanser to remove a full face of makeup including foundation, blush, and eye makeup. As I explained in this review of Vichy Cleansing Water, I use it primarily in place of toner.

         Image from Koh Gen Do.

 The wipes, which are soaked with the cleansing water, are among the best I've used.  They are a little stiffer than most, but are thoroughly saturated with product and remove my makeup as well as the oil and milk cleansers I usually use.  They are sold in 3 packages of 10 wipes, which means the very last of your 30 wipes won't be dried out when when you reach the end.  The cleansing water and wipes do contain parabens.  At $39, they are also pricey. 

Koh Gen Do's makeup sale lasts through January 5, 2012, 12am EST.  I'm not sure if the cleansing water and cloths are included in the sale.  The trial kit is not. 

I bought my trial kit from the Koh Gen Do site and cleansing products from Sephora.  As far as I know Sephora only carries the line at their New York Meatpacking District store, the Forum Shops in Las Vegas and online.  The line is also available at Barneys.  To be clear, the sale is only on the Koh Gen Do online.  What have your experiences been with this line?  Do you plan to buy anything during the sale?  I'm pretty sure that at 30% off, I won't be able to resist the foundation and powder!