A WEEK IN FOUNDATION: CHANEL LES BEIGES HEALTHY GLOW

In an attempt to evaluate my stash, welcome to my new weekly-ish foundation series. I haven’t seen anyone doing anything quite like that, but correct me if I’m wrong! The idea behind wearing one foundation for a week is to test it in many conditions and most importantly on top of many primers. So each day, I’ll talk you through my thoughts on how it behaved on the application, during the day and its lasting power. We’re talking shades, undertones and all the jazz too. I’m starting with an odd one, Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation aka the foundation I didn’t love from the start so I barely used it to date. Have I changed my mind about it? Time (post) will tell...

A little intro...

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation (RPR £38.00 for 30ml)  housed in a stunning matte glass bottle with a pump. Shade 12 Rose is a very fair with pink undertones. 1-2 pumps have been used per application. Semi-matte, medium to high buildable coverage. It offers SPF25 as well, so great for daytime as you can layer up protection against the sun and pollution.

Monday: This Works In Transit 3-1 Mask, Moisturiser & Primer 

I remember finding Les Beiges to be a quite dry finish, so decided to start the week with perfectly primed skin. I used This Works In Transit instead of my usual face cream and primer and hoped for the best. On application with a Beauty Blender directly from the back of the hand, I found the coverage to be medium and not too buildable. This is fine for me when I go to work as long as I haven’t got any important meetings or events planned for that day/evening. I set concealer and the whole T-Zone with RCMA No-Color Powder. The finish was matte but looked ok, no cake in sight. Because I’m a busy girl boss and a bad blogger I didn’t check my face for a good 5 hours if not more. By that time, I noticed the foundation to look much more to my liking with a natural glow only slightly coming through, no shine though. 9 hours later, the foundation was still there, only slightly rubbed off my chin and around the nose (I’m still sneezing!). When I uploaded a photo of myself after work (10 hours on) I had many messages asking if I’m wearing Chanel and praising the glow. The first day - success! 

Tuesday: touchinSOL Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base* 

Another hydrating primer that seems to extend the makeup wear for me a little. What I love about it is that it would work for most skin types, definitely up to combination. I allowed the primer to become tacky on the skin and applied foundation with my fingers to see if I can build up the coverage (2 pumps) and blended it in with a Beauty Blender afterwards. I definitely managed to get nearly a full coverage thanks to that. Score! Foundation looked semi-matte, little visible on the skin and was set with the powder, as per day 1. It was all going great until hour 7 when it started to show a bit more on the skin. By hour 10, it was really cakey. To determine if it works with the primer, I decided to test it next day using only a pump and a bit of foundation.

Wednesday: touchinSOL Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base*

Another day, the same combination. I applied the primer and let it set, then followed with foundation (again fingers to ensure coverage), blended in with BB and set with powder. I used a lot less foundation so the coverage was medium. Daytime update proven the base was going strong, I looked healthy, foundation only slightly visible as per previous days. I had a Stila event that evening so I prayed to makeup gods, the results will be much better and I wasn’t disappointed. It rubbed off a bit from the spot on the chin but that’s about it. I looked glowy and fresh during the event and came home over 14 hours after application with the base still looking ok. 

Thursday: Too Faced Hangover Primer

I woke up feeling exhausted so I opted for the Too Faced option. It’s really hydrating and given the very specific formula of Chanel Les Beiges, hydration is a must have otherwise it will show. The same method of application used. I don’t see a difference in the morning so far. None of the primers made this dry foundation glowing per se. Next check was past 3pm and I was surprised to find myself looking good with the base intact. At 6pm the glow was on. The base is going strong, again disappearing from chin area and maybe set a little in the smile lines? My skin looked great though when I finally took it all off at 9pm. 

Did you know you can now shop Too Faced with Cult Beauty? I know I'll be stocking up on some 'essentials'

Friday: Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer

Friday was a day I decided to wear Primerizer. I was due for drinks after work so a long lasting base was something I set to achieve. Again, same application in the morning and I found that it looked semi-matte as usual. I checked again after roughly 5 hours on the way back from one of the meetings. I must add I was dying that day so high fever and constant sneezing and coughing - delightful. The foundation rubbed off slightly from the sneezing but not much as a quick fix with a Beauty Blender seemed to sort it. Hour 8 foundation was going strong with minimal shine despite the sweats from high fever. I went straight home after work as I felt ill, so couldn’t really tell past 9 hours as I took it off as soon as I walked in desperately needing a nap! 

Saturday and Sunday - in bed with a cold (break from makeup and being alive in general) 

Monday: Becca Backlight Priming Filter

I remember that I used to love it with Becca Primer so decided that my skin needed any bit of hydration and glow after a dreadful weekend in bed. Skin looked ok after application just a little dry around the nose and chin due to dehydration. It showed a little but honestly not too bad considering (not sure any other primer would do a trick though!). After 5 hours I was the most glowing and could have used a bit of a powder but I had none with me so I've persevered. Hour 9 I was on the way home, slightly too glowing but my skin looked ok considering how I felt. Kept it on for another hour but the glow was a little too much lolz. 

Tuesday - The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer (+ Cover FX Illuminating Setting Spray)

I wanted to see how the foundation would fare with silicone based primer and colour me surprised but it wasn’t a complete mess! Ok, it looked quite dry in the morning, definitely full-on matte after powder. I added a lot of the highlighter and a  CoverFX Setting Spray to take away a bit of that matte! It gave it a more natural look for sure. Foundation lasted really well though! It’s probably a combination of the two but I came home after 9+ hours, took a nap and woke up with a face on! I know! It didn’t look awful but a little dry on my nose, forehead and the chin but hey, nothing too major. I mean I wouldn’t go out again like that, but it could have been worse.

Thursday: touchinSOL No Poreblem Primer*

When the new primer arrived the day before I knew I’ll continue my testing and see how it fares on the most hyped up primer EVER! I have to be honest, it was a great day base wise. The application was smooth, skin looked semi-matte again and almost skin-like. After 4 hours there was no change other than a little glow from within. 8 hours later, still no change and base looking rather good. After 10 hours there was more glow but still very natural. I took it off after 14 hours and was super impressed! Yes, it rubbed off from my chin (I mean the weather was dreadful and I was covered!) but really great overall. 

Final thoughts.

If you like your base to look flawless with foundation invisible, you may want to skip Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation. It shows on the skin but not necessarily in a bad way. The finish it gives is definitely quite flawless but if you have a lot of dryness or fine lines, it may accentuate it ever so slightly. It behaves similarly with most hydrating primers but it seemed to last the best with Too Faced Hangover Primer, touchinSOL No Poreblem Primer and The Ordinary Primer. If you prefer a glowing base, I would mix a tiny bit of oil or highlighting drops. It worked quite nicely with the Becca base which is the primer I used to wear it with but it was definitely a glow central after few hours. I was also really impressed with how well it worked with This Works 3in1 moisturiser, mask and primer hybrid as well as touchinSOL Honey Moon or Smashbox ones. 

Is it the best foundation I’ve ever owned? No, but I have had a couple of people complimenting me on my skin throughout the week. It looks stunning for 7-8 hours and only after it starts to be perhaps a little too shiny and moves around a bit. Not massively again, but I want to give you a 360 degrees view here. 

Am I keeping it? 
Not sure. I like it, some days I love it but I own so many foundations, some better suited to my skin’s needs. 

What’s next? 
I’ve ordered a couple of more high-end foundations from Huda Beauty and Tarte and will be testing one for a week or so again. Watch this space! 

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