Beauty Product Review – New Favourites (including Chanel Les Beiges)

Must stress here that no one has given me anything or paid me in any way to write this (come on, people, what are you waiting for??? 😉 ).  I just have a healthy love of all things beauty product related and occasionally like to share things that I think are pretty decent. If you are interested you can see a couple of my other reviews here and here.

I hadn’t actually bought any new beauty products for a while as I’d settled into a routine of things that were working for my skin. But a chance stop at the Chanel counter in Selfridges a couple of months ago changed all that. We were staying overnight in London and I had forgotten to bring my concealer with me. Such a first world problem I totally admit but I have    ridiculously dark circles under my eyes and without concealer I look like I have forgotten to remove my mascara from the night before! I’m a big fan of Chanel’s Vitalumiere foundation (020 clair) so I thought I’d see if they had anything in the concealer range. A very nice gentleman tried out this product out on me:

Chanel Eclat Lumiere concealer

Now any concealer fan worth their salt will recognise that this looks very similar to YSL Touche Eclat and in fact it is. It is a concealer/highlighter designed to hide dark circles and lighten areas of the face. I have owned said YSL Touche Eclat but to be honest was never a fan. I always found it too thin and too pale a product. What makes the Chanel product different is the consistency. It is more like painting on a mixture that is in between a liquid and a stick product. It stays put and I like the fact that there are a few shades to choose from. I bought 20 beige clair. I use it under my eyes, around my nose and dot it anywhere that needs a bit of help! It is now a make up bag staple.

The clever man at the Chanel counter then asked me if I was going out that evening and suggested he put a little more make up on me. I usually hate this in department stores as you can end up looking like a clown but this guy was good. He told me that my skin was not dry, it was just dehydrated. He then said quote unquote ‘drink more water, less wine…’ – how did he know??? Anyway, he tried out a lipstick on me that my husband said immediately I should buy as it was like my lips but only better (or something slightly less insulting that that). I have very dry lips and am in the eternal search for a lip product that makes my lips look shiny (but not porn star glossy), has colour that stays put and doesn’t look too ‘made up’. This is it:

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine

I bought it in the shade 60 Antigone. Looks quite purpley in the picture but it is so sheer that it just brings a hint more colour and shine to your normal lips but here’s the beauty, it lasts for ages so you don’t have to keep reapplying it. I love it.

Spurred on by my renewed love for Chanel and having read some fantastic reviews in magazines, I then went on a hunt today for Les Beiges. You may have seen the adverts featuring Giselle Bundchen looking a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Sigh…how much do I wish  looked like her? The nearest I am going to get is the face powder (ahh the power of advertising) so I thought I’d try it out.

Here’s the blurb from their website which make me a laugh. A LOT.

Inspired by the passion for freedom of Gabrielle Chanel, the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio has designed LES BEIGES, a new spirit of makeup that is simple and intuitive. Free like a breath of fresh air. Spontaneous like the perfect getaway. Enveloping like a caress of light.

LES BEIGES reveal the healthy glow of each woman and provide a sensation of lightness, well-being and freshness.

LES BEIGES compact powder gives your skin the fresh, pure radiance of days spent outdoors.

Each woman’s intuition guides the brush as it sweeps across the face to create a personalised makeup result intensified with each sweep of the brush. Its five luminous and natural shades reveal a sheer, healthy glow.

UH HUH….

The two most commonly used shades of this, 20 and 30, are sold out all over London but on the off chance I asked in my local John Lewis today. It was sold out there too but the lady behind the counter suggested I try shade 10, the lightest one, as I am pretty pale. I so need a holiday. Anyway, she tried it out and I’ll admit I was pretty impressed. It doesn’t look powdery or too shimmery, just gives a hint of colour and as they suggest, a bit of a glow.  Plus it has a built in SPF 15 which is never a bad thing. I like, I bought. Time will tell if this is a keeper or not.

Next on my quest for that eternal glow of youth was a new face cream I was keen to try out. I use a serum (Ole Henriksen Truth Serum) that I really like but have never really found a moisturiser that I’ve loved. I have combination skin and found creams for dry skin make my T zone a mess or ones for oily skin freak my cheeks out. I’d read an article in a magazine about the best moisturiser for combination skin so I thought I’d try it. It is by the french brand Nuxe and is called Nuxellence Jeunesse.

Here’s what it claims on their website 🙂

Immediately, skin is instantly smoother and more glowing (2): 
– Skin is smoother: 93%
– Skin is more beautiful: 73%
– Complexion is more radiant: 67%

After 4 weeks, the skin appears visibly rejuvenated(3): 
– Wrinkles and fine lines are diminished: 90%
– Skin is replumped: 93%
– Youthful radiance is restored to the skin: 79%
– Complexion is more radiant and more even: 86%

I haven’t been using it for 4 weeks yet so can’t possibly comment on the latter claims but on immediate use and after a few days I would agree with the smoother and more radiant claims. My skin feels more taut and does have a glow to it. I like this product a lot but would agree with other reviewers that if you have dry areas you’d probably still need to put a moisturiser on top as this almost feels more like a serum. It is another one I am going to keep trying and we will see..

Finally, not a ‘normal’ beauty product per se but I have started taking Fish Oil  containing Omega 3, 6 and 9. I bought a version which is mixed with olive oil and some lemon oil to take the fishy taste away but I know you can also buy capsules. I think it is helping the overall condition of my skin but has a whole host of other goodness as well.

So there you have it. I would love to hear if you have any products you love and can recommend.