Monday, June 5, 2017

The 2 makeup items I can't live without - Chanel Le Blanc Brightening Makeup Base and Chanel CC Cream

 
One thing I realised is that Chanel makeup is pretty much underrrated or less talked about. Perhaps it is because they don't do mass PR for the brand or perhaps they believe that the brand speaks for itself.

Before I tried Chanel makeup, my perception of the brand was that it is expensive. But as I went into my comfortable early 40's and my curiosity were centred around luxury brands, I was taken by surprise that firstly, their foundation and loose powder are exceptional and value for money and as my curiosity developed into more products, like lipsticks, makeup base and CC cream, I think it's hard to not include this brand into my daily routine. Case in point, is the Le Blanc Light Creator Brightening Makeup Base with SPF 40 and the CC Cream with SPF 50. I have already gone into my 3rd bottle for the makeup base, and my 2nd tube for the CC cream. No matter how much I'd avoid from repurchasing them due to lack of access in PJ area (their standalone boutiques are only in 1Utama and Sunway Pyramid while their counter in Parkson Subang Parade is now closed), I find that I just have to brave the traffic and hunt for a parking spot in order to get my hands on these.

When I first purchased this, it was only around RM190 before they had the price increase early 2016. At just 30ml and now priced at RM220, it may be a tad bit expensive for a lot of us. I find that though it is a little bit on the high price, it works so well with my skin. The formulation is liquid, it feels so light yet covers up the skin pretty well as a makeup base that sometimes when I'm lazy, I would just layer on loose powder and my complexion looks smooth and radiant. No kidding. Best part is, the make up base last an entire day at work and when I do work extended hours (which I normally do) and the skin becomes a little oily, my skin still look naturally radiant, as if my natural oil blends well with the base. That effect, I can't find with any other makeup base or SPF products and hence why, I keep going back to it.

 
The packaging is a handy little squeezable tube and you only need very little to cover the entire face. They have 4 base colours to choose from and this one, in Mimosa is the right one for me to neutralise the redness of my complexion.

 
I'd usually just use a blob like this and as you can see, it is light and watery. According to Chanel, it uses "the Akoya pearl from Japan which is widely known for its exceptional luster, delicate colour and smooth surface. The pearls are cultivated especially for Chanel over the course of 2 years in order to ensure greater maturity for the highest quality pearls. Present in the Brightening Makeup Base, it lights up dull complexions and prevents yellow-toned skin, while moisturising. Combined with Liquorice Extract, a key brightening ingredient, it enhances the complexion with lasting purity and translucency."

 
As you can see in the above pix, the complexion and age spots look matt and blurried with just a layer of the makeup base. As the skin grows more mature like mine, sometimes wearing foundation doesn't necessarily really help make my skin look smooth and I find that minimal makeup can be best. 

 
As for the CC Cream, well I stumbled upon this by accident and glad that I did. Again, I tried to replace this with something else but I just cannot get the same positive effect I get from this especially on a long day at work.
 
 
It is slightly thicker than the makeup base and if I use this, I won't use the makeup base. It has the thickness similar to using a foundation but somewhat smoother, somewhat in between using a fluid and cream foundation. I have tried using a cream foundation as I find that the fluid and compact powder doesn't give me the smooth effect nor hide flaws well anymore but as my skin is not dry and just in between normal to dry, cream foundations just won't sit well, making the skin look really oily into the afternoon. So, I went back to the Chanel CC Cream and I don't even have to blot nor touch up towards the afternoon. Just like the makeup base, it comes on smooth and stays so well even on an active sunny day when I need to be outdoors at work. As it works just as well as a foundation but with much higher SPF protection, I have hardly worn a foundation for the past few months - just the CC Cream and loose powder and my skin looks done.

 
2 empties and 2 fully loaded packs. The CC Cream is at RM225 for a tube of 30ml.

There have been many more stuff I've tried from Chanel and I wonder why the brand has gone under my radar all these while, perhaps due to the perception of it being costly, perhaps also because when I had more youthful skin, luxury brands never truly hit me hard. Then again, I did use some of their makeup before once in awhile but it was just recent that they became generous with their samples and that was how I discovered their products. I especially love their simple packaging and hence, the minimalist packaging makes their makeup cost even lower than say, Dior, Lancome or Guerlain, and it is great that most skincare brands these days incorporate skincare ingredients into their makeup products, making the skin feel even more pampered.

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That was just my personal view. Feel free to share yours.