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Wednesday 14 May 2014

Veracious Product Review: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup

Hi, everyone! When I heard that Chanel had released a new foundation, I felt instantly conflicted. "You don't need any new bases!", my sensible side proclaimed. Indeed, my foundation stash is pretty stocked. At the same time, any new offering from Chanel gets me pretty darned excited. So I sat back and waited for the initial reviews to surface. While my sensible side was hoping for Perfection Lumiere Velvet to get panned, no such rants arose. Not only did bloggers have nothing but good things to say about this new product, they actually proclaimed that this was an ideal option for oily skin. I was sold and, hence, this lovely little foundation came home with me! My sensible side is still rolling her eyes ;)

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth Effect Makeup comes in a handy plastic bottle with a compact, rectangular shape and a twist-off cap. The packaging is identical to that of Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, but with a reflective, all-black finish. 


As with Vitalumiere Aqua, it also has an efficient little spout to dispense the product. It can get a tiny bit messy, but all in a day's work. 


As I'll elaborate more on below, the texture of this foundation is quite fluid. Upon shaking up and tipping the bottle, the product flows out very easily, without really having to squeeze the tube. 


Here's what one drop of Perfection Lumiere Velvet looks like on the back of my wrist. It is quite runny, though thick enough to not drip everywhere. The shade I chose was the palest offering 10 Beige.


Here's the same drop of the foundation, partially blended. You can see that it smooths quite easily over the skin and that, in this less blended state, it covers imperfections quite well (e.g., the freckle on my wrist). 


And here it is fully blended out. The coverage is almost in undetectable, yet it smooths and brightens the area quite nicely. 


So onto the review! I'll first let you know what Chanel has to say about the foundation, then I'll give you my own breakdown! 

Chanel describes Perfection Lumiere Velvet as a "lightweight second-skin foundation... that naturally smooths and evens out the complexion for a velvety matte makeup result" (from chanel.com). It touts that the formula has a "perfect skin affinity complex" that "becomes one with the skin" and helps to maintain radiance all day long. It promises to be perfect for combination to oily skin, given its natural powdery finish, and it also claims to even out dark spots and areas of redness without a heavy feel. It also contains SPF 15 for added sun protection (though this is not labelled in Canada, due to restrictions). 

You can see why I was tempted! Here are my thoughts on the product, after wearing it several times: 

Colour Match-Shade 10 Beige is a very good colour match for me. It leans slightly yellow, which neutralizes the redness in my skin quite nicely. I don't find it to be too pale or dark at the moment. May be slightly light for summertime, but nothing a little bronzer can't fix!

Texture-The texture is quite fluid, as it runs out of the bottle easily and will slowly drip down your hand if at an angle. It feels very lightweight and dries down almost instantly to a powdery finish. 

Application- This really applies like a dream! It smooths over the skin easily and, as mentioned above, quickly morphs into a powdery texture. Nicely, it does not leave skin dry and, although it has a powdery feel, it doesn't fully set, which makes it easy to work with. You can definitely go over with a second layer to build up the coverage if necessary. I apply this with my fingers and look forward to using it with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush as well! It has a fresh, cheery scent that's definitely prominent without being overpowering. I prefer the scent of this over that of Vitalumiere Aqua

Coverage- I would describe the coverage of this as light to medium. One quick sweep evens the complexion nicely and a second layer works to mask most imperfections. I do still require concealer on extra nasty blemishes or post-acne marks. I don't mind this at all, though, as it does allow your real skin to shine through! 

Finish- I'd label the finish as a "luminous matte", if that makes any sense. It is in no way dewy, yet still manages to give a lovely skin-like luminescence. Those with more normal skin types won't need to powder this at all; oilier complexions may require a touch of setting powder. I use a very light dusting of MAC Blot Powder on my t-zone and to set the foundation over areas of redness. I find that the foundation can smudge slightly when applying powder over top, so I do my best to tap on Blot lightly as to not disturb the base. 

Wear-This wears so much better than expected, especially as it is lighter coverage! This gets me through the 9-to-5 quite well with very minimal need for blotting or powdering. The foundation can wear and fade slightly off of blemishes and areas of redness, but a quick concealer touch-up remedies this easily. 


Here are some "before and after" shots to give you a sense of the shade, finish, and coverage of the foundation!

Bare-faced:



And with Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet in 10 Beige only:



As you can see, it camouflages my redness and post-acne marks quite nicely, without a full-on mask-like effect. The texture is soft and matte, while still maintaining a natural radiance. All good things!

Here it is in the context of a completed makeup look, topped with MAC Select Cover-Up in NC15 (to further conceal imperfections) and MAC Blot Powder in Medium applied lightly to set the foundation:



If you couldn't already tell- I love this foundation! It is the best lighter coverage matte foundation I've ever tried, hands down. It wears amazingly well on my oily skin, evens out my complexion so nicely and yet still leaves a lovely, natural glow. I'm not sure how Chanel did it, but I commend them!

Have you fallen for this foundation yet? Is it something you think your skin would like? What are your favourite foundations at the moment?

Thanks for reading! xo

47 comments:

  1. I needz this! Been eyeing it since it came out! :)

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com

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  2. This looks flawless on you, you have great skin anyway!

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  3. ok. you have me sold on this. holding the oilies at bay is a big thing for me when it comes to foundations and this seems to do it well.
    Jenn
    A Beautiful Zen

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    Replies
    1. This really seems to! Totally exceeded my expectations. Glad I've tempted you :)

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  4. I understand why you love it! The result is amazing and yet subtle.. if that makes sense? It doesn't look like you're wearing make-up and that definitely is a thing to love :D

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    Replies
    1. It does make sense, haha! The finish really is perfect :)

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  5. I can see why you'd love this one! I've been trying to get my hands on a sample that works for my skin tone...

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    Replies
    1. Hope you can find a shade that works for you :)

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  6. Love Chanel products! They are very expensive but they def worth it! right? Thanks for sharing all this info!
    XOXO

    Milu
    www.hellolupi.blogspot.com

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  7. amazing post! thanks
    www.agoprime.it

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  8. This looks nice! I haven't tried any Chanel foundations before but I've heard really great things about them.

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  9. one could really rely on Chanel! i love that it just blended all the redness in!

    Delightful Ideas
    $25 PayPal Cash Giveaway

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  10. I literally had a "oh no she didn't" moment on twitter today.
    This foundation sounds amazing.
    Not to mention it also looks flawless on your skin.
    Must try this asap!
    TarteTanya

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha, too funny! Oh yes, I did! You should really sample this one- it's great :)

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  11. You are not making it easy for me to not use this foundation yet! Just like you, i have a huge foundation stash to go through and I'm trying hard to not crack this one open yet...

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    Replies
    1. Haha, sorry to tempt you! It would kill me to have this lurking in my drawer :)

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  12. Beautiful coverage! Great review. I'm always looking for a good base and hate spending money on ones that don't work.
    www.simpleaesthetic.com
    x,
    Hilary

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    Replies
    1. So glad you found the review helpful! ox

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  13. Jen this foundation looks fabulous on you! I love that your freckles are still visible! :)

    curlsandmindy

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mindy! It really does give a perfect moderate coverage :)

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  14. Must try!!!

    The Cutielicious
    http://www.thecutielicious.com
    Federica

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  15. oh! such an amazing foundation! you look lovely on the last photo.xx

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  16. oh how lovely. good to know. I would love to try it!
    xo,
    nancy

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  17. Yesss, welcome to the fan club! I love just how easy it is to work with this one, and I don't even have to set it with a powder! Definitely going to get a lot of use out of it in summer!

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  18. Oh man, this foundation sounds like a dream!!! I'm so off the Chanel radar that I didn't even know they had a new foundation out, l o l. -cue hysterical laughter-
    Vitalumiere Aqua has been on my 'to-try' list for quite some time now, but since I'm kinda on the oiler side of things, I'm convinced I need this!

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    Replies
    1. It really is dreamy... and it's only been out for a few weeks, I just snagged it instantly ;) If you're oilier, you should check this out for sure! xo

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  19. Wow, this foundation looks awsome on you!
    But you are so beautiful without make-up!

    Kisses and hugs,
    www.mfashionhour.com

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  20. Love your makeup look! Goodjob :)

    Mymakeupmemoire.blogspot.nl

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  21. Loved your detailed review. You face is had beautiful glow without any makeup. Happy weekend :-)
    http://naturelbellefemme.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! Glad you found the review helpful :)

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  22. Great review, I really love foundations with the tiny spout dispenser, makes it easier to dispense just the right amount!

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  23. Love the review - really shows how it works!

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  24. You look RADIANT! I have the foundation as well and sadly I am not as blown away.. It tends to move on me during the day and I do need to powder up a couple of times.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Isabelle! Sorry to hear this didn't work so well for you.

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  25. I just saw this foundation but am debating between this or aqua. I have oily skin, which would you prefer?

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All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)