Call it French-girl chic or Korean glass skin, these trendy terms may differ over the years but it’s safe to say that we love a good glowy makeup moment, the kind that looks utterly effortless.
Think: a clean and smooth-looking base that’s never oily-looking, yet lightweight and subtly luminous so it’s especially flattering when it catches the light. Your skin, but better. Here’s one way to achieve that fresh-faced glow-up — the CHANEL LES BEIGES collection.
Returning with reinvented versions of the LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation, the beauty line’s cushion foundation, and the unbelievably lightweight Water-Fresh Complexion Touch, the 2023 series continues the makeup line’s dedication towards a radiant complexion and a healthy glow makeup look, with two stunning options when it comes to acing one’s base.
Then, there are eyeshadow palettes, a glow cream, and new barely-there lipstick shades that give us soft natural eyes, as well as flushed cheeks and lips, meant to be harmoniously paired with one another. These will appeal to natural makeup girlies, or perhaps someone who’s aspiring for a French girl makeup routine that’s always chic yet never overdone.
If you’re wondering how these look on actual skin, or simply want to be inspired for your European Summer holiday, read on as we test out and review CHANEL’s latest innovations, particularly the two new base products.
LES BEIGES HEALTHY GLOW GEL TOUCH FOUNDATION
above look: les beiges healthy glow gel touch foundation; LES BEIGES EYESHADOW PALETTE HEALTHY GLOW NATURAL EYESHADOW PALETTE in WARM; OMBRE PREMIÈRE LAQUE in 22 RAYON; ROUGE COCO BAUME in 930 Sweet Treat.
This is the house’s most updated cushion foundation, enriched with jasmine extract and oil for a highly-moisturising and lightweight formula that glides on seamlessly for radiant skin. The addition of these skincare ingredients makes prolonged wear comfortable and non-drying, while the foundation also acts as a protective veil against pollution, UV rays, and oxidation.
CHANEL has also designed a new teardrop-shaped sponge applicator for precise application, perfect for touch-ups around the nose or eye area.
What makes it stand out though, is its finish. As you can see from our model here, the Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation gives beautiful, even skin via a formula that blends seamlessly with the skin; a photo-adaptive complex enhances glow, making sure that the complexion looks radiant in any lighting.
My experience with the cushion is just as similar — the formula is “juicy” from the first touch, and only a very light application is needed in order to achieve sheer but even coverage. There’s a cooling sensation when applied onto the skin, which is definitely a bonus with our searing weather, but I was most pleased about the way my skin looks. The cushion gave me a subtle glow that makes my complexion look perked-up and refreshed, even when I had just done my makeup on the Grab over, while I also received (unsolicited!) compliments on how healthy my skin looks the days I reached for CHANEL’s foundation.
LES BEIGES WATER-FRESH COMPLEXION TOUCH
above look: les beiges water-fresh complexion touch.
Think of this as CHANEL’s version of a skin tint, meant to be almost weightless, and yet has just enough coverage so that it looks like a more refreshed version of your skin. The LES BEIGES Water-Fresh Complexion Touch is an innovative microfluidic formula of pigments encapsulated in micro-droplets, which then blends right into the skin to seamlessly correct and even out the complexion. This “second-skin” formula is slightly more pigmented than before, so expect a touch more coverage, though everything else about its finish and lightweight texture remains the same.
For its use, we turn to our makeup artist Ginger Lynette for some advice on how best to use the product. She tells us that there are essentially two ways to apply it, depending on your skin type and the coverage you want. One, buff in a circular motion with either your fingers or the attached brush for a smooth, polished look; and two, for those with more textured skin, you can try blending it into the skin with light and constant pats, while taking advantage of the buildable coverage of the skin tint.
THE LES BEIGES 2023 SUMMER ESSENTIALS
The rest of the 2023 LES BEIGES collection sees CHANEL revisiting their iconic products, and now offering them in limited-edition travel sizes. This ‘Summer To-Go’ edition comprises of daily essentials — an eyeshadow palette, a rosy cream-gel, an iridescent body oil — that we’ll want to slip into our makeup pouch or handbag, ideal for for spur-of-the-moment getaways.
We’ll start with the Healthy Glow Cream. In a convenient travel size, this is a rosy peach cream-gel that’s the ideal accompaniment if you’re going for an ultra-natural makeup look, of a natural flush that looks like you’ve spent a relaxing weekend in the sun; apply it to the cheeks, nose, forehead, and décolleté using the fingers or a brush. For a more golden all-over glow, seek the Illuminating Oil that envelopes skin and leaves it with an iridescent shimmer.
above: HEALTHY GLOW CREAM – TRAVEL SIZE, $69 | HEALTHY GLOW NATURAL EYESHADOW PALETTE IN WARM AND TENDER, $116 | HEALTHY GLOW ILLUMINATING OIL – TRAVEL SIZE (50ML), $67 | OMBRE PREMIÈRE LAQUE IN QUARTZ ROSE, $54 | ROUGE COCO FLASH IN DESTINATION, $62 | ROUGE COCO BAUME IN PINK DELIGHT AND SWEET TREAT, $58 EACH.
For the eyes, the latest LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm consists of five harmonious shades — beige, coral, and taupe hues — that can be layered or blended together. You can also choose to top the eyelids with the Ombre Première Lacque, a liquid formula in Rayon, a soft, luminous beige, and Quartz Rose, a radiant pastel pink.
The natural makeup look is then finished with either the luminous Rouge Coco Flash or the semi-matte Rouge Coco Baume, both with dreamy shade names such as Desination, a shiny, rosy beige, or Sweet Treat, a semi-matte brownish mauve.
The CHANEL Les Beiges 2023 collection, available at CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty stores, and online at chanel.com/sg.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY, ADELE CHAN USING LEICA M11 + APO-SUMMICRON-M 50 F/2 ASPH LENS.
ASSISTED BY, GLIN GWEE.
MAKEUP BY, GINGER LYNETTE USING CHANEL MAKEUP.
HAIR BY, KENNETH ONG.
MODEL, KATHERINE FROM BASIC MODELS.
PRODUCT PHOTOS, AMELIA TAN AND GLIN GWEE.
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