“Inside its new “LIGHT BOX,” which holds the secrets of a naturally luminous and even complexion, CHANEL unveils an unprecedented duo. A loose powder foundation and a precious accessory: the MINI KABUKI BRUSH. The surprise: a texture with the evanescence of a loose powder and the smoothing result of a fluid foundation. For a natural second-skin result with no hint of thickness and an amazingly even and smooth skin texture.
-A new generation of high-definition light pigments that makes it possible to capture and diffuse softer light that is more flattering for the complexion.
-Mica powder, which optimises light reflection for a natural satiny effect.
-Canola oil derivative, which improves skin suppleness and provides a sensation of comfort on application and all day long.”
-A sunscreen for SPF 15 protection.”
My thoughts:
Packaging
The foundation is housed in a sturdy and frosted plastic jar, and the design is user-friendly as you can press the brush into the mesh to get the powder to avoid the mess. It comes with a cute mini KABUKI brush, which is made of synthetic bristles and feels very dense and soft. If you are not so fussed with makeup tools, then this brush is good enough for applying the foundation. As for me I prefer other larger brushes that I have in my collection for a quicker application. Having said that, this mini brush is particularly great for working around the small and hard to reach areas.
Color
I always seem to have problems with foundation color matching at the Chanel counters. I am normally BC15-BC20 for Chanel foundations, and I was told that this foundation runs a little lighter than the others so BC20 would look too greyish on me. I went by the SA’s advice who matched me with BC30 which turns out to be a tad darker and more yellow on me. It is still wearable, but if I get to choose again I would have picked my normal BC20 shade. If you are in between a shade, then I would suggest to go for the darker shade.
Surprising that the Vitalumiere Loose Powder appears to be the lightest in this comparison swatch. I think it’s because that the regular liquid foundations are more oqaque and thicker in texture so they look darker when unblended.
Coverage and Finish
The texture of the powder is extremely finely milled, and once it is applied on to the skin it does transform into a soft and non-powdery airbrushed finish. I never liked the mineral powder foundation as it just looks heavy and drying on my dry skin, and I can assure you that this one looks very natural and light on skin without enhancing any dry patches and settling into the pores. It gives a semi-satiny finish that is neither dewy nor matte which would be ideal for normal to combo skin, and it also serves as a good base for adding highlighters later on to achieve your desired finish. The coverage is medium to full – it evens out the complexion and covers up mild to moderate imperfections. Lasting power is similar to a liquid foundation and I get 6 to 7 hours wear out of it without oxidization. Last but not least this is the type of foundation that looks better in a more translucent and luminous way after several hours of wear.
Overall
I really like this foundation for a flawless and airbrushed look, but it’s not my holy grail because I have dry skin and I prefer foundation that gives a more dewy and radiant finish. If you have oily normal to combo skin, this foundation will most likely play really well in all seasons without making you look overly matte. As for me this will be reserved for the summer and traveling as it can pretty much be used as a foundation as well as setting powder.
The Chanel Vitalumiere Loose Powder Foundation is available here and here with international shipping available, and there will be a 15% VAT deduction at the final checkout at Harrods for orders outside of Europe.
Bottom Line – Beautiful and lust-worthy! You can still find it at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom in the US, or Harrods in the UK.
