Review: Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation

If you've ever used Chanel Pro Lumiere, you can probably attest to how great this foundation is. I usually go on and on before getting to the actual review of this product, but for this, when it's great it doesn't take much words to describe it. I love love love the Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation. This product is described as "A flawless complexion in any light. PRO LUMIÈRE stretches like a canvas that forms a curtain veil of light on the skin. The material reshapes the skin, the colour adapts and the density adjusts depending on the desired effect. Soft to the touch and perfectly adjustable when applied, the PRO LUMIÈRE formula is highly concentrated in with high-tech radiance-emitting active ingredients. Rich in reflecting pigments and emollient elements that leave the complexion looking flawless, it also recreates the smoothing performance effect of artificial light. Blended in completely, it offers a semi-matte and luminous translucent result. Less blended, it provides a smoothing effect with perfectly even skin and tighter pore." This foundation gets high raves from all over, the PixiWoo girls love it and I would be hard pressed to find anything bad said about it.

If you've been following my blog for some time, you know that I buy a lot of foundation, it's the item that I enjoy buying the most (and find it the most frustrating to match). This foundation is the most expensive I have ever purchased. Now a little about that, I don't know how much this actually costs because I went about getting it in an odd way. I think it's like $65ish in Canada, please correct me if I am wrong. I purchased this on Amazon.com from AZPerfume, with shipping to Canada, this cost me $72. However, when I received it I got dinged another $18, so in total I paid $90 for this! Keep in mind I used gift cards from Swagbucks and got it for free plus customs charges however, so that's not bad at all, but if you are purchasing this online, be weary of that! AZPerfume ships from Hong Kong and when I got the package it looked just like my StrawberryNet.com box, so I think they are one and the same, which I found funny. Of course the seller would not refund my customs charge (some will if you ask nicely) so that annoyed me.

Chanel Pro Lumiere comes in a luxurious heavy frosted glass bottle with a pump (dispenses the perfect amount). And the cute black cap with the Chanel logo on top. It makes me so happy to finally have this in my collection, like giddy happy, I've wanted it for so long.

When choosing foundation shades, I consulted many swatches and reviews online, as I would with any product. This was my first time using any Chanel foundation. The shade 10 Limpide Nude is the lightest shade they carry and is the closest to an NC15 (which is my shade in MAC). You can check out swatches of Chanel Pro Lumiere shades on Karlasugar's site here as well as her snazzy Chanel foundation comparison chart here, which goes over differences in coverage and finish to choose the one that's best suited for you.

In the bottle 10 Limpide Nude looks light, but when swatched you can tell it's a lot darker and super yellow. I was scared that this would disappoint and not suit me, but it's very forgiving when blended in, although it does look very yellow so if you are cool toned (pink undertones) this may not work for you. The texture is exceptional, it reminds me of Guerlain's Lingerie De Peau. I think why high-end foundations are far superior to drugstore is that they don't pack foundations full of powders, so they are nicer to apply and sit nicer.

Finish wise, Chanel describes it as semi-matte, I would definitely disagree, this gives the most dewy finish of any foundation that I own. Since I have dry skin, I opt for a dewy finish. I would not recommend this to anyone with oily skin though, this is dewy like, your skin is shiny, wet looking, not a good look for someone who gets oily throughout the day, this stuff would just melt off you. In terms of coverage, PixiWoo calls it a "perfect finish" in their Chanel Overview video and I would have to agree. It's medium coverage, but looks very natural and glowy and beautiful. And sits like butter on my dry skin, I have issues with flakiness on my forehead and around my nose and this foundation sits smoothly on those areas. Another thing is, this foundation never fully sets, I will touch my face throughout the day and it feels almost wet, I would powder this if you don't like that feeling, however powdering it can take away the luminous glow that this gives, so I avoid it.

Now for some swatch comparisons, I have compared it here with some regular foundations that I use, that work for me colour-wise. I personally find these posts very helpful with others do them so I always try to include it. You will notice in the bottles, they all look very similar right? Chanel Pro Lumiere actually looks the lightest lined up here, but it's because of the frosted glass.

Swatched side by side, Chanel Pro Lumiere is much darker than MAC Pro Longwear, MUFE HD and Nars Sheer Glow. I would of preferred that it was a tad lighter, but this is the lighest shade that it comes in, so what can you do?

Would I recommend this product? Although extremely expensive, Chanel Pro Lumiere sells itself on it's beautiful finish and coverage. For those with dry skin, it's a heaven-sent foundation in my opinion. It's a pity that this foundation is becoming discontinued! If I could trade in all the crappy drugstore foundation that I've bought over the years for one more bottle of this, I would do it in a second. I would definitely recommend this foundation.