Chanel Perfection Lumiere SPF 10 - Review

Almost every day since the beginning of March, I've been wearing the Tarte Amazonian Clay Balancing foundation. While I like the foundation, the color has never been just right - it's always been just a touch too dark. Blended out, it's fine, but with fall and winter stealing the sun away, it's been harder for me to blend enough, and I'm a foundation ho, so commitment is hard.


I've used Mat Lumiere from Chanel in the past and loved it (so much that I finished the bottle completely), I set out to repurchase it (flush with overtime money). At my Macy's Chanel counter, I was met with a somewhat sour faced girl who recommended their newest foundation, Perfect Lumiere, instead. I'm fairly certain she was just trying to sell a bottle of it, but I agreed to get color matched. Within a few minutes, she'd removed my foundation and applied Perfection Lumiere (using whatever Chanel's equivalent of a MAC 190 brush is). She, of course, applied powder and blush (after trying to tell me I wouldn't need to set it with anything - yeah, right). I liked the coverage, and knew I could always return it if things went sour, so I bought a bottle.


Chanel says:

Effortless to apply, with seamless blendability for a naturally flawless effect, this breakthrough foundation is the ideal all-day, everyday formula – suitable for all skin types in a diverse range of 20 shades.

Packaged in Chanel's standard fair for foundations, you get 1 fluid ounce of foundation in a frosted glass bottle for $55. The over cap comes off to reveal a pump (yay!). This is a liquid foundation that's a bit on the thin side, and I need to use one full pump to cover my face. This has a strange but pleasant florally-tea scent. I love it, though. More than Mat Lumiere, which had a border-line cloying rose scent.

Chanel touts this foundation as long wearing, and I agree. It lasts all day, and for the most part, stays in place. Because I have oily skin (and I've been experimenting with primers), I end up a little shiny by the end of my day. This causes the foundation to transfer somewhat easily, but I can't fault the product for my skin's own short comings. When first applied, my skin appears matte but luminous, smooth, and eventoned. The redness in my cheeks is greatly diminished (with help from MUFE's green primer). I've used the huge brush that came with the Amazonian clay foundation, and my Sephora 55 Airbrush brush; both work equally well. 

From left: Tarte Amazonain Clay foundation in Light, MAC Matchmaster in 1.0, Maybelline Fit Me in 115, Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 12 Beige Rosee, MAC Select MoistureCover in NC15 - with flash

The color match, as previous mentioned, is amazing. I've never, EVER, been matched to a pink-toned foundation. In MAC terms, I usually wear NC15 in the foundations that run a bit light (Studio Stick [DC'd], Studio Sculpt). In Bare Escentuals, I wear Golden Fair in the original formula, and I can't find a match in the Matte version (Golden Fair Matte is a hair dark). In Matte Lumiere, I work 02 Porcelain, Intensity 0.5, which was a touch pink. In MUFE's HD foundation, I've worn 110, which was a bit light, and a tinsy bit pink.

From left: Tarte Amazonain Clay foundation in Light, MAC Matchmaster in 1.0, Maybelline Fit Me in 115, Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 12 Beige Rosee, MAC Select MoistureCover in NC15 - without flash

Overall, I really, really like this foundation. I've heard others say it caused breakouts (none for me, after using it daily for almost a month now). I wash my face, and use my Clarisonic every night, though, so I know my skin is super clean. After a normal face washing, however, I don't notice a ton of makeup on my Clarisonic. I'm curious to see how long the bottle will last me, since I didn't need to use as much Mat Lumiere. At this time, I'd definitely repurchase!