Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10

Finally I am pretty much done with all my assignments for University, and the semester is coming to a close. That means I finally have the time to review my HG Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 foundation now ;)

As mentioned in my post here, this is my first foray into the world of Chanel. Usually I tend to "avoid" such high-end brands because they're quite intimidating to me- the SAs are always quite immaculately polished and their ranges looks very uptown and classy... not to mention potentially pricey. But I finally braved the Chanel store at 1 Utama.

I entered the shop with an intention to mainly browse at the foundations and the intriguing makeup range and perhaps ask a few questions. The SA that attended me was quite nice. Quite elderly, and definitely knows her stuff. For some reason I am more comfortable with more "elderly" SAs because I feel/think they have more experience, and the reason I chose the Chanel store instead of a counter is because I personally feel that the SAs there would also be more experienced and know about their products more compared to department stores such as Jusco and Metrojaya. Just a personal opinion, though and doesn't necessarily apply to all SAs :P There are some young, department store SAs that are really nice, like the one at the Shiseido counter at Jusco in 1 Utama.



I came out with this. To be honest I was actually looking for Chanel Teint Controle Extreme Extreme UV Protection Control Powder Foundation SPF25, but according to the SA it's already being discontinued and those that are available in the counters at department stores are the last stocks. I was looking at foundations from Chanel mainly because I felt that my Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation shade wasn't a good match for me. Their shades were either too light or too dark for my (now) tanned skin sadly :( I decided to give Chanel a look-see and maybe try instead, and I'm glad I did!



According to the official Chanel website, there are 11 shades (As shown above, I took a screenshot), but here in Malaysia we only get 5 if I'm not mistaken- 10 Lumiere, 30 Aurore, 40 Sable, 50 Poudre and 60 Secret. I was matched with 30 Aurore, which is actually more brown-based but is the second lightest shade in the spectrum. The yellow-based foundations are 40 Sable and 50 Poudre but are actually darker than 30 Aurore. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the shade- will it match?



When I first applied it on my own the next day after my cleansing regime and prepping my face for makeup, I actually panicked a little because it went on quite light and was worried that I might have to get a shade darker. However, I learned not to be shocked because after a while the foundation actually BLENDS into your skin and matches with your skin tone! Amazing! It really impressed me. Coverage wise it's not as thick as Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, but it's buildable. I love Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 because it actually makes my skin look flawlessly matte without looking too thick, cakey or dull, but instead radiant and naturally glowy! And it lasts for quite some time too, I had it on past 12 hours and it still looks good, although I needed to blot once or twice within that time span.

The embossed interlocking "Cs" in the foundation also looks very good, and to be honest, I really dislike foundations/powders that have embossed patterns on them, because I can't bear to run over it :( I've been using the Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 since I bought it, and the interlocking "Cs" have sunk in a little now, but it's still obvious. I've not used the sponge provided because I'm using my QVS Rubicell Foundation Sponge but it does feel nice and of good quality.



The packaging is pure luxury. The compact case is flatter and larger than Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, with its signature black and the white interlocking "Cs" embossed on it, and the mirror is huge! The feel of the compact case is nice, steady and light, but the hinges feel a bit fragile to me though. Overall the packaging to me just screams out decadence in true Chanel style. It even comes with its own velvet pouch as pictured! If that's not luxurious, I don't know what is :P The compact case smudges though (As seen in first photo), but that's nothing a good wipe won't fix.

The whole set costs RM 175, which actually works out to be slightly cheaper than Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation, which totals to be RM 177, RM 2 more :P The refill for Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 is priced at RM 115 whilst the refill for Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation costs RM 129. That, and Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 actually has 3g more of foundation. Yes, I checked and compared that.

My only gripe with the Chanel Mat Lumiere Luminous Matte Powder Makeup SPF10 is that it has only SPF10! Shiseido The Makeup Supplist Poreless Foundation has SPF25. And since I have to walk under the sun quite often for University, I needed more sun protection :( The other gripe I have with it is that the foundation cake might be too small for normal foundation sponges. As mentioned I am not using the sponge provided, so some foundation might smear on the sides of the cake and needs to be wiped off. But that's not a big problem to me :P

To combat the SPF problem I have gotten Dermalogica Super Sensitive Faceblock SPF30, but that's another review for another day...