Chanel’s Perfection Lumière Velvet foundation was released in the spring of 2014 and it has had a special place on my “beauty products to try” list ever since. I finally went ahead and purchased it after I ran out of my beloved NARS Sheerglow foundation. I made a trip to the Chanel counter to purchase this and a few skincare products (more on those soon) and walked away a very happy girl.
Chanel became a favorite beauty brand of mine after receiving a few of their products one year for my birthday. The quality of their products is unbelievable and very expected from the iconic brand. Just like the products I was gifted years ago, this foundation blew me away.
Chanel recommends reapplying this lightweight, oil-free, fluid foundation every 2 hours to get the benefits of the broad-spectrum SPF 15. The luxury brand used soft-focus pigments to create this foundation to give skin a flawless, second-skin look.
Chanel Perfection Lumière velvet review
Packaging
The foundation comes in Chanel’s signature black and white packaging. Opposite of most of their other products, this one is all black with white writing. The bottle is plastic and lightweight, which some people think looks cheap but I think it makes it perfect for traveling.
Price & Availability
Chanel’s Perfection Lumiére Velvet foundation is $47.00 for 1 fl oz. That may seem expensive for so little product but you only need a small amount to get the coverage. It comes in 9 shades of which I wear the darkest, 70 beige. [Update March 2021: Since the time this post was written, Chanel has added 2 deeper shades in BD91 & BD121.] This foundation can be purchased at Chanel counters, chanel.com, Nordstrom and other luxury beauty retailers.
Application & Wear Time
I’ve found that using my fingers works best when applying this foundation. This way I can really cover my whole face before it sets and I use less product than I would using a brush. The foundation is really runny so it’s easy for the brush to soak up the product instead of applying it to the face. After 2 hours the foundation still looks great but I did need to apply a little translucent powder to my T-zone.
Coverage & Finish
One layer of this foundation gives a sheer coverage that can be built up. It sets quickly but not to where more can’t be applied. This foundation provides a natural-looking soft, velvet finish.
Simply put, I love this foundation. It’s so lightweight that it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything at all. It also has SPF, making it the perfect summer foundation. It’s easy to apply on the go since you only need your fingers and it’s perfect to travel with. The soft-focus pigments actually do work. Somehow when applied this foundation smooths and blurs imperfections. The formula of this foundation is so unusual. It’s not a completely matte finish. Instead, it looks soft and perfect like velvet, as the name suggests.
The directions recommend reapplying every 2 hours but with a $47 price tag, I can’t imagine doing so. Applying a translucent powder whenever needed is much more reasonable. During these hotter month’s we all gravitate towards more lightweight makeup; something with SPF is a plus. That’s my review of the Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet foundation. It checks all my boxes for a summer makeup base. What are you wearing this summer?
