Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Powder - Sable Beige

In honor of this absolutely ridiculous heatwave and the grass in my yard that is bearing a distinct resemblance to hay, I present...bronzers. Not just any bronzers - the priciest and most elegant bronzers this summer season had to offer.

We begin today with the epically-named Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Powder, in the shade Sable Beige. This beauty came out with her sister bronzer (which will be featured within the next couple of days).

Sable Rose on the left, Sable Beige on the right.

Like all Chanel items, the presentation here is simple and elegant - the compact is sleek, the brush superfluous but not wholly unusable, and the powder itself lovely to behold. You can barely discern some of the shimmer hidden away inside.

This is a beautiful and very subtle bronzer. The powder is finely-milled, soft, and delicate, to the point that dipping a brush into it kicks up a fair amount. Sable Beige is a gentle creature that should be treated to your finest brushes in order to perform to its full potential.

With a mix of lighter and deeper tones, all with a dainty micro shimmer (plus a blingy-er gold strip) this powder walks the line between bronzer, neutral blush and highlighter. It reminds me a lot of the Dior Nude Tan in Sunlight. The strips are not really wide enough for the elements to be used separately, except perhaps the lighter shades applied with a smaller brush as a highlight. Blended together, however, they create an amazingly natural effect. Sable Beige can be applied straight to the lower part of the cheekbones and diffused down and back for a subtle contouring effect, or just throughout the high points of the face for an refined touch of bronze.

The pigmentation on this is perfect for a natural look - it applies just enough product to create the effect without making blending difficult, and it wears all day with no issues. It is a subtle effect, however, and while you can build up to a point, you're not going to get a lot of depth out of this without it starting to look powdery on the skin.

I do wish the gold strip had been omitted, but that's a personal preference. I love the supremely discreet shimmer present in the rest of the pan, and find that the extra shimmer in the gold can make building up problematic, as at some point you start trading depth for glitz. Luckily the pan is large enough that you can dip your brush and avoid that strip entirely if you choose.

That said, this is possibly the most perfect bronzer for going out at night - the soft glow picks up on the evening incandescent lighting beautifully.

Indirect natural light.

Mix of natural and artificial light.

Indirect natural light.

Same light, different angle.

And to give you an idea of how it applies, this is me wearing it. Applied lightly to the lower cheekbone with a MAC 165 and buffed down and back. (I'm just wearing a bit of concealer over red spots, and lip balm, because it was too stinking hot to put anything else on. Apologies for the shine.)

Availability: Nordstrom, The Bay and Murale stores. Price is 60$ USD. I can't find my receipt for it, but I believe it was about that in CAD as well.

Pros: Stunningly natural effect, finely-milled, super soft powder. Micro-shimmer generally subtle enough for day, perfect for night.

Cons: Powder can kick up, especially if you use a more rigid brush. More natural finish means that it can look caked on if you try to build for a deeper look. Avoid the gold strip if you prefer a less shimmery look. Not the right shade as a bronzer for deeper tones, but may work for some as a highlighter.

(I purchased this from Murale.)