Chanel Le Blush Crème de Chanel - #63 Révélation

Not to put too fine a point on it....but Le Blush Crème de Chanel may indeed be the near-perfect cream blush.

The copy for this product promises:

"An innovative powder-cream formula offers an enticing new way to blush with sheer yet vibrant pigments for instant luminosity. The silky texture offers a long-wear satin finish—soft and comfortable for every skin type—and is simple to apply with fingertips or brush."

And much like Torrence Shipman and the mighty, mighty Toros. CHANEL BRINGS IT.

Packaging-wise, there's nothing exceptional. You either love the elegant simplicity of Chanel exterior styling, or you think it's boring. I've always tended to fall on the side of "why am I paying so much for black casing??" but the more Chanel products I try, the more I appreciate the way it brings the actual product to the foreground.

And that product, in this case, is exceptional. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I bought this blush on a whim when I was vacationing in the US several weeks ago. I was very intrigued by the texture when I swatched it at the counter, however.

Despite billing itself as cream-powder, it's actually not quite either.  As you can see from the close-up below, it almost looks like a powder blush when pristine, with no indication that it's an emolliant product. It's quite firm to the touch, yet immediately melts under the heat of your fingers. It feels silky and smooth going on.

As it is worked into the skin it does start transforming into a powder, but doesn't look powdery, if that makes any sense. It also doesn't become immovable and in fact remains blendable for several minutes, which makes it incredibly user-friendly. This isn't one where you apply and then have to madly buff away, hopping to get things even before it sets. It stays looking luminous on the skin, but not greasy - it truly has a seamless, undetectable finish.

The wear time is good - just shy of 8 hours on bare skin, about 10 hours over foundation with just a faint bit of fading. It doesn't end up looking either oily or cakey, but if you want something that is very longwearing, this is not it. Personally, I'll take the gorgeous finish and seamless look over 12 hours of perfect wear.

Révélation is a beautiful shade that should suit a lot of complexions from very fair to deeper medium. I'm not sure how well it would show up on deeper skintones. The intensity can be varied due to how blendable and fine-textured it is - you can sheer it out or build up layers without it looking like you've slapped a ton of product on. The colour itself is a warm-toned, tulip pink that tends to look more coral-tinged as it is sheered out. It should play nicely on both warmer and cooler tones.

Availability: This should be out in Canada momentarily, at The Bay and other Chanel counters. It's currently available from Nordstrom for our US friends. Price is 38$ USD.

Pros: Lightweight, silky cream-to-powder formula, is seamless on the skin. Incredibly comfortable. Luminous, natural finish that doesn't look greasy or dry. Blendable texture that lends itself to a longer "working" time, can be sheered out or layered easily. Beautiful, flattering colour. 

Cons: If you prefer very long wear, this might fade a little too early for you. 

(I purchased this item from Macy's.)