Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow is all about ski slope radiance, and make-up artist extraordinaire and Chanel ambassador Kay Montano talked us through the collection …
Chanel’s Les Beiges has always taught us that beige does not mean boring. The annual Les Beiges collections from Chanel have always been about capturing a summer glow, launching around May time with star items such as the Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream, powders and highlighting fluids, plus balmy lip colours. Les Beiges is all about enhancing radiance and capturing a golden glow. We loved the super-sized compacts – giant versions of the Healthy Glow Powder, complete with generous kabuki brushes to sweep on that golden colour. And last May’s “Summer to Go” made it all travel-friendly, with handy mini sizes of the Beiges Eau de Teint light skin tint, and the Bronzing Creams.
Chanel Beauty, however, does not just sit on a winning formula and hit cruise control. So to brighten up January, we are getting a Les Beiges line that celebrates winter sunlight – and it’s just landed. Instead of a summer golden glow, we’re looking at that precious pale light that lifts icy cold days, and the brilliance and brightness of the ski slopes. We may be in Dun Laoghaire rather than Val d’Isère, but we can still get that après-ski glow. It’s luxury active wear, for your face.
At the launch event at Chanel’s London HQ on Bond Street, rooms were transformed into a charming ski chalet set-up, complete with Chanel-branded sledge and skis, and double-C “footprints”. Make-up artist extraordinaire and Chanel ambassador Kay Montano enthused about the trio of blush shades (a mauve pink, soft fresh rose and a coral shade), explaining that although they look strong, the texture of the powder is so incredibly light that they are easy to wear, and will never look flat on your skin. It’s easy to be cautious about overdoing blusher – because too much makes you look weirdly overheated – but as Montano explains, it’s about finding that balance so that blush pulls together the rest of your make-up. That healthy glow, made easy. The blushes are €65 each.
Make-up artist and Chanel ambassador Kay Montano with Beauty Editor Sarah Halliwell.
The key to creating a skin glow is your base, and the Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow Primer (€50) is your first step. There are three – a faintly iridescent white/lilac, a coppery pink beige (my preference), and beige with peach iridescence. The Les Beiges products have always been ones that go straight into my make-up bag for constant use – such as the Bronzing Glow Powder – and this is the thing I envisage wearing on a daily basis. It helps you create the polar opposite of matte, flat skin. Pair this with a good concealer and you’re good to go.
Talking of concealer, I’ve recently rediscovered the Chanel Sublimage Le Correcteur Yeux Radiance-Generating Concealing Eye Care, which is €100 but lasts endlessly (and you won’t need foundation). It’s the ultimate dressing-table concealer – in a glass pot with a brush applicator, so not portable – but I’ve never found anything better for under the eyes, where concealer can go so badly wrong. I do not mention a €100 concealer lightly – but this is the make-up equivalent of buy less but buy better. It’s featuring on the awards season red carpets in a big way – Emily Blunt wore it to the Screen Actors Guild awards, for example.
Back to Beiges. For lips, there are Rouge Coco Baumes, in ski-slope white cases, in balmy sheer shades of icy beige to soft pink – my pick would be Cocoon, a soft balmy pink-red that’s effortlessly flattering (€42 each). The two Le Vernis nail colours, Glaciale (white) and Skieuse (frosted pink), €32 each, are light and pretty, and will see you right through summer.
My own addition would be the Chanel Baume Essentiel, which the beatuy team say is always selling out. I’ve just spotted it for €33.60 on www.boots.ie, so it’s a good time to snap it up. For a fresh-skin look, it’s hard to beat.
Les Beiges Healthy Winter Glow is at counters nationwide; www.chanel.com.
While in London …
STAY At 1Mayfair Hotel, which has sustainability at its core, with luxurious natural materials everywhere, and fabulous amenities, from a Bamford spa and cosy fires in lounges to a chic coffee bar and a filtered water tap in your room, plus views over The Ritz hotel – yet entirely quiet. Perfect location, beautiful spaces, wonderfully friendly staff. www.1hotels.com.
EAT Gaia is a new restaurant on Dover Street that specialises in top-notch Greek cuisine. Smiling, friendly staff serve incredible takes on dishes such as baked feta, huge dishes of seafood pasta, carpaccio of sea bream (complete with mini bottles of oils, from mandarin to truffle, to anoint it with) and smokey aubergine dip. You have NEVER eaten Greek yoghurt like this – save room. Humble taverna this is not. www.gaia-restaurants.com.
