A few weeks ago I booked myself in for the Ultimate Makeup Lesson at the Chanel store in Covent Garden. The 90 minute session costs £50 but is redeemable against any product(s) within the store. The way I saw it was that I was getting a free makeup session on my shopping trip (I think I can justify just about anything) so why not?
On the day, I was greeted by a lovely makeup specialist called Alex who was so friendly and made me feel at complete ease. She asked what look I wanted her to do on me and what products, if any, I had in mind that I wanted her to use. I knew I wanted to recreate something along the lines of the makeup used in their new Spring ’14 campaign so I asked for flawless, dewy skin with warm, smokey brown eyes and a bright, red lip. Not my everyday look but seeing as I was going out for dinner with my boyfriend afterwards, I thought it was highly appropriate.
She started off with removing my makeup and applying Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Serum all over my face. She then went in with Le Blanc De Chanel which is an illuminating base, a sheer formulation which instantly gives the skin a radiant boost. This is dewy skin in a bottle. For foundation, she chose Chanel Vitalumiere in B30 which works well with the Le Blanc De Chanel to provide a luminous satin finish to the skin. This foundation provides more coverage than I’m used to but it made my skin look completely flawless. One product that I had requested to try was the Soleil Tan De Chanel. This is a cream-gel bronzer which can be worn alone or over/under your foundation for a sun-bathed, natural tanned look. She applied it as you would a normal bronzer which is pretty much all over where the sun would naturally hit the face, adding a bit of warmth and colour to the base.
She then let me choose what eye colour palette I wanted on my eyes and I opted for the two brown shades from the Les 4 Ombres palette called Mystic which she blended into one another, dark to light, from the lash line up to the crease. She then lined my top lashes and both top and bottom waterlines with Le Crayon Kohl in no. 61 Noir, before coating my lashes with some Le Volume De Chanel waterproof mascara in no. 10 Noir. She smudged the kohl into the brown shadow to create a smokey effect.
She then applied Le Blush Creme De Chanel in no. 67 Chamade which worked beautifully in conjunction with Rouge Allure in no. 136 Melodieuse on the lips, another product that I requested trying. It’s one of those colours that is a combination of colours; a mix of red, pink, orange and coral, it’s a perfect shade for Spring. She finished off with a light dusting of translucent pressed powder, Poudre Universelle Compacte in no. 40 Dore.
I decided to use the £50 towards the Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in 40 Beige, a much lighter formulation than the one used on me this evening but one I have tried before and really liked. It gives a very natural, light coverage which I think is perfect for everyday wear and contains SPF 15 which is something that I was looking for with springtime fast approaching. I decided to pick up the Soleil Tan De Chanel also, as I liked how natural it looked on my skin whilst giving it a sun-kissed “just come back from a weekend break in the South of France” look.
I would highly recommend booking yourself into one of these makeup sessions, particularly if you have your eye on a couple of products, so essentially you are getting a makeover and makeup lesson with your purchase. It’s a great way to try products before you decide whether to commit to the purchase, especially if they have just launched a new collection. Its also a brilliant way to pick up some makeup tips and advice from the makeup specialist themselves as they are there to provide you with a lesson on the best way to utilise Chanel products.