Chanel Ya Later: Chanel Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review & Swatches

To be honest, I’ve never used up a highlighter and I currently have ::mumbles:: four…or six…or more ::mumbles::.  But this limited-edition beauty by Chanel called to me like no other.  Talk about sparking joy!

Camélia de Chanel Illuminating Powder officially went on sale in the U.S on Chanel.com a couple of weeks ago.  As of this writing, it’s still available.  Chanel’s description: 

Artfully embossed with the iconic Chanel camellia, a sheer highlighting powder captures and reflects light for a delicate, luminous glow. In a rare, limited-edition red case and accompanied by a half-moon brush for easy, optimal application.

The embossing is truly a work of art.  Softly rounded petals and carefully placed cross-hatch texture make this special even in a world where flower makeup has been done before (and done well: see Milani rose blush, Guerlain gardenia highlighter from long ago, and the swoonworthy Laduree rose petals–but NOT the polyester travesty that is the Lancome rose blush).

Now cue audible gasp…

The design appears identical to Chanel’s Lumiere D’ete (please don’t ask me to punctuate that properly) Illuminating Powder, a bronzer from summer 2015.

Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Swatches

The powder itself is a warm champagne beige.  In the compact, it appears almost metallic and chunky shimmers are visible.  Indeed, when swatched on my arm, there’s a fair amount of visible glimmers and some fallout.

Even buffed in with a brush (the middle photo below), there are bits of visible glimmer.  Depending on what you like in a highlighter, that may or may not be a good thing.  I’ve used smoother, more natural-looking highlighters (e.g., the NYX ones I’ve reviewed before), and I’ve also used chunkier, glitterier ones (e.g., the highlighter in the Tarte Color Wheel blush palette).

This falls somewhere in between and, despite the claims of a “delicate” glow, Camelia de Chanel is a highlighter that HIGHLIGHTS.  It *wants* to be seen.

In the photo below, I’m about NC20 (wearing Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Real Sand), and it just adds a dewy, skin-colored gleam.  In some angles, the highlight takes on a slightly pearl/cream tone, but for the most part, it doesn’t read as “color” on my skintone.  Not pink, gold, bronze, or even champagne–making this a good complement to any shade of blush.

I applied it *heavily* on my cheekbones and around my eyes to ensure the camera would pick up the sheen.  Although it draws attention to skin texture/pores in this photo, a lighter hand will fix that.  There are always some tiny glimmers visible though.

Camelia de Chanel Illuminating Powder Review

“Talk me out of spending $70 on a highlighter, puh-leeeeease!” you beg me.

“You’ve come to the wrong person!” I squeal while smugly waving the compact in your face.  And my cat blush while I’m at it.

Oh fine, I can come up with some reasons to pass on this:

• $70?!  That’s like…70 items from the Dollar Store.  You could even get this Dior highlighter that our friend Amy swears by for only $56.
• Visible glimmers.
• Not unique except for the camellia shape.
• Might not suit other skintones.
• Annoying packaging.  The brush is stored on a plastic disc inside the compact.  You have to lift the brush and disc off to access the powder.  So now I just leave them both out.

You done raining on my parade?  Can I go back to caressing my preciousss now?  Hrmph.

Chanel ya later!