I think that Chanel’s new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Makeup is an absolute triumph of a foundation relaunch. It’s so tweaked that it’s barely the same product. I didn’t ever properly review the original Healthy Glow foundation because – to get straight to the point – I wasn’t that keen on it. I had my favourite Chanel foundation already (Perfection Lumiere Velvet, now discontinued) and the Healthy Glow, for me, didn’t bring much extra to the party. Perfection Lumiere Velvet gave the most refined, flawless finish with the lightest of touches and subtlest of glows (God only knows why you’d stop making such an absolute gem of a base) and Les Beiges gave sort of the same coverage and semi-matte finish but didn’t seem to so seamlessly disappear.
But here it is, relaunched and with twice as many shades available; it’s fresh-feeling where the original sometimes felt slightly claggy, the coverage is more sheer, more buildable and more elegant – no opaque masks here! – and the makeup feels as though it’s part of the skin rather than sitting on top in a layer.
The new version is way more hydrating too – it’s not quite on a par with Pat McGrath’s or Lauder’s Futurist, but it’s on its way. Layered over a good juicy moisturiser it looks and feels dewier and more alive than the original, but with good longevity and very little in the way of slippage in oilier zones it offers the best of both worlds: the real-skin benefits of a tinted moisturiser, the finish and coverage of a semi-velvety foundation.
Let’s take a look at the before and after photos…
This is just one very light coat of the Healthy Glow Makeup, applied with a flat-top kabuki-style foundation brush, but you can see how effortlessly it perfects the skin whilst leaving a believable, healthy sheen. This version of Les Beiges Healthy Glow really lives up to its name – there’s glow but it is very much on the natural end of the spectrum. No strobing effects here! Coverage is on the lighter side of medium but you can easily build up where you need more base and it never looks heavy or caked.
Here are the close-ups – you can see how fine and chic the finish is and that it doesn’t obliterate every imperfection but leaves a gorgeous, flexible sort of veil that evens out the skintone and adds a hint of glow:
I usually find it really hard to get into my foundation reviews – I dither about this and that and spend weeks trying it out in every sort of condition, with heavy face creams beneath or with powders on top – but I have to say that this review has been easy. Les Beiges was such a spectacularly pleasant surprise even on the first application – it’s nothing like Perfection Lumiere Velvet, my old favourite, but it definitely offers up a solid replacement.
Buy Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Makeup*
On a practical note, the new version of Les Beiges Healthy Glow doesn’t contain an SPF. I actually prefer this because I tend to wear a dedicated SPF anyway and apply foundation on top. Many like to use the sunscreen in their makeup product as a sort of light protection against incidental sun exposure, but I’m usually either all in or all out and I quite like to tick off my SPF requirement as I do my skincare routine.
Either way, it’s easy enough to add the sunscreen step before foundation if you need to, but I think that the formula feels lighter and more elegant without it built in.
So to recap: the changes in this new formula are many and varied. No SPF, much more hydrating, a lighter feel and a sheerer finish, more of a dewy glow. Over twice as many shades and slightly different packaging.
Who will love this? I honestly think that it will suit most skin types, including those on the oily side so long as they use a primer in the places they tend to have trouble with. It’s not a greasy finish by any stretch of the imagination but the formula is really hydrating so drier skin will love it – those who want a discrete, grown-up foundation that looks barely there but is actually working quite hard behind the scenes will also rate this.
I’m wearing shade B30 but will need to step back to B20 in the winter months as my lockdown tan dissipates and I apply using a brush. I usually wear a hydrating serum and moisturiser combo beneath this base – I find that too rich a cream makes most foundations just a little bit slidey – and I never need to set it with powder.
You can find the new Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow foundation at Chanel here* – it’s £41. Don’t confuse it with the old version, one that most stockists still seem to be selling! If it says SPF25 on the bottle or in the title then that’s not the guy you want…
Thanks for telling about the older version with spf on the bottle… I just look for it where I was going to order and … yes! They are selling only those! I might give a try the new ultra le teint velvet, while they restock. Btw, you look so pretty! I haven’t ever read or seen you before, I will now ;D
Where did you find the original version of this foundation with spf?
It is now replaced I think with the new one! x
I was using shade 20 in the previous version of Les Beiges Healthy glow. Would I just get B20 in this version? Can’t get samples due to lockdown so ordering online!!
I would check with them, I don’t have that shade to compare I’m afraid and it’s pricey so I don’t want you to make a mistake!x
The way this foundation looks at you is my ideal. Such healthy skin with an inner glow. I love it! Thanks for the detailed review!
Glad to help! x
The coverage looks pretty good and it also looks more natural than some of the foundation that I’m currently using. Thank you for the review :)
Thanks Elizabeth! x
If you’re wearing serum and moisturiser underneath is the latter with SPF? I’m still using a factor 50 suncream but want a good moisturiser with high sod that will work well under foundation. Also do you apply straight or use primer? Love how natural this is while still clearly giving coverage
If I’m outside for any significant time then yes. I use Arden Great Eight SPF35 xx
The perfection lumiere velvet has been revamped in identical pacaging nearly identical finish and formula in the ultra le teint velvet. So we can still enjoy that. I love the new les beiges as well, don t have the old one to compare but i remember you comparing it favourably to the perfcetion lumiere velvet and loving it. I guess this is an update with the times
I know, I found that a few days after I’d written this! I can’t believe I liked it so much – shows how we change. Or maybe it’s because I was comparing it to something that was already quite matte – if you compared it to a dewy foundation it would have seemed very inelegant.
I just wish they would offer the velvet in a yellow undertone (BD) instead of just beige and beige red.
I would love to get my hands on this and try it out. I have always loved a good Chanel foundation!
Danielle xx
https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/
Love this thorough review and the close up showing the natural dewy finish. I’m the same as you- prefer to add my spf in as a separate skincare step so I know exactly what coverage I’ve got than have it mixed in with my makeup x
Sally
http://www.livethatglow.com
Hi Ruth
Thank you for all the helpful points you include in the reviews. I find that even though you are a model, it is quite relatable for me, who is not a model :) It is refreshing and helpful in amongst all the beauty bumpf (sp?) out there to see close-up before and after pics. I’ve been using Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue for a while now but have gone off it a wee bit. It’s just a bit daunting buying a new foundation as feels like there is no room for error and potentially wasting £30+. A bit stressful like buying a new mattress or bra…Hopefully my nearest Chanel counter can help with shade options. x
Yes it’s VERY sheer isn’t it, compared to a foundation? I think also as winter sets in, it needs a proper moisturiser underneath whereas in summer you get used to just whacking it on.
Yes, siiiiigh. :-/////
I was looking for a foundation that gives a natural look. Your review just made me want this product more than ever…And ya you look so pretty in the pictures.. Thanks for sharing this review…
I have been wanting to try this and your review has made me want it even more! Thank you for the depth of your reviews – it’s so helpful. After a few recent colour mistakes when it comes to foundations, I asked for samples of 2 colours at Selfridges on a rare in person visit. It’s virtually impossible to get colour matched at counters now plus I really need to see how a colour wears on me over a few hours. Chanel wouldn’t / couldn’t give samples – no empty pots either to fill. It’s so frustrating. I find companies have not adapted at all to the current situation where we can’t try things on in store and are buying online so much. You’d think peel off samples for foundations would be something that is a priority for makeup brands.
What? That’s not good! Yes, absolutely, you should be able to try a sample!
Hi Ruth – how does it compare to, say, Aqualumiere?
More coverage and longevity x
I’m convinced that you are the queen of natural, fresh face foundations. Your detailed reviews cannot be beat.
xoxo Amanda | theaestheticedge.com
Amanda that is so kind, thank you very much! Made my day!
Dear Ruth,
Is there any particular foundation brush you can recommend to apply this?
Absolutely your preference, it will work nicely with any! The Bobbi Brown Full Coverage one is lovely x
Great review, as always! I use the old formulation and am quite happy with it, so I wasn’t thrilled to learn that Chanel revised the healthy glow formula. But hey, this might make me even look more healthy glowing.
I hope you love it!
It really looks amazing on you.
For me a dedicated sunscreen is a must too – I really don´t have the time to think about applying an extra layer should I need to rush out of the house, so I prefer to have it covered right away.
Anne from Doctor Anne
Same! And ticked off x
Very pretty!
Hi Ruth!
Perfection Lumiere Velvet, now discontinued, what!!!!???? why!!!! Thanks for letting me know….. not sure what to do now. it was after your recommendation I got into it and love it, what am I to now???
Do you think you can hint if you like Perfection Lumiere Velvet, you should get…. :)
Thank you for the review :)
It’s been replaced with another line apparently! Am awaiting sample x
Ladies, Perfection Lumiere Velvet was ever so slightly reformulated and is now called Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet. Same bottle and works just as well. Angie from YouTube chanel Hot and Flashy did a thorough comparison and review and the new one compares very favourably.
Oh, Ruth, I love your work! This sounds so tempting, but I have so many other foundations on the go, including the lamented Perfection Lumière Velvet (which is of course by now a bit old). Which brings me to my request – can you please do a post about how to sort out old makeup? There are loads of sites claiming to address this, but usually as a precursor to selling replacements of everything they’ve just told you to chuck. I’m good at mascara – no longer than a couple of months – but just can’t bear to part with anything else unless it looks or smells aggressively off. How do you sort and bin? Please guide us!
Oh don’t chuck anything so I’m a terrible person to ask! LOL. I have a MAC strobe cream from 1999. x
This looks as if it was right up my alley. I must confess I wear little to no foundation, and so far I have only ever used Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter and/or Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation. (After they discontinued Estée Lauder EE-Cream, which was awesome – despite the eye-rolling name!) But then again I was asking myself: if that’s so little coverage, why bother?!
Anyways, thinking about getting myself a sheer to medium coverage foundation next, and will now either take this or Futurist Hydra Rescue. As always: really helpful reviews! :-) But… how to get color matched nowadays?! I guess the struggle continues…
Yes, I would defo get colour matched at a counter if you can – what shade do you wear in CT Flawless Filter? x
In Flawless Filter, I’m a 2 / light. Applied thickly (just as reference), this seems too yellow for me. But massaged in it cancels out my redness quite nicely! I think a pale neutral shade would work best in the Chanel or Futurist Hydra… might try to get samples from a counter nearby! :-)
(At least something to look forward to for after second semi-lockdown.)
Argh, the semi-lockdown thought.