Chanel Golden Light Baume Essentiel Review & Swatches
Golden Light
Chanel Golden Light Baume Essentiel ($45.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a light copper with moderate, warm undertones paired with a glossy finish with subtle pearl. It has an emollient, wetter feel that leaves behind a shinier, glossier finish that doesn’t fully set or dry down, though it doesn’t slide around (surprisingly). The balmy quality seems to give it better spreadability, especially over base products, as I didn’t struggle with it lifting up complexion products.
It worked well applied directly from the tube, patted on with fingertips, or using a synthetic brush, though I prefer fingertip application myself as it gave the control I wanted without lifting up base products (and faster and easier to clean than a brush). It had sheer coverage, which was as expected, that gave a dewy finish with a hint of pearl but very little color (someone fairer might see more color and someone deeper might get more of a highlighting effect). There was still a distinctive glossiness to my cheeks after eight hours of wear, and it was only just barely starting to migrate/move at that point.
The product didn’t wear as well on eyes as it slipped around and creased quickly, though it was lightweight enough that I didn’t feel like I had a glossy balm on my lids. It worked better dabbed below the brow bone to add shine without worrying about the product gathering in my fine lines. As a lip product, it was very lightweight with subtle shine but as one might expect with a multi-tasking product but doesn’t feel as comfortable nor as long-wearing (two hours at best) as a traditional lip balm or a lip gloss.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Magpie (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Intensity 2 (Highlight) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Megeve (Highlighter) (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Glacial Rose (LE, $50.00) is more shimmery, darker, less glossy (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Dark (03) (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Medium (02) (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Maldives (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Merit Bounce (P, $30.00) is lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
- Flesh Beauty Twitch (P, $18.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- NARS Orgasm (LE, $30.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
Ingredients
Almost like a glass skin type of effect, huh? I like how it looks, but I’m just a little bit iffy when it comes to it not setting. I’ll probably go the Nabla highlighter route for the glass skin look.
Unless you are a die hard Chanel collector, this stick makes little sense. the swatch page tells the story with simple math. Chanel=B+ for $45. CP=A+ for 8. Uh, no math needed! No wonder CP has captured the world and revolutionized the industry.
As cheek products, they’re very comparable in quality, but Chanel’s is supposed to be multi-purpose so its eye/lip performance dragged down the score, as a FYI!
Hmmm – not so sure about this one – it doesn’t look quite as pigmented in the swatch as its shade would suggest in the tube. That does mean you can layer it for a greater effect, but it is also fussier to use.
Tempted to get this. I heard about these Chanel baume highlight sticks from Nam Vo, when she cited it as the dewiest natural finish highlighter. I absolutely love the one in sculpt. I think these products are more about the wax in them which keeps the “dewy” wet look on your upper cheek bone to stay put for a long period of time.
It’s really magical how it is D E W Y but doesn’t slide off immediately!
Sculpt is really beautiful! It gives a wet, very elegant ,subtle look.