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Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder ($72.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a light, almost cool-toned gold with a luminous sheen. Tarte Champagne (LE) is warmer, darker. NARS 413 BLKR (P, $30.00) is warmer. Divergent Gleaming Pearl (LE) is yellower. Giorgio Armani Belladonna (LE, $88.00) is warmer, more beige. Becca Moonstone (P, $38.00) is darker, slightly warmer. theBalm Mary Lou-manizer (P, $24.00) is warmer. NARS Albatross (P, $29.00) has a whiter base. Illamasqua Aurora (P, $24.00) is warmer. Chanel Lumiere Sculptee de Chanel Highlighting Powder (LE, $72.00) is whiter. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

I feel like this is a cooler-toned version of Dentelle Precieuse (Saks and Chanel both still have it), and it’s actually a better deal, as it contains 0.28 oz. (compared to 0.21 oz.) and is cheaper–though just as a heads up, Nordstrom has it for $76, but Macy’s (and Bloomingdale’s prior to selling out) has it for $72. (And the eyeshadow palette in the collection is $70 at Nordstrom yet $80 everywhere else.) The texture is similar as it is soft, smooth, and blends effortlessly on the skin. Camelia de Plumes is slightly more shimmery and more pigmented–you don’t need much to get that delicate sheen. It’s not so fussy that you have to use the lightest touch with the lightest brush, but it is a noticeable highlighter, not a subtle one. Straight-on, it looks softly glowing, and if you tilt your face or turn slightly to the side, you’ll see the sheen in all its glory. It didn’t emphasize pores when I applied it, but it is pigmented enough that it will if applied more heavily. The highlighter lasted well for eight and a half hours before fading slightly.

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
Chanel Camelia de Plumes Highlighting Powder

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Parure Gold Foundation
  • Guerlain Les Voilettes Loose Powder
  • Guerlain Perles d'Etoiles Meteorites
On lips:
  • Chanel Volage Rouge Allure Lipstick

114 Comments

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Mariella Avatar

I absolutely love this and love that it’s lacking traces of gold or yellow. I have and love The Mary Lou Manizer but as you have noted, Christine, that is far more yellow than this. However, the price is a bit off-puttingly steep for a product I use only now and then (my Cruel Gardenia is barely showing any use!) so I’ll probably save my pennies on this one.

Christine Avatar

I assume so, since it isn’t limited to one retailer, as Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks, Bloomingdale’s all had bits of the holiday collection up. I haven’t received an official press release (I did reach out about a week and a half ago) yet, so it seems like retailers launched early.

Mimi Avatar

This will be mine mine mine!! lol. It’s so beautiful and that imprint, Chanel really does such a great job at making things pretty. There are so many things on my want list right now, my wallet just wants to run and hide.

Ginny Avatar

I want this so bad!! I need a pale gold with a cooler tone and I love Chanel! But I think I already splurged enough this month 🙁 . If you had to guess, do you think it’ll be something that sells out quick, or something that’s still in stock in November?

Helene Avatar

This is a thing of beauty! I’d have a hard time actually putting a brush to this. Very well done, Chanel. I haven’t been tempted like this by a Chanel product in ages. I think the last time was some jubilee edition, a gold eyeshadow and a red lipstick in one of those thin packages.
Anyway, this looks fantastic, in the pan and on.
Do I need another highlighter? No, but oh, how I want this!
And Dior had a highlighter or two that looked quite good, didn’t they.
I must check when the holiday collections will be released here. I think one must be fast to get the real treasures.

Dyan Avatar

I saw this at the counter the other day and passed on it. As much as I love it, I don’t see me using it enough to justify the cost. And I have a bazillion highlighters from MAC, though admittedly none are close in color to this. It looks so pretty on you that it’s making me question my willpower to not spend the money. If I buy it, it’s your fault, Christine!

Valerie Avatar

This is gorgeous. I’m usually not crazy about Chanel but after seeing the swatch on the web and in the store, I can’t resist. 🙂 I was wondering why the SA gave me $4 discount in Macys. Now I know. 🙂 Thx for the review.

beka Avatar

oh my goodness! that design is beautiful! i will have to check this out in store. i usually forgo highlighter, but that may be because i don’t have one i love. my skin is warm, but pretty pale, so most highlighters look more like a blush or bronzer. this could work perfectly. what brush did you use to apply it?

Beka Avatar

Yeah, I caved as soon as I saw it at nordstrom today. It is so pretty. I swatched it on my hand (my 5 year old made me put some on her too because it was so pretty) with a tissue and I just might have gasped! I was going to wait to get it, just to make sure I really wanted it, but by the time I walked from where the display was to the register I caved! I can’t wait to wear it tomorrow.

I don’t have any hakuhodo brushes or even a decent fan brush (I know-what is wrong with me?) but I hope my Wayne goss #2 will work. If not, I may have a good excuse for another brush purchase

Alison Levy Avatar

Beka, I have pale neutral to warm skin and I did not own a single highlighter because of just the same problem and I did get this one. The effect is subtle, but when I wore it my husband asked what I had done with my hair. LOL>

M Avatar

OY. I saw this at my Nordstrom last week, but passed because I feel I have enough highlighters. I mean, how fast do you go through highlighters? Even using mine everyday. HOWEVER, now I’m wanting this more and more. It’s so unique and unlike anything I do own, so I could justify it. I did put A LOT of Laura Mercier holiday on hold for Nordstrom’s beauty event next week, which is making me hold off on most other makeup purchases. WHY, holiday, WHY?

Veronica Avatar

I’m glad this scored well – I swatches it in and loved it, so I’ve lemming it. As a note, on my cool toned complexion (I’m in my NW13 transition stage), it pulls completely silver with almost no hint of gold. Just a heads up if you prefer them less metallic.

Carolyn Avatar

Hi Christine, thanks so much for your review on this. I initially was going to skip this highlighter (as I have several and this looked too cool-toned for my NC30 skintone), but now I’m debating whether or not to get this! May I ask if you prefer Dentelle Precieuse or this one? And thank you for pointing out the price differences between Nordstrom and the other dept. stores (so strange). I normally like shopping at Nordstrom but may have to get this at Macy’s if I decide to purchase!

Caroline Avatar

I just purchased my Chanel holiday items today and the retail prices are actually the same as Macy’s, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, etc. The Camelia De Plumes Highlighting Powder was originally $72 at Nordstrom, but I got a 10% discount due to price matching (Lord & Taylor is having a F&F sale this weekend). I also purchased the holiday Illusion D’Ombre in Envol, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Or Blanc, Blush in Caresse, and the eyeshadow palette – the retail prices were exactly the same as the other department stores (as well as their e-commerce sites) before the 10% discount at Nordstrom.

xamyx Avatar

This is gorgeous, but I already have 3 highlighters on my list, and plan to stop for a while… Still, if I stumble upon a Chanel counter, resistance may prove futile, LOL!

Hannah Avatar

I have seen so many YouTube videos of Chanel bags, wallets, sunglasses being shown off and every unboxing has the beautiful white camelia stuck to the packaging and I always thought it was so beautiful. I can’t afford anything Chanel related so when I saw this post of the camelia highlighter, I thought this is my way of owning something with the camelia on it 🙂 I purchased mine from Macy’s! Thank you for this great review:)

Deborah Avatar

I’ve been waiting and waiting for this! Ridiculous amount of money but I won’t buy any other highlighting powder once I purchase this. At least for a long while.

Amy Avatar

Ahh. It’s gorgeous. I am still kicking myself on missing the Ombre Contraste Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks in Notorious. (You don’t happen to know of a dupe in your amazing collection, by any chance do you?)
Even though I have 3 of the dupes, nothing is quite as beautiful. And the design. Be still, my heart!
What brush did you apply it with, Christine? Did you put any sort of liquid primer under it to make it appear a touch more illuminating? Or was it applied straight out of the compact? I’m considering the Becca Liquid Highlighters (in Pearl or Opal). I have the pressed versions. The LE one is gorgeous.
Thank you, as always, for your reviews. I’d love to see a full application tutorial some day!! xo

Kate Hopkins Avatar

Hi, thank you for the review. This highlighter looks beautiful. Do you you think it is suited for day time wear or only evening? Many thanks.

Rachel R. Avatar

OK, this totally makes up for the Oiseaux de Nuit Eyeshadow Palette. The pressed design is so beautiful in the powder, it looks like a cameo carving. I would be afraid to use it! I’d open the compact and stare at its sparkling beauty.

It looks really gorgeous on your skin, too. It’s such a pretty, crystalline, silver-white.

Yana Avatar

I don’t know why, but on Nordstrom’s the price is listed $76 as you said, but when you add the highlighter into your shopping cart, the shopping cart reads $72. I thought it weird, so I added the palette as well. Did the same thing and shows the palette at $80 in the cart. Haven’t checked out so can’t say for certain which price it will be.

almatari Avatar

I love this highlighter! I’ve never felt the desire to use one before but this is honestly amazing. my skin looks so glowy in a natural way with it. I’ve worn it every day since I got it on the 3rd.

Kitty Avatar

I received mine a couple days ago and will probably return it. On my NW20 skin, it looks pretty yellow on me and not flattering at all. I’m disappointed that it doesn’t look more silver or platinum on me. I don’t see any warmth or coolness really either. Just yellowness with shimmer. I really had my hopes up…

Rebecca Avatar

Thank you for the thorough review! I’m new to purchasing high end make up, and atm don’t own any highlighters.

I was going to purchasing the MAC warm neutral palette and some MAC brushes. I’m between a NC 25 and NC30 (going by the colors from pro long wear foundation from MAC) (NC 30 is too dark for me, and NC25 is a bit too light, haven’t found a great match yet!).

Would this look too dark for me? I’m considering getting it as my only highlighter for a long time considering the price tag. Or would I do better with getting the MAC brushes instead? I don’t want to regret missing out on the item.

Thank you so much Christine! Happy Holidays xxx

Rebecca Avatar

Omg I am so sorry I meant, would it be too light for me, would it not work for my warm skin. Are there better highlighters out there for us?

Sorry got the wording wrong, due to the explanation of the foundation my bad Christine!

Christine Avatar

I probably read it wrong! More coffee!

I don’t think it’s too light at all. I will say that for my skin tone (which seems to be similar to yours), I do prefer Dentelle Precieuse between the two (just slightly). So if you can get that one… I’d go that over this, but they both work nicely. http://www.temptalia.com/chanel-dentelle-precieuse-illuminating-powder-review-photos-swatches

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