Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder Review, Photos, Swatches
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder ($80.00 for 0.42 oz.) is described as an “elegant gold shade enhanced with pink highlights.” It’s a warm-toned, golden champagne with champagne sparkle; there’s a faint hint of pink that I spotted at a glance at the product in the pan, but against my warm complexion, I couldn’t see any effect from the coloring. Bobbi Brown 24 Karat is very similar in color and has a metallic sheen, too, just less sparkle. NARS Satellite of Love has a darker, tanner base color. bareMinerals Secret Radiance is a bit darker when swatched heavly, but on the skin, it really looks rather similar applied.
It had a much more sparkly finish than I expected based on the description and even from just looking at the texture of the product, which came off as very metallic but not that it would have larger sparkle in it. The texture is soft, almost cream-like, because it’s a very smooth, dense product. Applied, it does yield a rather metallic sheen wherever it’s applied, even if it’s really worked into the skin. The sparkles are somewhat there, but some get lost in the brush and blended away. It somewhat emphasizes the skin’s natural texture along with pores; not the most emphasis I’ve come across but enough that’s noticeable. I put this on straight away this morning, and it started to get a little patchy after seven hours of wear but there was still some left after eight hours.
I kind of wish Chanel hadn’t ran a free two-day shipping promo (because it’s what made me cave and hold out hope I could receive and turnaround a review before it sold out), because for $80, it was disappointing to see emphasis of pores/skin texture. Brands like Chanel are famous for beautiful powders that reflect light in spectacular ways without emphasizing pores, so Mouche de Beaute was most definitely a miss.
Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
LELimited Edition. $80.00.
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
Chanel Mouche de Beaute Illuminating Powder
This product is so pretty, almost too pretty to use!
I have HUGE pores and I just KNOW that this powder with emphasize them though but irrationally, I still want it anyway!! 😛
I wonder how this would compare to Poudre de Signee. Christine, any thoughts?
Poudre de Signee is lighter/pinker – less beige, less warmth overall! Also way less metallic. http://www.temptalia.com/chanel-poudre-signee-de-chanel-illuminating-powder-review-photos-swatches
Thank you! I think I’ll stick to that one *g*
OMG Christine you look your best in here! Have been following your blog for like 2-3 years but you’ve never looked this beautiful! OK, let’s say the highlight has something to do with it but you are definitely a “no make up” person for me from now! lol
You look amazing!
As for the product, that is another thing amazing in here, except for the price for that rating.
LOL! I’m not even wearing eyeliner!
Agree , natural looks best
off topic but how come in the vintage selection reviews, in one review you say its cool toned, and the other you say it is warm?
When I re-swatched it, it read warmer – it is subtly warm-toned or, alternatively, may look neutral to cool on cooler skin tones.
Christine, thanks for the review. I almost smacked down 80 for this! There seem to be a lot of new highlighters out there. What have you heard about Hourglass “ambient light” powders??
Hourglass’ powders are more like finishing/setting powders than an actual highlighting powder, so it would be a totally different type of product, IMO 🙂
Your right I can barely tell with that price it’s a pass 🙁
The awesomeness of your earring is distracting me from the powder 🙂
I definitely see the issues with the swatch, in that the texture of the powder seems crumbly, but in the full face photos, it actually looks really nice- adds a glow to your natural look, which is beautiful. Might be that the issue with the pores was more visible in real life.
Gorgeous packaging! Also Christine, I like the new lighting in the photos at the end with the illuminated background! Xoxo Zoe
It’s gorgeous! What a shame this didn’t work for you, the colour is perfect on you as a highlighter and appears to blend seamlessly into your complexion. Natural but not subtle, if you understand what I mean.
Rose golds like this are a perfect way for warmer skin tones to add pink to the complexion.
What foundation are you wearing?
Giorgio Armani Maestro
This looks like a drugstore unpigmented champagney frosty eyeshadow… or even, a more sparkly version of Stila Kitten. Meh~
I couldn’t bring myself to spend $80 on a powder that I would loathe to destroy.
hi
may i know what lipcolor are u using here
thanks
Benefit Fauxmance
you look so pretty with minimal makeup!!
I’m so happy I waited for your review on this. I’ve seen the sparkle in other swatch but I couldn’t really tell if it affected the overall look. I don’t think I would be buying this for $80. I hear that the Hourglass Ambient Powders are fantastic and Luminous is a great alternative.
Pretty color but the finish is not too impressive.
Hi Christine,
May I ask what brush you would use to apply this as a highlight? Thanks!
I use a small, tapered brush like MAC’s 165!
I’m SO glad you reviewed this because I had this in my cart for purchase. At $80, emphasizing my pores is not a feature I’m going for!
I like this Christine! The sparkles, omg, no one does shimmer like chanel. If it does emphasise skin imperfections like many other highlighters out there or as some of the msc skin finishes, than what other problem is there? I just don’t know how it will look on my nc42 skin..
I agree with the previous comment! Christine – you look stunning with this ‘less is more’ look!! Very glowy and beautiful. Can you tell us what else you’re wearing on your face?
Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation
You look so pretty without eye makeup. Makes you look youthfull and gorgeous.
Your skin looks amazing Christine! Are you wearing foundation?
Giorgio Armani Maestro
I went ahead and got this after testing it at a counter, maybe because I am super pale it comes off as more of a sheen than sparkly/metallic, but either way I’m excusing the spend because I’m going on vacation and obviously needed a new highlighter!
Will you be reviewing the LE eyeshadow (I think its ‘Rose Favorite’) as well?
I’m kind of glad this is a miss, my wallet will be grateful. but you look stunning as always!
darn dang darn! I was so looking forward to this product but I do not need anything that makes my pores look larger than they already are! I used to despise my oily skin but now I am grateful for it as I am not getting wrinkles…lol finally it’s good for something but I have to be careful not to overemphasize my pores!
I drove to the dallas boutique today to check this and 1932 fragrance out. I found the power way too shimmery for my ver very fair pink toned skin. Zero coverage but cute. 1932 wasn’t anything to write home about either. When I sprayed it both the sales gal and my friend started coughing – not a good sign.
I think it’s really beautiful. Of course, I could never afford it, but I like the sparkle. And while I don’t understand the fly/”mouche,” I totally dig it.
The design of the powder is really beautiful but Chanel is definitely too pricey with this powder. Christina, you look lovely and amazing as usual but there is no way I am going to splash $80 on this.
Really love the minimal make up in your pictures recently. Your gorgeous, Christine!
$80 on this one item? No thanks!
Chanel is allways so elegant 😀 the design of this is so beautiful! However I´m not going to buy it since I know I would never use it.
If it were not for the design, this item would not be even appealing. Some items are worth 80.00 but not this one. I bought Guerlain Pucci last year and that was worth it.
Christine, this looks gorgeous in general, and on you! I’m still looking for a dupe of MAC MSF in Chez Chez Lame. I feel like this is darker, but do you think it may be similar?
I think this is less pigmented in a sense – like this has more sparkle, whereas Chez Chez Lame was more champagne and metallic.
Christine, you look gorgeous with the Mouche de Beaute powder! I agree with you – it does have quite sparkly finish! But I still purchased it because the SA advised me to use it over blush. Try applying Mouche de Beaute on top of Chanel’s blushes like Espiegle, Fleur de lotus, Ultra rose, etc. The SA applied the Mouche de Beaute with keron puff but I think Mac’s 187 brush should work as nice as the puff. And it looked really pretty that way! I hope it’s helpful to you, too:) and she also suggested using Delice the same way!
Sorry, I have to rant:
I honestly am not a fan of this and was super disappointed when I splurged on it. I thought it looked just stunning in pictures and told myself that I could collect it if the highlighting aspect didn’t work out for me. That’s what I’m doing with the Poudre Signee. With that one you can’t even tell I swatched it, so it’ll last a long time. Well, this one isn’t good on both counts because firstly, like you said, it emphasizes flaws rather than refines and looks too sparkly. Secondly (and this REALLY disappointed me) is that the texture got super crepey after swiping it only a little bit. It’s not as finely milled as the Poudre Signee and now the beauty aspect of it is ruined. I’m going to keep it anyway, because I am odd about returning cosmetics and I know I’ll find use for it, but I am super disappointed. I expect better from Chanel.
How is it compare to Wet N Wild Color Icon Reserve Your Cabana or TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer?
I’m not sure I have Reserve Your Cabana, sorry! Mary Lou-manizer is lighter!