Where I got it
I was at the newly refurbished Farmers at Botany Town Centre and they now have a beautiful proper section for Chanel complete with a consultation table, makeup counters, and video displays. I was quite pleased with the new fit-out, but it is still the same lady who works there. I was kind of hoping for someone new or someone that is more friendly.
The display focuses on makeup and perfume and skincare is on the other side. Just my luck Farmers was doing a promotion on Chanel products where you get double points for all Chanel products. If you don’t know already, Farmers has a loyalty point system where for each $1 you spend on beauty you get 1 point, and for every 200 points, you get a $20 Farmers voucher. The makeup base is $99 for a 30ml product.
Chanel Le Blanc La Base Correcting Brightening Makeup Base
What I got
This is the Chanel Le Blanc La Base Correcting Brightening Makeup Base in Orchidee (30ml). CHANEL LE BLANC LA BASE is enriched with Ume flower extract and delivers intense comfort and moisture. Brightening and protective, its formula deeply hydrates the skin. Light is perfectly reflected, creating a radiant look. Skin tone is balanced, brightened and evened out, with a pearly translucent finish. On-the-go packaging makes it the ultimate partner in a healthy daily routine.
Enriched with rare and precious Ume flower extract, its formula hydrates and refines the skin, leaving it supple and soft. Brightening ceramic particles reflect and actively generate light, evening out imperfections to reveal an immaculate, radiant, unified complexion. The formula’s brightening properties boost radiance and unify the skin tone, for bright, even, translucent skin.
Ingredients: AQUA (WATER) • ZINC OXIDE (NANO) • METHYL TRIMETHICONE • TITANIUM DIOXIDE (NANO) • ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE • ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE • GLYCERIN • PEG-10 DIMETHICONE • BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE • ALCOHOL • ISODODECANE • DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE • ACRYLATES/POLYTRIMETHYLSILOXYMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMER • SODIUM POTASSIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE • BORON NITRIDE • HOMOSALATE • SODIUM CHLORIDE • ROSA MULTIFLORA FRUIT EXTRACT – PRUNUS MUME FLOWER EXTRACT – PHENOXYETHANOL – STEARIC ACID – NIACINAMIDE • SQUALANE • ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE • BUTYLENE GLYCOL – PARFUM (FRAGRANCE) • TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE • ALUMINA • STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE – POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC- ACID – DIMETHICONE • SILICA • TALC – POTASSIUM ALUM • SODIUM HYALURONATE • PROPYLENE CARBONATE • KAOLIN • HYDROGENATED LECITHIN – CAESALPINIA SAPPAN BARK EXTRACT – BHT • TIN OXIDE • TOCOPHEROL (+/- (MAY CONTAIN) CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES) • C| 77491, C1 77492, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) • CI 77510 (FERRIC FERROCYANIDE) • CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) • MICA]
Chanel Le Blanc La Base Orchidee
How I find it
Interestingly, this product has SPF, but to have the SPF ratings shown on products in New Zealand, there are procedures to go through. It looks like a lot of the big brands do not go through this, therefore you will often see products with SPF overseas and when they are in New Zealand, they don’t claim to have SPF. In this case for Chanel, we have a sticker over the text SPFxxx on the bottle and on the box itself. The sticker only says “with sunscreen”. From what I can see on the Chanel website, there are 3 different shades for this base – Rosee, Peche, and Orchidee. Peche and Orchidee have SPF40 PA+++, but Rosee has only SPF30 PA++.
Chanel Le Blanc La Base Orchidee
On the first application on the back of my hand, I could see that it leaves a pale lavender tint on the skin, brightening my skin, almost looking like a white cast from a sunscreen product. It also smells borderline sunscreen-like. It does have that floral note, but the base notes you can definitely smell that sunscreen smell, but it is not strong and does not really linger. On the back of my hand, it does have that color-correcting effect on the yellow tones on my skin and gives me that fresh-faced pinky look that a lot of yellow-skinned, Asian people absolutely love.
When I try this on my face for the first time, I decided to use this on its own without foundation over the top. I often do this and I would sometimes use just concealer to problem areas. I used a lot less product on my face when I’m not expecting to use foundation over the makeup base and you won’t get that white cast, but it still counteracts with yellowness on the skin. It just makes my skin brighter and less dull.
When I use this under foundation, I use a little bit more and don’t really mind the slight white/lavender cast on the skin. My foundation would cover this easily. Another thing I would mention about this makeup base is quite tacky on the skin – like a not-very-sophisticated sunscreen product I would say. If I wear this on its own, I would need to powder my face with a translucent powder before I go by my day.
Le Blanc La Base Orchidee with foundation
Overall
When I swatched this on the back of my hand, this makeup base reminds me of the SOS primer by Clarins which I love. I have almost all of the shades from Clarins’ range and my favorites are green, lavender, and rose colour. The lavender shade looks almost identical, but Clarins’ primer does not contain SPF and has slightly more of a white cast on the skin. Clarins do come with a pump and a lid, so there are pros and cons to both products. Generally, I would say the Clarins one has a better texture as it is more lotion-like and less tacky on the skin.
