Soft contrast

Chanel’s new makeup collection straddles pure and playful

Those who stick to no-makeup makeup will enjoy its luminosity; those who like to experiment will love its pigments. Chanel’s summer beauty collection, drawing inspiration and ingredients from the Japanese plum, is all about drawing light to the face and enhancing feminine beauty. An early bloomer, ume flowers grow in February and March and symbolize the change of season — from gloomy and chilly to sunny and cheery. Chanel’s summer collection is the same. The brightness of Le Blanc foundations, the sparkle and warmth of Les Tissages blushes, and the flattering glow of Plissé Lumiere de Chanel highlighter, signals the shift from dark shades and chiseled canvases to the less rigid, more liberating approach towards makeup that’s typical of summer.

With virtually zero effort, instantly brighten the face with Le Blanc Whitening Compact Foundation, which claims lasting radiance and thermal comfort. It mimics the look of healthy skin without excess coverage with Smart Thermal Complex, which acts as a thermal buffer against temperature change. Under cold temperatures, circulation is restricted and skin is dry. Under hot temperatures, pores dilate and skin is uneven in texture. Le Blanc Whitening Compact acts as a breathable veil that stays consistent under all climates and delivers that shittori feeling to the skin — a Japanese term that describes the sensation of softness, similar in meaning to “baby’s skin.” Ceramic platelets adhere to skin and refract light, and real ceramic pearls fill in fine lines, pores and uneven areas. It also has safe whitening ingredients that inhibit melanin transfer (remember: tanning is damage!), two-year pearl powder, which prevents discoloration and dullness of the top layers of skin, and SPF25/PA+++ UV filter to maintain skin health in the summer. It’s available in six shades.

Chanel’s Energies et Puretés collection strikes the perfect balance between looking natural and looking exciting. Lucia Pica, Chanel’s global creative director for makeup and beauty, was inspired by the traditional hand-woven Japanese paper called washi, when it came to replicating that transparent radiance with makeup. She uses pearlized ivory, silver and nude to render sin with reflective textures that are soft and translucent. For color, her inspiration was theater and K-Pop — a scale of vibrant tones like intense coral, milky strawberry and electro pink, combined with Art Deco pastel turquoise (for nails).

To give skin radiance, she created Plissé Lumiere de Chanel, a versatile highlighter with an energizing golden glow that can be used on high points of the face. Les Tissages blushes in Tweed Coraline (an iridescent coral) and Tweed Cherry Blossom (a refreshing cherry red), gives cheeks a pop of color. Les 4 Ombres eyeshadow palette comes in two combinations, Jardins de Lumieres (tin grey, pink peach, aubergine and silver inspired by Japanese gardens) and Jardines Eclatants (sparkling pink, pearly peach, pink beige and intense copper brown inspired by the flowers of spring).

Lips are kept translucent and healthy looking with Rouge Allure Gloss in Energie (a bright coral) and Vibration (milky raspberry); and Rouge Coco Shine, a new balmy formula that’s moisturizing and comforting and extremely pigmented. Customize your look by swiping a single layer of Coral Radieux, Rouge Lumiere or Rose Ravissant for naturally healthy-looking lips, or build color by using it like a lipstick.

For nails, there are two Le Vernis shades for summer: Resplendissant, a luminous coral; and Bleu Pastel, a fresh, opalescent light blue.

Chanel skincare is likewise all about that healthy glow. Le Blanc Serum or “Healthy Light Creator” corrects skin discoloration with extracts from the ume flower, while hydrating, brightening and smoothing the skin. Chanel UV Essential Gel-Crème features Chanel’s newest sunscreen texture, which is fresh, lightweight and comfortable. It has SPF50/PA+++ and an anti-pollution shield — a specific combination of UV filters that provide skin with total protection and a luminous glow.

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Chanel is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.