Chanel Water Fresh Complexion Touch

Where I got it from

I recently visited the Chanel Beauty Boutique in Britomart to check out the new Le Lift Pro skincare line and get a mini facial from my SA Julia. As usual, when I got there, they gave me a bottle of purified water or soda, or a hot drink from Minn next door. This is a special treat that Julia has been giving me lately, and I always love green tea. I sat at a mirror station as she began to remove my makeup and apply these lovely products to my skin. She showed me cute stainless steel massage (gua sha) tools with velvet covers, but I was also told they were about $110, but I didn’t buy them that day. The line didn’t really interest me, but she did send me some samples.

After the mini facial, I did a quick makeup application with some of the new products – Complexion Touch and Water Fresh Blush. Initially, I wanted to get the Le Lift Eye Cream and Camellia Cuticle Oil, but unfortunately, they were both out of stock. So I ended up with two nail polish colors ($50) and the B20 Skin Touch ($130). When it first launched overseas, I didn’t think I’d pick it up because I’m already a fan of watery, fresh shades and I didn’t need a higher-coverage version of a similar product. However, when I was working at Chanel, Julia used shade B20 on me and I realized that B30/Medium was a bit too dark for me now. So I decided to try B20 and at the same time try Complexion Touch to see how it would look.

I was sent home with a gift and some skincare samples (I already have quite a collection of Sublimage and Le Lift samples haha). The gift I received upon purchase was actually a round pink pouch with a silver CC logo on the top. It reminds me of Chance Perfume with the silver insulated lunch bag material inside. Fun little thing, but I’m actually not too excited about this because it’s pink and round. Looks like a kid’s bag.

What I got

Anyway, I chose the Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch B20 (20ml), along with the two new nail polish colors 135 Immortelle and 131 Cavalier Seul. The Complexion Touch comes in 16 shades (AU website), which is significantly more than the original Water Fresh Tint. However, there are only a few shades available at the Britomart boutique, and I don’t think they will offer all the shades available, as the darker shades are less common in New Zealand.

Les Beiges Watery Skin Tint B20 is the first multi-purpose face makeup formula infused with ultra-concentrated micro-droplets of pigment. Refreshing and lightweight, the formula keeps skin moisturized and protected all day long. Customized application: precise coverage or perfect coverage for an incredibly natural, flawless look. 3x more pigmentation* for fuller coverage and a perfect finish. Lightweight gel texture composed of approximately 60% water for a unique cooling sensation. Antioxidant-rich active ingredients, including jasmine extract, protect the skin from pollution and other environmental aggressions. The formula is enriched with emollients such as tamarind extract, known for its moisturizing properties. Leaves skin plumped, fresh and looking rested.

Ingredients: AQUA (water) – Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Hexyl Laurate – Glycerin – Butylene Glycol – Diglycerin – Jasmine Stem Extract – Castor Oil/IDI Copolymerization Castor Oil/IDI Copolymer – Amo Dimethyl Silicone Oil – Pentylene Glycol – Chlorphenesin – Caprylic L Glycol – Carbomer – Aluminum Hydroxide – Poly Glycerin-3 – Sodium Lauryl Glutamate – Trisodium EDTA – Sodium Hyaluronate – Propylene Glycol – Tamarind Seed Gum – Sodium Hydroxide – Lysine – Magnesium Chloride – Producers Sodium hydroxide – Lysine – Magnesium chloride – Alkaloidal polysaccharides – Glucose – Citric acid[/ – (May contain) CI 77007 (Ultramarine) – CI 77491, CI 77492, Cl 77499 (Iron oxide) – CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) – Mica].

Reformulated Le Vernis Nail Polish (13 ml) – Protective and long-lasting, Chanel’s LE Vernis Nail Polish is designed to dazzle with vibrant color for beautiful nails. The new formula utilizes a higher concentration of pigments and is enriched with Camellia Ecoceramides, a natural ingredient developed for Chanel, to provide an ultra-shiny, perfectly even finish for every beautiful, long-lasting coat. The new flat, wide brush allows for easy, precise application.

How I Found It

The day after I brought these home, I tried them on with the glitter cream inside. I applied the Glow Cream with a thick brush and used 2 pumps of Skin Tint Touch. I squeezed it onto the back of my hand and mixed the formula as much as I could with my fingertips. I then applied the color with my own stippling pen. By using the stippling pen, I was able to maximize the shine of the water-based shade with good sheer medium coverage. If I use the small brush that comes with it, I get better coverage in concentrated areas – just like a concealer.

Mixing the water base with the pigments is fun, but can be a bit tricky. There is an extra step of mixing the formula before applying it to the skin. Since the pigment concentration is so high (compared to watery shades), I need to make sure that the pigment is well blended before applying it to the face because it looks a little streaky.

B20 actually looks great on my skin because I’ve been really good at whitening my skin and avoiding the sun as much as possible. Compared to the Water Fresh Tint, the Complexion Touch has a longer finish and significantly more coverage. I will also say that I can also feel that it is less moisturizing than the original. Despite this, I still like to apply setting powder in areas where I don’t want to look too dewy – nose, forehead and chin. Sometimes, when the area is too dewy, it looks like you’re sweating (laughs). I usually wait a few minutes for the foundation to settle before applying anything else. Then I’ll apply a watery blush or cream blush on top to keep the cheekbone area glowing and lifted without the need for a highlighter.

The two colors I chose from the new formula are colors that I don’t have in my collection. 131 Cavalier Seul is a soft teal and 135 Immortelle is a beautiful soft lavender. Below you can see a single coat of Camellia base coat, a coat of nail polish, and then a gel top coat. The pigment is solid, barely streaky, applies evenly, and is 100% at-home finish. The wide brush is also an added bonus, making it easy to apply 3-4 swipes to cover the entire nail. I found the 135 wax chrysanthemums to be a bit thin and when I looked at my nails in the sunlight, you could see that it was a bit uneven. I can apply another coat of polish to make my nails opaque.

The single coat dried in a reasonable amount of time and the gel top coat was applied without any drag. I think my nails were ready from base coat to completely dry top coat in 20 minutes. My nails lasted a full 5 days before I started seeing chips on the sides of my nails and I was housebroken every day. Thanks to the top coat, there were minimal scratches on the surface and it stayed shiny and glossy until the day I removed it (day 6). I did learn a great trick for sealing the free edge of the nail with polish so it doesn’t start chipping so quickly, and it works like a charm.

Overall

I can’t say I’m in love with the skintone touch, and I still think I prefer the aqua shade to this one purely because of how refreshing, moisturizing, and sheer the original is. If I wanted more coverage, I actually like the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation, however, the size of this bottle means I’ll definitely be taking it when I go on a family vacation as I only need medium coverage at most. It’s not the easiest product to use – I can pump it on the back of my hand, then dab the foundation on my face and just blend. I have to blend it on the back of my hand and then apply it to my face. The blending has to be gentle and I find that tapping works best for me.

I have to use a little bit of setting powder on my forehead, nose and chin area as these areas make me look greasy and if it’s dewy/luminous it can look sweaty. My Aqua Blush and other cream blushes work without a problem.

In the photos below, I applied Les Beiges Radiance Cream all over my body and then applied a little bit of Chanel Longwear Concealer B20, specifically for my dark circles. I then applied the Skin Touch B20 to my face. A warm pink fresh blush was applied to my cheeks. Oversized Healthy Glow Sun-kissed in Medium Bronze, Tender in Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette. I skipped the highlighter here because the skin-colored touch gave me just enough glow around my face.