Well this is an interesting one. I can’t decide whether Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation should be classified as a foundation, a tinted moisturiser or a complexion enhancer. The best way I think I can describe it is that it feels like a glossy top coat. The coverage is quite sheer, but it does the trick on minor blemishes and areas of redness and so on; the finish, however, is almost indecently glowy. I’d use the word “dewy” but – quite honestly – my skin looked as though it had been sort of laminated more than anything else. And I mean that in a good way. I think.

It’s a game of two halves, this foundation. The relative lack of coverage means that it’s one for people with skin that they are happy to leave virtually bare, but at the same time it offers something that I haven’t really found in any other foundation. That intense, deep-down glow that’s not anything to do with light reflection but more to do with physical shine on the surface of the skin. I mean it’s really quite noticeable, especially if you apply a matte or powder product over the top and note the contrast between the finishes. This hi-shine isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but it’s definitely something a bit new. At least, I can’t think of anything else I’ve tried that’s felt quite the same…
The Healthy Glow Gel Touch foundation feels fresh and light to apply ...