Soleil Tan de Chanel (Swatch + Review)

A beauty cult favorite, one I'm sure you're all familiar with. Soleil Tan de Chanel has been on my radar for a while now however it was always sold out and I don't think it's even stocked in Asia.

When i asked, the SAs just stared at me like 'LOL WTF's a bronzer?! Who would want to be dark?"

Then about a month ago, I found myself wandering into the Chanel beauty store at Chadstone during my 15 minute work break... i didn't even hesitate when they told me that they had it in stock. I really wanted to share it with you asap because all the SAs at Myer, David Jones and Chanel told me that this will be discontinued soon. Though I'm not sure how reliable their word is because I've been told that so many times and look who managed to score herself one ^^

I absolutely adore the semi-transparent tub it comes in. The simple and iconic packaging looks so luxurious and sits beautifully on my vanity table. Size wise, it's huge. Containing 30g of product, I don't see myself finishing this any time soon even if i were to use it daily. 

The cream product is a milk chocolate color with tiny gold speckles. It looked quite orange in the packaging which got me worried but when applied, neither the orange undertone nor the gold shimmer translated onto the skin.

The texture is firm to the touch but at the heat of my fingers, it melts into a buttery soft consistency. 

Swatching this bronzer was quite frustrating because the photos do not do it justice at all. I know it comes across very orange here but this is nothing like how it looks on the face (my arm is much paler and pink).

I use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply this, the shape and density of the brush picks up the perfect amount and helps me blend it in seamlessly. 

You can use this as a base product before your foundation to give a deepened bronze complexion but I just wanted to add some dimension to my face to prevent the foundation from looking too flat so i've been using it like any other bronzer.

To apply it, I simply bump my brush lightly (as opposed to swirling it around as that would pick up too much product) a few times in the pan and slowly build up color where i want it. 

The formula is a cream to powder finish. Thanks to its incredibly smooth formula, it applies and blends evenly with very minimal effort and the right brush. It can look very scary before buffing but once blended, it has a velvety finish. The effect is so subtle but makes all the difference. Despite being a cream product, it's still light and breathable, and leaves no shine.

The only other bronzer i have to compare to this is my Benefit Hoola, a matte powder bronzer. While i love Hoola, it can look quite flat and unnatural. The shimmer in Soleil Tan de Chanel is not noticeable at all when applied, what you get instead is a very soft, subtle and natural glow. It doesn't even look like I'm wearing bronzer and gives a luminous warmth to my overall complexion. In the month i've been using this, i've really been loving it. Some days when I'm not keen on putting on a whole face of make up, i've just been doing my brows, concealer and blending this on the high points of my cheeks to make myself look somewhat presentable. 

Soleil Tan de Chanel only comes in one 'universal' shade (probably most suitable to those with fair to medium skin) and retails for $67 at Myer, David Jones and Chanel Beauty Stores. 

I'm not a massive bronzer girl so this was definitely an investment for me. I think with summer just around the corner, i'll be getting a lot of use out of this! 

Is bronzer a huge step in your make up routine? What's your favorite bronzer?

=('.')=

chloé