Chanel Reverie Natural Finish Loose Powder ($52.00 for 1.0 oz.) is described as a “rosy golden beige.” I think Chanel missed a vital component of the description, though: LOTS AND LOTS OF SPARKLING BITS AND BOBS. The base color is a soft, candlelit beige with a hint of warmth and pinkness that features flecks of sparkle. It seems less sparkly compared to last holiday’s Feerie (which I don’t own but saw briefly). If you’re not a fan of loose sparkle in your face powders, I’d pass on this. It’s a finishing powder that mattifies and sets makeup, but it also had noticeable bits of sparkle everywhere I applied it. I barely patted it on, and there was a healthy blanket of sparkle all over my face (well, the half I applied it to).
The good and bad news is that you can’t really see it in the photos. You can definitely see it in person, though. We were waiting for some to-go food when I was testing it, and my husband looked at me strangely and said, “You have glitter all over your face.” Why, yes, yes, I did! I’d describe the particle size to be more that of sparkle, so noticeably smaller than glitter but larger than shimmer and more reflective. It’s not so densely-packed with sparkle that every inch of your skin is sparkly, but it’s definitely apparent.
I’m not keen on it as a finishing powder; I think the random sparkles take away from the mattifying, finishing effect of the powder itself. I’d rather grab one of the flesh-toned shades (although, this is really quite transparent on, as finishing powders are designed to be) that do just that but do not have any sparkle. However, The Muse loves it, so give her a review a look-see for some balance. With the amount of sparkle in this, I thought it was better suited for holiday glitz on shoulders and decolletage. It would even work well on legs and arms. Now that I think of it that way, it reminds me of an old Benefit powder that was a sparkly powder that came with an elegant, over-sized pouf to apply, which was quite fun and pretty for body.
The powder itself does mattify and finish off foundation quite well, and it helps keep my foundation in place and to last longer by extending the wear an hour or two hours. I don’t think it hides imperfections, though, because the sparkle draws attention to them. It’s extremely finely-milled and feels truly like silk against the skin. It’s lightweight, doesn’t look cakey, and should work well on many complexions.
Where to Buy: Chanel, $52.00 (Late October)
I have it in two shades (Illusoire and Ebloui) and love how it pops out the eyes. It's buttery soft and almost waterproof, it doesn't smudge a whole day.
