Welcome to The Great Beauty Try-On, where we seized the opportunity to test-drive the best-selling makeup products from some of your favorite beauty brands (plus some newcomers!) and documented the process along the way.
In 1926, Chanel revolutionized the fashion industry with the creation of the little black dress. This garment graced the cover of Vogue at the time and quickly gained footing in the cultural zeitgeist, cementing its place as an “iconic” piece of clothing. It only makes sense that Chanel would also be the little black dress of makeup.
Chanel makes the kind of makeup that would be found backstage at fashion weeks worldwide (and it is!). The brand’s products are straightforward, easy to use, and really hard to mess up while still feeling cutting-edge. With foundations that look like a second skin, lipsticks that won’t budge, and easy-to-manipulate eyeliners that help you draw the most flawless wing every time, the brand is full of products that help make your makeup game easier and look better. Ahead, read my in-depth reviews of the brand’s best sellers.
I feel like I’m always chasing that “French girl” makeup look—think effortless-looking eye makeup, blurred out lips that give you that just-been-kissed effect, and frost-bitten cheeks. No brand makes this kind of look easier to achieve than Chanel. Every Chanel product feels like a piece of Parisian beauty in a bottle—the products are smart, beginner-friendly, and best of all, perfect for enhancing your natural beauty.
You can keep reading for my detailed product reviews, but from a birds-eye view, Chanel products are the perfect addition for anyone who likes more subdued, natural-looking makeup but wants it to look the absolute best it possibly can. It goes without saying that Chanel is a luxury brand, so it’s also better suited for someone who is happy to make a splurge on high-quality products.
I am such a sucker for hydrating serums. I have dry skin, so they’re always the first step of my skincare routine. This lightweight serum uses micro-droplet technology to infuse camellia oil into your skin for ultimate hydration. It sinks in instantly and makes the skin look plump and smooth.
Someone recently asked me if I’m an eye cream person, and I said yes, but with one caveat: I’m not really sure if they actually do anything for me or if I just like the routine of using them. This eye cream, however, made me look wide-eyed and significantly reduced the appearance of dark circles.
Yes, $420 is a lot of money to spend on a moisturizer. When I saw the price tag for this one, I did a double-take and smoothed it onto my face with a healthy dose of skepticism. Unfortunately for my wallet, this cream soaks in instantly, makes my skin look renewed, and gives me a radiant glow that’s tough to replicate. Plus, it wears so well under makeup.
I’ve long been a fan of Chanel foundations, but this was my first time trying the N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Foundation. I found that this foundation matched my skin tone perfectly and blended in seamlessly. It’s so skin-like that I almost forget I’m wearing foundation when I have it on.
These eye shadows are different than most in that they have a super creamy, buttery texture, and they’re incredibly forgiving—these will blend out perfectly for even the most eye shadow–inept among us.
When this eyeliner says waterproof, it truly means waterproof. I wore this to a high-intensity Pilates class and it stayed put the whole time. It glides on without any drag, making it easy to control and apply. The gel-like texture is a true game-changer.
Let me get something straight: I am very picky about mascara. I demand a lot from the mascara formulas I use—I want length, volume, density, and absolutely no smudging or crumbling under my eyes. This mascara delivers that perfectly, but in a way that enhances my natural eyelashes rather than making them look like falsies.
On the high points of my face, this creamy bronzer melts in perfectly, giving me a sun-kissed, “just got back from Ibiza” glow.
I’m not a big fan of powder blushes, but this might be the formula to change my mind. It’s blendable, buildable, and doesn’t look cakey or powdery once it’s on. This shade, which is the brand’s most popular, also gives an effortless, “just stepped in from the cold” glow.
I rarely reach for pink lip products, but since this is such a best-selling shade, I decided to test it out. I’m incredibly happy I did—it paints on the perfect wash of color that dries down quickly, while the gloss component makes lips look dewy.
This highlighting stick brings light to all of the parts of your face that you want to be accentuated, and the pink tone is even enough to use as a blush if you apply it liberally. Essentially, this stick should be used liberally and with abandon.
