Chanel • Mat Lumiere Long Lasting Luminous Matte Fluid Makeup SPF 15 • Liquid

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*TOP REVIEWER* Hothead on 5/16/2013 8:09:00 PM more reviews by Hothead

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

meh meh. When the price overshadows all other concerns, then you don't really have a great product.

this foundation is good.. but not great. It has good coverage but a bit on the cakey side mostly due to it's heavy consistency (thus the matte). I don't find the luminosity in it and I only use it at night as it feels/looks heavy during the morning hours.

The older I get the less caked up I need to be.

Good but not worth the money for this foundation.

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annakimla on 5/16/2013 5:49:00 PM more reviews by annakimla

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This makeup in shade Clair is perfect for my combination fair skin. It covers well and makes skin look glowing, but not oily.

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slidingdoors on 5/13/2013 10:25:00 PM more reviews by slidingdoors

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Ever since Lancome's Teint Idole (the 14-hour version) was discontinued about a year and a half ago, I have been on a search for a foundation.

The old-formula Teint Idole was perfect for me, but after a fruitless search last year for a replacement foundation, now I'm not looking for a substitute that can give me daily perfection like the Teint Idole did, just one that is moderately suitable to wear occasionally, and I can't even find that.

Here is some background about my skin and things I have to watch out for when choosing a foundation:

a. My main limitation with foundation is that I can't use any that contain synthetic sunscreens. In my 30s, I began to get a rash from any skincare products containing them. My skin seems to be okay with natural sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (as far as I use them, which is sparingly, because I prefer daily-use skincare products that do not have sunscreen in them -- when I need sun protection, I add in a standalone sunscreen).

b. My t-zone is oily and has been all my life. I have to blot it throughout the day. My cheeks are normal.

c. I can break out with a smattering of pimples and blackheads relatively easily, and I am pretty quickly reactive if a product is going to be bad for my skin. I still have to wear benzoyl peroxide anti-acne medicine to bed every night, and I'm in my 40s.

d. I have large pores on my nose, but they appear smaller than they would naturally look because I use glycolic acid serum every day.

e. I have fewer wrinkles than the average woman my age. I've always had some freckles, and now I have some moderate sunspots too, but they don't bother me and I don't try to cover them specifically.

f. I am sensitive to artificial scents and they can irritate my eyes and sinuses.

g. I don't do well with several types of natural oils, either on my skin or hair.

h. In the last few years, my lips have been nearly constantly chapped (after years of doing everything I could from an external perspective to fix it, I now suspect it's due to a vitamin-absorption problem in my digestive system, and am now approaching it medically), and many skincare products can cause the lip chapping to get much worse, very quickly.

i. I have quite a bit of yellow in my facial complexion. My neck and chest tend to be paler and a little less yellow than my face. In the old-formula Teint Idole, Buff 2 (W) was perfect for me, all year 'round. I was designated at a MAC store to be NC20, as far as I can remember. (I think the sales assistant tried NC15, NC20, and NC25, but none of them were quite right, so I ended up not buying a foundation there.)

Last year, I prepared a long list of all the foundations I could find that had no sunscreen, and another list of foundations that had only natural sunscreens.

By this point, I have tried nearly all of them - a few were discontinued, some did not have a color match that even came close, some had such bad reviews that I gave them a pass, etc.

There are 3 left that I have not tried, all with titanium dioxide, all high-end products. They aren't available to sample or purchase at any retail location in a 75-mile radius from me, so I bought them online last week.

The Chanel Mat Lumiere is the first of the 3 that I tried, because I had such a good feeling about it from holding the bottle. :-)

Sadly, the foundation has not worked for me.

Positives:
-Does not have a noticeable scent.
-Medium coverage.
-Product consistency when first out of the bottle is nice and creamy.
-The glass bottle is sturdy, practical, elegant, and functional.
-I got the lightest color, which is not normal for me (in a full-range foundation line, usually I'm about the 2nd or 3rd color along from the lightest), and when it first goes on, the color matches great to my facial skin.
-Does not make my lips chap.
-Does not seem to clog my pores, but I only tried it for 2 full days.
-Does not transfer that badly to tissues and phones and such, but there is some transfer, which is understandable.
-Is not too hard to blend with fingers, but isn't the easiest, either.

Negatives:
-After it was on my skin, the shade darkened and yellowed over time. Since I've already got the lightest shade, I have no recourse. (They used to make at least 1 lighter shade in this product line, but not now.)
-From the very beginning, this looked bad on my t-zone, especially on my forehead. Out of dozens of foundations I've tried, only one has ever made my forehead look worse (and that one inexplicably had made my forehead look lumpy!) This product highlighted every wrinkle on my forehead, and created wrinkles that were not even there.
-This also never looked good on my nose. It didn't create that dreaded "spackled" look with my pores, which some foundations do, but it just looked wrong on my nose.
-This applied okay, and I had used a moisturizer all over my face beforehand, and I have an oily t-zone and normal-skin cheeks, but after a few hours this formula sucked up all the moisture that my skin had, and it made little dry flakes appear EVERYWHERE on my skin, even my always-really-oily upper eyelids, my oily nose, etc. As the product oxidized, the flakes began to look more yellow than the skin below them that they were pulling away from. It looked terrible.
-Towards the end of the second day I used the foundation, it began to irritate my eyes - the irritation wasn't from a scent, though.
-After I washed the foundation off at the end of the second day, my skin was dry and tight, there were still dry flakes all over (especially on my nose), and the skin of my upper eyelids was noticably flaky even after I put moisturizer on it--which hasn't happened to my eyelids since I had contact dermatitis about 18 years ago. ...So maybe this formula actually has a chemical ingredient that my skin is sensitive to.
-It did not look "luminous".

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jhag4131 on 4/21/2013 5:30:00 AM more reviews by jhag4131

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I love this makeup and am just about to finish my second or third bottle (I used to use the old chanel Matte foundation that this one replaced). I have fair and fairly freckly but good clear skin, and I find this foundation is super easy to apply (I just slap it onto my face with my fingers onto moisturised skin) and I swipe translucent powder over the top, which is really not needed but I do it anyway. It has a nice texture - thick but not too thick, and quite moist going on, but it sets quickly. It lasts all day without needing touchups or a powder. I would say that it is medium weight. You can still see my freckles through it but they are softened.

As another reviewer said the packaging can trick you into squirting it all over the walls or benchtop if you are not careful! However the suction pump does ensure you get every last bit of this expensive formula out of it. Also, a bottle lasts me a good ten months, with using it every day.

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Viviana25 on 2/9/2013 5:54:00 PM more reviews by Viviana25

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

My HG foundation. Pricey but it totally worth it. Ive tried tons of foundations, this is thd best for combo oily skin. Even though the pump does get cloggged after a few weeks of use, still worths it.
Love it...no more to say!

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Teish on 2/8/2013 1:18:00 AM more reviews by Teish

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I have only been wearing this foundation for about 1 week and I LOVE it. I am super-picky about make-up. As a fair-skinned black woman, finding a high-end make-up base to match is usually a challenge. I finally decided to try Chanel, and I'm so glad I did! I would never have chosen Soft Honey-it looked a bit too light in the store, but after wearing an hour or so, it took on a very lovely shade (oxidation, I suppose). I have moderately oily skin that is a bit uneven but without any type of scarring. It provides just enough coverage for both everyday and evening wear, and it lasts ALL day! I am not a fan of powder,and I don't need it with this foundation. The pump top is very nice. Very pricey, but worth it so far. The texture is a bit dry, but probably contributes to its long wearability. The best I have used in a very long time!

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lllauraxoxox on 2/6/2013 5:55:00 AM more reviews by lllauraxoxox

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I went into myer and david jones in search of a foundation that would remain matte on my very oily t-zone but look healthy natural and touchable, not heavy which is a big ask I know but I thought I would try the high end brands and see what they have to offer. After being totally ignored at the Estée Lauder Dior and Yves Saint Laurent counters, I found the mat lumiere liquid foundation at the Chanel counter and was excited as it sounded like exactly what I was looking for. The Chanel lady gave me incredibly helpful service and was absolutely lovely. Upon using the foundation it was ok not incredible but I thought I'd stick with it and see what I could do to work with it. I've now worn it about thirty times and it looks quite dull and heavy on my face. The colour doesn't remain true at all on my face, instead deteriorating into an oily, orange, blotchy and cakey mess by about lunch time. Not a huge colour selection either. At $72 it was a decent spend. The pump nozzle also seems to get clogged up right inside it and the foundation squirts like three separate little streams that squirt out really fast and get on the walls my clothes and travel amazingly far haha so that's inconvenient with blurry eyes first thing in the morning forgetting then having to clean up foundation off the walls. Wouldn't buy it again but the Chanel service was brilliant so there's an upside there! :)

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peronce on 2/1/2013 2:49:00 PM more reviews by peronce

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love this foundation, it is excellent for my combination/oily skin and I love the smell. It is very easy to apply when I use my 187 stippling brush. I hope it doesn't get discontinue!

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kd67373 on 1/30/2013 6:47:00 PM more reviews by kd67373

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

I have a love hate relationship with this product. I bought it in the summer because i have oily skin. it became so shiny in an hour, more shiny than a typical "non matte" foundation. I couldnt believe a foundation that claimed to be matte was so shiny! But, i do like it in the winter. However, it does feel a little heavy after a few hours and i feel like you can easily see that im wearing foundation. its weird because i still like it. i like the color and the texture when it firsts goes on. Basically i like it during its first hour of wear lol. and for some reason i want to buy it again. But i prob wont.

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shannsey on 1/1/2013 7:35:00 AM more reviews by shannsey

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have combination skin: my T-zone is oily and the rest of my face is normal, sometimes dry in the winter. This foundation does a great job of controlling the oil on my nose. I was skeptical about its effectiveness until I switched back to my old drugstore foundation ... and found myself using oil blotting papers once every few hours, instead of once a day.


The foundation is somewhat thick. I use my fingers, but it would also work very well with a sponge or Beauty Blender. Sadly, it's just not compatible with my MAC 187, which I now use for finishing powder instead. This foundation didn't work well with primer, but you won't need primer, anyway.


The foundation offers very good, buildable coverage and dries to a beautiful natural finish that gives my skin a subtle glow. It lasts the entire day, whereas other foundations start to fade from my T-zone after a few hours of wear. I don't need to use a lot of product, so it feels breathable, light, and healthy on my skin.


I adore the light floral scent, but the smell fades quickly if you're bothered by fragrance.


The bottle is gorgeous and feminine yet sturdy enough to survive a drop off your dresser (oops). The pump is designed poorly, however. It gets clogged with dried foundation, so clean it frequently.


The pricetag is a bit steep, but one bottle lasted me over half a year at 1-2 pumps every day. Already picked up my second bottle.

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clakkers on 12/27/2012 1:32:00 AM more reviews by clakkers

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I have oily-dry combination skin that is prone to break outs. Have used other Chanel foundations, Dior, Clinique, Laura mercier, stila and nars before.

Have been using #20 for five years now and always test other foundations but come back to this. It has buildable coverage and does not give any shine without looking cakey. Stays all day, has SPF 15 and feels lightweight.

The pump bottle is good, however you need to clean to little "squirt hole" otherwise you will have foundation on your walls! This foundation lasts me awhile.
l
Love it and recommend it!

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kitchiii on 12/11/2012 10:04:00 AM more reviews by kitchiii

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Black    

Current Foundation.
Really like this product. Was previously using Chanel's Pefection Lumiere and I am a big Chanel fan. I switched to the Mat Lumiere when I realised that Pefection's slight "matte" coverage really wasn't enough for me. I was impressed that the price for the Mat Lumiere was about $10 cheaper for the same amount of product (30ml I think?) So that's a pro definitely.
The foundation is quite thick so you do have to work quickly with it as it is fast drying. I recommend using a duo fibre brush and doing a light layer. Leave it to set as it does Oxidise on the face and then go over with your usual foundation brush onto areas that need more coverage like under the eyes etc.
I wouldn't say its my "Holy Grail" foundation, but it's definitely a great Mat Foundation with that amazing Chanel packaging and Fragrance. Okay value for money and does definitely last me longer than the 12 months they say it will.
A+!

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flowerette on 12/7/2012 4:01:00 AM more reviews by flowerette

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

L O V E this foundation. A little background story - I was going around to a whole heap of makeup counters the other day searching for a new foundation that would feel light, last long and have a medium coverage. Usually I would completely avoid Chanel thinking that it was for rich people and that the sales assistants would be snobby, but after getting terrible service from Mac (the lady was incredibly rude and made my face look orange and then walked off when I asked if I could wear the foundation around for the day just to see if I like it, does she expect me to pay $50 for a foundation that might not even work?) I thought I would give it a go. The people there were incredibly lovely and helped me out with finding a fab foundation. I was a bit hesitant with this one as I do have skin that's more on the dry side but i've had no problems with it at all. After receiving such good service and a day of wearing it, I decided I would pay $72 for it and i'm so glad I did. I've worn it from about 9am to 5pm on really hot days and it's lasted so well, it's INCREDIBLY light feeling and gives you a build-able medium coverage, it doesn't transfer onto clothing and it doesn't sweat off. People always tell me I have really good skin and I just tell them it's the foundation I use (this one) I really recommend! 5/5

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Trusttheshoes on 11/28/2012 6:26:00 PM more reviews by Trusttheshoes

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

My current foundation.

Pros: Good oil control. I have pretty oily skin and needed a foundation that kept my skin matte and natural. The foundation liquid is quite thick so a little goes a long way and I find layering it gives good coverage without a heavy look. Very light-weight; I sometimes forget I'm even wearing it! I do have acne scarring and it doesn't cover it extremely well but enough that it is barely noticeable. The smell is nice and fades within an hour of putting it on. Goes on silky smooth and leaves my face looking naturally glowing!

Cons: I don't think there are any real cons with this product but I find that it's sometimes a little dusty on my face depending on how I apply it. It needs to be blended in extremely well and looks better when you use your finger! A brush doesn't do this type of foundation justice. It's also important to moisturize well before applying this product.

YES. EXPENSIVE... BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND THIS DOES DELIVER. Until I find something better, this is my go to!

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janiceMC on 11/21/2012 6:47:00 AM more reviews by janiceMC

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

My search for a matte foundation is over! I sooooo love this product. It really makes wonders on my skin. I stay matte for like 4 hrs without blotting which I usually do every hour when I am not wearing Mat de Lumiere. It also doesn't sit on my pores so my skin looks naturally flawless. It's medium coverage so I can still see some of the very dark spots which I occasionally have. But no problem with it since I can always use a concealer. My face also doesn't look cakey, it just looks very natural on me. And what's best? I can look flawless without the fear of breakouts. I love love Chanel! A bit pricey but worth it!

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Ambystoma on 11/14/2012 2:33:00 AM more reviews by Ambystoma

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I find this foundation horrible - it oxidises and looks flakey and feels so heavy on my skin. The only way I'm able to use it up is by mixing it 50/50 with a thick sunscreen which gets rid of the dark orange cast and helps it smooth over the skin a little better. I have super oily skin but this stuff actually makes the tip of my nose and cheeks look dry when worn on it's own. I regret trying something other than my favourite by another brand and certainly won't repurchase!

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marianikool on 10/18/2012 2:38:00 PM more reviews by marianikool

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I really wanted to love this product. I had been using Vitalumiére Aqua (which I adore) for 2 months, but I was looking for something more mattifying for the fall winter seasons, so I tried it in the store and really liked it, and bought it. Big mistake. After 1 hour the color had oxydied and the product sinked in my pores, it looked horrible and cakey and dried my oily skin; it looked like my skin was falling off. And it's also really difficult to blend. I'm sorry Chanel, but I won't repurchase this.
The way I'm dealing with it right now is mixing it with the Vitalumiére Aqua and that way I get a pretty good coverage, semimatte finish and it lasts all day.

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50sstar on 9/20/2012 9:48:00 AM more reviews by 50sstar

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium Brown   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

After reading another users comment about the fragrance/smell I have to comment. After reading product smelled bad like rotting flowers and clay pots I was almost turned off from buying this. Well I looked up ingredients and fragrance is not listed. So there is no "fragrance" except what the formulation naturally gives off. Bought this foundation and the smell is not bad. It smells like any other foundation ingredients. There is a slight smell but it's not gross and you can't really smell it when the foundation is on your face. Having said all that the color Walnut is a great match. And thats about it. Texture is so-so. Doesn't do anything for skin appearance. Skin looks dull and flat. Will definitely have to wear pretty blush to liven up face. Won't buy this one again.

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anranavy on 9/18/2012 8:19:00 AM more reviews by anranavy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is the only foundation that was working on my skin (did not cause me breakouts, which I got from any other foundation I've tried). It stays nice on the skin for hours, has decent smell and it offers good coverage- I use only a bit every day. I am using it for 6 months now. I recommend it to anyone with sensitive skin and combination/ oily areas that has a hard time finding the right foundation.Its worth trying!

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poppydoll on 8/24/2012 2:45:00 PM more reviews by poppydoll

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

After 6 months of frequent use (used on and off for about a year), I've finally come to the conclusion that this was clogging my pores and one of the things contributing to my horrific breakouts. My skin has gone completely apesh!t this year and after eliminating everything from my regimen and starting from scratch, I can definitely say this foundation is a pore clogger for me. I have sensitive/combo/slightly dehydrated/acne prone skin.


Pros:
- Purchased this in 30 and the shade match is purrrfect.
- Offers medium coverage and hides acne scars pretty well
- Good/great lasting power depending on the season when used with a primer (6 hours in sweaty summer before I need to blot, no blotting needed in winter)
- Packaging is pretty; I like the pump and the look of the glass bottle
- Blends well
- Photographs beautifully


Cons:
- Expensive..I think it was over fiddy bones before taxes
- Can sometimes feel like you're wearing foundation but that only happens when I don't wear a primer underneath
- Pore clogger


I previously used Pro Lumiere which didn't give me any problems, but now that it's been discontinued, I will need to take a moment of silence to mourn its loss :(


I think this would be a great foundation for gals without problem skin. It blends very well, can hide pretty much anything, and holds up throughout the day. Unfortunately for me, I will continue my search for something else.

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