In summer, I love a more lightweight to non-existent base. As the weather heats up, less is more in my case and I like wearing at little makeup as possible and also forego the wearing of makeup altogether for most of the summer months. However, on those days that I do want to apply a bit of base makeup, a sheer, tinted moisturizer or bb cream has my preference. When I ran out of my Chanel Vitalumière Aqua last year and wanted to repurchase it, I ran into a much newer release in Chanel’s line: Les Beiges Tinted Moisturizer. I decided to buy that instead of my trusty Vitalumière Aqua.

Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Light

Chanel is not exactly known for being an inclusive brand that caters to all skin tones. It therefore should come as no surprise to you that this is available in only 5 different shades. Of those 5 shades I am showing you the lightest, aptly called light. Chanel is of course a luxury brand and I don’t often shop luxury makeup simply because it is expensive and I can find similar products for less money that perform just as well or even better. There is just something about Chanel foundations though that I love, especially the sheer ones! This retails for a whopping €45.91, but I feel it is worth every penny.

The Packaging

The packaging of Chanel base products is deceptively simple yet functional. In principle all this is, is a squared off squeezy tube with a fancy logo on it. But what I love about this packaging is that it is slim lined, small and therefore easy to travel with. You can easily chuck this in a bag and don’t worry about it. While it may look a bit cheaper than you would expect, it does mean it is very practical in its use. The only downside: you can’t see how much product you have left.

The Foundation

This definitely is one of the most lightweight base products I have ever tried. It is the first tinted moisturizer I have ever used and I think it does do a bit more than that. This definitely feels more like a foundation and less than a moisturizer to me. It also doesn’t boast any extra skin benefits or anything like that other than the SPF 30 claim. In the summer time, a bit of SPF is of course a must have, but given how little of this you are likely to apply, it won’t be enough to give you full on protection from the sun’s rays.

The Swatch

As you can see this looks like many other lightweight foundations. In terms of texture I feel this isn’t too watery, but more on the creamy side of things. It is applies easily, blends in seamlessly, but I feel it definitely needs to be applied with a brush. With a sponge, you would simply lose too much product as the sponge eats up product and sheer it out even further. A brush is definitely the best way to go. In terms of shade this is spot on for the summer time, but it is a bit dark for the winter time. This being super lightweight though, I feel I can get away with it year round.

The Application

Once applied, you can see this does live up to its name. If you are looking for a heavy coverage product, this is not for you. This is very lightweight with a light coverage but as you can see it evens out my skin tone in all the right places. It hides the blotches on my cheeks, makes me look less red and does not make my skin look flat and dull, but healthy and adds a touch of glow. If a natural, lit from within, everyday base product is more to your liking than this is for you.

If you are sensitive to fragrance, you may want to step away. This isn’t as heavily fragranced as some base products can be, but there is definitely a hint of a floral perfume upon first application that has to be your cup of tea (I don’t mind). It says put well too! I was very surprised as light, dewy products can really slide off your face especially when you are hot and sweaty on a balmy summer’s day. With primer and a bit of powder, this stayed put even on the warmest of days.

The Conclusion

I can do nothing but rate the Chanel Les Beiges Tinted Moisturizer very highly. It has everything I need from a lightweight base that works well in the summer time. It makes my skin look great (like you’ve applied an Instagram filter but then in real life) and it stays put. It’s a shame this doesn’t come in a ton of shades, because then this would have been a whopper of a product. However, to me this is a worthy replacement of my Vitalumière Aqua and I will be enjoying using this for some time to come.

What is your favorite lightweight base?