Chanel women Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Lily Rose Depp, and recurring Lagerfeld muse Kristen Stewart have in common the most enviable facial feature of the moment, the V-shaped face. Many would say a naturally slim face is more prone to showing early signs of aging — a round, plump face conceals the wear of the years and gives off the impression of youth. But the fact is, face shape is not the problem. All shapes are beautiful. It’s water retention from excessive salt and sugar intake and lackluster skin from lack of quality sleep that drag the features down, making you look puffy, tired, and just old and tired overall.
A friend, who is a beauty editor, taught me how to massage my face to drain it of water. Another introduced me to the benefits of “face slapping,” which supposedly improves circulation. While both seem to give the face an instant glow and make the face seem less tired, I am more inclined to subscribing to something more fast-acting.
Chanel invented the Le Lift V-Flash, a face-caring radiance booster that provides an “instant tensing” effect. It redefines the outline of the face and smoothes its features. It erases traces of fatigue with an anti-aging active ingredient and vitamins B3, C and E, which revitalizes skin and reinforces its glow.
It has an ultra-fluid gel texture that is quickly absorbed into skin and leaves a refreshing sensation. It appears younger and more rested, and complexion is radiant. The “flash” means it works almost instantly, and because it’s so intense, it is advisable to use it only before a special event, or morning and evening as an intensive treatment for one month. One pump massaged upward from chin to ears is the ideal dosage for the entire face. Use the rest to make upward, smoothing strokes along the jawline, cheekbones, temples and forehead.
To get the matte skin that accompanies the radiant face of the Chanel woman, there’s Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue (Ultrawear Flawless) Compact Foundation SPF 15. It’s silky, powder texture is super light — almost like it’s not foundation — but the coverage is intense. It shows skin in a better light, and gives it a luminous, matte finish. The structure of the powder diffuses light in all directions for radiance and an instant blurring effect. Le Teint Ultra Tenue comes in seven shades.
Complete the look with hints of rouge, whether on the lips, nails, cheeks or eyelids. Chanel’s fall 2016 Le Rouge Collection N°1 uses red — a color that Gabrielle Chanel and Chanel global creative makeup and color designer Lucia Pica both love — as a power color. You’d think they’d come off as too intense, but Joues Contraste Rouge Profond, a deep, brick red for the cheeks, actually mimics a natural flush. A new range of reds for the lips explores the color’s various tones and undertones — from classic to discreet to combative. There’s one for every woman, or every woman’s many moods. For the eyes, Illusion D’Ombre Velvet introduces a luxurious, sensual matte cream in deep chocolate brown called Rouge Contraste, and a shiny copper orange called Rouge Brulé. Les 4 Ombres powder eyeshadow palette called Candeur et Expérience is a medley of browns contrasted with subversive, deep red. For the nails, Le Vernis Gloss Rouge Radical delivers high shine in a jelly and transparent vibrant orange red that’s at once youthful and classic.
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In the Philippines, Chanel is available at Rustan’s. Le Lift V-Flash, Le Teint Ultra Tenue, and Le Rouge Collection N°1 are now available at Chanel counters.