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Home » Face » Blush » Review: Makeup: Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush

Review: Makeup: Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush

July 21, 2008 Paris B 15 Comments

For as long as I can remember, my ultimate dream bag is a Chanel 2.55. Ok, not as long as I remember because when I was younger, I thought it looked “auntie” but now I want one and its out of my financial reach. (Besides, if I do have one I’m not sure I’d have the guts to carry it around and sully it with scratches, dirt, pollution… but I digress… 😉 ) So, what’s the next best thing to a Chanel 2.55?

Chanel makeup! 🙂

Specifically, the Chanel Joues Contraste blushes. They are da bomb!

The Chanel Joues Contraste blushes come luxuriously packed in a velvet pouch (that serves no purpose except to add luxury) and are housed in a solid black plastic case with the classic Chanel emblem on the cover. Look at it from the front or back, it looks the same. That makes things a bit hard sometimes because it only opens one way and most of the time, I’m not getting to the right clasp!

Once opened, you’ll see a round domed powder blush on the left, with a small, cute but utterly useless blush brush on the right. I’d rather they just did away with the brush totally and made the case smaller and more compact. Maybe even slimmer.

Packaging grouses aside, the blush is, for me, perfect. There is just the right amount of shimmer in the blushes without being glittery and the texture is silky smooth. The powder blushes are baked not pressed so they feel harder to the touch. If you have Bourjois blushes, they are similar (Bourjois is Chanel’s little sister… or maybe its the other way around) in make but Chanel’s texture is much smoother and silkier.

In terms of pigment, I find that Chanel blushes are pigmented yet sheer, so they are blushes that can be built up slowly to your desired colour. Unlike Nars blushes which tend to deposit a lot of colour on the brush, the brush doesn’t pick up too much colour from Chanel blushes so it is easier to layer and to ensure you get your desired tone/shade. Some people don’t like this because it means you have to brush on your blush 2-3 times, and to them, its a bother. I like this because it means I’m less likely to make a mistake and have to start over which is, to me, even more of a bother!

In terms of colour, I do find that Chanel Joues Contrast blushes don’t come in great variants of colour, unlike Nars. Chanel blushes tend towards the Pink (Narcisse, Caprice, Turbulent), Coral (Reflex), Beige (Orchid Rose) and Browns (Brume D’or). On screen, the colours look bright but in person, except for a few more prominent shades, I’ve noticed that they are more muted. In fact, I used to find Chanel blushes a little boring because they looked very brown. Now of course, I know better.

What this means is that Chanel blushes are more wearable. I can wear a brown/bronzer shade like Brume D’or without looking like someone threw mud on my cheeks. Some other shades don’t work so well on me though. Some examples are:

  • Orchid Rose (despite its lovely name and deceptive online swatches) tends towards looking muddy on my skin, and I have pretty neutral colouring.
  • Turbulent (gift from a dear friend) but I had to part with it because it was too cool for my skin tone. The colour was just sitting on top of my skin which looked unnatural.

My favourite Joues Contrast blush of all the colours I have are:-

  • Narcisse – the perfect shade of warm innocent pink for my skin which accepts warm tones better
  • Reflex – Shimmery coral pink that warms up my face
  • Lumieres Magiques – Limited Edition tri-coloured blush that mixes into a complex shade of rose, red and pink and goes on my skin a gorgeous flush

chanel joues contraste blush 2008

If I was forced to use blushes from only one brand, Chanel Joues Contrast blushes would be it! There are 2 drawbacks though:-

  • Chanel Joues Contrast blushes are hard to buy by just swatching on the back of your hand. I’ve since found that a swatch off the tester doesn’t quite show you the true colour of the blush and whether it’ll work for you. When I first swatched Reflex off the tester, I was quite taken aback at how shimmery and orange it looked. But on the skin, it is anything but that, diffusing into a less harsh colour and shimmer. So, if you can, try to test with a brush on a larger skin area (arm maybe if you don’t want to put it on your face) to get a better representation of colour before buying. This also means that buying on line sight unseen may be risky.
  • There is a fragrance. Its quite strong but it wears off eventually and it doesn’t bug me, but if you are sensitive to fragrances or don’t like fragranced products, you might want to check it out properly before you buy.

Do I need more Chanel blushes? Honestly, I don’t think so. They all tend to look similar after a while. (unless any Chanel blush afficionados can tell me of another blush that I absolutely MUST HAVE 😉 I do know I may want Rose Petale for now…)

Do I want more? Heck yes! 🙂 In fact, Chanel’s offering for Fall 2008 (which according to Jojoba isn’t coming to Malaysia – boo!) has a Joues Contrast blush in Rose Dust which looks simply alluring. I am a little concerned that it may be too close in shade to Caprice or Narcisse, both of which are light pinks with Caprice having a hint of rose.

That said, it is a point to note that Chanel Joues Contrast blushes from Europe/Asia/Australia are different from those in the USA. They even sometimes have different names for the same item, which can lead to a lot of confusion if you are a collector. Those who have compared the two say that the Euro/Asia ones are better but I can’t say so myself, having never tried the ones from the USA. Do read Jojoba’s review on Chanel blushes too, for a very comprehensive comparison with lots of photos.

Now, for the most important question. What’s the damage to the wallet? A Chanel Joues Contrast blush costs RM133 (US$41.60) at time of writing. That’s not so bad is it? Its about the price of a Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick (and a lot more useful!). I’m given to understand that prices of Chanel in Malaysia are one of the cheapest in the world. I’d tend to agree when I found out that a Chanel blush costs US$42 (RM137) in the USA and £24 (RM156) in the UK! Ok, not bank breakingly expensive elsewhere but still cheaper here. 🙂 In the alternative, there’s always StrawberryNET.com where at US$42 it MIGHT be cheaper than it is wherever you are worldwide.

Pros: Pigmented but sheer and can be layered, Light shimmer, smooth and silky, luxury of owing Chanel!

Cons: Expensive, fragranced, packaging could be more streamlined, brush is useless

[rating:4.5/5]

On a personal note: This review on Chanel blushes brings me to my 500th post on My Women Stuff! Whew! Hope you are still hanging in there with me 🙂

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15 Insightful comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION
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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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15 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Monstro says

    July 21, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    Congrats on your 500th post PB! That’s a lot of writing!

    Hehe, I thought I was the only one who gets confused opening the blush compact:-D
    I really like the Chanel glowy finish, and want to try another colour other than the Caprice I have.
    For some reason I’m attracted to all the limited edition colours that are no longer available-sigh…

    Though I have to say that I really love BB Shimmerbricks. And am more in love with the SB than Chanel at the moment. I just love that glow I get with SB!

    Reply
  2. Nikki says

    July 21, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Wow 500th post?? Congrats!!! That just meant one thing, keep on blogging til the 1000th!!!!

    ohh another blush post..do you know that you are making me lemming from e/s to blushes now? hahaha thanks or no thanks to you *winks*

    Reply
  3. Mrs Imran says

    July 21, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    Woohoo! Congrats on your 500th post!

    Reply
  4. Andie Summerkiss says

    July 21, 2008 at 5:47 pm

    Wow. Congrats

    Ok, I have to admit. I used to feel my eyes were about to bleed whenever I saw an auntie toting a Chanel bag around. I am so ashamed to say that I am so lusting over one.

    Reply
  5. rinnah says

    July 21, 2008 at 8:21 pm

    Congratulations on that big milestone of 500 posts!

    I like the way Reflex looks in the pan… oh no! another for my ever growing list of blushes I crave! LOL.

    Reply
  6. jojoba says

    July 21, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    wow 500 posts!!! that’s amazing! congratulations! and chanel joues contraste surely deserves to be no 500th!:P

    and what an insightful review you just wrote. and I love the fact that you pointed out it’s difficult to swatch on the hand and just decide which to buy. THAT was my mistake of getting fantasia, rose defile and turbulent. these blushes are either fabulous or ugly on. you just have to get the RIGHT colours!

    once again, you certainly have a way with words. love reading your fun reviews.

    keep up the good work. i am waiting to congratulate you again on the 1000th review SOON! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Monstro says

    July 21, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    Jojo! I want Chanel Turbulent!!!!

    Reply
  8. Reeka says

    July 21, 2008 at 10:19 pm

    Congrats, PB!!

    Your blog is very entertaining for me. useful. and making me not feel alone for having unhealthy feeling with BLUSH. hahahahahaa

    I have 2 chanel blush. Yup..u should build the color for 2-3x appl. I love it but not as much as my love for Cargo blush. 😀

    cmiiw PB, is it 133 RM now? last time i bought, it’s 140 RM.

    thanks

    Reply
  9. ParisB says

    July 24, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    Monstro: Yeah tell me about it! Thanks! I find BB SB too shimmery. Maybe i’m just getting old heh…

    Nikki: Who knows, the 1000th may come sooner than I think! Thanks!

    Mrs. Imran: Thank you!

    Andie: Sigh… yeah the follies of youth heh

    Jojoba: Thank you so much! 🙂

    Reeka: Thanks so much. I have a couple of Cargo blushes. Maybe I should write about them some time.

    Reply
  10. Tine says

    July 24, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    Wow! Manyak kongratulasi! 🙂

    I tried the Chanel blushes at the Chanel counter but found them a tad too sheer for me. As for the brush, seriously, you’re already paying so much for the blush, they could have at least included better brushes. Tsk tsk tsk.

    Reply
  11. mimmi says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:37 am

    Hello!

    The red in the Lumieres Magiques de Chanel has been my all time favorite blush! I’m wondering if you know any similar color from the other Chanel JC blushes? Suggestions on other brands also appreciated! Please!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      May 17, 2012 at 6:29 pm

      Hi Mimmi, I’m afraid I can’t help. I don’t believe any of the existing JC blushes have a shade that red. You may try Nars Taos or Mata Hari maybe. Good luck.

      Reply

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My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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