I first got this from Sephora overseas, the lady at the counter told me it was exactly what I wanted - which was a very light dewy coverage that makes you glow; I even tried it at the counter and thought oh it is amazing! I even recall how expensive it was - nearly $100 a pop, and it is quite a small tube.
But when I got home and used it, after shaking for a good 2-3 minutes because of how watery it comes out if you don't shake it, I felt that it made me look extremely oily, not a beautiful dewy look, but just really oily. So I thought it's ok! Nothing a bit of loose powder won't fix.. but its texture was so strange that even the loose powder sat awkwardly on top.
Anyway... what's worse is that I broke out, big time, I normally never get huge breakouts, but with this foundation it was terrible and made me hate my life! I was so disappointed...
I researched and researched and saw that many other girls from around the world also broke out! So it isn't just because of my sensitive skin, but there must really be something in there that makes you break out.
I don't think you should go out on a limb and buy this, cheaper brands sell better foundations for 1/5 the price.
Recently I received some birthday money so I immediately thought I wanted to get some things that have been on my wish list for a very long time. One of those things was this foundation. I wanted a few other things as well that are cheaper in the states so I decided to do an order through Nordstrom using my YouShop account. This cost me USD$47.00 and I got the shade 12 Beige Rose which is a great match for my colouring. I knew the shade that would suit me as I tried it out when going through duty free a couple of months earlier. I really wanted this after hearing so much about it on YouTube especially from FleurDeForce whose channel I love.
I love the packaging of this, as you should for a Chanel makeup purchase. It isn't as high-end as I expected as it is made out of plastic. The bottom half is opaque plastic in the shade of the foundation. The lid is the nice black with the Chanel logo on the top. As the foundation needs to be shaken before use it you can hear the wee balls in there to help it mix well. Once you take the lid off there is a small hole to dispense the foundation through. I really like the size of this as it is great for travelling too and no worrying about it leaking or glass breaking. It does look like small packaging for the price but it is a standard 30ml.
In the instructions of use they advise using your fingers. This isn't my usual way of applying makeup (I love my brushes). It actually does go on nicest with using your fingers, and I have tried with a multitude of my brushes to no avail. I get a nice mid-coverage with this and I am able to add some extra layers over areas that need more coverage without any problems. I haven't had any skin problems while using this foundation. You do need to shake this first as it is oil based so can separate if not use for a while. I have found that this lasts quite well on me and is still visible on the skin by the end of my work day (8hrs).
Overall I really love this foundation and am happy that I bought it. I do think you can find some brilliant formulations of foundation for much cheaper. BUT if you are after something more high-end I think this is great, but maybe get a tester first as it is expensive. BUT if you get it from the states it is a similar price to the cheap foundations in NZ so it isn't really that bad a price (she says justifying her purchase).