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Chanel Mat Lumiere Soft Matte Makeup with SPF 15 Helps Combo Skin Face the Day for $54

by 92 Comments

chanel mat lumiere soft honey

Who among us hasn’t crossed paths with her share of craptacular liquid foundations? — the runny ones that leave streaks, the heavy pore-suffocating ones, and, oh, how about the ones with the open-mouth bottle…like the one you accidentally spilled on your buddy’s white shag carpet back in school (so sorry, Shell!).

I know it’s asking for a lot, but I would love a great, preferably inexpensive medium-coverage liquid foundation that I can wear every day (something I can throw on before I run out for a chai latte). That said, it’s with great joy, and a little pain, that I type these words: Chanel’s $54 Mat Lumiere Long-Lasting Soft Matte Makeup SPF 15 just might be the best liquid foundation I’ve used in years.

But…it’s $54.

At the Chanel counter a couple weeks ago, while I was taking a look at the Rouge Allure Extrait de Glosses, a friendly makeup artist made me a sample jar of Mat Lumiere in Soft Honey and predicted that I’d “be ba-aaack!”

Guess what (she was right).

One of five liquid foundation formulas in Chanel’s permanent line, medium-coverage Mat Lumiere is available in 12 shades. It’s oil-free, designed for combination skin, and has been around for a while.

I treated my combination oily/dry skin to it for two weeks until the sample ran out. I couldn’t believe how natural the finish looked and how it felt as light as a feather on my skin.

Even though my heart stopped yesterday when I handed my credit card over to the sales associate, I still went through with it.

The texture? It’s so smooth that it’s almost like a gel. Blending away imperfections with it is a breeze, and it never leaves any weird patches or streaks behind.

As for the finish, it’s matte, but not so matte that it makes my skin look flat, artificial or severe (not mannequin-ish at all).

On top of everything else I like about it, it’s practically weightless, like I’m barely wearing any makeup at all.

chanel mat lumiere soft honey bottle with box

chanel mat lumiere soft honey bottle

chanel mat lumiere soft honey back of bottle

chanel mat lumiere soft honey ingredients


Chanel Mat Lumiere in Soft Honey on Face, Chanel Joues Contrastes in Espiegle on cheeks, Chanel Rouge Coco in Jersey Rose on eyes and Chanel Gris Le Crayon Yeux in Gris Scintillant on eyes

Chanel is known for paying attention to the finer details. In Mat Lumiere’s case, the heavy glass bottle looks and feels like it should for $54, and the pump cap isn’t the 99-cent-store variety, either. It’s designed well, and doles out just the right amount of precious product every time. Add to that the wonderfully light powdery fragrance, and the whole package just oozes class.

The addition of SPF 15 is another nice touch, but it could limit the product’s flexibility a bit, since titanium dioxide can leave a white cast on the skin in flash photography (although I haven’t observed it happening with this).

I think if you’re looking for lightweight, natural-looking, long-lasting coverage (12 hours plus on me!), from a foundation you could wear every day, this is it. 🙂

PRICE: $54 for a 1-fl. oz bottle
AVAILABILITY: At Chanel counters, boutiques and chanel.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. This sounds like a dream. Typically, I’d balk at the price but I was recently talked into Le Metier de Beaute’s Peau Vierge at a whopping $125. I justified it by saying it takes the place of moisturizer, sunscreen, retinol product, and foundation. It has a lovely soft glow that I can leave as is or tone down with a bit of powder. After 10 days of wear I can say my skin looks better than it has in a long time. Several splotchy areas have cleared up and I’ve received numerous compliments. I’ll have to see if it continues to perform and how long a bottle lasts before I am willing to commit to another.

    Reply

      • It is more tinted moisturizer (they call it a tinted treatment) than foundation. It goes on smoothly with little blending needed. It dries quickly with a soft color and sheen that lasts all day. My LM tinted moisturizer fades mid-afternoon. They said you can use it as a primer for foundation so I guess that explains the staying power. I think foundation on top of it would be overkill.

        Reply

        • It sounds very intriguing so next time I drive into the city I’ll have to check it out. Hopefully the counter will give me a sample (*crosses fingers*).

          Reply

          • I had to go to Nieman’s and they were very generous with a sample. Nordstrom’s has it online but not in my local stores (they do have other Le Metier products). They have a locator on their website.

    • There is some evidence that vitamin A may be photocarcinogenic. You might consider limiting retinol to nighttime use once you’ve used up your current bottle of Peau de Vierge. Poetry in Lotion is a really nice retinol product — it has made a big difference in my skin.

      [/Debbie Downer]
      Amber recently posted … Savoring Sunday

      Reply

      • Those studies are on retinyl palmitate which is in 40% of sunscreens and there are some contradictory findings. Will definitely be watching as they look at more forms of vitamin A and derivatives (like the retinol in this product) since they are in most skincare products.

        Reply

  4. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was just running around the house complaining, because Sephora did not send my Hourglass sample (I have been wanting a light to medium foundation for some time, but hate to buy before I try). I even went on the website, to add insult to injury, and it is still available for sample selection. I was so miffed, and letting everyone know it, that my husband put his hand on my shoulder and said, “It was a FREE sample, Steph.” LOL, crazy lady! But, no fear, Chanel counter here I come! 😀

    Reply

    • Hi Stephanie,

      Sorry to hear about your sample woes! That’s really annoying. Do you live near a Nordstrom? They’re really great about giving samples of products if you ask nicely. 🙂

      Reply

      • I agree with Natalie that the airflash is amazing: it stays pretty much forever, leaves a beautiful finish, and looks like it’s your own perfect skin, but it’s $60 in an aerosol can. The plus side is that it’s FLAWLESS; the downside is that 1) the spray-tip can get clogged if you don’t wipe it down with alcohol after using it, 2) if you don’t spray it onto a brush to apply (which kinda negates the point of having it), it gets all over EVERYTHING: hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and 3) it’s hard to tell how much is left in the can. Still, it’s super-easy to apply, and I’d recommend stopping by a Nordie’s (cuz they’re the nicest, :] ) to try it out.

        For liquid foundations, I’d recommend the diorskin line, either forever or nude (for lighter coverage), which are pretty excellent dupes for Chanel’s liquid foundation for about nine bucks less (although at that point, nine bucks difference is diminishing returns, haha). No SPF though.

        The plus side of both the Chanel and the Dior are that a little really does go a long way; the coverage and staying power are excellent, and there’s so much dimension in the finish. True HG foundations, 🙂

        Reply

  7. Sadly, no. Our Chanel counter is in a Belk department store. The closest Nordstrom is about an hour and a half away. My Bestie and I will be going to that mall on the 27th, so maybe I can get a sample then. I am cramming in all of my cosmetic shopping before school starts back up, no complaints about that! 🙂 When I am not at the mall, I plan to be in my PJs for the next two weeks, heh.

    Reply

    • That sounds like a good idea. Maybe get a few different samples while you’re at Nordies, try them out for a few weeks, and then order what you like best online.

      I always try foundations out first because that way I can check how the it looks in different settings — natural light, indoor light, pictures, etc.

      Is your bestie into makeup too?

      I’m so jealous that you get to be PJ clad for the next few weeks!

      Reply

      • She is just recently into it. She was/is crazy about Coach bags, but the more she goes with me to CCOs and MAC….let’s just say she got the “bug.”

        I know, I am loving the PJ time!

        Thanks for the advice. I’ll do just that.

        Reply

  8. Yay! I was just thinking about Chanel Mat Lumiere and wondering if I should try it! It sounds amazing as my skin is combo and I want a foundation that lasts all day and doesn’t start to look oily. I tried a sample of MAC Pro Longwear a couple weeks ago and it lasted basically the whole day before looking slightly oily near the end. I wonder how the Mat Lumiere compares? I don’t want my face to look cakey so it sounds very nice!

    Reply

    • Hi Andrea,

      I tried a little bit of the MAC Pro Longwear just for kicks a while back, and although I liked its waterproof-ness I had a hard time blending it. Mat Lumiere looks much more natural on my skin and takes much less effort.

      Reply

      • Ooh that would be nice! I found pro longwear only slightly difficult to blend, but when it dried down it didn’t really seem to leave any streakiness so I was fine with it. I started using MAC’s Face & Body a few days ago and actually really like it, because I do like a natural looking finish, although my face seems to get quite shiny throughout the day so I’ve been thinking of trying MAC blot powder overtop rather than the MSF natural I use now… Hehe so many products and combinations, so little time!
        I’ll have to stop by the Chanel counter sometime soon to get a sample of this!

        Reply

    • Hi Andrea,
      I’m super super oily and got myself the MAC Pro Longwear Foundation after hearing the rave about it. In terms of holding the oilies at bay, the Best foundation that I’ve tried so far! I use the 187 to apply and didn’t have streaks. Plus, using the 187 prevents that cakey result.

      Reply

  10. Karen, I’ve been reading your blog for a while and I love it! Your posts are so informative, you give us great swatches and you make me laugh too! And I love Tabs, what a cool cat he is 😀
    I love this foundation on you, your skin looks flawless and glowing and worth every penny!

    Reply

  11. Right now I’m using MAC’s Studio Fix liquid foundation but I have to sheer it out a bit with a little Fix because it tends to look heavy, even with a light hand. I was miffed I had to pay extra for the pump. I’ve just started venturing into Chanel territory so I might stop by my local counter and ask nicely for a sample of this! My skin is super dry though – do you think the “oil free-ness” of Mat Lumiere would be too drying for me? I suppose if it’s on top of my regular moisturizer it wouldn’t matter that much. $54 is hard to swallow but it takes forever and a day for me to finish a bottle of foundation, and that makes it a little easier to justify the purchase.

    Reply

    • Hi Steph,

      I used to wear that foundation years ago (circa 2002). I liked the coverage but it broke me out, boo hoo. 🙁 And how annoying is it that you have to pay extra for a pump. I mean, come on!

      I was actually debating between this foundation and the Pro Lumiere but liked this one much more because it seemed to handle my dry skin better. I didn’t have any trouble with it drying out my face, either, but if yours is extremely dry (I bet those Chicago winters don’t help), Vitalumiere might be a better match. A few gals mention it here, and although I haven’t tried it yet it sounds promising.

      Reply

    • I’m about 3 weeks late to the party but in the winter I switch to Pro and it is absolutely amazing for my dry patches! The Mat dries me out badly in the winter so it’s definitely for more combination/oily skin.

      Reply

  12. You use Soft Honey, why in the color chart there is no this color

    I mean Chanel did not list this in the website???

    Is it good as NARS Sheer Matt? Have you tried that?

    Reply

    • It’s listed as honey on the Chanel website. 🙂 No worries, it’s the same color!

      I used NARS Sheer Matte once, and it’s okay. I didn’t feel like it offered enough coverage for me, but if you’ve got good skin it might work for you.

      Reply

    • Hi Tracy,

      I’ve good good things about Lancome foundations, but sometimes the scent worries me. A lot of Lancome products are perfumey, ya know? What’s Teint Miracle like? Is the scent very strong?

      Reply

        • I have very sensitive skin and I can’t use any cream or foundation with perfume. So I was skeptical to try Lancome Teint Miracle. I was even more surprised that it didn’t break me out given that it’s not fragrance-free. I have combination skin, but with the cold Canadian winter, my skin is so dry that I even miss my oily skin :O Teint Miracle stayed all day, and it felt a bit oily on my chin after 8-9 hours. I wouldn’t use it during summer since it will be too oily for my combination skin.

          Reply

      • I know just what you mean. I loved the formula for their tinted moisturizer with sunscreen but the scent was so strong I had to wash it off after an hour. This new product seems more interesting.

        Reply

  14. I’M SO EXCITED! I had no idea Chanel made a foundation with no chemical sunscreens, which often cause me breakouts. I “ran” over to Chanel.com to check it out and noticed a weird thing – your bottle says Mat Lumiere SOFT matte makeup and the one on the chanel website says Mat Lumiere LUMINOUS matte makeup. Is there a difference? Is it just a packaging change?

    Thanks for the great review!

    Reply

    • As far as I know it’s a packaging change. The SA at the Chanel counter didn’t mention any reformulations in the line (although she did say the Pro Lumiere line will be reformulated soon).

      Reply

  15. Ooh Karen this is sooo tempting! I’m in the market for a new foundation for the new year; I’m running out of my MUFE HD but I’m annoyed by how much powder I need to put on top of it to keep from looking too greasy. Maybe I’ll give this one a try!

    Also, how did you apply the Mat Lumiere – flat brush, buffer brush?

    Reply

    • Hi Jacks,

      Right now I’m alternating between a synthetic skunk brush (I like to do a little spritz of MAC Fix+ on it first) and a sponge. Both are great for very light, natural coverage, but I find the brush works way faster. A kabuki brush would probably work well, and so would fingers, too.

      I was thinking about trying the MUFE HD, but I was kinda worried about the finish looking too “glowy,” if ya know what I mean.

      Reply

  16. Sounds like a dream come true (if you factor the price of the equation…)! I’ll definitely be looking to hop to the Chanel counter come late spring/summer-ish when my skin becomes more on the combo/oily side compared to now! At the moment my skin’s quite dry, so I’m using the Chanel Teint Innocence Creme Foundation.. it’s not half bad actually in terms of coverage and wear!

    Reply

  19. Oh, I have a sample of this – I will try it tomorrow! 🙂 I have been trying Vitalumiere and I am not liking it that much. I would have liked that one, if I didn’t know about NARS Sheer Glow though. For me, Vitalumiere is too dewy and oily for my combination skin. Hope I won’t like Mat Lumiere, so my savings account can stay happy 😀

    Reply

      • Well I ended up getting a few whiteheads from Vitalumiere – it is just way too moisturizing for my skin! 🙁 Plus when I blot with a blotting paper during the day, I noticed a bit of transfer too. This morning, I tried Mat Lumiere though (thanks to you!) and holy cow.. I did not know I had to work fast with this foundation! Tomorrow, I will have to remember to rev up my speed lol

        Reply

  22. Mat Lumiere is great – I find Lancome Teint Miracle similar, maybe a bit lighter and slightly less prone to caking. Also, Guerlain Parure Extreme is very similar to these two – incredibly light, long-wearing, matte, but somehow luminous. Chanel Lift Lumiere, which I have also tried, does not cover as well and does not last as long (a general rule I have found with “moisturizing” foundations – don’t double up functions and do moisturize separately!). Note that the Guerlain foundations (and maybe the Lancome) seem to have a bit of alcohol in them which sets them as it dries. Chanel does not. Regardless, I did not find it drying with primer even on very dry skin. Chanel foundations tend a bit on the darker side for fair complexions, but Porcelaine is okay for pale skin. Guerlain does not sell a really fair foundation in the US – you have to buy from Asia to get the lightest shades for Guerlain, 01, 41,31 etc. Lancome does offer a very fair foundation (and the broadest shade selection) of this type of light, matte, long-lasting foundation in wide distribution in the US. I think foundation is not a place to save money – these higher-quality, more expensive formulations allow you to use less and look much better doing so. They really are that much better.

    Reply

  24. Thanks Karen, I have been thinking about getting it, but the lady at the Chanel counter told me it was really heavy coverage?

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vitalumiere. I really cannot find anything like it – even when I try mixing.

    I got my mum to buy me a new bottle for xmas, but now I have used up the rest of my last bottle and I’m using Shu Umera Face Architect in the meantime. It’s good but I have to wear quite a heavy moisturiser (funnily the best is cheap ol’ nivea creme for me!) underneath it, otherwise it sucks my skin dry.

    I love using a light dusting of ELF HD powder on top of both foundations for more staying power (although it does kind of defeat the object of Vitalumiere a little).

    Reply

    • Hi Sam,

      Hmm, I tried both this and the Pro and felt like the Pro had much heavier coverage. I think it’s also in how you work it — I apply it with a brush or sponge dampened with MAC Fix+, which helps to get that more natural finish that I like.

      I’ve heard great things about Vitalumiere! 😀 How long have you been wearing it?

      Reply

      • Karen, I’m sure you wont see this now, but I wanted to answer anyway, just in case!

        I actually started using Vitalumiere after Sam and Nic from Fashionface.tv both recommended it in videos. That must have been at least 8 months ago, maybe longer…

        I might get Mat Lumiere and see how that goes, because I like more coverage for work (I work in London and the grime/pollution seems to melt my makeup off).

        Reply

  25. It looks really great! I’ve had to switch back from my LM tinted moisturizer to Murad’s tinted sunscreen because the LM was drying me out, even with a separate moisturizer underneath. I’ve probably already said that before.

    I know a lot of people here love the LM. I got the oil free since I have combination skin, prone to breaking out, but it just feels so thick and cakey. Should I have bought the regular?

    I don’t think I could handle a foundation on my skin all day, but maybe Chanel can change my mind. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi KIm,

      Did you get the oil-free foundation or the tinted moisturizer?

      For me the Oil-Free foundation is way to heavy for every day. It’s great for pictures though because it covers everything, but I feel I’m wearing a pound of makeup, ugh!

      Reply

      • I just double checked and it’s the Tinted Moisturizer – Oil Free. Bless Sephora’s order history! 🙂 Maybe it’s because I am so used to Murad’s tinted sunscreen. It’s super sheer coverage (the bad part) but it’s so light and thin that it just glides right on. With the LM, I feel like I’m dragging clay across my face. I’m asking Santa for flawless skin for Christmas… again.

        Reply

    • I’ve read that’s one complaint about the line. They really need to expand the shade selection on both the lighter and darker ends!

      Also, I’m sorry to hear about your car. I’m glad you’re okay, though.

      Reply

    • Have you tried the lightest shade?

      I am literally white and the lightest shade matches my skin tone perfectly. (01)

      Reply

  27. I got a sample of Chanel Mat Lumiere and Dior Forever since I wanted something long lasting and lightweight. I was using MAC Face & Body AND their Mineral Foundation to achieve the “flawless” look but I needed to find something that was quick to put on and met all my standards.

    I am leaning on Dior Forever because…well it did almost last forever! I took a nap with it on and had a whopping 10-12 hours of coverage! I was impressed! AND my blush was still intact. When I tried the Chanel Mat it only gave me about 6-8 hours (which is still pretty good) but at the end of the day i noticed it settled into the lines around my eyes…so I’ll be caving in and buying Dior soon.

    Oh and I have oily skin and Dior keeps that at bay…I don’t even have to use concealer for my blemishes!

    Reply

  28. Thanks for your review Karen. I’ve never bought a full bottle of Chanel’s foundation but you’ve got me interested in this one. I have a samples of vitalumiere and I was annoyed with that foundation colour range. I’m darker than 20 but lighter than 30 (NW25 in MAC). Hoping this one will work for me and they have my shade.

    Oh how do you compare the finish of mat lumiere to Nars Sheer Matte btw?
    shadowy_lady recently posted … My Signature Look – Golden Cranberry

    Reply

  29. I want to try this soooo badly! But my wallet says no.
    Maybe I’ll go to Nordie’s and get a sample…

    Side note: I JUST picked up the Sonia Kashuk nail polish trio you recently reviewed. (Got the last one too, sorry ladies!) I can’t wait to try it tonight!

    Reply

  30. Oh Karen, I love this foundation. I got a sample size of it once and It is so wonderful, and one of the few I’ve found that has a light enough color for my skin tone. I keep talking myself out of it with that price though. One of these days I will justify it, but until then I’m fairly fond of MAC’s foundation. I have very good luck with their mineralize. Not as much with the liquid, though I’ve noticed it works a lot better if I blend it would some moisturizer.

    Reply

  33. I adore this foundation! It’s quite expensive though but it’s worth it. I alternate this among my Guerlain & Shu Uemura foundations so I won’t use them all up that quickly since I wear foundation every time I go out. Although I think I might just use Mat Lumiere on warmer days because recently I found my skin is undergoing a transformation from full oily to combo (or maybe it’s just the weather). I’d like to try Teint Innocence too.

    Reply

  34. Thank you for the wonderful review! I also agree that your skin looks fantastic! I’ve been wanting to try this foundation for a long time and your post was just the extra “push” I needed ;).
    Thank you also for a wonderful blog. My day would just not be the same without you and Tabs!

    Xoxoxox

    Reply

  36. If journalist reviewers had to actually pay for all the items they would review, they would be bankrupt. Obviously Vogue, Marie Claire, etc. don’t pay for what they get, and on blogs, the coverage of the products is much more extensive and straightforward, since they don’t have to worry about offending big advertisers and can devote space to more images. I’m completely grateful for the joyful, amusing advice Karen and other bloggers give us! Many people say it saves them money not buying products that don’t suit them but, I’ve found it actually makes me spend more. 🙂 But I have fun doing it. Thanks for all your hard work, nice photography, and humor, Karen, and sharing the fun you have with makeup!

    Reply

  37. Hello,

    I just found your website yesterday and I have been reading some of your older posts and I just found this one!

    I bought this a while back after going to a Chanel counter for the tinted moisturiser and finding that they didn’t have a shade light enough for my skin. The lady then tried this on me and I was hooked.

    Never in my life have I ever gotten a foundation that matched my skin tone so perfectly – also the coverage is amazing and it feels so natural.

    Brilliant, brilliant foundation!

    Reply

  38. I finished an entire bottle of Mat Lumiere. Was shopping around for a new foundation…. Diorskin nude, Lancome Teint Miracle….basically most of the newer foundations which fall into the ‘natural-looking’, lighter in texture and non-cakey category. Tested all of them on my face ( not just on the back of hands) to see how they will wear.

    I have pretty normal and balanced skin, good skin overall. Very slightly oily t-zone ( which is normal for almost all ladies living in the tropics), no big issue. Lancome’s TM felt kinda oily on me, and there’s almost no coverage ( and I already have very good complexion, just a few freckles that TM cannot even cover). Doesn’t seem to blend INTO my skin, kinda ‘floats’ on my skin and leaves my face looking shiny/oily!! yucks. And I’m not even oily to begin with. If that their idea of ‘radiant’, I’ll rather not be a grease beacon.

    Diorskin was almost the same, didn’t blend into skin, don’t depend on it to cover ANYTHING…. the same story goes.

    In the end, I still came back to Mat lumiere, tested-and-proven formula for me. It works because it’s just like what Karen describes. I dont even use it on my whole face, only parts where I want to even out the tone and I look flawless. I got the right color and it also blends it with the rest of my face that’s not wearing foundation – no patchiness. My friend saw me using it and was also a convert. So new foundations in the market are not necessarily better – Mat Lumiere is one of those rare finds that actually deliver better skin in a bottle. 🙂

    Reply

  39. Hi Ms. Karen, I am late jumping on the bandwagon. I’m trying to decide between Chanel Mat Lumiere and Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk. I have had samples of both. The Armani i have sampled now and sampled the Chanel this past summer. I am leaning towards Mat Lumiere for my combo/oily skin. What do you think and recommend between these two? Thank you lovely!!!

    Reply

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