Making the CHANEL Soleil Tan de Chanel work for me! (inspired by essiebutton)

Good afternoon folks!

I hope you're enjoying this deceivingly chilly day! So you may remember recently I made a plea regarding a new purchase of mine, the CHANEL Soleil Tan de Chanel. I'd forked out the 29 odd quid for it to find that I really couldn't get it to work for me. No matter what brush I used, it just didn't look good. It didn't look natural. That was until I watched essiebutton's YouTube video, entitled 'How to Use Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel on Fair Skin!'

Sorry for the screenshot, Essie! Anyway Essie described a look in which she applied the Soleil Tan de Chanel as a make-up base instead of post-foundation bronzer. I mean when you think about it, it makes sense! After all, it has labelled 'bronzing make-up base'! So I followed Essie's tutorial and give it a shot, replacing some of the products she mentioned for similar ones I owned myself - except for the Soleil Tan de Chanel, of course!

(click to enlarge)

Essie, like me, is quite pale. You wouldn't know it just by looking at me but my Mum is actually Italian, you'd think I'd have inherited some of those Meditteraean looks (including a killer tan), right? Sadly it's presumed I've taken the Sicilian side of the family's look - they have dark features (hair, eyebrows) but paler skin... Whoopie! So I do struggle to get foundations to suit my pale skin tone. Like Essie, I prefer the natural, lit from within look. I don't like to look like I'm wearing foundation. So, I followed the tutorial, and started by applying a shimmering day cream as primer, which was the only item I could find that slightly matched Essie's description! I was actually really impressed with this product, I think applying primer with a foundation brush makes ALL the difference! I then swirled my bronzing brush around the Soleil Tan de Chanel, before adding it to the hollows of my cheeks, temple, nose and chin before buffing it in. I then added foundation, concealer and powder on top, before adding a different bronzer over the foundation. I think this routine works much better for me because I am really pale, and like Essie says, adding the Soleil Tan de Chanel after my foundation can make me look a bit orange.

FOTD:

FACE: Aldi Lacura Shimmering Day Cream (applied using MAC 190 foundation brush), CHANEL Soleil Tan de Chanel (applied using an old bronzing brush), Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation (applied using Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge), MAC Studio Finish Concealer, Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (applied using Avon Powder Brush), NARS Laguna Bronzer (applied using an old bronzing brush). MAC Fix+ to set.

EYES: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow (RSVP) and TOPSHOP e/s mousse (Glint - both applied with No7 Lip Brush), No7 Starry Lights single e/s (applied using No7 Eyeshadow Brush), Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick (brown) on lower waterline, Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume mascara (Black), MAC Dirty Blonde eyebrow pencil.

LIPS: Carmex Original lip balm.

I'm really glad I came across Essie's tutorial, otherwise I fear my Soleil Tan de Chanel may have been left neglected in my make-up drawer for long to come. However I do really need to invest in a proper bronzing brush, because mine is simply awful!

How do you make the Soleil Tan de Chanel work for you? What brush do you use to apply it?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo