I am just as susceptible to hype as any other woman, but the force of this one really took me by surprise. As did the sheer perseverance  with which I made it possible to get one in my hands. I'm talking, of course, about the Chanel Les Beiges. A new permanent range in the Chanel makeup line that aims at getting that quintessentially French look: carefree, put-together, with a healthy glow. Much of the internet beauty world has been agog about the Healthy Glow Sheer Powder (above) and its glow-inducing powers.

But. And that is a big But. It's not available in the United States (yet). One tweet, and 12 days later, I had a compact in my trembling hands, thanks to a lovely reader from Norway. I paid through the nose for international shipping, but I didn't care. This powder was finally mine.

Now, as to my thoughts: yes, it's lovely. It's finely milled and buffs on so nicely that you can't even tell I'm wearing powder at all. It's less glow-y, however, and more of a hybrid between a powder foundation and a matte bronzer. Buffing this on doesn't provide much coverage at all, but it does warm up my skin so nicely in a way that the very fair-skinned can appreciate. Some bronzers are just too dark and we end up looking like Oompa-Loompas. This gives me a natural, Healthy Glow (haw haw) while remaining matte, and virtually invisible on the skin. I'm stowing away my translucent powders for the summer, people. Les Beiges is all I'll carry from now 'til Winter.

Also, just wanted to let you know about my meetup today in Los Angeles! Info below:

Click Here to purchase Chanel Les Beiges.