Review: Le Blush Creme de Chanel in No. 66 – Fantastic

After I saw the swatches of the new Le Blush Creme de Chanel over on The Non-Blonde, I just knew that I had to run out and buy Fantastic – this particular color was an unfilled position in my blush lineup, and Chanel’s take on it is absolutely gorgeous.

This blush comes in a familiar Chanel box in the minimalist Chanel compact accompanied by a velvet pouch. Like most creme blushes, it doesn’t come with a compact brush, which is just as well since I usually think those are a waste of space. The compact snaps closed firmly, so there are no worries about it falling open or drying out. The plastic feels thick and durable, and is small enough to make for easy storage and travel.

Fantastic is a lovely cool red-pink; it’s incredibly pigmented, so it shows up wonderfully on my medium skin with barely any product at all. The texture is much more silky than the other cream blushes I own, and it blends out easily. One of the most exciting things about this blush for me was that I couldn’t detect any fragrance at all. That was a pleasant surprise since most Chanel products are so heavily rose-fragranced that I can’t use them.

As you can see, it appears on the skin exactly the way it does in the pan-

Here it is swatched against Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Colour in Blaze and Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon. As you can see, the Chanel blush is much more opaque than either of the others.

Left to right: Laura Mercier Blaze, Chanel Fantastic, Becca Beach Tint Watermelon

It also leaves a nice stain after sitting on the skin for a minute or so-

Left to right: Laura Mercier Blaze, Chanel Fantastic, Becca Beach Tint Watermelon

As the stain implies, working quickly with this blush isn’t a bad idea. I apply it one cheek at a time, dotting it along the cheekbone with my finger and blending it out promptly with a brush. I got terrific wear time with this blush; it was still going strong after 12 hours with no patchiness or fading.

In Short: The amazing color payoff and insane wear time make this a must-have.

Le Blush Creme de Chanel is available at nordstrom.com for $38; Fantastic is a limited edition color.