I know it’s strange to start with purchase #2 since I have yet to post about purchase #1 – but the problem is, I’m not sure I’m going to keep #1, so until I make a decision, I’m not going to post about it.  In the sequence of events however, Chanel’s Blush Horizon de Chanel was my second LE purchase this season, so for the time being it will remain in the #2 spot.

Moving forward, let’s get on with the showcasing of this gorgeous product, shall we?  And really…this is definitely a stunner, in every way, so get prepared to shell out the big bucks if you fall in love with it as much as I have!After seeing a ton of product photos and swatches online, I was filled with both intense longing as well as some trepidation for Chanel’s Spring blockbuster, Blush Horizon.  I adored the multi-hued pink stripes (which I seriously think equals fabulosity right off the bat), and the natural glowing flush it gave on other bloggers – but was worried that the comments about it being better suited for fair-skinned gals would prove to be true.  I looked high and low for swatches on darker skin coloring, but came up empty-handed.  At $74CAD, this is not a thrifty expense by any means, and if it didn’t show up on me, I’d have to relinquish my undying love and regretfully leave it to be enjoyed by others. When I received the call late Friday afternoon from Mills that the Chanel Spring 2012 collection had finally come in, it was during a snowstorm and there was no way I was going out again.  Thankfully, because I’m a regular and the ladies there are fantastic, they held it for me until Saturday morning.  I got up bright and early and arrived shortly after it opened Saturday (can you say eager??).  I had one of the SA’s apply it on my cheeks to see how it would look, and thankfully – success!  It showed up as a pretty soft pink glow that was definitely apparent on my darker skin.  Without hesitation I bought it (tax-free! Bonus!!) and hurried home to play with it some more.

There are four shades of pink (and one strip of white) in Blush Horizon, some shimmery and some matte, which are dispersed at random throughout the palette.  I’m sure if you were intent on using the colors individually in some way, you could, but I can’t imagine why you’d want to – they’re meant to be used together to allow for a multi-dimensional look.  Even though the blush looks quite pigmented, the shades are quite soft – it took a bit of building to get the swatches of each strip to show distinctively.  I find the palette to be relatively neutral-leaning, not too cool or warm.In the swatches below, I ran a stipling brush over the entire pan to create the swatches.  If I had just gone by arm swatches, I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t have bought Blush Horizon, as it shows up only very faintly on my skin.  However, the ‘glowy’ effect (not sparkly, and not even truly shimmery) is quite apparent.To get a true idea of the coloring and look of Blush Horizon, I felt it necessary to also do face shots – please excuse the squinty, tired-looking eyes as I was sitting in direct  sunlight with no other makeup on (so, not my best face!).  I think the shots do provide a better picture of the blush however, so I took one for the team and posted ‘em anyway By no means is this a dramatic blush with stand-out color – but that’s exactly why I love it.  I read once that women of color look most flattering in blushes that are intensely pigmented, and while I do love a bright blush, I find I really like the look of a more subtle blush, particularly on me.  In person, this blush looks quite captivating in the most wonderfully unobtrusive way.  I wore this out yesterday for a lovely Winter walk with my boyfriend;  it was a very chilly but sunny day, and the effect was perfect for the occasion – flushed, healthy-looking, glowing cheeks, with no obvious shimmer that would look gaudy in sunshine.  The wear of the blush was exceptional – throughout the two hour cold walk, and for the rest of the day it remained intact over moisturizer and foundation (no primer was used).

Chanel’s Blush Horizon de Chanel is without a doubt the most expensive makeup item I’ve ever purchased.  However, since putting it on I have not had one minute of buyers remorse – it has proved to be everything I desperately hoped it to be, and more.  I had been aching to own a striped blush for quite some time, and now I finally have one!  I also think I will get a lot of use out of this product – despite the paler nature of this blush, it wasn’t at all ashy on my skintone, and even when I’m more tanned I’m certain I’ll be able to use it as a radiant highlighter during in the warmer months.  Excitingly, a look through the ingredients proved that this product also does not contain fragrance (though I’ll admit I was surprized, for Chanel), so it shouldn’t cause any issues with my eczema either.

I could go on and on about the virtues of this blush, but really what I’m hoping is that you’ll just get out there and pick one up for yourself, stat!!  You owe it to yourself to own this product – and if you’re looking for something that will go far in your makeup stash, you just found it.

Have you given in to Chanel’s newest blush offering?  What beauty items are you coveting this Spring season??