Chanel Bombay Express Routes des Indes de Chanel & Brume D'Or

Chanel does color and texture so, so well. Bombay Express, the summer capsule makeup collection inspired by India, is no exception. I have Routes des Indes de Chanel Illuminating Powder with Shimmer and Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Brume D'Or to show you today.

Now, you know Routes des Indes de Chanel ($80) is shimmery. It says so right in the description: "This precious golden powder highlighter highlights cheekbones and eyelids with an iridescent touch." But I don't care how many shimmery gold highlighters you may have seen in your life; nothing prepares you for the soaring sweep of pure translucent yellow gold that serenades your eyes when you open the lid.

The embossed motif, based on the brocade pattern from an India-inspired collection by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1960s, is dazzling in its intricate artistry. The shimmer factor is so high that the surface appears glossy. The powder itself picks up and applies like a dream: a single sweep of the included sculpting brush (thoughtfully angled for more precise application and housed in its own separate miniature velvet pouch) lays down an even trail of sparkling lights. On the skin, the powder is a perfect balance between yellow and white that makes it very flattering. This highlighter is unquestionably dramatic, but never tacky. This is Chanel, after all.

Brume D'Or Joues Contraste ($43) is is the perfect earthy counterpoint to the golden dream above. The blush actually turned out to be less brown than I expected. It's a warm, grounded brown-rose that I can wear along my cheekbones as a dual-purpose blush and contourer. This blush shade could have been inspired by red clay under a hot sun, save for the fact that it contains a very slight shimmer that prevents it from being entirely heavy.

I swatched Brume D'Or heavily so that none of my skin tone would show through. Below it is Routes des Indes de Chanel, of which I applied only two layers so that you could get a fair idea of how it would actually work as a highlighter. Best Things in Beauty has an incredible swatch of it layered heavily.

Isn't the highlighter divine? You can see how it turns my skin the color of white gold. And below is how the two look in the shade.

These two Chanel Bombay Express items are completely luxurious jewels. I always get excited over non-pink blushes, and the highlighter is a rush of gold and light that gives your cortex a jolt. Fundamentally, makeup is meant to delight the eye. Routes des Indes de Chanel Illuminating Powder and Brume D'Or Joues Contraste both accomplish this effortlessly.

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