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I have always been one to covet Chanel beauty goodies. Before I became a beauty editor, I stumbled upon an old lipstick tube—not even in a shade I would typically wear, but it felt so special I decided to keep it. At the time, I didn’t yet own anything designer—for lack of budget, to be fair—but I was immediately drawn to it; and, it stayed on my vanity for years.
To this day, I remain a huge Chanel Beauty fan after testing dozens of its products throughout my career—it’s the perfect fusion of a premium cosmetics line with actually great formulations. My skin drinks up its creams and serums like water; many of its foundations and mascaras stock my toiletry bag, and don’t even get me started on the eau de parfums and toilettes I toggle between each week. Wear after wear, use after use, each piece has a treasurable quality to it—adding a bit of joy to the often mundane getting-ready routine.
All of this came to mind as I made my way to Chanel’s Upper West Side Fragrance Beauty boutique to view its winter collection. Walking into the boutique on a crisp, fall Monday morning offered a moment of respite from the hustle and bustle that is New York City during rush hour. Taking cues from its assortment of cosmetics, the space leans into clean lines, minimal accents, and like any good beauty store, incredible lighting—perfect for swatching, spritzing, and perhaps a selfie or two. I gave myself a moment to take in the entire space and appreciate all that lined the walls around me: I’m pretty certain the entire fragrance and beauty collection stood before me, just waiting to be discovered.
A sort of full circle moment: from cherishing a sole lipstick to having the Chanel beauty world at my fingertips overwhelmed me with gratitude. The history of the house is not lost on me—it’s been over 100 years since the launch of its beloved N°5 eau de parfum (the fragrance that started its cosmetics line), and now with a new creative director at the helm, I’m eager to see how Matthieu Blazy will influence fragrance and beauty into 2025 and beyond. Ahead, read all about my experience at the boutique to inspire your own visit—or your shopping cart.
Classic Perfumes with a Twist
Beginning my boutique exploration, my eyes instantly went to the expansive fragrance wall which displayed the complete Chanel fragrance wardrobe. While I took the opportunity to reacquaint myself with scents I’d heard fondly of (Paris-Paris) and underrated hits (Coco Mademoiselle), I couldn’t help but gush over the end all be all of classics: N°5. Each year, Chanel introduces a few limited edition takes on the timeless floral bouquet—2024 welcome a fragrance on chain that topped all of our holiday gifting lists. There’s also a to-live-for snowcapped bottle I can’t imagine won’t return next year.
Wintertime Skin Prep
Dare I say Chanel’s skincare is wildly underrated? From hydrating serums to refreshing face mists, its line is full of rejuvenating complexion heroes that give skin love no matter the season. This winter, I have been reaching for on its N°1 de Chanel eye serum—the formula is powered by red camellia extract, but the star in my opinion is the impressive spiral applicator wand which gently cools, depuffs, and refreshes the undereye. Sublimage La Crème is my cold-weather moisturizer of choice—a silky cream enriched with the label’s vanilla planifolia extract, squalane, and a host of botanical oils to improve skin’s hydration levels and firmess. Opt for its corresponding Texture Suprême if skin is feeling particularly dry.
Festive Blush Highlight
From tints and foundations to blush and bronzer, complexion is where Chanel beauty shines. I’ve been wearing the Joues Contraste powder blush on repeat, and tried on a new-to-me shade (Rouge Profond) while playing around the boutique. What I was most excited for though was to finally test the Enchanted Night palette, which caught my eye Paris a few weeks ago and has been top of mind ever since! Let’s just say it did not disappoint—I swiped on a bit of the pink and purple hues with the Powder Brush N°106, then for additional shimmer, applied the Diamond Dust highlighter to the high points of the face.
Longwear Lips
Everyone knows how important lip products are to me so I was most excited to discover some new Chanel products. Any good lip combo begins with a liner, so I played with those first. I normally go for a chocolate brown but fell in love with shade 194 - Rouge Noir which has gorgeous red undertones. I paired this with a liquid lipstick (in shade 112 - Chic Rosewood)—a pinkish mauve with subtle shimmer. I chose this instead of a lipstick because the sales associates mentioned its incredible staying power; and if you layer it with a gloss, too, I’m sure the color will last for hours.
Eye Enhancements
What’s more festive than a touch a sparkling eyeshadow during the holiday season? If you’re like me and cannot whip up a full eye look like a pro, Ombre Premiere Laque is an excellent liquid eyeshadow that blends quickly and deposits a generous amount of color with minimal product. I reached for shade Vastness, a beautiful metallic mauve, but I’m picking up Rayon—a gleaming gold—for New Year’s Eve. The finishing touch? A few swipes of Le Volume de Chanel mascara, of course!
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