If you’ve been on the beauty block for some time, then you’ll be familiar with Chanel’s les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream (£50, Chanel.com). It was launched way back in 2009 and now, more than 15 years on, it’s undergoing a makeover as the brand expands the line-up with two new shades for fair and deep skin tones.
These new ‘light’ and ‘intense deep bronze’ formulas will bring the collection to a total five shades and are the product’s first hue additions in nearly four years. To say we’re excited would be an understatement, especially with the warmer weather just around the corner.
Then again, there’s always the possibility that the brand has reformulated to bring these extra bronzers to fruition. So, in the name of good journalism, we got testers of different ages and skin tones to explore everything from ingredient variations to staying power with a hands-on test – keep scrolling for our honest thoughts.
How we tested
Having received the bronzer around one week ahead of its public launch, we set about testing the new formulas in the soleil tan light (Lucy Smith) and soleil tan intense deep bronze (Vanese Maddix) shades on fair and dark skin tones, respectively. Additionally, we reviewed the soleil tan medium bronze shade (Jane Druker) as a control test, to see how the latest additions compared in real time and, as an extra testing criteria, how the formula performed on a more mature complexion. We paid attention to everything from ingredients to consistency, and made note of any staying power and application queries (or praise). Here’s how we got on.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
While Lucy Smith is The Independent’s beauty writer, with Chanel perfume and gift set reviews under her belt, Jane Druker has been reviewing products in excess of 20 years, working as both an editor and director for a number of publications. For IndyBest, Jane has reviewed a range of beauty products including night creams and tinted moisturisers. As for Vanese Maddix, she’s headed up a vast number of beauty tests spanning make-up, hair and skincare. Below, find their verdicts on the brand’s bronzing shade expansion.
Chanel les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream
Key ingredients: Vitamin E, silicones, beeswax, coconut oil and glycerin-derived moisturisers (caprylic/capric triglyceride), soothing jasmine, mica shimmer, fragrance
Shades: 5
Skin type: Dry to combination
Cruelty-free and vegan: No, neither
Why we love it
- Buffs into the skin as easily as a powder bronzer
- Doesn't sink into fine lines
- Buildable
- 30g quantity lasts forever
- Iconic summer scent is heavenly as ever
Take note
- Staying power depends on products used for priming/setting
Lucy Smith
I’ve had my original tub of Chanel’s soleil de tan bronzer (as it was called pre-2020) for nearly 10 years and while – granted – I should definitely throw it out, it hopefully proves my familiarity with the product. When reviewing the best bronzers in 2024, I gave the post-2020 reformulation a go and, now, I’ve been getting to grips with the latest shade addition: soleil tan light bronze.
For context, the original bronzer has a butter-like texture and remains part of the brand’s core collection, so I was intrigued to know if these latest shade additions would present any changes to the tried and true formula. After a quick comparison of the two ingredients lists, I’m pleased to report that it’s only the colourants changing – so those with fair or deeper-toned complexions needn’t miss out on a good thing.
The specifics of that good thing? The same sunny-floral scent (it’s addictive) and a texture like chocolate left out in the sun. Where similar products on the market – like Charlotte Tilbury’s beautiful skin bronzer – often require you to apply them in precise swipes before blending with a fluffy brush, Chanel’s formula is much easier. Just like a powder bronzer, swirl your brush (the bigger, the better) into the tub and delicately pat it onto the cheekbones, nose, temples etc. You can build up the colour as desired and, whether you’re a make-up maestro or newbie, this lighter shade makes it ten times easier to create a natural, non-orange bronzed look on fair skin.
I proceeded to re-swirl and build-up the warmth around two or three times on each portion of my face and found that the finish gave my skin a flattering sun-kissed glow. After eight hours of wear, I couldn’t see any signs of patchiness or the product shifting. However, it does imprint on your fingers if you’re a face toucher. Likewise, you’ll easily find bronzer patches on white t-shirt collars, so it’s the sort of thing you want to apply after getting dressed and, even then, perhaps stuff a tissue down the shirt neck. Other than that, and of course the extortionate price, this new shade certainly has my seal of approval.
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Jane Druker
A quality bronzing cream has to be failsafe. No streaks, drips or difficulty blending at the very minimum. You simply want to feel transformed with incredible ease. Thanks goodness this formula makes you feel in complete cruise control. I put it to the test on both bare skin (post moisturiser and SPF) and, at a later date, layered over my make-up.
The shade I tested was ‘medium bronze’ which is, as it sounds, bang in the middle of the five shades. The gel-based texture (along with its natural-looking five shades) delivers warmth without any trace of orange, so each hue should work across a number of skin tones. I worked the product into my routine after applying foundation but before blush, abundantly all over my cheeks, nose, forehead and décolleté. It’s so sheer and buildable that I found it simply glides on, imbuing you with an improved, sunny glow in seconds. I apply mine with a big foundation brush, but you can use your fingers, too – especially around the nose and cheek areas where you may want to add more definition.
Although it does have shimmering properties it is ever so subtle, so looks really natural and has an elegant finish. It’s also layerable so you can dictate whether the level of bronze is like a healthy ‘just-been-for-a-bracing-walk’ flush or more two-weeks-in-Mykonos tan. Whichever way you decide, its subtle, skin-enhancing effect is super easy to blend, has a beautiful impact and looks truly natural –which puts me in a rather good mood each and every day of the week.
And let’s not forget that this product is particularly great for more mature skins. It really doesn’t settle into wrinkles and, rather, stays on the surface of skin, bypassing those pesky fine lines. It’s not the cheapest, but neither is it entirely unaffordable. Plus, it’s always a treat to have this brand on your person.
Vanese Maddix
I’ve heard great things about Chanel’s les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream over the years, so I was excited to try the new shades. That being said, the shade range still has room for improvement when it comes to catering to deeper skin tones and, while the newest intense deep shade was a great match for me, I’d still love to see more options added to the line.
I wore this bronzer on several occasions, both in the morning and evening, to see how well it performed throughout the day. I have a normal-to-dry skin type and was curious to see if the formula truly delivered on the “glide-on” texture Chanel promises and if layering alongside my usual skincare and make-up routine would disrupt the bronzer or cause any pilling.
I also paid close attention to how long the bronzer lasted and how well it held up without a setting powder, since I don’t use one in my everyday routine.
Right away, I noticed how exceptionally creamy the formula is, something my normal-to-dry skin really appreciated. It glided on effortlessly and delivered an instant, sun-kissed glow. The finish was much glowier than I expected, which meant I didn’t need as much highlighter as usual. If you prefer a more toned-down glow, you might want to set it with a touch of powder. Personally, I live by the motto the glowier, the better, so it wasn’t an issue for me.
Formulated with jasmine-infused oil, the bronzer feels hydrating and comforting on the skin. Next time I use it, I’ll go in with a lighter hand, as a little does go a long way.
Overall, this bronzer gets a big thumbs up from me. It feels great on the skin, blends like a dream and is super easy to apply. Here’s hoping the shade range expands even further.
Buy now £50.00, Chanel.com
The verdict: Chanel les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream
On the whole, our testers – Lucy and Vanese – were as equally impressed with the new tan light and intense deep bronze shades as Jane was with the original medium bronze formula. We established that Chanel hasn’t changed the les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream ingredients in the process of this shade expansion, and – across the board – praised its ease of application and comfortable feel. While Jane loved how it sat atop fine lines without sinking, Lucy celebrated how forgiving the light hue was for those new to bronzing. Lastly, Vanese enjoyed how it served as a 2-in-1 bronzer and highlighter, but fed back that the brand could still do with adding a few more shades. It may be expensive but, here at IndyBest, we’ve found three testers who are more than happy to save up in order to embrace that signature Chanel summer glow.
