As part of its spring 2024 makeup collection, Chanel has just launched a new shade of the Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Mermaid Glow.
I saw this highlighter on TikTok and instantly fell in love. The highlighter appeared to have a gorgeous pearlescent finish with differently coloured shimmer particles for a multi-reflective glow. It was giving mermaid core, and I needed to know what it would look like on my own skin IRL.
In this review, I share whether the new Chanel Baume Essentiel in Mermaid Glow met my expectations, how it looks on the skin, and whether it’s worth £36.
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About the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick
The Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick is a moisturising highlighting balm that promises to offer subtle radiance. The formula melts onto the skin and is very reflective. It can be used on the eyes, lips, and face for an understated, elegant, and natural look.
There are 5 shades in the range:
- Transparent – clear, balmy highlighter
- Sculpting – light champagne gold
- Golden Light – a deep bronze
- Dragée – warm mid-toned pink with golden shimmer
- Mermaid Glow – light pink, gold, and lilac shimmer
Chanel Baume Essentiel Mermaid Glow swatch
I did a swatch on the back of my hand (below) to capture the beautiful multi-reflective shimmer of the Chanel Mermaid Glow highlighter. This swatch was done on my bare hand, without primer.
The finish is gorgeous. It has a multi-coloured pearlescent finish that’s not glittery or chunky. Instead, it imparts reflective multi-dimensional shine on a transparent balm base. It’s so pretty!
Chanel Baume Essentiel Mermaid Glow makeup look
No makeup review would be complete without a makeup look! Here’s what the Chanel Baume Essentiel Mermaid Glow looks like on my face. For this makeup look, I applied the highlighter liberally on my cheekbones.
I love this highlighter! It gives a natural pearly glow that looks super reflective in the light. Below, I share my honest review of the product, as well as how well this glossy highlighting balm wore throughout the day.
Honest Chanel Baume Essentiel Mermaid Glow review
I love the Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Mermaid Glow.
Of course, the packaging is stunning. It’s giving luxury vibes with the sleek black packaging, iconic Chanel logo, and slim design.
I love the consistency of this balm. It’s hydrating, smoothing, and melts effortlessly into the skin. There’s some very slight stickiness, as expected with a glossy formula, but it feels lightweight and non-greasy on the skin. It doesn’t emphasise skin texture as much as a typical powder highlighter would either.
While I really enjoy the texture of the highlighter, the appearance of this highlighter on the skin is what stands out. If you love a glass skin look, you’ll also fall in love with this highlighting balm.
The transparent base is glossy, shiny, and almost makes the skin look wet. It features tiny shimmer particles of lilac, pink, and gold that give a mermaid/fairy aesthetic. It gives the most gorgeous pearlescent dewy glow that reflects beautifully under the light.
The highlighter also wears surprisingly well. After 8 hours of wear, it still looks glossy and reflective. It fades a little bit but is still visible on the cheeks.
I appreciate that £36 is expensive. Especially for just 8g of product. However, a little bit goes a long way, and the formula is hardly sticky at all compared to other balm highlighters I’ve tried. It’s comfortable, moisturising, and doesn’t make my oily skin feel or look greasy.
Is the new Chanel highlighter worth it?
Yes! Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo is still my fave balmy highlighter. The formula is shinier than Chanel and layers better. However, I’m obsessed with the shade and pearly finish of the Chanel Mermaid Glow highlighter. It’s wearable and always looks amazing.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Is this an absolute must-have? No. But if you love glossy balm highlighters and a multi-dimensional glow, the Chanel one is totally worth it. Even if it is £36.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 5 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
Wow your review makes it a stand out product.It looks gorgeous on you whilst being subtle and fresh looking. They offer a good choice of shades too for all skin tones. It’s a real plus you can use it on your eyes, lips etc as well to make it very multi tasking.
This Chanel highlighter looks absolutely stunning! Do I need another highlighter? Nope. Am I going to check this one out? Hell yes. Haha!
This is so gorgeous! It’s really natural-looking, and the shade is perfect for that.