BRAND OVERVIEW: No.1 CHANEL

If you know me at all, you'll know I love a bit of Chanel.

N01 De Chanel is their new line combining skincare, makeup and a fragrance mist, and they are, as you would expect, onto a winner. When news of this first surfaced, I was tagged relentlessly by people who were under the impression that Chanel had crossed over to the dark side, aka released a 'clean' line. I'm happy (actually, I'm absolutely thrilled and relieved) to report that this is not the case. They are talking about sustainability in a great way, with no mention of the c word. *sing choirs of angels*

The range is centred around the red camellia, and the accompanying press pack comes with a lot of welcome information about how it was discovered, sourced and subsequently used across these products, none of which I think will seriously interest you (see picture at the bottom of this post), so we'll get to the products themselves.

(If you want further info on all the science and sustainability - Chanel have provided plenty to read here: chanel.com/the science) Red Camellia Revitalizing Cream, 50g - £84

There is also a refill available for a 50g refill for £71.)

Ok if you love a luxurious, beautifully fragranced moisturiser, and have drier skin, this could be up your alley. I love it. Made with '95% natural origin ingredients, 70% of which are sourced from the camellia' - frankly, and politely, I don't care, I want to know what it will do for me (and you). It's a whipped texture that immediately hydrates, softens and plumps my 52 yr old face.

Can you buy a moisturiser that will do similar at a more affordable price? Of course you can. Will it be made by Chanel, packaged like a Christmas present, be refillable and smell like a dream? No. This is obviously a want, not a need.

Do you 'need' it if you have budget concerns, dislike fragrance or have acne skin? No. Will you probably 'want' it if you're my age, love a slightly richer moisturiser and need that immediate uplift of fragrance and glow? Absolutely. Sorry. Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum, 30ml - £90 Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum, 50ml - £118

I haven't used this long enough to give you a definitive answer re the claims, it certainly applies very well, absorbs perfectly, and is extremely comfortable on the skin. It claims to reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles, skin elasticity and radiance, so I'll let you know if it's a let-down along the way. This is the star of the range though, and Chanel appear to have done some clinicals, so I'm hopeful. I 'will' say, that it's a pipette, albeit the better pipettes available today, aka an auto-fill dropper, which automatically dispenses the correct amount upon use.

Red Camellia Revitalizing Lip and Cheek Balm - £37

This comes in 6 shades. I have the Red Camellia and it just so happens to be my perfect red. Damn them. At £37 a pot, I won't know if I can live without it until it runs out. I'll tell you when it's in an Empties video. ;)

No1 De Chanel L'Eau Rouge Revitalizing Fragrance Mist, 100ml mist - £90

I was struggling to describe what this is and then it came to me: it's Chanel's Eau Dynamisante (Clarins iconic fragrance mist).

It definitely does what it says on the bottle, it's instantly refreshing, and yes, you could say revitalizing (American spelling, sincere apologies), and it smells different on everyone. I sprayed it on my entire team for feedback, who gave it a resounding and unanimous 'love'.

It is, however, £90.00, which obviously puts it in the 'if you adore all things Chanel and can afford it, go for it' category, and stops me recommending it as a must-have. Buy the skincare, yes.

Buy the Mist only if you can pay for it without checking your bank account status.