Yes, I am very aware I talk about this foundation all the time, but I love it to bits and you know what? After three bottles and four years of love, I finally set out to do a proper review. It's about damn time, right? It just bothered me that every time I mention this I don't have a decent review of this to link and at least you should see the before and after side by side, but I do wear this foundation in a majority of my lipstick and blush posts. This is a foundation that made me fall in love with foundations. Before I had the worst problems with flakes, every foundation made them visible from space, so I avoided applying them all together or at least left out the forehead, where the situation was most dire. But this just glides over patches and it's the first foundation I wore foundation all over the face with no worry and it just looks so natural, radiant and pretty.
Texture: It's light and runny, and you can blend this very long if you want. Whether you use fingers, brush or a sponge, pretty much any technique works with this, but I like applying with fingers best. You can layer it as much as you want and it won't cake up, but blend in seamlessly.
Coverage: Light to medium. My freckles still shine through and it doesn't cover spots or dark circles well, but I prefer it like that and just spot conceal where needed. I was never a fan of completely covering my skin and why should I? It's not like I'm not happy with its state.
Finish: It has that dewy, healthy glowy finish and it's almost invisible on the skin. There are no tell-tell signs that you're wearing foundation, but the skin looks fresher, perked up and healthy. This is the perfect foundation for dehydrated skin because it just glides over dry patches and doesn't emphasize them at all. However, if your skin is oily, you won't like it. I've never heard of anyone with oily skin praising this.
Colour: I always get the lightest shade 51 Light Vanilla. Bourjois foundations run very yellow, but it is a light shade as far as drugstore foundations go. I swatched it in pretty much every foundation review and I use it as a standard comparison, so it's easier to compare all the different foundations I've reviewed so far.
Find more comparisons in next posts:
- Bourjois BB Cream 21 Vanilla
- Catrice Nude Illusion Foundation (010 Nude Ivory)
- Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B10
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover 11 Very Light
- L'Oreal Infallible 24H Matte Foundation 10 Porcelain
- L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint 100 Porcelain
- Mac Face & Body Foundation N1 and Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light
- Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Foundation 010 Light Porcelain plus NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Siberia
- Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation 010 Light Porcelain
- Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream 31
- Diorskin Nude BB 001
- Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream 13
- Skin79 Pink Label BB Cream
- Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream 21
- Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer 1
Staying power: Due to the light texture and a dewy finish, it's not the most long-lasting foundation. I don't really check in the mirror during the day and it depends on the day, but it last somewhere in the ballpark of 5, maybe up to 7-8 hours with a primer. The oilier your skin is, the faster it'll slide off.
Scent: It has a lovely fruity scent that I've loved from day one. Some will find it too strong, but I like fragranced stuff.
Ingredients: Someone once asked me if that alcohol content is apparent. Do not worry yourself with that alcohol, it's only on the 14th place. Usually it's only the first five ingredients after water that really matter, so those lychee, pomegranate and goji berry extracts are almost non-existent here - don't fall for the "vitamins-rich fruit therapy" claim on the bottle.
Packaging: Plastic bottle with a handy pump. It's one of the best foundations for travelling because it's slim and the there is no fear the bottle will break. One of my bottles survived five hotels in as many days, three countries and a lot of travelling.
Price and availability: Price is going up, which is making me very angry. You just kind of feel betrayed because it's like they are punishing loyal customers. It's currently about 15 €, but on occasions there are some discounts so it pays to wait.
So here it is, my good old trusted friend. We've been through a lot together and I still love it to bits. I wish they had more neutral shades and one that is lighter as well, but 51 is good enough for my skin. The coverage is on the light side, which I know a lot of people don't like, but I've never been a fan of obvious makeup, so I gravitate towards the most invisible bases, that still have coverage. Any of you fans of this foundation?
Have a great day!