I'm sad to say at the age of twenty, I'm still searching for my Holy Grail foundation. One that offers great coverage, gives a dewy look without the oil and stays put all day - not too much to ask it is? I'd come to the end of my Max Factor Facefinity (which is good but the closest shade is too pink for me) and my EL Doublewear samples were getting low so I trailed fellow blogs in search of a new one. One product that kept appearing was Vichy's Dermablend Corrective Foundation. Everyone was raving about it's longevity and amazing coverage, some blogs even said they noticed in improvement in their skin. I contacted the company myself and they informed me that they are completely against animal testing which I was really pleased about.
You won't find this foundation alongside the rest of the make-up, it's sneakily hidden away with the skin care. It's designed to cover minor to major skin concerns, from a few spots to rosacea. My skin has improved a lot over the past few years so my it isn't in need of serious coverage however I like to have a medium to full coverage with my foundation. What attracted me to this product was that it supposedly lasts 16 hours and gives great coverage without feeling like a mask. At £15.50, it's on the high end on the low end price wise so I thought I'd give it a shot. Oh by the way, I think it's important to point out for reference that I have combination skin which has been quite oily recently. This is how I got on with Dermablend...
The Good
I opted for the palest shade, Opal 15. I'll be honest, when I initially squeezed it out, it looked much too dark for my skin. However, once I applied it, the colour surprised me as suited my skin very well. As I mentioned, my previous foundation was a little pink and made me look redder than I am but this one is more yellow in colour and makes me look what I can only describe as healthy. I kept catching my reflection in the mirror and was stunned at the glow it has given me. I usually stipple my make-up on but with this, I've found it's better to apply it in gentle strokes and add a dusting of powder to set if your shinier.
It's quite thick in consistency which I actually prefer to a more liquid foundation. It is easier to sweep over your face and you don't have to work too quickly with it. It also means you don't need a lot to cover your entire face. It feel very hydrating on the skin and unlike others I've used, doesn't settle into the pores. It immediately looks flawless and the coverage is great, I didn't even need to use a concealer for my dark circles.
Now for the big one - does it last? Without the powder, it looked okay for about ten hours, but the shine showed through. After that, it began to shift around the oily area of my nose and cheeks - it still looked okay but not as immaculate as when it was first applied. I expected this, not even Doublewear provides me with flawlessly matt skin without a small dusting of powder. With powder it lasts all day and looks flawless, it's given me the best coverage and look than any other foundation I've tried. I also contacted them personally and found out that they are against animal testing which is great!
The Bad
As I mentioned, I first tried the foundation without any powder just to see how it fared with an oilier skin type solo. After a few hours, I noticed it let through a little more shine then I'd have liked. Although the coverage was still intact, there was a considerable amount of shine on my forehead and chin, and a little around the corners of my nose. Having said that, with a little bit of powder dusted on top, it looks great. If you have dry skin I can't see this being a huge issue but if you're in the oilier side, definitely use a powder to set it. By the way, I use
Natural Collection Translucent powder in Cool. It's cheap but does the trick.
When applied, it does feel like I'm wearing something on my face; it's not especially heavy but it's definitely not the lightest foundation I've tried. It has a strong scent that's reminiscent of paint. It doesn't cause a huge issue, it's just during the application that you notice the smell. I noticed this with Doublewear foundation also, I figured it's because they are both quite thick and designed to last a while. I could see how this could put some people off but it doesn't bother me very much.
The packaging isn't really my cup of tea; it looks like a moisturiser or hand cream. I'm a sucker for pretty products and this isn't exactly going to look great on my dressing table. There also isn't a huge choice of skin tones, only five to choose from. I honestly can't see how they can go from pale white to black skin in just five colours, it just isn't going to work. I've been quite lucky with my match but I bet others have a really tough time finding a suitable shade.
The Bottom Line
After road-testing this product for about a month, I must say I've found a new favourite foundation. It makes my skin look poreless and although I haven't noticed my skin improving, my skin hasn't been breaking out either. With a little powder, it looks great and makes me feel really confident. Plus they aren't against Animal Testing, which is what sold the last star it for me! Is it my HG foundation. Hmm... it is for now!
Rating
★★★★★
You can pick this up at Boots, just remember to look in the skincare aisle, you'll find it!
♣
Also guys I wrote an article for
Vanity Hype's online blog, all about Christmas Jumpers. Check it out
here
