I bought this high coverage foundation a while ago but didn’t use it much due to the poor colour match. The shade I have is Opal which I believe is the palest shade available; the stick version of this foundation comes in a lighter shade, Porcelain, which I also have somewhere but I prefer the liquid version as it’s easier to buff into the skin.
I was inspired to start using it again due to watching the Lisa Eldridge video on covering spots and scars (have a look at it here) as she made it look so fantastically easy, and I’m pleased to report that her application technique really is easy to achieve. To summarise it quickly, you apply a light coverage foundation, then you take a small amount of a high coverage concealer (Lisa uses this Vichy one) and buff it into the skin over the spot/scar/imperfection until it’s completely blended. Lisa uses the Mac 217 blending brush (which can be found here) to buff in the make-up which I am a HUGE fan of; I have 3 of these brushes already and I’m always seeking brushes with similar shape and form, so if you know of any, please share!
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| Before picture: totally unblended and not the greatest colour match! |
The colour range of this foundation is very limited and only five shades are available. The Opal shade I have is too dark and slightly too yellow, meaning that I have to work quite hard at blending it in. I tend to use a mineral powder that’s too pale over the top to balance it out, which works really well.
The concealing aspect of this foundation is phenomenal and I’d bet that with enough applications (it’s better to apply it in layers and build it up rather than slap a load on and work it in) this could cover pretty much anything. It’s also got great lasting power and doesn’t break me out.
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| Zoomed in on the area with the freckle that’s now covered. |
For days when I have the time to apply it (and it is quite time consuming) I happily use this, but the fact that the colour selection is so poor does go against it, so consequently I’m working my way through other high coverage concealers to find something that’s a better match. This is definitely a full-coverage look and I don’t believe that a huge amount of buffing would reduce it to a natural look. However, I’m a big fan of natural and light looking make-up, so it could just be me!
If you have any imperfections that you need to cover then this is a really good investment. It costs £15.50 and is available from Boots here. More info on the product from the Vichy website can be found here.
what shade would be best for me if i use mac nc30 and bobby brown foundation stick 3.5 beige
It’s really difficult to tell and I’d suggest having a roam around Boots as they have them all there with testers. However, if I were to guess I’d say Opal (although that might come out a bit light on you) or Sand xx
Hi 🙂 I have read some rave reviews about this product but I have never heard of it before :O I suffer with rosacea (redness, inflammation and spots on the face) and have tried many many foundations and none of them have ticked all the boxes in one. I have yet to find one that gives me coverage without that ‘cakey’ feeling and am hoping this will be the one. I am very pale so am presuming that opal will be the one for me? Also I find that after a few hours of wearing make up I get quite shiney, does this happen? Thanks 🙂 ..weestarn56
This is fantastic for coverage, however, if you’re quite pale then you still might find Opal too dark for you. Clinique do marginally lighter shades in their Continuous Coverage range which is really similar, but definitely swatch them first!
For this, I found mixing it with a paler concealer (I think the one I used was by Mac – if you search “Custom Blend” on here I wrote a post on it) resulted in a better match; it’s a bit of a faff but you could mix a batch up in a pot then you’d only need to do it every so often.
Unfortunately if you’re prone to shine (like me!) then you’ll need a good setting powder to; ideally one you can carry around for touch-ups xx
Dear Sasha! thanks for the review
have you tried Vichy Dermablend Total Body Corrective Foundation SPF15 100ml and if yes how does it differs from this one?
Hi Inna, I haven’t tried it myself but I know it only comes in three shades, so unless you’re very lucky I don’t think it will shade match to facial skin very well, but I could be wrong! I’d recommend trying one of their new face coverage products as their shade range is better xx