Hello lovelies! Happy October 1st! Today I thought I'd share 2 of my favorite foundations of all-time. I've sampled the gamut of foundations over the years and have found a lot of favorites within the genre. That being said, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Perfection Lumiere Velvet have risen to the top!
After what seemed like years of reading rave reviews about Vitalumiere Aqua (hereinafter VLA), I finally decided to try it. VLA is a light coverage foundation with a watery consistency (it's not called Vitalumiere AQUA for nothin'!) containing SPF 15. This is my perfect warm-weather foundation as it feels like nothing on the skin, gives me a little SPF coverage, and looks like my skin only better. VLA does not offer a lot of coverage so I spot-conceal blemishes where I need a little help. I have combination-oily skin so I always set my base with a dusting of powder. Without the setting powder, VLA dries to a dewy, natural finish. VLA stays put all day with minimal oil break-through in the late afternoon. Even in the heat and humidity of Puerto Rico on our honeymoon, VLA held up beautifully. The compact plastic packaging makes it uber travel-friendly whether you're off to San Tropez or just commuting the the office.
My foundation matches are:
- Estee Lauder Creamy Vanilla
- Lancome Buff (N)
- Laura Mercier Medium Ivory
- MAC NW20-25
- Maybelline Sandy Beige
- NARS Santa Fe
Chanel's 30 Beige is a great match, even though it looks a bit dark in the above arm swatch.
Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (PLV) is a lightweight medium buildable foundation that dries down to a matte finish. PLV has been my go-to when I need a bit more coverage. It covers the sun spots and blemish scars on the sides of my face, so the coverage is definitely there. It can be built to full coverage, but I find a single application looks beautiful on it's own. If you have normal to dry skin, you can probably skip setting powder with this one and have a long day of shine-free happiness. I still set this with powder because my t-zone has a mind of it's own, and I can go the entire day without re-powdering. This is mind-blowing! PLV also feels completely weightless on the skin. This is my base product right-hand man whenever I'm doing a FOTD/EOTD post. It makes the skin look like you spent a lot of time on it when, in reality, it took you 30 seconds. :)
They both come in the travel handy plastic packaging and have a beautiful light, fresh scent. If scented base products are a no-no for you, test them at the counter first if you can. The smell disappears completely for me once the foundations set. Neither VLA or PLV have ever caused my skin to break out. Both formulas need to be shaken first for the foundations to look their best on your skin. I usually shake all of my liquid foundations before I use them so this step isn't a big deal for me. They both have a squeeze nozzle type dispenser so controlling the amount of product per use is very simple.
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| Next to an iPhone 5C for size comparison |
I love both of these foundation for different reasons; the Perfection Lumiere Velvet for it's flawless finish and longevity on my oily skin, and the Vitalumiere Aqua for it's ease of application and the my-skin-but-better appearance it gives. If I could only use one for the rest of eternity, I would go with the Perfection Lumiere Velvet simply due to the higher coverage and matte finish.
PRICE: $45.00 USD
WHERE TO BUY: CHANEL.COM
Have you tried PLV or VLA? What is your favorite foundation at the moment?
Both these foundations look great on you! It only means one thing - that you have beautiful skin to start with. The VLA gives minimal coverage :-P I haven't tried the PLV and I refuse to until I use up one of my VLAs at least!
ReplyDeleteAah! I have tried both once but somehow didn't like it on myself most probably because of the color mismatch or the store lighting! These look so good on you make me want to try then again! The velvet would be really good on your oily skin I can imagine.. it had dried down to a really dry mate finish! Great review Kristen! :-)
ReplyDeleteDivya | TheConscienceFund
Whuuuut, no repowdering with the velvet version? That is awesome! And your skin really does look amazing. I actually tried a sample of this and I felt it was still too dewy on me :-S
ReplyDeleteI love love love the finish of the velvet one! I'm still very sad that it caused me breakouts when I tried it. With the type of skin you have, Kristen, I think you can get away with anything - Chanel or not. ;D
ReplyDeleteThe aqua one is one of my favorite everyday foundations. Super lightweight and looks skin-like. I'm glad I get along with one of them at least, haha.
Hii Kristen, I loved this review! You know, I've only tried one Chanel foundation before -- Perfection Lumiere, and have never tried VLA or PLV. After reading your review, I am really tempted to try either one of them! The color match for me in Chanel is a little tricky though as B30 is typically not yellow enough for my skin. I may have to get a sample of one (or both!) of these :).
ReplyDeleteHey Kristen, I read this days ago but I can't remember why I didn't comment (I might have been on my phone. It's a pain to type on the thing)! I have only tried Perfection Lumiere Velvet, and I love it especially when I need something fast and the weather is warm. It keeps my T-zone matte for the longest time!
ReplyDeleteOk I want PLV so bad! I used to use the Aqua and I found it was ok but not my fave finish. When I ran out I decided I didn't want to splurge but I have been missing my Chanel for so long now...
ReplyDeleteDO IT! ;) The PLV is definitely my favorite of the two as it's got much more coverage and dries matte. Bingo!
ReplyDeleteOh I hear you - I never even read blogs from my phone because I hate trying to type comments on it! I agree, PLV is a champion of matte-ness!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Carolyn! Definitely try them both if you can; they are both wonderful in their own very different ways. If you typically prefer the look of tinted moisturizer and dewy skin, the Vitalumiere Aqua is your guy. If you usually prefer true foundations with matte finishes, go with PLV. Vitalumiere Aqua is a summer staple, but I definitely think the Perfection Lumiere Velvet is more well-rounded since it's got more coverage to it. They are both awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks, T-Money! ;) I could definitely see the Perfection Lumiere Velvet being a bit too matte and dry for dry skin.
ReplyDeleteOh that stinks, Jaa! I can't believe your misfortune since you loved the finish! DANG IT! And you're right, at lest one of them works well for you! VLA is a warm weather champ! I love it. And you are too kind - thank you! Genuine hugs !
ReplyDeleteRight?!?! That's miraculous for us oily-skinned people! Anything that doesn't have to be rpeowdered is like manna from heaven. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteOh yea, if the color isn't right, everything else goes out the window. I wish they had more color selection in their foundations. Thank you so much for your kind words, Divya! The Perfection Lumiere Velvet is a true wonder product for the oily among us, lol! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lily! You are a peach patty! I believe in you, and I know that soon your bottle of VLA will be blowing out floral-scented AIR as all product will be used up! You are my pan hitting panther of inspiration, LOL! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm liking these abbreviated names! Okay, so I was told a long time ago by a friend to try VLA but back then I thought my skin needed much more coverage. I'm more interested in it now but after sampling the PLV at counters, I think Chanel may not have the right colour for me which is really annoying. I get the feeling that the US counters get more shade ranges, or I need to fly off to Asia where they sell my yellow sisters the shade that I need.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Thanks! I'd also like Maybelline to start abbreviating their mascara names. Pumped Up Volum Express Colossal Biggie Sized Panther Killer Whiplash Luxe Lash Mascara? Stop the madness! Oh that is terribly disappointing about the shade match issue with this. I don't understand why all shades aren't available worldwide since there are people of all colors EVERYWHERES!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, anything that can do that will have me going 'puh-raaaaaise da lord!'
ReplyDeleteI love vla so much and meaning to buy perfect lumiere too
ReplyDeleteLovely review
I've wanted to try one of these ever since U mentioned them being a fave of yours awhile back! They sound perfect actually! Hope to try myself one day. Great post ;)
ReplyDeleteThe chanel velvet was being suggested to me and i really look forward to try that one out..i have super oily skin and this one sounds good..i have never tried foundation that turn matte post application ,so that is quite fascinating :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kristen! PLV sounds probably more up my alley, but I'm so tempted by Vitalumiere Aqua, too, after hearing so much about it through beauty bloggers and YTers!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Krithi! :D VLA is a champion, LOL! I love them both!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) Oh man, Julie, I think you would love VLA for the Floridian summers and PLV for more coverage during the cooler months. They are both wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHi Purva! Oh yes, the Perfection Lumiere Velvet is such an amazing option for oily skin! It is so nice to be able to go the entire day without having to use blot paper or powder! FREEDOM! ;)
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try Chanel foundation for a long time but have held off because I know it's a slippery slope once I start buying more Chanel. I recently picked up a couple of things from Dior and now I want all the things and all the things are not in my budget sadly haha
ReplyDeleteLOL, yes Jenn it is a slippery slope! That cracked me up about wanting all of the Dior things! Their eye quads have always appealed to me but I haven't bought one yet, and their Addict Lipstick is le bomb dot com! I want to try their new Star foundation...someday when I actually "need" to buy a new one! ;)
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