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?
