For years I've been using matte foundations because I have combination oily skin. Lately my skin is less oily, but I still suffer from redness and hyper pigmentation. My friend is a Bourjois fan and she keeps telling me how great Bourjois foundations are, almost all the time. So the next time I went to the mall, I visited Bourjois counter and looked around. When the BA recommended me this Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation, I tried it on my hand and I had to admit I loved the shade and coverage. This foundation claims to correct tones with its yellow, mauve and green pigments to eliminate dark circles, dull complexion and redness. It sounds too good to be true, especially with the 16 hours lasting power claim. Having acne and scarring, I didn't expect much from this product but I have to say that I just loveee the shade, since I usually get wrong foundation shade for stupid reasons.
Now let's move on to the review, and see why I use this foundation almost everyday now.
It comes in a glass packaging, slim and tall. Sorry for the mess on the container and plastic cap. I just can't clean the label glue properly.
According to the description on the bottle, this foundation contains 3 correcting pigments:
1. Yellow pigments: anti dark circles
2. Mauve pigments: anti dull complexion
3. Green pigments: anti redness
This is the shade I got, no. 51 Light Vanilla. Nowadays when picking foundation shade in the counter, I don't ask for the BA to match my skintone anymore. And I don't ask for the shade that's between light and neutral anymore. I just go for the lightest and see how that matches my skintone. The lightest shade in this range is no 50 and it's pink undertone so I skip that and go fot no 51 that's for yellow undertone. And I can't be happier with this shade.
It comes with pump dispenser which I really love. No product waste as it pumps just the right amount. Usually I pump about 1/3 for each of my face areas, cheek left and right, forehead, chin, and around nose. I don't dab on full face cause the product dries quite quick, though not as quick as Revlon Colorstay Foundation. So I can only put on one area at a time, and work with it fast spreading it on the area before it completely dries.
It has smell, and it's a bit bad, but still not as bad as Revlon Colorstay Foundation's paint smell. The smells disappears within seconds though so I can bear with it.
This shade although it's one of the lightest shade, it doesn't give me pale / washed look. As you can see it's perfect for people with yellow undertone.
The coverage is medium and kinda buildable. As you can see from the photo that I have red pimples and some scars. Coverage is pretty amazing. Unfortunately this foundation doesn't fully cover big reddish active acne but it does its job well in eliminating redness and covering other scars just like its claims. It's already better than I expected at this point. I only have to apply concealer on the obvious blemishes for better finish.
This foundation feels very light once applied and settled, almost like second skin. It has matte finish, so people who prefer dewy face might not like this. This foundation is also quickly absorbed, which can be pro and cons actually.
However, my only gripe is, this foundation tends to accentuate drier skin. I have combination skin so in some oily parts this foundation sits well and easy to blend, while on the drier parts it doesn't, and that means I need more moisturizer and primer. I learn my mistakes too. In the photo above I applied the foundation using my fingers, which doesn't give me completely flawless result as it looks flaky in some area, especially nose and around lips. So before applying this foundation, I have to apply moisturizer and hydrating primer first. Applying this foundation using damp beauty blender also helps to achieve more flawless finish.
Oil control is good. As usual my nose starts to shine after few hours, but only slightly and it stays that way until about 6-7 hours. Actually powder isn't needed since this foundation gives matte finish and makes my skin feels soft and smooth, not creamy at all. It doesn't transfer too. But for precaution, on days I have to go out for long hours, I dust off my oil free powder. Though I don't really advise touch up with this foundation cause it can make skin like mine looks flaky. It does last all day, however since I have combination skin, on oilier part it does not look that good after 6-7 hours but the rest of it looks perfectly the same as when it is freshly applied.
PROS
- No parabens
- Matte finish
- Lightweight
- Travel friendly
- Good oil control
- Medium coverage
- Eliminate redness
- Covers medium acne scars, dullness and minor blemishes
- Hygienic pump dispenser
- Doesn't feel dry on skin
CONS
- Scent might not smell pleasant for some people
- Accentuate dry areas of skin, so moisturize and prime first
- Dries quickly so must blend and work on it fast
RATING ❤❤❤❤❤
WHERE TO GET
Boots
ASOS
Superdrug
Priceline
RECOMMENDED FOR
- People with combination and oily skin
- People with dull skin, redness and acne to cover
Despite the cons, I actually still use it on daily basis especially when I have severe redness and scars to make them look like normal skin. When my skin is less oily or when the acne I want to cover is around my dry areas, I apply BB cream or foundation first all over my face then use this Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation as concealer on those redness and blemishes.
Have you tried Bourjois products yet?