Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla

As you might know, I'm in search of a new foundation. I was planning on picking up a more high end product to even out my face, contemplating the Lancôme Teint Idole and Teint Miracle. But neither of those really had a perfect match for my skin tone so my quest continued. I really needed something asap so to set me up in the mean time, I picked up the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in shade 51 light vanilla, which is the lightest available. Several people had recommended it to me and the shade blended into the skin on my neck nicely (the best way to test a winter foundation on post-summer skin). At about 14€, I could justify the purchase as an in between solution.

The Bourjois Healthy Mix contains all kinds of fruit extracts that are supposed to nourish the skin: 

"Bourjois' 1st radiance-boosting fruit therapy foundation for a flawless complexion for up to 16hrs!

• Apricot > radiance
• Melon > hydration
• Apple > antioxidant
• Ginger > energy

Its exquisite glide-on formula blends onto the skin for a flawless, yet natural finish.


And.. it's good for my skin:
· 8 hrs moisture
· Lets skin breathe
· Dermatologically tested"

Well smack my ass and call me Johnny, all of that sounds a bit obvious and slightly silly in a hippie kind of way, but I can't deny my love for fruits yo. No SPF, which is a bummer, but my moisturizer contains SPF20 so it's not that necessary, especially during fall and winter. Bring it on I say!

I'm comparing the Boirjous Healthy Mix foundation with my old tube of Max Factor Smooth Effect (bought on a recommendation by Katrin) because the Max Factor foundation is the best skin tone match I have found yet among drugstore brands. I'm not even THAT pale, but it is near impossible to find a good foundation match among budget products which really sucks. Anyway, as you can see the two are very similar. I'd say the Healthy Mix foundation in 51 Light Vanilla is the tiniest bit darker than Smooth Effect's Creamy Ivory, and I think both are neutral rather than pink (cool) or yellow (warm) in undertone. I lean slightly to the pink side of neutral, but these really do work well for me with minimal blending.

First thing you notice when using the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is the smell: fresh and fruity but most of all very present. However, the scent disappears instantly on applying it to your face, so don't let that scare you off.

left: naked skin // right: one coat of Bourjois Healthy Mix

I especially need coverage on my cheeks because I've got some redness there. I'd say the coverage is light to medium, especially when finished off with a layer of mineral powder. I tend to get oily around my nose which makes my foundation slide off, however, a drier foundation makes my forehead and chin look flaky, so I stick to powder in some problem areas. But the coverage is pretty much perfect for me: no mask effect but a better version of my own skin.

 left: naked skin // right: one coat of Bourjois Healthy Mix

And here is the classic before/after shot. As you can see, my own skin is the tiniest bit darker than the foundation right now, but that's a bit of residual tan from summer which will disappear completely soon. I like the fact that the finish isn't too dewy but not completely matte either. I like the natural skin effect of dewy foundations, but they soon look too oily on me, so this is my preferred finish.

And here I am with a full face of make up. I definitely like the finished result, I think this will be a very good foundation for winter since it claims to be super hydrating which is something I need during the colder months. For some reason, my skin gets both oily and dry and super sensitive, so finding the right mix of products isn't the easiest thing. I find that this foundation lasts quite well through the day on me if I top off with some powder after about 5 hours.

To round up, positives and negatives:

THE GOOD

- a good light shade foundation for fair skinned people

- moisturizing yet not too dewy in finish

- but not too matte either!

- satisfying coverage

- easily blendable
- the pump, which is the most germ-proof option.
- a glass bottle which allows you to see how much product is left
- doesn't turn another shade after oxidizing

THE BAD

- a distinctive smell

- probably won't last as long as it says it will (16 hours? I think not.)

- no SPF. Everything should have SPF!
- yellow-ish undertone that doesn't match my skin perfectly

I hope this review was helpful! If you have any questions or feedback, do ask. And I'm still welcoming good advice on high end foundations so keep em coming.