Foundation Holygrail. I’ve waited a long time to say those words. Until now I’ve been fairly happy with a number of foundations but was still secretly hoping to find THE ONE! Call off the search. I could now happily bin all other foundations and live on this one alone. In fact, it’s so good... I bought it twice!
Chanel Vitalumière, not to be confused with Vitalumière Aqua, is widely recognised as the Rolls Royce of foundation. I’ve dabbled a little with it in the past, had a few samples, but never really committed... I guess the price tag was putting me off. But in a moment of weakness/madness a few months ago in Boots, I decided to treat myself to a bottle.
Texture & Application
The light weight, liquid texture is creamy, but in no way thick. It glides on like a dream and melts into the skin. The pump action bottle distributes the ideal amount in a single pump. It’s the easiest, most fool proof application I’ve experienced in a foundation... You could apply it in the dark. It smoothes and blends like a dream in a second skin kinda way. I like to apply this one with a standard foundation brush (No7 Foundation Brush). I saw Lisa Eldrige use it on Alexa Chung (double name drop) and this is how she applied it. It works great with fingers too.
Shades
This is where Chanel let’s itself down. The shades are very limited – only 8 in the entire range. Very pale and darker skinned ladies have no chance! During the summer I was matched to 40 Beige (which is what I’m wearing in the photo below), but as my seasonal tan started to fade it looked too dark. By then I was already hooked so I got a second bottle (in duty free) in the lighter shade 30 Cendre. For reference I’m MAC NC30. Beige is my perfect summer shade, Cendre my perfect winter shade and I can mix the two to get my perfect match all year round. I’ll do some swatches to compare but the light is so poor today. It contains an SPF 15 and I have used it in flash photography and didn’t get any flash back.
Coverage
I think this is where Vitalumière and I didn’t quite gel in the past. I used to find the coverage too sheer, but these days my skin is in great condition and I don’t want to mask it. It has a low to medium buildable coverage. It easily covers dark circles and minor blemishes but doesn’t mask the skin. It’s ideal for dryer skin types as it contains moisturising agents and feels very comforting on the skin.
Finish
If I summed it up in one word, it would be GLOWING! The most beautiful, healthiest glow imaginable. It’s very natural looking, but not too natural that you look bare skinned. I’d describe it as a dewy/satin finish foundation. It imparts the most natural radiance – makes me look fresh, alive and youthful. The light reflecting pigments smooth away imperfections to create a soft-focus effect.
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| Wearing 40 Beige with Bronzer |
Longevity
At least 8-9 hours, I rarely wear foundation for longer! Vitalumière remains constant throughout the day. It doesn’t oxidise or get shiny as the day goes on. Doesn’t seem to be affected by humid conditions either, I wore it on holiday in Greece and it performed just as well.
Price
It’s £36 in the UK (I wince when I say that). I know it’s out of a lot of people’s budgets and there are lots of great, cheaper options out there (L’Oreal Lumi, I still luh ya papi) but I’m hooked on Vitalumière now. It just works for me. On every level, I’ve met my perfect match. If you fancy trying it, go to the counter and ask for a sample. No point forking out the big bucks before you’re sure!