After having the flu over the Christmas period (joyous), my skin was terrible. Whenever I am ill, my skin seems to reflect what's happening on the inside, and I tend to get blemishes everywhere, along with dull and tired looking skin. Because of this, whilst I am waiting for the blemishes to clear up, I tend to use a higher coverage foundation than I normally would. Usually I favour lighter coverage, perhaps with some concealer in places where I really need it, but when my face is not looking it's best, that just isn't going to cut it.
So in my hour of need, I turned to a couple of my favourite high coverage foundations to make sure my blemishes were hidden, and that my skin tone was no longer as grey as Han Solo in carbonite...!
Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation
Packaging - First plus point of this foundation - it's in a travel friendly, hygienic, easy to dispense, squeezy plastic tube. Yay for a lazy application!
Texture & Application - It is quite a thick liquid, but it doesn't feel thick once applied; I can't really feel it on my face at all. Due to the high pigmentation (30%!), you barely need any product when applying. You can get away with a second layer of this, so I do this over particularly stubborn blemishes. I apply with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Sponge, as I find this gives a naturally perfected finish, and doesn't apply too much product - if you put too much of this on, the dreaded "cake face" can appear. Less is definitely more with this foundation! Also, this foundation hasn't broken me out, Hurrah!
Finish - Even though the coverage is high, and the finish is far from dewy, it also isn't 100% matt, which I really like - importantly, my skin still looks like skin! I generally dislike foundations which make it obvious that you are wearing makeup - call me a liar, but I just want people to think that I have great skin, naturally!
Wear Time - I tend to set this with my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, using a Real Techniques Dual Fibre brush to ensure a light application, and find that this keeps the foundation in place pretty much all day. I have only noticed shine peeking through towards the end of my working day, after a good 7-8 hours of wear. Not quite the 16 hour wear time advertised, but I think between 7 and 9 hours of wear on my oily skin is pretty impressive!
SPF? - Yes, SPF 20. Great for during the day, but at night I have noticed slight flashback when wearing this.
Skin Type - I have read that this is not moisturising enough for drier skins and can stick to dry patches - if you really want to give this a go, it seems that moisturising before application is a must - but on my normal to oily skin, it was fine. I do find that if I have applied too much, then I can really feel it on my face after about 8 or 9 hours, and it can start to separate in my extra oily areas (on my chin and around my nose), so maybe this is in it's element on normal to slightly oily skins. The major downside of this foundation is the shade range; there are only 5 shades. I have the lightest shade, 15 Opal, which is a tiny bit too light for my NC20ish skin. I also have the shade 25 Nude - this is a bit too dark for my winter skin, but ok in summer with a tan. Paler or darker skins will struggle to find a match in this foundation.
Revlon ColourStay Foundation
Packaging - Screw top glass bottle - no pump, no squeezy tube, you just unscrew the cap and try not to pour too much out on the back of your hand! A bit of a pain, but it's nothing that would stop me using the product. The foundation is quite thick, so it doesn't exactly spill out in torrents anyway. Just be careful when you're pouring, and don't drop it!
Texture & Application - Thinner than the Vichy, but still quite thick. Despite this, I found that the foundation doesn't sit heavily on my skin, or feel mask-like. You only need a small amount of product, as this is very pigmented, and it layers really well in areas where you need extra coverage. I like to apply either with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, or with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Both provide flawless yet natural finishes. This also hasn't broken me out! As Charlie Sheen would say, "#Winning!"
Finish - Again the finish is very natural - not totally matt, but not dewy either. This is perhaps a little more radiant than the Vichy, but again, my skin just looks like skin, but better!
Wear Time - As per the packaging, I actually find that this lasts longer than the Vichy foundation - again not the 24 hours advertised but I'm talking 10 to 12 hours wear without shine or separation, and I don't need to powder this either. I don't know how it does it, but I suspect The Force is involved...!
SPF - Yes, SPF 15 - pretty good for during the day and flashback doesn't seem to be a problem at night. A good compromise!
Skin Type - A great feature of this foundation is that it is available in two formulations - one for normal to dry skin, and one for combination to oily skin (the one I use). This is great news for people with drier skins, as you can still get the coverage without it emphasising dryness. Also the colour selection is really great - there are 13 shades from pretty pale to pretty dark, and with both cool and warm undertones. I actually found my perfect match in this, 180 Sand Beige.
Swatches -
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| from Left to Right: in sunlight; in normal light; with flash |
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| from Left to Right: Blended out - in sunlight; in normal light; with flash |
Price and Where to buy -
Vichy Dermablend is available at Boots, and FeelUnique, from £16
Revlon Colorstay is available in Boots, Superdrug, from £12.49
What are your experience with these foundations? And what are your favourite high coverage heroes? Please let me know in the comments below!
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