Holy Grail Foundation: VICHY DERMABLEND CORRECTIVE FOUNDATION

It's been a long time y'all! Since I've been away, I've discovered some amazing products that I'd like to share with everyone. First up!

::VICHY DERMABLEND CORRECTIVE FOUNDATION::

::WHERE TO PURCHASE::

The Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation can be found in Canada at any Shopper's Drug Mart. It only costs about $25CDN, which is half the price of cult fave foundations from MAC or Make Up Forever. That really helps if you're like me and prefer to blend two colours together to get the perfect match all the time.

For US residents, check out Vichy USA for a store locator or to shop online. I've linked you directly to Dermablend, but there are tons of other Vichy products listed on the site. It lists Dermablend as $29USD - maybe there's cost increase due to import mark-up? :S

*Tip: Blending foundations is highly recommended regardless of brand. Sunny weather is fast approaching for those of us up north, so we'll want our foundation to custom-match every stage of our healthy glow. Furthermore, we all know that everyone's skin tone is different. It's nearly impossible to find a perfect match with just one foundation, even without tanning issues. Those with fair complexions should try blending customized proportions of #15 OPAL and #25 NUDE. If you're darker or olive-skinned, try mixing #45 GOLD with a touch of #35 SAND for more dimension.


::THE HYPE::

I can't say enough about this foundation. What I absolutely LOVE about it is the amazing AMAZING coverage it provides. It literally acts as a concealer as well as a foundation. I have lots of red patches and discolouration from blowing my nose (perpetual sinus issues), acne scars, etc. Dermablend covers up everything IMMEDIATELY. Unless you have serious scarring or redness, you will not need concealer. As well, if your skin is clear and you don't want to use foundation all over your face, you can use this foundation as your concealer and only dab it onto problem areas. You can also just use it on your T-zone and planes of your cheeks.

*For my medium yellow-based skin tone, I mix about 3/4 of #25 NUDE and 1/4 of #45 GOLD. I will increase the 45 depending on my tan this summer.  

::INSANE COVERAGE and INCREDIBLE LASTING POWER::

Because this foundation was allegedly created for reasons much like BB Cream - for people recovering from chemical peel redness, rosacea, and other scarring, it really goes above and beyond any foundation or BB Cream I've ever used.

Dermablend feels lightweight like you have nothing on your skin at all, yet it does NOT budge! I'd even go as far as to claim it's almost waterproof. If you blow your nose aggressively and very frequently like me, I'd recommend using a concealer to minimize potential redness around the nose. But if not, then this foundation alone will last you all day. You basically need makeup remover (or olive oil if you want to go natural/cheap) to really clean this foundation off your face, yet it's not greasy and doesn't clog pores.


::ZERO CAKINESS::

With all its staying power, you would think this product would be cakey. False. Cakiness is one reason I've avoided full-cover foundations in the past. MAC's Studio Fix provides great coverage but no matter how I applied it, I would always look like I slammed my face into pancake mix. Not cute. Dermablend on the other hand doesn't produce any cakiness whatsoever. Strangely enough, it's mostly mattifying yet still provides a light dewy glow. Kind of like magic!



::A LITTLE GOES A LONNNNNG WAY::

I'm not joking when I say you do not need much product to cover your entire face and neck area. You can use a foundation brush or your fingers to apply - both work - and basically just pick up the product by feathering at the edges of the blob. As you apply to your face, blend the product really well and you will immediately see how far a tiny bit will take you. This also means that for half the price of a typical higher end foundation, you will have a wonderful product that will last you for ages.

#25 and #45 blended, pre-application (with flash)

#25 and #45 blended, pre-application (without flash)

::NO FUNKY SMELLS::

Dermablend has no weird scent. In addition to cakiness, another reason I reluctantly dropped MAC Studio Fix for Make Up Forever's HD Foundation was the fact that I couldn't stand how heavy MAC SF felt and how badly it reeked of paint and oh, turpentine. It was so revolting that I had to stop using it entirely. What a waste of money! I still enjoy MUF's HD foundation, and I'll continue to use it for evenings when I know I'll be photographed, but Vichy Dermablend is now my go-to daily holy grail foundation. Hands-down winner.


::NOTE::

My Dermablend doesn't appear to come with SPF, but the ones listed on the Vichy USA site seem to be SPF20. Remember that if you're getting photographed, SPF will give off a sheen, so be sure to mattify your face with powder if you're using the SPF version.